Character Sketches of Romance Volume Iii Part 150

Iphis was first a woman, and then a man.--Ovid, _Metamorphoses_, ix. 12; xiv 699.

=s.e.xtus [Tarquinius].= There are several points of resemblance in the story of s.e.xtus and that of Paris, son of Priam. (1) Paris was the guest of Menelaos, when he eloped with his wife, Helen; and s.e.xtus was the guest of Lucretia when he defiled her. (2) The elopement of Helen was the cause of a national war between the Greek cities and the allied cities of Troy; and the defilement of Lucretia was the cause of a national war between Rome and the allied cities under Por'sena. (3) The contest between Greece and Troy terminated in the victory of Greece, the injured party; and the contest between Rome and the supporters of Tarquin terminated in favor of Rome, the injured party. (4) In the Trojan war, Paris, the aggressor, showed himself before the Trojan ranks, and defied the bravest of the Greeks to single combat, but when Menelaos appeared, he took to flight; and so s.e.xtus rode vauntingly against the Roman host, but when Herminius appeared, fled to the rear like a coward. (5) In the Trojan contest, Priam and his sons fell in battle; and in the battle of Lake Regillus, Tarquin and his sons were slain.

? Lord Macaulay has taken the "Battle of Lake Regillus" as the subject of one of his _Lays of Ancient Rome_. Another of his lays, called "Horatius," is the attempt of Porsena to re-establish Tarquin on the throne.

=Seyd=, pacha of the Morea, a.s.sa.s.sinated by Gulnare (2 _syl._), his favorite concubine. Gulnare was rescued from the burning harem by Conrad, "the Corsair." Conrad, in the disguise of a dervise, was detected and seized in the palace of Seyd, and Gulnare, to effect his liberation, murdered the pacha.--Byron, _The Corsair_ (1814).

=Seyton= (_Lord_), a supporter of Queen Mary's cause.

_Catherine Seyton_, daughter of Lord Seyton, a maid of honor in the Court of Queen Mary. She appears at Kinross village in disguise.

_Henry Seyton_, son of Lord Seyton.--Sir W. Scott, _The Abbot_ (time, Elizabeth).

=Sforza=, of Lombardy. He with his two brothers (Achilles and Palamedes) were in the squadron of adventurers in the allied Christian army.--Ta.s.so, _Jerusalem Delivered_ (1575).

? The word Sforza means "force," and, according to tradition, was derived thus: Giacomuzzo Attendolo, the son of a day laborer, being desirous of going to the wars, consulted his hatchet, resolving to enlist if it stuck fast in the tree at which he flung it. He threw it with such _force_ that the whole blade was completely buried in the trunk (fifteenth century).

_Sforza_ (_Ludov'ico_), duke of Milan, surnamed "the More," from _mora_, "a mulberry" (because he had on his arm a birth-stain of a mulberry color). Ludovico was dotingly fond of his bride, Marcelia, and his love was amply returned; but during his absence in the camp, he left Francesco lord protector, and Francesco a.s.sailed the fidelity of the young d.u.c.h.ess. Failing in his villainy, he accused her to the duke of playing the wanton with him, and the duke, in a fit of jealousy, slew her. Sforza was afterwards poisoned by Eugenia (sister of Francesco), whom he had seduced.

_Nina Sforza_, the duke's daughter.--Ma.s.singer, _The Duke of Milan_ (1622).

? This tragedy is obviously an imitation of Shakespeare's _Oth.e.l.lo_ (1611).

=Sganarelle=, the "cocu imaginaire," of Moliere's comedy (1660). The plot runs thus: Celie was betrothed to Lelie, but her father, Gorgibus, insisted on her marrying Valere, because he was the richer man. Celie fainted on hearing this, and dropped her lover's miniature, which was picked up by Sganarelle's wife. Sganarelle, thinking it to be the portrait of a gallant, took possession of it, and Lelie asked him how he came by it. Sganarelle said he took it from his wife, and Lelie supposed that Celie had become the wife of Sganarelle. A series of misapprehensions arose thence: Celie supposed that Lelie had deserted her for Madame Sganarelle; Sganarelle supposed that his wife was unfaithful to him; madame supposed that her husband was an adorer of Celie; and Lelie supposed that Celie was the wife of Sganarelle. In time they met together, when Lelie charged Celie with being married to Sganarelle; both stared, an explanation followed, when a messenger arrived to say that Valere was married.--Moliere, _Le Cocu Imaginaire_.

