Forms: 5 Sc. spyale, 6 -alle, Sc. spyell, 6–7 spyal, -all, spiall, 6– spial. [Aphetic f. ESPIAL. Cf. SPY sb. and v.]
† 1. Espial, spying; observation, watch. Obs.
c. 1375. Sc. Leg. Saints, xl. (Ninian), 831. Þai … spyale gat to se quhen he fra strinth of men mycht fundyn be.
1525. Ld. Berners, Froiss., II. xxix. 35/1. I caused by spyall the towne & castell of Thury in Albygois to be well aviewed.
1577–87. Holinshed, Chron., III. 1097/1. Vpon such aduertisement as he receiued by spiall, of the queens being in the Guildhall.
1601. Ld. Mountjoy, in Moryson, Itin. (1617), II. 152. I … since that time kept very good spiall upon him, and have had the sight of all his papers.
1611. B. Jonson, Catiline, IV. ii. I haue those eyes and eares, shall still keepe guard And spiall on thee.
2. A spy; a scout. Now arch. or Obs.
Very common c. 1550–1600, especially in plural.
1548. Udall, etc. Erasm. Par. Matt. i. 22. Because she preserued the spyalles sent from Jesu.
1605. Bacon, Adv. Learn., II. To King § 10. As Secretaries, and Spyalls of Princes and States bring in Bills for Intelligence; so you must allowe the Spyalls and Intelligencers of Nature to bring in their Billes.
a. 1656. Ussher, Ann., VI. (1658), 319. Demetrius understanding by his spialls, that Cilles with his army lay at Myus carelessely.
1678. Sir J. Spelman, Alfred Gt. (1709), 63. Others Eyes and Ears were not always sufficient Spyals.
1813. Scott, Rokeby, III. xxvii. Now, could a spial of our train On fair pretext admittance gain, That sally-port might be unbarr’d.
1837. Carlyle, Fr. Rev., II. I. iii. Roaming far out, obscure, as King’s spial,… the man has come thus far.
transf. 1605. Sylvester, Du Bartas, II. iii. IV. Captaines, 549. Spiall of Nature, O all-seeing Sun.
3. attrib., as spial-eye, money, ship.
1520. Lett. & Papers Hen. VIII., III. I. 393. [For John Bourgchier…, deputy of Calais…, with 100l. a year for himself and 104l. a year for] spiall money.
1565. Cooper, Thesaurus, Catascopium,… a spiall shippe: a brigantine or pinneise.
1609. Heywood, Brit. Troy, 129. When lustful Men aime at suche horride use, They watch all Spyal-eyes and listning Eares.
