Though I may not touch it nor even behold it, I have dearly purchased it, and never will I relinquish it.

But the victory was also dearly purchased by Poland: a few days before the siege was raised, the aged grand hetman died of exhaustion in the fortress on September 24, 1621.

But vivacity, however desirable, can be attained in many other ways, and is dearly purchased, indeed, when the price is intelligibility.

Lord Nelson might have cast a jaundiced eye on such an attitude, but surely those brave boat owners who persevere in completing their own brightwork varnishing project will feel that they have "gained the most splendid and decisive victory", albeit one that was perhaps "dearly purchased".

"Even if the victory had been more decided" observed the author of the Peshawar Gazetteer sixty years later, "it would have been dearly purchased by the Sikhs, with the loss of so brave a warrior as Hari Singh"

Thus cause for hope need not be widely sought or dearly purchased.

Alucius didn't like unannounced squads appearing at the outpost, especially after the last message, the one declaring that the Council had surrendered an independence dearly purchased with years of sacrifice.

The continuance of those luxuries was "dearly purchased" in blood and toil by Tyrtaeus's generation when the Messenians revolted, and the ensuing war and civil strife inspired his entire poetic work.

Pretty much the whole Empire was watching breathlessly as Heracles IV's dearly purchased defense systems activated.

Though given up for dead, they return in the spring to the aptly named Kansas town of Butcher's Crossing - think "Deadwood" - to discover that fashions have changed; their dearly purchased buffalo hides are worthless.