280 ASS 
icing well verfed in the different dialers, they conformed 
to the drefs and even the external religion of the country, 
that they might with lets difficulty ftrike the fatal blow re¬ 
quired by their chief. With the Saracens they were Ma¬ 
hometans ; with the Franks, Chriftians : in one place they 
joined with the Mamaluks; in another, with the ecclefi- 
adics or religious; and under this difguife feized the fird 
opportunity of executing their fanguinary com million. Of 
this we meet with an indance in the hidory of Saladin, 
while lie was belieging Manbedge, the celebrated Hiero- 
polis of antiquity. Being one day, with a few attendants, 
and they at fome diftance, reconnoitering the place for the 
better difpolition of an attack, a man rulhedon him with 
a dagger in his hand, and wounded him in the head ; but 
the fultan, wrefling the dagger from him, laid him dead at 
his feet. Before the fultan had well recovered himfelf, a 
fecond encountered him to finifh the treachery of the for¬ 
mer, but he met with the fame fate : he was then attacked 
by a third, who all'o fell by the hand of that magnanimous 
prince whom lie was lent to afTailinate. And it was ob¬ 
served, that thefe wretches dealt about their fruitlefs blows 
even in the agonies of death. With fuch rapidity was 
this attempt tranfafted, that it was over before Saladin’s 
guards could come to his abidance. He retired to his tent, 
and, in great perturbation throwing himfelf on his fopha, 
ordered his fe-rvants to take a drift view of his.houfehold, 
and to cafhicr all fuf'pefted perfor.S:; at the fame time afk- 
ing with great carnebnels, “ Of whom have 1 deferved 
ftich treacherous ufagel” but it afterwards appeared., 
that thefe villains had,been fent by the Old Man of the 
Mountain; of whom the vizier Kamfchlegin had purcha- 
fed the murder of Saladin, to free himfelf from fo great 
a warrior, whom he dutd not meet in the field.. To animate 
them in their frantic obedience, the fcheik, before their 
departure on fuch attempts, ufually indulged them with 
u fore fade of the delights which he adored them would be 
their recompenfe in paradife. Delicious foporific drinks 
were given them ; and, while they lay afleep, they were 
carried into beautiful gardens, where awaking, as it were 
in’paradife, every allurement invited their fenfes to the 
mod exquifite gratifications. From thefe feats of v.olup- 
tuoufnefs, inflamed with liquor and enthufiaftic views of 
perpetual enjoyments, they Tallied forth to perform ad'af- 
flnations of the blacked dye. 
1'his people once had, or at lead they feigned to have, 
an intention of embracing the Chridian religion. They 
r.eigned a long time in Perfia, and on mount Lebanon. Hu- 
laku, a khan of the Mogul Tartars, in tlie year C55 of the 
Hegira, or 1254 of the Chridian era, entered their country 
and difpolfeffed them of feveral places ; but it was not till 
the year 1272 that they were totally conquered. This at- 
chievement was owing to the conduft and intrepidity of 
the Egyptian forces lent againd them by the fultan Biba- 
i;is. It has, however, been thought, that the Drul'es, who 
dill refide among the eminences of mount Lebanon, and 
whofe religion and. cuftoms are fo little known, are a rein- 
.nant of tins lingular race of barbarians. 
ASSAS'SINATE,/. The crime of an .aljaflm; murder. 
To Assassinate, v. a. To murder by violence. To 
way-lay ; to take by treachery : this meaning is perhaps 
peculiar to Milton: 
Such tifage as your honourable lords 
Afford me, ajjajjlnated and betray’d, 
y/ho durd not, with your whole united pow’rs, 
in fight vvithdand.one (ingle and unarm’d. Milton. 
ASSASSIN A'TION,/! The aft of allkffinating; mur¬ 
der by violence. 
ASS ASSIN A'TOR,/. Murderer; man-killer; the per- 
fon that kills another by violence. 
ASS A'Ti ON,/. [ajatus, Lat. roaded.] Roafting. —> 
The egg expiring lei’s in the eiixation or boiling; whereas, 
in the ajjation or reading, it will foinetimes abate a drachm, 
J}>own. 
,ASS AL T !-T' ; y’, ’[ajfultus, Lat. from ajj'iykr, Fr.} At- 
A S S 
tack; hodile onfet: oppofed to defence. —Her fpirit hfti 
been invincible againd all afaults of affection. Shakefpeare. 