_Sganarelle_, younger brother of Ariste (2 _syl._); a surly, domineering, conceited fellow, the dupe of the play. His brother says to him, "Cette farouche humeur a tous vos procedes inspire un air bizarre, et, jusques a l'habit, rend tout chez vous barbare." The father of Isabelle and Leonor, on his death-bed, committed them to the charge of Sganarelle and Ariste, who were either to marry them or dispose of them in marriage. Sganarelle chose Isabelle, but insisted on her dressing in serge, going to bed early, keeping at home, looking after the house, mending the linen, knitting socks, and never flirting with any one. The consequence was, she duped her guardian, and cajoled him into giving his signature to her marriage with Valere.--Moliere, _L'Ecole des Maris_.

_Sganarelle_ (3 _syl._). At about 63 years of age, Sganarelle wished to marry Dorimene (3 _syl._), daughter of Alcantor, a girl fond of dances, parties of pleasure, and all the active enjoyments of young life.

Feeling some doubts about the wisdom of this step, he first consults a friend, who dissuades him, but, seeing the advice is rejected, replies "Do as you like." He next consults two philosophers, but they are so absorbed in their philosophy, that they pay no attention to him. He then asks the gypsies, who take his money and decamp with a dance. At length, he overhears Dorimene telling a young lover that she only marries the old dotard for his money, and that he cannot live above a few months; so he makes up his mind to decline the marriage. The father of the lady places the matter in his son's hands, and the young fire-eater, armed with two swords, goes at once to the old _fiance_, and begs him to choose one. When Sganarelle declines to fight, the young man beats him soundly, and again bids him choose a sword. After two or three good beatings, Sganarelle consents to the marriage "force."--Moliere, _Le Mariage Force_ (1664).

Moliere wrote _Sganarelle ou Le Cocu Imaginaire_ (_q.v._) as a supplement to this comedy.

? This joke about marrying is borrowed from Rabelais, _Pantagruel_, iii.

35, etc. Panurge asks Trouillogan whether he would advise him to marry.

The sage says "No." "But I wish to do so," says the prince. "Then do so, by all means," says the sage. "Which, then, would you advise?" asks Panurge. "Neither," says Trouillogan. "But," says Panurge, "that is not possible." "Then both," says the sage. After this, Panurge consults many others on the subject, and lastly the oracle of the Holy Bottle.

The plot of Moliere's comedy is founded on an adventure recorded of the count of Grammont (_q.v._). The count had promised marriage to la belle Hamilton, but deserted her, and tried to get to France. Being overtaken by the two brothers of the lady, they clapped their hands on their swords, and demanded if the count had not forgotten something or left something behind. "True," said the count; "I have forgotten to marry your sister;" and returned with the two brothers to repair this oversight.

_Sganarelle_, father of Lucinde. Anxious about his daughter because she has lost her vivacity and appet.i.te, he sends for four physicians, who retire to consult upon the case, but talk only on indifferent topics.

When Sganarelle asks the result of their deliberation, they all differ, both in regard to the disease, and the remedy to be applied. Lisette (the lady's maid) sends for c.l.i.tandre, the lover, who comes disguised as a quack doctor, tells Sganarelle that the young lady's disease must be acted on through the imagination, and prescribes a mock marriage.

Sganarelle consents to the experiment, but c.l.i.tandre's a.s.sistant being a notary, the mock marriage proves to be a real one.--Moliere, _L'Amour Medecin_ (1665).

_Sganarelle_, husband of Martine. He is a f.a.ggot-maker, and has a quarrel with his wife, who vows to be even with him for striking her.

Valere and Lucas (two domestics of Geronte) ask her to direct them to the house of a noted doctor. She sends them to her husband, and tells them he is so eccentric that he will deny being a doctor, but they must beat him well. So they find the f.a.ggot-maker, whom they beat soundly, till he consents to follow them. He is introduced to Lucinde, who pretends to be dumb, but, being a shrewd man, he soon finds out that the dumbness is only a pretence, and takes with him Leandre as an apothecary. The two lovers understand each other, and Lucinde is rapidly cured with "pills matrimoniac."--Moliere, _Le Medecin Malgre Lui_ (1666).

