Forms: 4 asaie, (asyghe), 4–5 asay(e, 4–6 assaye, 4–7 assaie, (5 asse), 5–6 assey(e, 6 assai, asey, (assy), 4– assay. Also aphetic SAY, and refashioned ESSAY, q.v. [a. OF. a(s)saye-r, a(s)saie-r, also essayer, cogn. with Sp. asayar, Pr. essaiar, assaiar, assatjar, It. assaggiare (cf. also Pr. and Pg. ensaiar, Sp. ensayar, Cat. ensajar):—late L. or early Romanic *exagiāre, f. exagium: see ASSAY sb. In later Fr. the etymological form essayer is alone found; this was introduced into Eng. by Caxton, and, except as applied to the testing of metals, assay is now an archaic form of ESSAY. An aphet. SAY was formerly common.]
I. To put to the test.
1. trans. To put to the proof, try (a person or thing); to test the nature, excellence, fitness, etc., of. Obs. exc. as fig. use of 4.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 219. He said he wild asay þer hors alle in a mile.
1340. Hampole, Pr. Consc., 1399. In þis world liggis twa ways, Als men may fynd þat þam assays.
a. 1450. Knt. de la Tour (1868), 27. After dyner y wille assaie my wiff, and bidde her lepe into the basin.
1513. More, Rich. III. (1641), 395. Every man assaid his armour and proved his weapon.
1545. Ascham, Toxoph. (Arb.), 20. Therfore did I take this little matter in hande to assaye myselfe.
1671. Milton, P. R., II. 233. I shall … his strength as oft assay.
1791. Cowper, Odyss., VIII. 27. With which they should assay his force.
† b. with object clause. Obs.
c. 1385. Chaucer, L. G. W., 487. That al here lyf ne don nat but asayen How many women they may done a shame.
c. 1450. Lonelich, Grail, xxvii. 300. Only to asayen what he wolde do.
1513–75. Diurn. Occurr. (1833), 59. To assy ȝif thair ladderis wer convenient and lang aneuch.
1611. Bible, Transl. Pref., 7. To assay whether my talent … may be profitable in any measure to Gods Church.
† 2. intr. To make trial (of). Obs.
c. 1386. Chaucer, Frankl. T., 839. I wole of hym assaye At certeyn dayes yeer by yeer to paye.
c. 1394. P. Pl. Crede, 647. A-say of her sobernesse.
1576. Thynne, in Animadv., App. 108. I manye tymes with deeper muse assayed.
† 3. trans. To try by touch; to ‘feel’ by handling. lit. and fig. Obs.
1366. Maundev., viii. 91. On that mount appeared Crist to Seynt Thomas … and bad him assaye his woundes.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Boeth., I. vi. 26. Suffre me to touche and assaie þe stat of þi þouȝt by a fewe demaundes.
1398. Trevisa, Barth. De P. R., III. xxiii. (1495), 70. Olde men and wyse chese the veynes of the arme to assaye the puls.
4. trans. To test the composition of (an ore, alloy, or other metallic compound) by chemical means, so as to determine the amount of a particular metal contained in it; to determine the degree of purity of one of the precious metals.
c. 1440. Morte Arthure, 2347. I sende hyme the somme, assaye how hyme likes!
1697. Luttrell, Brief Rel., IV. 239. The goldsmiths are to meet to assay the new money coyned at the Tower.
1754. Cramer (title), Elements of the Art of Assaying Metals in Theory and Practice.
1818. Accum, Chem. Tests, 104. To assay it for lead.
1879. G. Gladstone, in Cassell’s Techn. Educ., IV. 146/1. A small piece … is cut off each ingot that has to be assayed.
b. fig. To test as metal.
c. 1400. Hylton, Scala Perf. (W. de W., 1494), xxiv. Tyll thou be assaid and purifyed by the fyre of desire in devoute prayer.
1834. Southey, Doctor, clx. (1862), 404. Sterling merit … he can now understand and value, having … the means of assaying it.
† 5. trans., absol., and intr. with of. To try by tasting. spec. To taste food or drink before it is offered to a prince or lord. Obs. exc. Hist.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 74. I prayed pieres to pulle adown an apple … and suffre me to assaye what sauoure it hadde. Ibid. (1393), C. VII. 357. Ich haue good Ale, godsyb gloton, wolt þow assaye?
c. 1460. Bk. Curtasye, 751, in Babees Bk. (1868), 325. Þo Coke assayes þe mete vngryȝt, Þo sewer he takes and kouers on ryȝt.
