Alexander Schmidt, Shakespeare Lexicon and Quotation Dictionary

Try, vb. 1) to purify, to refine as gold: “--ed gold,” Merch. II, 7, 53. “the fire seven times --ed this; seven times --ed that judgment is,” II, 9, 63. II, 9, 63
2) to prove by a test, to evince, to find or show by experience what a person or a thing is; absol.: “as time shall t.” Ado I, 1, 262. As IV, 1, 204. trans.: “thus my strength is --ed,” Ven. 280. cf. Lucr. 353. “let the end t. the man,” H4B II, 2, 50. “we have --ed the utmost of our friends,” Caes. IV, 3, 214. --ed == approved: “he hath still been --ed a holy man,” Rom. IV, 3, 29. “he's a --ed and valiant soldier,” Caes. IV, 1, 28. “those friends thou hast, and their adoption --ed,” Hml. I, 3, 62.
3) to examine by a test: “to t. an older friend,” Sonn. 110, 11. “not being --ed and tutored in the world,” Gent. I, 3, 21. “I will t. thee,” III, 1, 293. III, 1, 293 “and t. your penitence, if it be sound,” Meas. II, 3, 22. Shr. II, 220. All's III, 6, 19. Wint. IV, 1, 1. V, 2, 144. John III, 1, 100. R2 II, 2, 85. H4B II, 3, 56. II, 4, 334. H6A I, 2, 60. H6A I, 2, 60 H6C III, 2, 33. R3 IV, 2, 9. Cor. II, 3, 200. Tim. II, 2, 187. Tim. II, 2, 187 III, 6, 3. Hml. III, 2, 218. Oth. IV, 2, 48. Ant. II, 7, 133. Per. II, 2, 37.
4) to examine, to inquire into in any manner: “I will lay a plot to t. that,” Wiv. III, 3, 202. “that's a question: how shall we t. it?” Err. V, 421. “to t. whose right, of thine or mine, is most in Helena,” Mids. III, 2, 336. “I wish you had only in your silent judgement --ed it,” Wint. II, 1, 171. “to t. if that our own be ours or no,” H6A III, 2, 63. “if my actions were --ed by every tongue,” H8 III, 1, 35. “here shall I t. how the people take the cruel issue of these men,” Caes. III, 1, 292. “how may we t. it further?” Hml. II, 2, 159. Hml. II, 2, 159 “t. honour's cause, forbear your suffrages,” Per. II, 4, 41 (M. Edd. for honour's cause).
Especially, == to examine judicially: “guiltier than him they t.” Meas. II, 1, 21. “the party --ed the daughter of a king,” Wint. III, 2, 2. “we intend to t. his grace today, if he be guilty,” H6B III, 2, 16. disdainful to be --ed by it (justice) H8 II, 4, 123. “I gave ye power as he was a counsellor to t. him,” V, 3, 143. “would t. him to the utmost,” V, 3, 143 “defying those whose great power must t. him,” Cor. III, 3, 80.
And == to settle and decide by combat: to t. with it (the crown), “as with an enemy, the quarrel of a true inheritor,” H4B IV, 5, 167. “no king, if it come to the arbitrement of swords, can t. it out with all unspotted soldiers,” H5 IV, 1, 169. “let this dissension first be --ed by fight,” H6A IV, 1, 116. “to see this quarrel --ed,” H6B II, 3, 53. “fight for a plot whereon the number cannot t. the cause,” Hml. IV, 4, 63. cf. Mids. III, 2, 337. H6A III, 2, 63.
5) to make an experiment: “bring her to t. with main-course,” Tp. I, 1, 38.* “I will marry one day, but to t.” Err. II, 1, 42. I have --ed (to make verses) Ado V, 2, 36. “you will t. in time,” As I, 3, 24. H6A I, 2, 149. Troil. III, 2, 154. Cymb. II, 3, 16. With a clause: “t. what my credit can in Venice do,” Merch. I, 1, 180. “I would t. if I could cry hem,” As I, 3, 19. “I will t. how you can . . .,” Shr. I, 2, 17. “t. upon yourselves what you have seen me,” Cor. III, 1, 225. Wint. III, 2, 74. H6A I, 4, 111. V, 3, 32. H6B III, 1, 309. Cor. III, 1, 251. Rom. IV, 2, 4. Rom. IV, 2, 4 Hml. III, 3, 65. Lr. IV, 6, 246.
Transitively, == to make experiment of; a) a person: “how god Mars did t. her,” Pilgr. 145. “t. all the friends thou hast in Ephesus,” Err. I, 1, 153. “if he were living, I would t. him yet,” All's I, 2, 72. “he might have --ed Lord Lucius,” Tim. III, 3, 2. t. many (masters) Cymb. IV, 2, 373. b) a thing: “thoughts are but dreams till their effects be --ed,” Lucr. 353. that mother --es a merciless conclusion, 1160; cf. Merch. II, 2, 39 and Hml. III, 4, 195. “though she strive to t. her strength,” Pilgr. 317. “to t. their fortune,” Gent. I, 3, 8. Wiv. IV, 2, 96. Meas. V, 76. Merch. II, 1, 24. All's I, 3, 253. II, 1, 137. II, 1, 137 Tit. II, 3, 69 “(to t. experiments).” Ant. III, 12, 26. Ant. III, 12, 26 Cymb. I, 5, 18. Cymb. I, 5, 18 I, 6, 173.
Especially applied to any kind of combats ventured on in order to settle a question: “we'll t. no manhood here,” Mids. III, 2, 412 (== we will not fight here). “to t. a fall,” As I, 1, 132. I, 2, 216. “to t. with him the strength of my youth,” I, 2, 216 “when thy father and myself in friendship first --ed our soldiership,” All's I, 2, 26. “to t. the fair adventure of to-morrow,” John V, 5, 22. “mine honour let me t.” R2 I, 1, 184. “to t. his honour,” IV, 85. “will t. fortune with him in a single fight,” H4A V, 1, 100. “to t. our fortunes,” H4B IV, 2, 43. “to t. his strength,” H6A V, 5, 32. “t. your hap against the Irishmen,” H6B III, 1, 314. “we shall t. fortune in a second fight,” Caes. V, 3, 110. “yet I will t. the last,” Mcb. V, 8, 32. “to t. a larger fortune,” Ant. II, 6, 34. cf. Pilgr. 317. H6A I, 2, 60. H6A I, 2, 60