-braye. Fortif. Forms: α. 5 fawce-, fawese-, (6 faws-) braye, a fausse-braie, 7– fausse-braye. β. 7–8 falsebray, (7 falsbray). [a. F. fausse-braie, f. fausse, fem. of faux false + braie: see BRAYE.] An artificial mound or wall thrown up in front of the main rampart. In early use, a covered way.
α. c. 1489. Caxton, Sonnes of Aymon, iii. 77. A fawcebraye vpon a roche, thrughe ye whiche reynawde … wente oute vnder couerte. Ibid., vi. 149. Also he made ye portcolisse, fawesebrayes, & barbacanes well defensable.
1523. St. Papers Henry VIII., IV. 38. Having noo bulwarkes nor fawsbrayes.
1688. Capt. J. S., Fortification, 57 The onely end of this Faussebray, is the defence of the Moat.
1767. Sterne, Tr. Shandy, IX. xi. All its trumpery of saps, mines … fausse-brays, and cuvettes.
1828. Napier, Penins. War, x. vii. (Rtldg.), II. 74. A second wall, about 12 feet high, called a fausse braie … surrounded the first.
1855. Smedley, Occult Sciences, 211, note. His attention was attracted by the strange restlessness and apparent distress of a kingfisher bird, perched upon one of the pinnacled battlements of the fausse-braye.
β. 1604. E. Grimstone, Hist. Siege Ostend, 34. To dislodge the enemies shotte which played vpon the Souldiers, and others that were in the False Bray, and made great slaughter of them.
1667. Lond. Gaz., No. 212/2. Our men are now busily employed in placing new Palisados upon the Falsbray.
1702. W. J., Bruyn’s Voy. Levant, xi. 51. One may more properly call that of the outward Wall a False-bray, or Under-Bulwark.
attrib. 1812. Wellington, in Gurw., Desp., VIII. 551. Having escaladed the fausse braie wall.
