A S S 262 ASS
ASPHYXIA, [from re negative, and a pulse,] among I
ancient physicians, a privation or cessation of the pulse, through |the whole body, and all its arteries. Asphyxia is also used bysome for a privation of puke in a part of the body, e. gr. in thearm, Ac .
ASPIRATE, in grammar, denotes words marked with theasper.
ASPIRATION, among grammarians, is used to denote thepronouncing a syllable with some vehemence ; as these words be-ginning with the'letter II, hear, heat, which are pronounced moresoftly without the II, as ear, cat.
ASPLENIUM , MILT-WASTE, or SPLEEN-WORT, agenus of cryptogamious plants, of the order fdices, the fructificationof w hich is arranged in clusters, and disposed in form of straightlines, under tlie disk of the leaf. There are 47 species.
ASRAEL, the angel, according to the Mohammedan system,who is appropriated to take care of the souls of those who die.
ASS, jix zoology'. See Equus.
Ass, Coronation of the, in antiquity, was a part of theceremony of the feast of Vesta, wherein the bakers put crowns onthe heads of these quadrupeds; “ Ecce coronatis panis dependetasellis!” This honor, it seems, was done the beast, because,according to the mythology, by its braying, it had saved Vestafrom being ravished by the Lampsacan god ! lienee the formula,“ Vesta? delirium est asinus.”
ASSACII, or ASSATII, a kind of purgation, anciently usedin Wales , by the oaths of 300 men.
ASSAI, in music, signifies quick ; or according to others, thatthe motion of the piece lie kept in a middle degree of quicknessor slowness: as, assai allegro, assai presto. See Allegro andPresto.
ASSAM, a country of Asia , bounded on the W. by Bengaland Bootan ; on the N. by the mountains of Thibet and on theS. E. and S. by Meckley. The Burrampooter runs through thewhole length of it. Gcrghon is the capital. Assam lies betweenLong. 91° and 96° E. and between Lat. 25° and 30° N.
ASSANCIUE, a town of Asia in Diarbekir . Long. 42. 30. E.Lat. 37. 20. N.
ASSARIUM, a small copper-coin, being a part of the as. Theword is used by Suidas indiiferently with o?oxo;, and to
denote a small piece of money.
ASSAllON, an ancient Jewish measure of capacity, equal tothe tenth part ot an ephah. The assaron is the same witli theomer..
ASSASSINS, a tribe or clan in Sy'ria, called also Ismaelians andBotanists , or Batenians. These people probably owed their originto tlie Karmatians, a famous heretical sect among the Mohamme-dans, who settled in Persia about tlie year 1090.
ASSAUL7', in law, is an attempt or oiler to beat another, with-out touching him: as if one lifts up his cane or his list in a threat-ening manner at another; or strikes at him, but misses him ; thisis an assault, insultus, which Finch describes to be “ an unlawfulsetting upon one’s person.” This also is an inchoate violence,amounting considerably higher than bare threats; and therefore,though no actual suffering is proved, yet (he party injured mayhave redress by action of trespass vi et armis, wherein lie shallrecover damages as a compensation for the injury.
Assault, in the military art, a furious effort made to carry afortified post, camp, or fortress, wherein the assailants do notscreen themselves by any works: while the assault continues, thebatteries cease, for fear of killing their own men. The enfansper tins inarch first to the assault.
ASSAY, ESSAY, or SAY, in metallurgy, the proof or trialof tlie goodness, purity, value, Ac. of metals and metalline sub-stances. See Essay. In ancient statutes, this is called tlie touch ;and those who had the care of it, Keepers of the Touch. UnderHenry VI . divers cities were appointed to have touch for wroughtsilver"plate, 2 llcnry VI. c. 14. By this, one might imagine thatthey had no better method of assaying, than (lie simple one by (lietouch-stone ; but tlie case was far otherwise. In tlie time ot kingHenry II . the bishop of Salisbury, then treasurer, considering,tiiat though the money paid into the king’s exchequer, for liiscrown rents, did answer “ nuinero et pondere,” (in number andweight,) it might nevertheless he mixed with copper or brass;wherefore a constitution was made, called the trial by combustion ;which differs little or nothing from the present method of assaying
silver. See a description of it in the Black Book in tlie Exche-quer, written by Gervase of Tilbury , c. xxi. This trial is alsothere called essaium, and the officer who made it is named fusor,Tiie method, still in use, of assaying gold and silver was first esta-blished by an act ot the English parliament, in 1354.
