espy vs observe

espy

verb
  • To find out or observe (someone or something, especially if not easy to see) by spying or looking; to catch sight of; to see; to spot. 

  • To see (someone or something) without foreplanning or unexpectedly. 

observe

verb
  • To notice or view, especially carefully or with attention to detail. 

  • To take note of and celebrate (a holiday or similar occurrence); to follow (a type of time or calendar reckoning). 

  • To comment on something; to make an observation. 

  • To follow or obey the custom, practice, or rules (especially of a religion). 

How often have the words espy and observe occurred in a corpus of books? (source: Google Ngram Viewer )