Assailment

Outward conjectures may bee drawne of his [Christ’s] neere approching, […] but the period of time, […] as vncertaine, as is the day, moneth, yeare of the theeues assailment vnto the housholder.

I opened it [the letter] not without feare and assailement of my senses, knowing that it must haue beene some serious occasion, which could moue her to write vnto me,

Thus, Martin learned in the five minutes’ straggling talk about the stove, that to carry pistols into legislative assemblies, and swords in sticks, and other such peaceful toys; to seize opponents by the throat, as dogs or rats might do; to bluster, bully, and overbear by personal assailment; were glowing deeds.

[…] seeing her extraordinary beauty, and forestalling the dangers and temptations into which the possession of such exceptional charms might lead her, she adopted a wise preventive course, that cased her as it were in armour, proof against all the assailments of flattery.

Meanwhile, during all this puzzlement, those unpleasant waves, biological ripple upon nasty ripple, kept up assailment on my legs and backbone.