Character Sketches of Romance Volume Iii Part 136

=Sam'benites= [_Sam'.be.neetz_], persons dressed in the _sambenito_, a yellow coat without sleeves, having devils painted on it. The sambenito was worn by "heretics" on their way to execution.

And blow us up i' the open streets.

Disguised in rumps, like sambenites.

S. Butler, _Hudibras_, iii. 2 (1678).

=Sambo=, any male of the negro race.

No race has shown such capabilities of adaptation to varying soil and circ.u.mstances as the negro. Alike to them the snows of Canada, the rocky land of New England or the gorgeous profusion of the Southern States. Sambo and Cuffey expand under them all.--Harriet Beecher Stowe.

=Sam'eri= (_Al_), the proselyte who cast the golden calf at the bidding of Aaron. After he had made it, he took up some dust on which Gabriel's horse had set its feet, threw it into the calf's mouth, and immediately the calf became animated and began to low. Al Beidawi says that Al Sameri was not really a proper name, but that the real name of the artificer was Musa ebn Dhafar. Selden says Al Sameri means "keeper," and that Aaron was so called, because he was the _keeper_ or "guardian of the people."--Selden, _De Diis Syris_, i. 4 (see _Al Koran_, ii. notes).

=Sa'mian= (_The Long-Haired_), Pythagoras or Budda Ghooroos, a native of Samos (sixth century B.C.).

=Samian He'ra.= Hera or Here, wife of Zeus, was born at Samos. She was worshipped in Egypt as well as in Greece.

=Samian Sage= (_The_)[TN-158] Pythagoras, born at Samos (sixth century B.C.).

'Tis enough In this late age, adventurous to have touched Light on the numbers of the Samian Sage.

Thomson.

=Samias'a=, a seraph, in love with Aholiba'mah, the granddaughter of Cain.

When the Flood came, the seraph carried off his _innamorata_ to another planet.--Byron, _Heaven and Earth_ (1819).

=Sa'miel=, the Black Huntsman of the Wolf's Glen, who gave to Der Freischutz seven b.a.l.l.s, six of which were to hit whatever the marksman aimed at, but the seventh was to be at the disposal of Samiel. (See SAMAEL.)--Weber, _Der Freischutz_ (libretto by Kind, 1822).

=Samient=, the female amba.s.sador of Queen Mercilla to Queen Adicia (wife of the soldan). Adicia treated her with great contumely, thrust her out of doors, and induced two knights to insult her; but Sir Artegal, coming up, drove at one of the unmannerly knights with such fury as to knock him from his horse and break his neck.--Spenser, _Faery Queen_, v.

(1596).

(This refers to the treatment of the deputies sent by the states of Holland to Spain for the redress of grievances. Philip ("the soldan") detained the deputies as prisoners, disregarding the sacred rights of their office as amba.s.sadors).

=Sam'ma=, the demoniac that John "the Beloved," could not exorcise. Jesus, coming from the Mount of Olives, rebuked Satan, who quitted "the possessed," and left him in his right mind.--Klopstock, _The Messiah_, ii. (1748).

=Sammy Craddock=, oracle of the Riggan coal-pits. Crabbed, wrinkled, sarcastic old fellow, whose self-conceit is immeasurable. "The biggest trouble I ha' is settlin' i' my moind what the world'll do when I turn up my toes to th' daisies, an' how the government'll mak' up their moinds who shall ha' th' honer o' payin' fer th' moniment."--Frances Hodgson Burnett, _That La.s.s o' Lowrie's_ (1877).

=Sampson=, one of Capulet's servants.--Shakespeare, _Romeo and Juliet_ (1597).

_Sampson_, a foolish advocate, kinsman of Judge Vertaigne (2 _syl._).--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Little French Lawyer_ (1647).

_Sampson_ (_Mrs. Amanda Welsh_), well-born Bohemian, financial adventurer and lobbyist. "She was still accustomed to at least a fair semblance of respect from the men who came to see her; women, it is to be noted, being not often seen within her walls."--Arlo Bates, _The Philistines_ (1888).

_Sampson_ (_Dominie_), or Abel Sampson, tutor to Harry Bertram, son of the laird of Ellangowan. One of the best creations of romance. His favorite exclamation is "Prodigious!" Dominie Sampson is very learned, simple and green. Sir Walter describes him as "a poor, modest, humble scholar, who had won his way through the cla.s.sics, but fallen to the leeward in the voyage of life."--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

His appearance puritanical. Ragged black clothes, blue worsted stockings, pewter-headed long cane.--_Guy Mannering_ (dramatized), i. 2.

_Sampson_ (_Dr._), eccentric Irish physician; inventor of _Chronothermalism_.--Charles Reade, _Very Hard Cash_.

_Sampson_ (_George_), a friend of the Wilfer family. He adored Bella Wilfer, but married her youngest sister, Lavinia.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Our Mutual Friend_ (1864).

_Sampson_ (_Nurse_), dry-visaged, soft-hearted sick-nurse, whose adage is, "Somebody must eat drumsticks," and whose practice is based upon the formula.--A. D. T. Whitney, _Faith Gartney's Girlhood_ (1863).

=Samson= (_The British_), Thomas Topham (1710-1749).

=Samson Agonistes= (4 _syl._), "Samson, the Combatant," a sacred drama by Milton, showing Samson blinded and bound, but triumphant over his enemies, who sent for him to make sport by feats of strength on the feast of Dagon. Having amused the mult.i.tude for a time, he was allowed to rest awhile against the "grand stand," and, twining his arms round two of the supporting pillars, he pulled the whole edifice down, and died himself in the general devastation (1632).

=Samson's Crown=, an achievement of great renown, which costs the life of the doer thereof. Samson's greatest exploit was pulling down the "grand stand" occupied by the chief magnates of Philistia at the feast of Dagon. By this deed "he slew at his death more than [_all_] they which he slew in his life."--_Judges_ xvi. 30.

And by self-ruin seek a Samson's crown.

Lord Brooke, _Inquisition upon Fame, etc._ (1554-1628).

=San Bris= (_Conte di_), father of Valenti'na. During the Bartholomew slaughter his daughter and her husband (Raoul) were both shot by a party of musketeers, under the count's command.--Meyerbeer, _Les Huguenots_ (opera, 1836).

=Sancha=, daughter of Garcias, king of Navarre, and wife of Fernan Gonsalez, of Castile. Sancha twice saved the life of her husband: when he was cast into a dungeon by some personal enemies who waylaid him, she liberated him by bribing the jailer; and when he was incarcerated at Leon she effected his escape by changing clothes with him.

The countess of Nithsdale effected the escape of her husband from the Tower, in 1715, by changing clothes with him.

The Countess de Lavalette, in 1815, liberated her husband, under sentence of death, in the same way; but the terror she suffered so affected her nervous system that she lost her senses, and never afterwards recovered them.

=San'chez II.= of Castile, was killed at the battle of Zamo'ra, 1065.

It was when brave King Sanchez Was before Zamora slain.

Longfellow, _The Challenge_.

=Sanchi'ca=, eldest daughter of Sancho and Teresa Panza.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_ (1605-15)[TN-159]