? Sganarelle being asked by the father what he thinks is the matter with Lucinde, replies, "Entendez-vous le Latin?" "En aucune facon," says Geronte. "Vous n'entendez point le Latin?" "Non, monsieur." "That is a sad pity," says Sganarelle, "for the case may be briefly stated thus:

Cabricias arci thuram, catalamus, singulariter, nominativo, haec musa, _la muse_, bonus, bona, bonum. Deus sanctus, estne oratio Latinas? etiam, _oui_, quare? _pourquoi?_ quia substantivo et adjectivum concordat in generi, numerum, et casus." "Wonderful man!" says the father.--Act iii.

_Sganarelle_ (3 _syl._), valet to Don Juan. He remonstrates with his master on his evil ways, but is forbidden sternly to repeat his impertinent admonitions. His praise of tobacco, or rather snuff, is somewhat amusing:

Tabac est la pa.s.sion des honnetes gens; et qui vit sans tabac n'est pas digne de vivre. Non seulement il rejouit et purge les cerveaux humains, mais encore il instruit les ames a la vertu, et l'on apprend avec lui a devenir honnete homme ... il inspire des sentiments d'honneur a tous ceux qui en prennent.--Moliere, _Don Juan_, i. 1 (1665).

=Shaccabac=, in _Blue Beard_. (See SCHACABAC.)

I have seen strange sights. I have seen Wilkinson play "Macbeth;"

Matthews, "Oth.e.l.lo;" Wrench, "George Barnwell;" Buckstone, "Iago;"

Rayner, "Penruddock;" Keeley, "Shylock;" Liston, "Romeo" and "Octavian;" G. F. Cooke, "Mercutio;" John Kemble, "Archer;" Edmund Kean, clown in a pantomine; and C. Young, "Shaccabac."--_Record of a Stage Veteran._

"Macbeth," "Oth.e.l.lo," "Iago" (in _Oth.e.l.lo_), "Shylock" (_Merchant of Venice_), "Romeo" and "Mercutio" (in _Romeo and Juliet_), all by Shakespeare: "George Barnwell" (Lillo's tragedy so called); "Penruddock"

(in _The Wheel of Fortune_), by c.u.mberland);[TN-169] "Octavian" (in Colman's drama so called); "Archer" (in _The Beaux' Stratagem_, by Farquhar).

=Shackfords= (_The_). _Lemuel Shackford_, "a hard, avaricious, pa.s.sionate man, holding his own way remorselessly.... A prominent character because of his wealth, endless lawsuits and eccentricity."

_Richard Shackford_, nephew of _Lemuel_, a frank, whole-souled young fellow, intent upon his profession, but willing to make everybody else comfortable as he wins his way up. He is accused, upon circ.u.mstantial evidence, of the murder of his uncle, but is extricated by his own sagacity, which enables him to fix the crime upon the true a.s.sa.s.sin.--T.

B. Aldrich, _The Stillwater Tragedy_ (1880).

=Shaddai= (_King_), who made war upon Diabolus for the regaining of Mansoul.--John Bunyan, _The Holy War_ (1682).

=Shade= (_To fight in the_). Dieneces [_Di.en'.e.seez_], the Spartan, being told that the army of the Persians was so numerous that their arrows would shut out the sun, replied, "Thank the G.o.ds! we shall then fight in the shade."

=Shadow= (_Simon_), one of the recruits of the army of Sir John Falstaff.

"A half-faced fellow," so thin that Sir John said, "A foeman might as well level his gun at the edge of a penknife" as at such a starveling.--Shakespeare, 2 _Henry IV._ act iii. sc. 2 (1598).

=Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego= were cast, by the command of Nebuchadnezzar, into a fiery furnace, but received no injury, although the furnace was made so hot that the heat thereof "slew those men" that took them to the furnace.-_Dan._ iii. 22.

By Nimrod's order, Abraham was bound and cast into a huge fire at Cutha; but he was preserved from injury by the angel Gabriel, and only the cords which bound him were burnt. Yet so intense was the heat that above 2000 men were consumed thereby.--See _Gospel of Barnabas_, xxviii.; and Morgan, _Mahometanism Explained_, V. i. 4.

=Shadwell= (_Thomas_), the poet-laureate, was a great drunkard, and was said to be "round as a b.u.t.t, and liquored every c.h.i.n.k" (1640-1692).

Besides, his [_Shadwell's_] goodly fabric fills the eye, And seems designed for thoughtless majesty.

Dryden, _MacFlecknoe_ (1682).

? Shadwell took opium, and died from taking too large a dose. Hence Pope says:

Benlowes, propitious still to blockheads, bows; And Shadwell nods the poppy on his brows.