ASS 
Bull. A r . P. 17. Alfo in cafes of aflault, for the aflault of 
the wife, child, or fervant, the luifband, father, and maf- 
ter, may have aflion of trefpafs, per quod fervitium amifit. 
In cafe of a wife, luifband and wife fhould join in the ac¬ 
tion for the perfonal abufe of the wife, (the luifband not 
having fuftained any damage.) If the luifband has been 
damnified, as by tearing her clothes, Sec. or lofs of her af- 
fiftance, Sec. in his domeflic concerns, for that peculiar in¬ 
jury to himfelf he alone mud fue. As to parent and child, 
mafter and fervant, unlefs injury accrues to the parent or 
matter, the child or fervant may fue. For an aflault, the 
wrong-doer is fubject both to an aftion at the fuit of the 
party, wherein he (hall render damages; and alfo to an in¬ 
dictment at the fuit of the king, wherein he fliall be fined 
according to the heinoufnefs of the offence, x Hawk. 263. 
But if both are depending at one time, unlefs in very par¬ 
ticular cafes, the attorney general will, on application, grant 
a nolle profequi, if the party will not difeontinue his aftion. 
Stat. S & 9 Will. III. c. 11. enafts, That where there are 
feveral defendants to any aftion of aflault, Sec. and one or 
more acquitted, the perfon fo acquitted fliall recover cods 
of fuit; unlefs the judge certify that there was a reafon- 
able catife for making fuch perfon a defendant or defend¬ 
ants to Cuch a<5tion. 
If any perfon aflault a privy counfellor, in the execu¬ 
tion of his office, it is felony, by flat. 9 Anne, c. 16. Stat. 
6 Geo. I. c. 23, if any perfon fliall wilfully and malicioufly 
aflault any perfon in the public flreets or highways, with 
an intent to tear, fpoil, cut, burn, or deface, and fliall tear, 
fpoil, cut, burn, or deface, the garments, Sec. of fuch per¬ 
fon, it is felony; and the offender may be tranfported for 
feven years. Aflaulting perfons in a forcible manner, with 
intent to commit robbery, is made felony and tranfporta- 
tion, by flat. 7 Geo. II. c. 21. And aflaulting or threaten¬ 
ing a counfellor at law, or attorney employed in a caufe 
againfl a man ; or a juror giving verdict againfl him ; his 
adverfary, for filing him, Sec. is punifhable on an indict¬ 
ment, by fine and imprifonment, for the contempt. 1 
Hawk. 5S, There are other afiaults punifhable in a pecu¬ 
liar manner, viz. flat. 5 Hen. IV. c. 6, & 11 Hen. VI. c. 11, 
render afiaults on members of parliament more than ufu- 
ally penal, upon non-furrender on proclamation. Stat. 9 
Eliz. 2. flat. 1. c. 3, gives a double criminal procefs againfl 
thofe who aflault clergymen, indictment for the temporal 
offence, and procefs in the ecclefiaftical court, for the fpi- 
ritual one. By flat. 5 Eliz. c. 4, fervants aflaulting their 
mafter, miftrefs, or overfeer, may be imprifoned twelve 
months on eonvidtion before two juftices. By flat. 9 Anne, 
c. 14, to aflault, beat, or challenge, another on account of 
money won by gaming, incurs the forfeiture of goods and 
two years imprifonment. By flat. 9 Geo. I. c. 22, to aflault 
another by wilfully (hooting at him is felony without cler¬ 
gy. By flat. 12 Geo. I. c. 34, aflaulting a mafler wool- 
comber or weaver, Sec. for not complying with the demands 
of workmen, is felony and tranfportation for feven years. 
To Assault, v. a. To attack; to invade ; to fall upon 
with violence : 
New curfed fled, and more aceurfed gold, 
Gave mifehief birth, and made that mifehief bold: 
And double death did wretched man invade. 
By fleel ajfaulted, and by gold betray’d. Dryden . 
ASSAULT'ER,yfl One who violently afiaults another. 
“—Neither liking their eloquence, nor fearing their might, 
we edeemed few fwords, in a juft defence, able to refill 
many unjuft ajfaullers, Sidney. 
