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, And hence it is, that in all our antient Romances, the Hero is condantly attended by a gentle, and trufty Squire. After all, the mod probable Derivation of Efcuyer, is hot from Efcn, Scutum, as is the common Opinion, but from Equus ; and thefe Efqnires were originally what the L&tins call Equifones, and had the Care and Intendance of the Ecju.ries, or Stables only. See Eojiery.
Be this as it will, the Title Efquire, Armiger, as now eda- blifh'd among us, is the next below that of Knight, Eques. They who bear this Title, are all younger Sons of Noble- men, and the elded Sons of fuch younger Sons 5 the eldeft Sons of Knights, and their elded Sons fucccdively ; the four Efqnires ot the King's Body ; and Efquires created by the King, by putting about their Necks a Collar of S S's, and bellowing on them a Pair of Silver Spurs. Laftly, divers others in the fuperior public Offices, are reputed Efqnires, or equal to Efquires ; as Sheriffs of Counties, Serjeants at Law, Judices of Peace, Mayors of Towns, Counccllors at Law, Batchellors of Divinity, Law, Phytic, &c. tho' none of them are really fo : Ladly, the Chiefs of fome antient Families are likewife Efquires by Prefcnption.-
EsQUISSE, in the French Painting, a Term fignifying the fird flight (ketch, or draught of a Picture; the fird Thought ot a Defign drawn haftily with a Crayon, or in Colours on Paper, Canvas, or the like ; in Order to be finifh'd, and painted or engraven afterwards. See Design. He had not the Trouble of making a finifli'd, and correct Defign ; but went to work upon the Efquiffe. . The Word is form'd of the Italian Schiwo, a Splafh ; b) Reafon an Efquiffe of a Painting only reprefents, as it were, Splafhes, or Dabs of Colours. ESSART, or ASSART. See Assart. To Effort, is to grub up, or extirpate Bufhes, Trees, old Roots, Stumps, or the like ; in Order to fit the Ground for Tillage.
2)u Cange derives the Word from fome of the barba- rous Latin Words, Exartus, Exartum, Exartes, Effartum, Aflitrtum, Sartum, and Sartus ; which all fignifie a Fored cut down or dug up : Tho' Spelman derives it from the Latin Exermm, torn up, or unrooted. Others, from farrire, to weed. And others, latlly, from exaro, to plow, whence exarare and, by Contraction, Exartum.
In our antient Law Books, Exartum facere in Sylva, is to Effart a Place in a Forcfl.
ESSAY, a Trial, or Experiment, to prove whether a Thing be of the requifite Quality, or Goodnefs. See Specimen.
The Word is alfo ufed for an Attempt, or Tentative, to learn whether or no a Thing will fucceed. Effays of Machines mould be made in large 5 'tis not enough they fucceed in little. See Machine.
In Monadeties, Effay is particularly ufed for a Trial which a Perfon makes of the Monadic Life, in a fecular Habit. This Effay is of one, two, and in fome Monasteries, of three Months. The Effay is not reckon'd in the Noviciate. See Probation.
Some Authors derive the Word from the Latin Ex amen. Essay, or Assay, or fimply Say, in Coinage, &c. is a Proof, or Trial, made by the Cuppel, or Ted, of the Fine- nefs, or Purity of the Gold or Silver to be ufed in the Coining of Mony, &c. or that have been ufed therein. See Coining.
There are two Kinds of Effaying 5 the one before Metals are melted, in Order to bring them to their proper Finenefs ; the other after they are {truck, to fee that the Species be Standard.
For the full Effay ; the Effayers ufe to take fourteen or fifteen Grains of Gold, and half a Drachm for Silver ; if it be for Mony : and eighteen Grains of the one, and a Drachm of the other, if for other Occafions.
As to the fecond Effay, 'tis made of one of the Pieces of Mony already coin'd, which they cut in four Parts.
Method of Essaying Gold.
The Effayer having weigh'd the Gold he intends to
make the Trial in, very exactly, and noted down the
Weight ; adds twice as much fine Silver thereto ; tho' this
fhould be in Proportion to the Finenefs the Gold feems
their Weight, which would didurb the Accuracy of the Effay.
While the Effayer is weighing his Matters, a reverbe- ratory Fire is lighted in a Furnace, furnifh'd with a Muffler, and a Cuppel, or Tcft, fet therein to heat. This done, a little Bullet of Lead is put in the Cuppel, of a Weight proportionable to the Quantity and Quality of the Gold ■ to be Effay' d. When the Lead is well melted, and ap- pears very clear and bright 5 they put in the Gold and
Silver, and let it fufe and feeth till it appear of ,„ n„ 1 Colour, and have fix'd it felf, in a lit^L^A Bottom of the Cuppel. r
This done the Cuppel is left to cool in the Furnace it felf ; after which the Lump is feparated very exactly f LL the Place where it duck to the Veffel ; and dretcn'd or hammcr'd on the Anvil; heating it again and again ' „n the Coals, to promote the flretching.