ASSAYING, Ars Docimastica, in its extent, comprehendsparticular manners ot examining every ore, or mixed metal, ac-cording to its nature, with tlie best adapted fluxes; so as to disco-ver, not only what metals, and what proportions of metal, are con-tained in ores ; but likewise how much sulphur, vitriol, alum, arse-nic, smelt, Ac . may be obtained from every one respectively.See Blow-ripe, Metallurgy, and Mineralogy . Assaying isparticularly used by coiners and goldsmiths, for trying the "purityof tlie gold and silver to tie used in tlie coining of money, andmanufacture of plate, Ac. or that have been already used therein.There are two kinds of assaying ; the one before metals are melt-ed, in order to bring them to their proper fineness; the other alterthey arc struck, to sec that they be standard. Eor tlie first as.-ay,the assayers used to take 14 or 15 grains of gold, and half a dramof silver, if it be for money ; and 18 grains of the one, and a dramof the other, if for other purposes. The second is made of one oftlie pieces of money coined, which they cut in four parts; or byscraping a small quantity oil a piece of work. The quantity ofgold for an assay among us is six grains: in France , nearly tiiesame ; and in Germany , about three times as much.
Assay-master, or Essay-master, an officer entrusted withtlie care of making true touch, or assay, of tlie gold and silverbrought to him; and giving a just report of tlie goodness or bad-ness thereof. Such is tlie assay-master of the mint, called also theking’s assay-master ; which, in Scotland , lias been a sinecure officesince the Union. The assay-master of tlie goldsmith’s companyin London is a sort of assistant warden, called also a touch war-den, appointed to survey, assay, and mark all tlie silver work, &c.committed to him. There are also assay-masters appointed bystatute at York, Exeter, Bristol, Chester, Norwich, Newcastle,and Birmingham , for assaying wrought plate. The assay-master isto retain eight grains of every pound Troy of silver brought tohim ; four whereof are to be put in the pix, or box of deal, to bere-assayed tlie next year, by way of check upon him ; and theother four to be allowed him for waste in assaying. The numberof pennyweights set down in tlie assay-master’s report, is to be ac-counted so much in every pound of twelve ounces Troy. Forevery twenty pennyweights, or ounce Troy, tlie silver is found bythe assay to be worse than standard, or sterling, sixpence is to bededucted ; because every ounce will cost so much to reduce it tostandard goodness, or to change it for sterling. In gold, for everycarat it is worse than standard, it is accounted, in tlie ounce Troy,worse by so many times 35. 8 d.; and for every grain it is setdown worse, it is accounted worse by so many times 1 Id. in tlieounce Troy ; and for every half grain 5 \d. : for so much it willcost to make it of standard goodness, &c. Tlie incorporation ofgoldsmiths in Edinburgh have two assay-masters, who are annually■elected (or re-elected) from among their own members, and aresworn to do justice to tlie public.
ASSAYS!AR If, in law, to take assessors.
ASSF.DATION, a taxing of the king’s farms.
ASSEMBLY, in the beau monde, an appointed meeting offashionable persons of botli sexes, for tiie sake of play, dancingconversation, Ac .
Assembly, in the military art, the second healing of a drumbefore a march ; at which the soldiers strike their tents, roll themup, and stand to arms.
Assemblies, of the clergy, are called convocations, synods,councils : the annual meeting of the church of Scotland is called ageneral assembly.
Assemblies of the States. Under the Gothic governments,tlie supreme legislative power was lodged in an Assembly of theStates of tlie Kingdom, held annually for tlie like purposes as ourparliaments.
ASS ENI PI, one of the United States of America , new ly addedto the Union.
ASSENS, a district of Denmark , in (lie province of Ftinen.
Assens, a sea-port town of Denmark , situated upon tlie LittleBelt. Long. 10. .30. E. Lat. 55. 15. N.
ASSERIA, ASSESIA, or ASIS1A, an ancient town of Li-burnia, now in ruins.
y ASSERTION,