ASSAY',/ [ ejjaye , Fr. from which the ancient writers 
borrowed ajay , according to the found, and the latter tjfay, 
according to the writing; but, the fenfes now differing, 
they may be confidered as two words. ] Examination; trial: 
This cannot be 
By no aflay of reafon. ’Tis a pageant, 
To keep us in falfe gaze. Shakefpcare. 
The firft entrance upon any thing. Trial by danger or 
diftrefs; difficulty; hardffiip: 
Vo l. II. No. 7 t. 
ASS 2S1 
Be fure to find 
What T foretel thee, many a hard a(fay 
Of dangers, and adverfities, and pains, 
Ere thou of lfrael’s feeptre get fall hold. Milton. 
Assay, in metallurgy) or chemiftry, is an operation 
which confifts in determining the quantity of valuable or 
precious metal contained in any mineral or metallic mix¬ 
ture, by analyfing a fmall part thereof. The practical dif¬ 
ference between the analyfis and the allay of an ere, con¬ 
fifts in this : the analyfis, if properly made, determines the 
nature and quantities of all the parts of the compound ; 
whereas the objeft of the allay confifts in afeertaining how- 
much of the particular metal in queftion may be contained 
in a certain determinate quantity of the material under exa¬ 
mination. Thus, intheaflayof gold or filver, the bafer 
metals are confidered as of no value or cpnfequence; and 
the problem to be refolved is limply, how much of each 
is contained in the ingot or piece of metal intended to be 
allayed. The French government has from time to time 
caufed various experimental enquiries to be made refpeft- 
ing the art of allaying gold, w hich have thrown much 
light on this fubjeft, and greatly tend to produce uniform¬ 
ity in the refults of the operation. Tlvefe experiments, 
and the whole procefs of alfaying, is given under the arti¬ 
cle Chemistry. 
Assay, in mafic, is a word which is always joined with 
fome other word to leflen or weaken the ftrength or ligni- 
fication of the words it is joined with ; as, for example, 
when it is joined to either of the words adagio, grave, or 
largo, all which denote a flow movement, it ligmfies, that 
the mufic muff not be performed fo flow as each of thofe 
words would require, if alone; bur, if it be joined with 
either of thefe words that follow, vivace, allegro, or pre/lo, 
all which three denote a quick movement, then it denotes 
that the mufic mull not be performed quite fo bride or 
quick as each of thofe words, if alone, does require. 
Assay of Weights and Measures, in law, is the 
examination of weights and meafin'es, by clerks of mar¬ 
kets, &c. 
To Assay, v. a. [cjfayer, Fr.] To make trial of; to 
make experiment of: 
One that to bounty never call his mind, 
Ne thought of honour ever did ajjay 
His bafer bread. Spenfer . 
To apply to, as the touchftone in ajfaying metals : 
Whom thus afflifted when fad Eve beheld, 
Defolate where (lie fat, approaching nigh, 
Soft words to his fierce paflion (lie ajfay'd. Milton. 
To try ; to endeavour.—David girded his fword upon his 
armour, and he ajfayed to go, for he had not proved it. 1 
Sam. xvii. 39. 
Assay-balance. See Balance. 
ASSAY'ER,y. An officer of the mint, for the due trial 
of filver, appointed indifferently between the mafler of the 
mint and the merchants that bring filver thither for ex¬ 
change. An aflayer is alfo appointed to the goldfmilhs 1 
company, who is a fort of affifiant warden, called a touch- 
warden, appointed to furvey, aflay, and mark, all the fil- 
ver-work, Sec. committed to him. There are alfo affay- 
mafters appointed by ftatute at York, Exeter, Briftol, 
Chefter, Norwich, Newcaflle, and Birmingham, for allay¬ 
ing wrought plate. The affay-mafter is to retain eight 
grains of every pound troy of filver brought to him ; four 
whereof are to be put in the pix, or box of deal, to be 
re-aflayed the next year, and the other four to be allowed 
him for his wafte and fpillings. 
ASSECTA'TION,/.' [ ajfeElatio , Lat.] Attendance, or 
waiting upon. 
ASSECU'TION,y [from ajjcquor, 0[fccutum, Lat. to ob¬ 
tain.] Acquirement; the aft of obtaining.—By the canon- 
law, a perfon, after he has been in full poflefiion of a fe- 
cond benefice, cannot return again to his firft; becaufe it 
is immediately void by his ajfecution of a fecond. Ayliffe. 
AS'SE LE BERANGER', a town of France, in the 
4 C department 