Not to be Iheok thyfelf, but all ajfaults 
Baffling, like thy hoar clid’s the loud lea wave. Thomfon „ 
Storm : oppofed to fap or fiege. —Jafon took at lead a thou- 
land men, and fnddenly made an ajjault upon the city, z 
Mac. v. 5.—Hodile violence : 
Themfelves at difeord fell, 
And cruel combat join’d in middle fpace, 
With liorrible -ajjault and fury fell. Spenfer. 
Invafion ; hoftility ; attack.—Theories, built upon narrow 
foundations, are very hard to be fupported againd the af¬ 
faults of oppofition. Locke. —It has upon before the thine 
a (faulted. 
Assault, in law, an attempt or offer, with force and 
violence, to do a corporal hurt to another ; as by driking 
at him, with or without a weapon. But no words whatfo- 
ev.er, be they ever fo provoking, can amount to an affault, 
notwithdanding the many anoient opinions to the contrary. 
1 Hauik. P. C. c. 62. 
Affault does not always neceffarily imply a hitting, or 
blow ; becaufe, in trefpafs for affault and'battery, a man may 
be found guilty of the affault, and excufed of the battery. 
But every battery includes an affault; therefore, if the a(- 
fault be ill laid, and the battery good, it is fufficient. r 
Hawk. P.C. 263. If a perfon in anger lift up or dretcli 
forth his arm, and offer to llrike another ; or menace any 
one with any daff or weapon, it is trefpafs and affault in 
law : and if a man threaten to beat another perfon, or lie 
in wait to do it, if the other is hindered in his bufinefs, 
and receives lofs thereby, aftion lies for the injury. Lamb. 
lib. t. 22 AJf.pl. 60. Any injury whatfoever, be it ever 
fo frnall, being actually dune to the perfon of a man, in' 
an angry or revengeful, or rude or infolent, manner, as by 
fpitting in his face, or any way touching him in anger, or 
violently jodling him, are batteries in the eye of the law. 
1 Hawk. P. C. 263, 4. 
In many cafes a man may judify an affault; thus, to lay 
hands gently upon another, not in anger, is no foundation 
of an aftion of trefpafs and affault; the defendant may 
judify molliter manus impojuit in defence of his perfon, or 
goods; or of his wife, father, mother, or mailer; or for 
the maintenanceof judice. BraEl. gEliz. c.4. 35 Hen.VI. 
c. 51. A fervant, &c. may judify an affault in defence of 
a matter, &c. but not icontra. Ld, Raym. 
If an officer, having a warrant againft one who will not 
differ himfelf to be arretted, beat or wound him in the at¬ 
tempt to take him, he may judify it; fo, if a parent in a 
reafonable manner chaftife his child, or matter his fervant, 
being actually in his fervice at that time, or a fchoolmafter 
his Icholar, ora gaoler his prifoner, or even a hulband his 
wife (for reafonable and proper caufe); or if one confine a 
friend who is mad, and bind and beat him, 8cc. in fuch 
manner as is proper in his circumftances; or if a man force 
a dvord from one who offers to kill another; or if a man 
gently lays his hand on another, and thereby day him from 
inciting a dog againd a third perfon j if I beat one (without 
wounding him, or throwing at him a dangerous weapon) 
who wrongfully endeavours with violence to difpoffel’s me 
of my lands or goods, or the goods of another delivered 
to me to be kept for him, and who will not defid upon my 
laying my hand gently on him and didurbing him; or if 4 
man beat, wound, or maim, one who makes an affault up¬ 
on his perfon, or that of his wife, parent, child, or matter; 
or if a man fight with, or beat, one who attempts to kill any 
dranger; if the beating was aftually necelfary to obtain the 
good end propofed, or rendered necelfary jn felf-defence* 
in all thefe cafes the party may judify the affault and bat¬ 
tery, 1 Hawh.P, C. 259. And on an indiftment the party 
may plead Not guilty, and giv.e the fpecia! matter in evi, 
dence ; but in an aftion lie mud plead it 1’pecially. 6 Mod. 
r7 a : luppofing it matter of juftijication. If of exafe, it 
is laid it may be given in evidence, on the general iffue, 
3 Bully 