When diffidently hammcr'd, they roll it up in Form of a Cornet, or Coffin, and thus put it in a Glafs Matrafs capable of containing four Spoonfuls of Water ; and hav- ing added to it a Quantity of Aqua fort is, well corrected, that is, mix'd with near one third of the Quantity of River Water, they boil it over a Wood Fire, tilT fuch Time as the Aqua fortis yields no more red Fumes.
This fird Water being pour'd off, and the Cornet left alone at the Bottom of the Matrafs, they fill the Matrafs again, but with pure Aqua fortis ; which, after boiling, is pour'd off 7 in its Turn, at fuch Time as the Fumes are become white. This done, they fill up the Matrafs with River Water, to wafh the Cornet.
When wafh'd, they put it dry in a Crucible, with a Cover over it, and heat it till it become of a Cherry Colour.
This done, the Effay is finifli'd ; and there remains nothing but to weigh it againd the fame Weight of fine Gold, as was ufed at firif, before the Effav ■ For by Comparing the fird Weight of the Gold, e're'it was put in the Fire, and the Aqua fortis, with what it retain'd after it had thus undergone the Ted ; they judge, from the greater, or left Lofs it has fudain'd, of the Quantity of Alloy mix'd with it.
Method of Essaying Silver.
The Procefs is much the fame as in Gold ; only lefs difficult, and fhorter. The Silver is weigh'd, as before; and the fame Furnace, and Muffler, the fame Fire, the fame Cuppel ufed. Add, that Lead is likewife put in the Cuppel, proportioned to the Quantity and Quality of the Silver to be EJfay'd.
The Lead being well melted, and clear, the Silver is put in ; and after it is brought to an Opal Colour, and fix'd in a Lump at the Bottom of the Cuppel, which happens in about half an Hour : They let it cool, and cleanfe it, and ladly, weigh it again, as in Gold : And from its Diminution, edimate the Quantity of Alloy.
Essaying of L.ead.
The Effay of Gold and Silver being perform'd by Means of Lead ; 'tis of the utmofl Importance, the Lead be free of any Mixture of either of the two Metals : Other- wife the Effay will be falie ; by reafon the Gold and Silver mix'd with the Lead, will not evaporate like other Kinds of Alloy, but unite with the Metal under Effay.
To prevent this Diforder, and allure the Operation, there is no way but to Effay the Lead it felf.
This Effay is performed in the fame Furnace, and with the fame Cuppels, as thofe of Gold and Silver : But the Procefs is incomparably more fimple. AH here required, when the Cuppel is heated, being, to put in the Piece of Lead to be Effay 'd. If this Lead evaporate entirely, 'tis fit for the Purpofe. On the contrary, if there remain any little Grain of Silver, e?c. at the Bottom, it mud be fet afide. See Lead.
Essay, in Matters of Learning, is a peculiar Kind of Compofition ; whole Character is to be free, eafy, and natural ; not tied to drift Order, or Method, nor work'd up and finifh'd, like a formal Syftem.
The Matter of an Effay is fuppofed to confid princi- pally of fudden, occafional Reflexions, which are to be wrote much at the Rate, and in the Manner a Man thinks ; fometimes leaving the Subject, and then return- ing again, as the Thoughts happen to arife in the Mind.
At lead, this has hitherto been the Pract ice ; and Montague, who has got no fmall Reputation by this Way of Writing, feldom keeps many Lines to the Subject he propofes : Tho' it is our Opinion, that my Lord Sacon is a better Pattern in the Effay Kind.
Mr. Lock, however, and a few other Authors ufe Effav in a feverer Senfe : The Effay of human Underfianding, every Body knows is a regular, artful, labour'd Work.
EssAY-i)/a/?er. See Mint.
ESSE, in the School Philofophy, is ufed in the fame Senfe with Effence ; principally for that which is actual, or actually cxiding. See Essence.
From Effe arifes Effatum, a barbarous Term now almod obfolete, fignifying that which is endued with Effence, or Nature; or effected with the Virtue or Efficacy of another. Some diftinguifh Effe into real and intentional 5 and again into Effatum and Vqtitwm. See Essence.
The Word is pure Latin, being the Infinitive of the Verb Sum, I am ; whence Effe, to be.
ESSENCE,
