Forms: 4 assai, 4–5 asay(e, 4–7 assaie, assaye, 6 a saie, assey(e, 4– assay. Also aphetic SAY, and refashioned ESSAY, q.v. [a. OF. assai, assay, var. of essai, essay, cogn. with Pr. essai, assai, assag, Sp. asayo, Cat. assatg, It. assaggio (also Cat. ensatg, ensaig, Sp. ensayo, Pg. ensaio):—L. exagium ‘weighing,’ but used in Romanic in wider sense of ‘examination, trial, testing’; f. L. ex-agĕre, exigĕre to weigh, try, prove, measure, adjust, ascertain, examine, inquire into. For the sense of the L. cf. exāmen = exagmen: see EXAMINE; for the form cf. contāgium = contāmen f. con-tangĕre, naufragium f. frangĕre. Fr. essai = It. assaggio:—L. exagium may be compared to Fr. ai = OIt. aggio:—L. habeo. The etymological form from L. ex- was in es-, but in Romanic this was by confusion with other prefixes made as- and en-. In Fr. the etymological essai has now quite ousted assai, and in Eng., since the end of the 16th c., ESSAY has similarly taken the place of assay, exc. in the ‘assay of metals,’ and uses founded upon it. An aphet. SAY was very common down to 17th c.]
I. The action or process of trying, trial generally.
1. The trying (of a person or thing); trial imposed upon or endured by any object, in order to test its virtue, fitness, etc. Obs. exc. as fig. use of 6.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 341. Noblie regned he here, bi prole and gode assaies.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Wife’s Prol., 290. But folk of wyves maken non assay, Til thay ben weddid.
c. 1450. Merlin, xiv. 219. Now lete se your cheualrye, for now be ye come to the assay.
c. 1500. W. de Worde, Communyc., C iij. Whan thou of all thy frendes haste made assaye Thou shalte fynde none lyke to me.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., III. i. 164. Angelo had neuer the purpose to corrupt her; onely he hath made an assay of her vertue.
1711. Budgell, Spect., No. 307, ¶ 12. To make an Assay of his Parts in Geometry.
1868. Ruskin, Pol. Econ. Art., Add. 211. A great assay of the human soul.
† 2. ‘Trial,’ tribulation, affliction. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, II. 412. The King … Wes set in-till full hard assay.
c. 1430. Lydg., Bochas. Their pacience put at fell assayes.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. vii. 27. Sorrowfull assay, Which … almost rent her tender heart in tway.
1671. Milton, P. R., I. 263. My way must lie Through many a hard assay even to the death.
† 3. Experiment. Put it in assay: make the experiment, try it. Obs.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Compl. Venus, 62. Let the jelouse put hit in assay.
1525–30. More, De quat. Nouiss., Wks. 77/1. Yf thou putte it in a saie and make a proofe.
1644. Milton, Educ., Wks. 1738, I. 140. It may prove much more easy with assay than it now seems at distance.
1768. Sterne, Sent. Journ. (1778), I. 84. ’Tis an assay upon human nature.
† 4. Experience. Obs.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (Rolls Ser.), I. 73. Schort witted men and litel of assay.
c. 1449. Pecock, Repr., II. xi. Þe doom of experience and of assay.
† 5. The faculty of trying or judging of things.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 537. Þanne haue y tynt all my tast, touche and assaie.
II. Trial specifically.
6. The trial of metals, by ‘touch,’ fire, etc.; the determination of the quantity of metal in an ore or alloy; or of the fineness of coin or bullion.
c. 1396. Chaucer, Clerkes T., 1110. If that thay were put to such assayes The gold of hem hath now so badde alayes With bras, that … It wolde rather brest in two than plye.
a. 1500. Songs on Costume (1849), 52. Thyng counterfeet wol faylen at assay.
1600. Hakluyt, Voy. (1810), III. 316. To get some of that their copper for an assay.
1724. Swift, Drapier’s Lett., ii. Wks. 1761, III. 31. An assay was made of the coin.
1798. Phil. Trans., LXXXVIII. 424. The valuable minerals are soon pointed out by assay.
1813. Wellington, in Gurw., Disp., X. 194. I haue requested Sir Charles Stuart to have an assay made of them at the Portuguese Mint.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., s.v., Both assays and analyses may be either qualitative or quantitative…. The assay value of gold and silver ores is usually determined in Troy ounces … per ton … of ore.
7. The metal or substance to be assayed.
1837. Ede, Pract. Chem., 10. The assay is moistened and made to adhere to the flux and heated with it.
1879. Rutley, Stud. Rocks, x. 158. To get this colouration the assay should not be previously reduced.
† 8. The trial of weights, measures, quality of bread, etc., by legal standard. Obs. exc. Hist.
