Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 154

Wordsworth, _The White Doe of Rylstone_ (1815).

=Shepherd of Banbury.= (See SHEPHERD, JOHN CLARIDGE.)

=Shepherd of Filida.=

"Preserve him, Mr. Nicholas, as thou wouldst a diamond. He is not a shepherd, but an elegant courtier," said the cure.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. i. 6 (1605).

=Shepherd of Salisbury Plain= (_The_), the hero and t.i.tle of a religious tract by Hannah More. The shepherd is noted for his homely wisdom and simple piety. The academy figure of this shepherd was David Saunders, who, with his father, had kept sheep on the plain for a century.

=Shepherd of the Ocean.= So Colin Clout (_Spenser_) calls Sir Walter Raleigh in his _Colin Clout's Come Home Again_ (1591).

=Shepherdess= (_The Faithful_), a pastoral drama by John Fletcher (1610).

The "faithful shepherdess" is Corin, who remains faithful to her lover although dead. Milton has borrowed rather largely from this pastoral in his _Comus_.

=Sheppard= (_Jack_), immortalized for his burglaries and escapes from Newgate. He was the son of a carpenter in Spitalfields, and was an ardent, reckless and generous youth. Certainly the most popular criminal ever led to Tyburn for execution (1701-1724).

? Daniel Defoe made _Jack Sheppard_ the hero of a romance in 1724, and W. H. Ainsworth, in 1839.

=Sherborne=, in Dorsetshire, always brings ill luck to the possessor. It belonged at one time to the see of Canterbury, and Osmond p.r.o.nounced a curse on any laymen who wrested it from the Church.

The first laymen who held these lands was the Protector Somerset, who was beheaded by Edward VI.

The next laymen was Sir Walter Raleigh, who was also beheaded.

At the death of Raleigh, James I. seized on the lands, and conferred them on Car, earl of Somerset, who died prematurely. His younger son, Carew, was attainted, committed to the Tower, and lost his estates by forfeiture.

? James I. was no exception. He lost his eldest son, the prince of Wales, Charles I. was beheaded, James II. was forced to abdicate, and the two Pretenders consummated the ill luck of the family.

Sherborne is now in the possession of Digby, earl of Bristol.

(For other possessions which carry with them ill luck, see GOLD OF TOLOSA, GOLD OF NIBELUNGEN, GRAYSTEEL, HARMONIA'S NECKLACE, etc.)

=Sheridan's Ride=, the story of the brilliant dash of Sheridan upon Winchester, that turned the fortunes of the day in favor of the Federal forces. Early, in command of the Confederates, had driven the United States troops out of the town. When Sheridan met them, they were in full retreat.

"Hurrah! hurrah for horse and man, And when their statues are placed on high, Under the dome of the Union sky, The American soldier's Temple of Fame, There, with the glorious General's name Be it said, in letters both bold and bright:-- Here is the steed that saved the day By carrying Sheridan into the fight, From Winchester--twenty miles away!'"

Thomas Buchanan Read, _Sheridan's Ride_.

=Sheva=, the philanthropic Jew, most modest, but most benevolent. He "stints his appet.i.te to pamper his affections, and lives in poverty that the poor may live in plenty." Sheva is "the widows' friend, the orphans'

father, the poor man's protector, and the universal dispenser of charity, but he ever shrank to let his left hand know what his right hand did." Ratcliffe's father rescued him at Cadiz, from an _auto da fe_, and Ratcliffe himself rescued him from a howling London mob. This n.o.ble heart settled 10,000 on Miss Ratcliffe at her marriage, and left Charles the heir of all his property.--c.u.mberland, _The Jew_ (1776).

? The Jews of England made up a very handsome purse, which they presented to the dramatist for this championship of their race.

_Sheva_, in the satire of _Absalom and Achitophel_, by Dryden and Tate, is designed for Sir Roger Lestrange, censor of the press, in the reign of Charles II. Sheva was one of David's scribes (2 _Sam._ xx. 25), and Sir Roger was editor of the _Observator_, in which he vindicated the court measures, for which he was knighted.

Than Sheva, none more loyal zeal have shown, Wakeful as Judah's lion for the crown.

Tate, _Absalom and Achitophel_, ii. (1682).

=Shib'boleth=, the test pa.s.s-word of a secret society. When the Ephraimites tried to pa.s.s the Jordan, after their defeat by Jephthah, the guard tested whether they were Ephraimites or not, by asking them to say the word "Shibboleth," which the Ephraimites p.r.o.nounced "Sibboleth"

(_Judges_ xii. 1-6).

In the Sicilian Vespers, a word was given as a test of nationality. Some dried peas (_ciceri_) were shown to a suspect: if he called them _cheecharee_, he was a Sicilian, and allowed to pa.s.s; but if _siseri_, he was a Frenchman, and was put to death.

In the great Danish slaughter on St. Bryce's Day (November 13, 1002), according to tradition, a similar test was made with the words "Chichester Church," which, being p.r.o.nounced hard or soft, decided whether the speaker were Dane or Saxon.

=Shield of Rome= (_The_), Fabius "Cunctator." Marcellus was called "The Sword of Rome." (See FABIUS.)

=Shift= (_Samuel_), a wonderful mimic, who, like Charles Mathews, the elder, could turn his face to anything. He is employed by Sir William Wealthy, to a.s.sist in saving his son, George, from ruin, and accordingly helps the young man in his money difficulties by becoming his agent.

Ultimately, it is found that Sir George's father is his creditor, the young man is saved from ruin, marries, and becomes a reformed and honorable member of society, who has "sown his wild oats."--Foote, _The Minor_ (1760).

=Shilling= (_To cut one off with a_). A tale is told of Charles and John Banister. John, having irritated his father, the old man said, "Jack, I'll cut you off with a shilling." To which the son replied, "I wish, dad, you would give it to me now."

? The same identical anecdote is told of Sheridan and his son Tom.

=Shingle= (_Solon_), prominent personage in J. S. Jones's farce, _The People's Lawyer_.

=Ship= (_The Intelligent_). _Ellida_ (Frithjof's ship) understood what was said to it; hence in the _Frithjof Saga_ the son of Thornsten constantly addresses it, and the ship always obeys what is said to it.--Tegner, _Frithjof Saga_, x. (1825).

=Shipton= (_Mother_), the heroine of an ancient tale ent.i.tled _The Strange and Wonderful History and Prophecies of Mother Shipton_, etc.--T. Evan Preece.

=Shipwreck= (_The_), a poem in three cantos, by William Falconer (1762).

Supposed to occupy six days. The ship was the _Britannia_, under the command of Albert, and bound for Venice. Being overtaken in a squall, she is driven out of her course from Candia, and four seamen are lost off the lee main-yardarm. A fearful storm greatly distresses the vessel and the captain gives command "to bear away." As she pa.s.ses the island of St. George, the helmsman is struck blind by lightning. Bowsprit, foremast, and main-topmast being carried away, the officers try to save themselves on the wreck of the foremast. The ship splits on the projecting verge of Cape Colonna. The captain and all his crew are lost except Arion (_Falconer_), who is washed ash.o.r.e, and being befriended by the natives, returns to England to tell this mournful story.

=Shirley.= Bright, independent heiress of Yorkshire, beautiful and courted, who chooses her own way and her own husband.--Charlotte Bronte, _Shirley_.

=Shoo-King= (_The_), the history of the Chinese monarchs, by Confucius. It begins with Yoo, B.C. 2205.

=Shoolbred= (_Dame_), the foster-mother of Henry Smith.--Sir W. Scott, _Fair Maid of Perth_ (time, Henry IV.).