saunce-bell; see [sance-bell].

sawtry, a ‘psaltery’, a kind of harp. Dryden, Flower and Leaf, 358. ME. sautrye (Chaucer, C. T. A. 296).

say, to ‘assay’, to test the fitness of, to try on (clothes); ‘He sayes his sute’, B. Jonson, Staple of News, i. 1 (Fashioner); to set oneself to do something, Peele, Order of the Garter (ed. Dyce, 588); ‘Who sayd to wound faire Venus in the hand’, Heywood, 2nd Pt., Iron Age (NED.). See Dict.

say, ‘assay’, temper of metal, proof; ‘A sword of better say’, Spenser, F. Q. vi. 11. 47; a subject for testing, proving, ‘Still living to be wretched To be a say to Fortune in her changes’, Beaumont and Fl., Knt. of the B. Pestle, iv. 4. 11. ‘To say’ for to assay, to test, prove, is in prov. use in Scotland and many parts of England, see EDD. (s.v. Say, vb.2 1).

say: phr. to take the say, to draw the knife along the belly of a slain deer, to find how fat he is. Beaumont and Fl., Philaster, iv. 2. 10. For assay, B. Jonson, Sad Shepherd, i. 2 (Marian). See Nares (s.v. Say).

scalado, an escalade, attempt to scale a wall. Bacon, Henry VII (ed. Lumby, p. 165). Span. escalada, ‘an escalade or taking a place with scaling Ladders’ (Stevens). L. scala, a ladder.

scale, to attack with scaling ladders; ‘The citty had bene scaled and sacked’, Greene, Euphues (Wks., ed. Grosart, vi. 220); ‘The hugy heaps of cares . . . are scalèd from their nestling-place’, Peele, Sir Clyomon (Wks., ed. Dyce, iii. 78). Ital. ‘scalare, to ascend by ladder’ (Florio); Span. escalar (Stevens).

scaledrake, ‘a sheldrake’. Lady Alimony, ii. 2 (2 Boy). In prov. use in Scotland, Ireland, and the north of England (EDD.).

scall, a scab, blister, an eruption of skin on the head. Bible, Lev. xiii. 30 (printed skall, ed. 1611); ‘Scurfe and dandruffe, running ulcers and scals’, Holland, Pliny, xxiii. 1. In prov. use in Scotland and north of England, see EDD. (s.v. Scall, sb.1). ME. scalle (Chaucer, Minor Poems, viii. 7).

scald, afflicted with the ‘scall’, scurfy; an epithet of contempt, Ant. and Cl. v. 2. 215; Beaumont and Fl., Bloody Brothers, i (Grandpree); Dekker, Honest Wh., Pt. I, ii. 1 (Fluello). ME. scalled (Chaucer, C. T. A. 627).