1601. F. Tate, Househ. Ord. Edw. II., § 24 (1876), 17. The clarke of the market … shal take the assay of al manner of mesures, waightes and elnes within the vierge.
1631. Chart. 6 Chas. I., in Bingham, Rep., V. 341. Assize and assay of bread, wine, and beer.
1751. Chambers, Cycl., Assay of weights and measures signifies the trial or examination of common weights and measures.
† 9. Venery. Trial of ‘grease of a deer.’ Obs.
c. 1340. Gaw. & Gr. Knt., 1328. Serched hem at þe asay, summe þat þer were.
1612. Drayton, Poly-olb., xv. 244. Nor tooke so rich assaies. (Note. Breaking up of Deare brought into the Quarry.)
10. The trial of anything by taste, tasting. arch.
1477. Norton, Ord. Alch. (Ashm. 1652), v. 73. Yet of some parts seperable, A Tast maie well be Convenable … to make assay Whether they be well wrought or nay.
1561. T. N[orton], Calvin’s Inst., III. ii. (1634), 276. Being before … without judgment of taste to take assay of them.
1616. Surfl. & Markh., Countr. Farm, 610. As concerning the tasting of wine … it is good to make the assay at such time as the North-East winde bloweth.
1667. Milton, P. L., IX. 747. Whose taste, too long forborn, at first assay Gave elocution to the mute.
1823. Lamb, Elia, Ser. I. xii. (1865), 98. That Guyon must take assay of the glorious bait.
† 11. fig. A taste, a foretaste. Obs.
1594. J. King, Jonah (1864), 56. A taste and assay beforehand of that everlasting and utter darkness.
1605. Shaks., Lear, I. ii. 47. But as an essay, or taste of my vertue.
† 12. The act, latterly perhaps nothing more than complimentary, of tasting the food or drink before giving it to an exalted personage. Obs. exc. Hist.
1547. in Strype, Eccl. Mem., II. App. I. A 7. A sumptuous dinner, and the chief mourner served with assays and al other service.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1550), 14. The esquier whiche was accustomed to sewe and take the assaye before kyng Rychard.
1602. Carew, Cornwall (1723), 137 b. Serued with kneeling assay, and all other rites due to the estate of a Prince.
1641. Prynne, Antipathie, 200. Hee made Dukes and Earles to serve him with Wine, with assay taken.
b. Cup of assay: a small cup with which assay of wine, etc., was taken.
c. 1530. in Gutch, Coll. Cur., II. 283. Twoo litill Cuppis of asseye silvar and gilt.
1548. Hall, Chron. (1550), 212. The Maior of London claymed to serue the quene with a cuppe of golde and a cuppe of assay of the same.
1852. Thackeray, Esmond, II. ii. (1876), 171. In this state she had her train carried by a knight’s wife, a cup and cover of assay to drink from, and fringed cloth.
III. A trying to do something, an attempt.
13. An attempt, an endeavor. arch.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Chan. Yem. Prol. & T., 696. Yet wol I make assay The secound tyme, that ye mow taken heede.
c. 1450. Merlin, vi. 100. He … that was ferthest from the assaye of this swerde.
1625. Bacon, Seditions, Ess. (Arb.), 395. A kinde of shaking off the yoake and Assay of disobedience.
1684. Bunyan, Pilgr., II. 32. She and her companions made a fresh assay to go past them.
1725. Pope, Odyss., IV. 535. Perilous th’ assay, unheard the toil, T’ elude the prescience of a God by guile.
1876. Blackie, Songs Relig., 64. O! it is a hard assay For the reach of human clay.
† 14. Putting forth of one’s strength or energy, best effort. arch. To do his assay: to put forth all his might, do his best. Obs.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 1590. Praynge him that he most doon his assay To gete the flese of golde.
1393. Gower, Conf., I. 68. He hath put all his assay To winne thing which he ne may get.
1605. Shaks., Macb., IV. iii. 143. Their malady conuinces The great assay of Art.
1634. A. Huish. Endeavouring with our strength and whole assay, Our God to praise.
1797. Coleridge, Christabel, I. Deep from within she seems half-way To lift some weight with sick assay.
† 15. An attack, an assault. Obs.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, XIV. 34. In vaveryng fyrth arivit thai Saufly, but bargane or assay.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, VIII. 3903. Paris was ffull siker at asaye, and a sad knight.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, VIII. i. 13. The first chiftanis for assay or defens.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., V. iv. 23. To have wrought unwares some villainous assay.
