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Assembly (NATIONAL a body set up)

NATIONAL, a body set up in France on the eve of the Revolu- Upon the convocation of the tion. States-General by Louis XVI., the privibine with the other metals, and to sink leged nobles and clergy refused to dewith them into the cupel, leaving a bright bine with the other metals, and to sink a bright liberate in the same chamber with the globule of pure metallic silver, which commons, or tiers-état (third estate). The latter, therefore, on the proposition , which commons, or tiers-état (third estate). gives the amount of silver in the alloy The latter, therefore, on the proposition operated upon. In the wet process the selves an Assemblée Nationale, with of the Abbé Siéyès, constituted themprocess the of the Abbé Siéyès, constituted themalloy is dissolved in nitric acid, and to legislative powers (June 17, 1789). acid, and to selves an Assemblée Nationale, with the solution are added measured quan- legislative powers (June 17, 1789). tities of a solution of common salt of They bound themselves by oath not to known strength which precipitates chloride of silver. The operation is concluded when no further precipitation is obtained on the addition of the salt solution, and the quantity of silver is calculated from the amount of salt solution used. An alloy of gold is first cupelled with lead as above, with the addition of three parts of silver for every one of gold. After the cupellation is finished, the alloy of gold and silver is beaten and rolled out into a thin plate, which is curled up by the fingers into a little spiral, or cornet .

This is put into a flask with nitric acid, which dissolves away the silver and leaves the cornet dark and brittle. After washing with water, the cornet is boiled with stronger nitric acid to remove the last traces of silver, well washed, and then allowed to drop into a small cruallowed to drop into a crucible, in which it is heated, and then it is weighed.