1522. World & Child, in Hazl., Dodsl., I. 266. At the Pope’s-Head sweet wine assay.
a. 1529. Skelton, El. Rummyng, 397. Of thyne ale let us assay.
1693. W. Robertson, Phraseol. Gen., 154. To assay or taste before or first, Prægustare.
1859. Turner, Dom. Archit., III. iii. 80. The Carver then entered the hall … and at once commenced the cautious process of assaying.
† 6. trans. To try the depth of, sound. Obs.
1665. Manley, Grotius’ Low-C. Wars, 337. He sent Count Solre to assay and sound the Issell.
† 7. trans. To try, try on (clothes). Obs.
1592. Lyly, Mydas, V. iii. 64. Apollo is … assaying on some Shepherd’s coate.
1631. Dekker, Match Mee, II. Wks. 1873, IV. 156. Assay this glove, Sir.
† 8. trans. To practise by way of trial. Obs.
1377. Langl., P. Pl., B. XVI. 106. And did him assaye his surgerye On hem þat syke were.
1477. Earl Rivers (Caxton), Dictes, 18. Assaye the meanes to redresse him.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. viii. 2. Deare Sir your mighty powres assay.
1671. Milton, P. R., I. 143. Let him tempt and now assay His utmost subtlety.
a. 1725. Pope, Odyss., XIX. 675. Their strength and skill the suitors shall assay.
† 9. trans. and absol. To try or examine, for the sake of information. Obs.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. IV. 5. Ich shul asaye hure myself and sothliche apose.
1387. Trevisa, Higden (1865), I. 229. Þe emperour assaied and founde sooþ all þat þey seide.
1481. Caxton, Myrr., I. v. 20. The auncyent faders wold … assaye the werkis of our Lord.
1622. R. Hawkins, Voy. S. Sea (1847), 127. Assaying our pumpe to know if our shippe made more water then her ordinary.
† 10. trans. To try to know or learn; to inquire.
1393. Langl., P. Pl., C. XVII. 164. He suffrede me and seide ‘assay hus oþer name.’
1401. Pol. Poems (1859), II. 41. This he doth in dede asseye of hem that knowith.
1664. Butler, Hud., II. iii. 314. He knew … Which Socrates and Chærephon In vain assaid so long agone.
† b. To try to attain to, endeavor after. Obs. rare.
1597. Daniel, Civ. Wares, I. xlix. For every prince seeing his danger neere, By any meanes his quiet peace assaies.
† 11. trans. and absol. To have proof of; to learn or know by experience. Obs.
1340. Ayenb., 142. Herte þet þis heþ a-sayd naȝt ne willieþ more.
c. 1374. Chaucer, Troylus, IV. 1076. Thow hast nat yit assayed al hire wit.
1413. Lydg., Pylgr. Sowle, III. x. 56. No man knoweth the peyne but he that hath assayed.
1483. Caxton, Gold. Leg., 93/4. Yf thou hast preued and assayed that I am the temple of god byleue it.
1597. Shaks., Lover’s Compl., 155. Who ever shunn’d by precedent The destined ill she must herself assay?
II. To try with afflictions, temptations, force, etc. In some senses apparently influenced by assail.
† 12. trans. To try with afflictions, to subject to ‘trials.’ Obs.
c. 1400. Rom. Rose, 2688. Thou shalt wel by thy silf see That thou must nedis assaid be.
1480. Caxton, Chron. Eng., I. (1520), 6/2. After that God had assayed hym [i.e., Job] in his patience he lyved an .C. and 40 yere.
1596. Spenser, F. Q., I. ii. 24. O, how great sorrow my sad soule assaid!
† 13. To try with temptations or things that influence; to tempt; to try to gain over. Obs.
1532. More, Confut. Tindale, Wks. 563/2. The diuel … letted not to assai Job againe and againe for al the pacience that he founde in him.
1589. Greene, Menaph. (Arb.), 57. To assay him by curtesie before hee assayled him with rigour.
1611. Speed, Hist. Gt. Brit., IX. xviii. (1632), 913. Catesby whether hee assayed him, or assayed him not, reported vnto them.
1614. Raleigh, Hist. World, II. 547. Then did he assay them with goodly words, accompanied with gifts.
† 14. To try the mettle of (any one) in fight, to try to conquer; hence to attack, assault, assail.