1599. Shaks., Hen. V., I. ii. 151. Galling the gleaned Land with hot Assayes. Ibid. (1602), Ham., II. ii. 7. To giue th’ assay of Armes against your Maiestie.
1705. Hickeringill, Priest-cr., IV. 211. The next Essay and Assay that I make against Priest-craft, shall be to Disarm it for ever.
† 16. A first tentative effort, in learning or practice. Obs.
1560. Disob. Child, in Hazl., Dodsl., II. 284. I went to school, And of my Latin primer I took assay.
1613. R. C., Table Alph., Preamble, forespeech … entrance, or assay.
1624. Capt. Smith, Virginia, Pref. 1. Our practices haue hitherto beene but assayes, and are still to be amended.
1677. Gilpin, Dæmonol. Sacra (1867), 247. These are his first assays with young men.
† 17. A trial specimen; a sample. Obs.
1581. Lambarde, Eiren., IV. xvi. (1588), 580. I labour to bee short, and therfore I giue but an assaie of each thing.
1675. Collins, in Rigaud, Corr. Sci. Men, I. 212. Be pleased to thank him for those assays of his method already sent.
IV. Quality as determined by trial.
18. † a. Approved quality, proof, temper of metal, etc. Obs. b. Standard of fineness in the precious metals.
c. 1430. Syr Generides, 6037. Ne had his helme be goode of assay He had died the same day.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 196. Instrumentis of werre of beste assay.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 13. Purfled with gold and pearle of rich assay.
1820. G. Carey, Funds, 99. As twenty-two carats are to the gross weight so is the assay or real fineness to the quantity.
† 19. fig. Character, temper. Obs.
1393. Gower, Conf., III. 356. That outward feignen youthe so And ben within of pouer assay.
1579. J. Stubbes, Gaping Gulf, A vij. To be of one assaie or touche with the Idolatrous and trayterous Israelits.
† 20. Sounding; depth as ascertained by it. Obs.
1436. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 186. Havenesse grete and godely bayes, Sure, wyde, and depe, of gode assayes.
V. Phr. At all assays. (Also at all assay, at every assay.)
† 21. At every trial, in every crisis, juncture, or time of need; passing imperceptibly into: At all events, in any case; on every occasion, always. Obs.
c. 1360. Yesterday, 166, in E. E. P. (1862), 137. Put þi trust in godus Mercie. Hit is þe best at al assay.
c. 1400. Test. Love, I. (1560), 274/1. I have thee found at all assayes … to be readie.
c. 1485. Digby Myst. (1882), I. 531. Ye shal me fynde plesant at euery assaye.
1570. Marr. Wit & Sc., V. iv. in Hazl., Dodsl., II. 389. God speed us well, I will make one at all assays.
1577. trans. Bullinger’s Decades (1592), 135. God … our present deliuerer and ayder at all assayes.
1612. Woodall, Surg. Mate, Wks. 1653, 153. Words … which might serve at all assayes, or upon all occasions.
1658. Ussher, Ann., VI. 164. He had at all assayes, ever upheld their State, against their enemies.
† 22. (Armed, ready) at all assays: ready for every event. Obs.
a. 1553. Udall, Roister D. (Arb.), 36. Shall we sing a fitte?… Dou. I am at all assayes.
1594. 2nd Rep. Faustus, in Thoms, E. E. Rom. (1858), III. 408. Four Janisaries horsemen armed at all assaies.
1603. Florio, Montaigne, I. xlviii. (1632), 155. The Roman gentlemen armed at all assayes.
VI. Comb. in names of things used in or connected with assaying; as assay-balance, -beam, -furnace, -house, -oven; assay-ton (see quot.). Also ASSAY-MASTER, q.v.
1746. Phil. Trans., XLIV. 245. The flat Pieces of Glass, often placed under the Scales of an Essay-Balance.
1753. Chambers, Cycl. Supp., Assay-Ballance.
1863. Proc. Amer. Phil. Soc., IX. 226. The recent receipt of two assay beams at the Mint.
1707. Lond. Gaz., No. 4313/3. Without the accustomary Charges of making Essay Furnaces.
1622. Malynes, Anc. Law-Merch., 284. Comming to the Assay-house, there we found diuers gentlemen desirous to see the manner of making of Assayes of Gold and Siluer.
1683. Pettus, Fleta Min., I. (1686), 8. There are many sorts of Assay-Ovens which Assayers made use of.
1881. Raymond, Mining Gloss., Assay-ton, a weight of 29.1662/3 grams…. Each milligram of gold or silver obtained from one assay-ton of ore represents one ounce troy to the ton of 2000 pounds avoirdupois.
