From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Spere \Spere\, v. i. [AS. spyrian to inquire, properly, to
follow the track; akin to D. speuren, G. sp["u]ren, Icel.
spyrja. [root]171. See Spoor.]
To search; to pry; to ask; to inquire. [Prov. Eng. & Scot.]
[Written also speer, speir.] --Jamieson.
[1913 Webster]
From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 :
Speir \Speir\, v. i.
To ask. See Spere. --Sir W. Scott.
[1913 Webster]