1375. Barbour, Bruce, III. 376. Sa hard anoy thaim then assayit, Off hungir, cauld, with schowris snell.
c. 1400. Rowland & Ot., 797. Be Mahoun … I scholde assaye his Body.
c. 1440. Generydes, 6074. He thought not hym for to Asse.
a. 1470. Tiptoft, Caesar’s Comm., xiii. (1530), 17. Theyr enemies lept sodenly out … in so much as they assayd them that bare the banners.
c. 1500. Lancelot, 569. His purpos Is … planly to assay Your lond, with mony manly man of were.
1582–8. Hist. James VI. (1804), 176. These of Edinburgh … went to assaye the castell of Merchestoun, with some peeces of ordinance.
1676. Hobbes, Iliad, XII. 51. Exhorting them the Trenches to assay.
† b. To challenge to a trial of strength, skill, etc.
1602. Shaks., Ham., III. i. 14. Did you assay him to any pastime?
† c. fig. To attack anything difficult: cf. ASSAIL.
1605. Drayton, Man in Moone, 435. She the high Mountaynes actively assayes.
1643. Denham, Coopers Hill, 303. Thinks not their rage so desperate t’ assay An Element more merciless than they.
† 15. To assail: a. with words, or arguments; to accost, address. Obs.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, IV. x. 96. Eneas … Gan stert on fut, and last his feris assayit. Awalk anon, get vp my men in hy.
1603. Shaks., Meas. for M., I. ii. 186. Bid her selle assay him.
† b. with love-proposals. Obs.
c. 1550. Dane Hew, 17, in Hazl., E. P. P., III. 135. And thought alway in his minde … how he might her assay, And if she would not to say him nay.
1591. Spenser, Virgils Gnat, 491. Th’ other was with Thetis love assaid.
1598. Shaks., Merry W., II. i. 26. What an unwaied Behauiour hath this Flemish drunkard pickt … that he dares In this manner assay me?
III. To try to do, attempt, venture.
16. trans. To attempt, try to do (anything difficult).
c. 1300. K. Alis., 3879. Now let seo gef ony is so hardy That durste hit him asyghe.
1382. Wyclif, Heb. xi. 29. The which thing Egipciens asayinge weren deuourid.
1513. Douglas, Æneis, II. xii. (xi) 117. Wilfull all aventuris newlingis to assay.
1593. Spenser, Sonn., li. Never ought was excellent assayde Which was not hard t’ atchive and bring to end.
1647. Sprigg, Ang. Rediv., I. vi. (1854), 54. It was resolved first to assay that.
1826. Scott, Woodst., ii. The stranger paused, as if uncertain whether he should demand or assay entrance.
† 17. intr. or with inf. a. To set oneself (to do something), to address or apply oneself. Obs.
c. 1330. R. Brunne, Chron., 47. For to com tille Inglond sone suld he assay.
c. 1400. Destr. Troy, II. 382. Þat he go shuld, Soiorne þere a season, assay when hym lyke.
1541. Elyot, Image Govt., 13. All noble men assaied to folowe hym.
1611. Bible, Deut. iv. 34. Hath God assayed to goe and take him a nation from the midst of another nation?
1665–9. Boyle, Occas. Refl., V. ix. (1675), 330. He fits them to the various tempers of the Persons he assays to work upon.
b. To make the attempt, to endeavor (the issue being conceived as uncertain); to do one’s best. Generally with inf.
c. 1370. Lay-Folks Mass-bk., App. iv. 626. Noþeles · I wol assay.
1382. Wyclif, 2 Macc. ii. 24. So we temptiden, or assayeden, for to abregge in to oo boke, thingus comprehendid … in fyue bookis.
1535. Coverdale, Jonah i. 13. Neuerthelesse, the men assayed with rowinge, to brynge the shippe to londe.
1620. Jrnls. Pilgrims (1848), 30. For Cod we assayed, but found none.
1791. Cowper, Iliad, IX. 727. Him Œneus also … with earnest prayers Assay’d to soften.
1868. Freeman, Norm. Conq. (1876), II. x. 521. The King’s strength was failing, but he assayed to show himself in the usual kingly state.
† c. To venture, make bold. With inf. Obs.
a. 1400. Cov. Myst., 26. This frute to ete I xal asayn.
1579. Fenton, Guicciard. (1618), 282. It is very manifest, that he neuer durst assay to oppresse vs without that vnion.
1605. Play of Stucley (1878), 191. So both our spies and friends dare not assay To hang out signal, nor come near the Port.
1678. Bunyan, Pilgr., I. (1862), 136. Then they assayed to look.
