The Nuttall Encyclopaedia Part 404

SIGOURNEY, MRS., American auth.o.r.ess, was a prolific writer; wrote tales, poems, essays, chiefly on moral and religious subjects; was called the American Hemans (1791-1863).

SIGURD. See SIEGFRIED.

SIKHS (lit. disciples), a native religious and military community, scattered, to the number of nearly two millions, over the Punjab, and forming some fifteen States dependent on the Punjab government; founded (1469) by Baber Nanak as a religious monotheistic sect purified from the grosser native superst.i.tions and practices; was organised on a military footing in the 17th century, and in the 18th century acquired a territorial status, ultimately being consolidated in to a powerful military confederacy by Ranjit Singh, who, at the beginning of the 19th century, extended his power over a wider territory. In 1845-46 they crossed their E. boundary, the Sutlej, and invaded English possessions, but were defeated by Gough and Hardinge, and had to cede a considerable portion of their territory; a second war in 1848-49 ended in the annexation of the entire Punjab, since when the Sikhs have been the faithful allies of the English, notably in the Indian Mutiny.

SIKKIM (7), a small native State in North-East India, lying on the southern slopes of the Himalayas, between Nepal (W.) and Bhotan (E.); under British protection; the ruling family being Buddhist, and of Tibetan descent.

SILAGE, the name given to green fodder, vegetables, &c., stored in stacks or pits (or silos) under heavy pressure, the process being known as ensilage. The practice of thus preserving green crops for fodder dates from earliest times, but its general adoption in Britain only began in 1882 since when its spread has been rapid. Originally the process in vogue involved slight fermentation, resulting in "sour silage," but in 1884 it was found that by delaying the application of pressure for a day or two a rise of temperature took place sufficiently great to destroy the bacteria producing fermentation, the result being "sweet silage." Both kinds are readily eaten by cattle.

SILENCE, WORs.h.i.+P OF, Carlyle's name for the sacred respect for restraint in speech till "thought has silently matured itself, ... to hold one's tongue till _some_ meaning lie behind to set it wagging," a doctrine which many misunderstand, almost wilfully, it would seem; silence being to him the very womb out of which all great things are born.

SILENUS, a satyr who attended Dionysus, being his foster-father and teacher; a.s.sisted in the war of the giants, and slew Enceladus; had the gift of vaticination; is represented as mounted on an a.s.s and supported by other satyrs.

SILESIA (4,224), a province of South-East Prussia, stretching S.

between Russian Poland (E.) and Austria (W. and S.); the Oder flows NW.

through the heart of the country, dividing the thickly forested and in parts marshy lands of the N. and E. from the mountainous and extremely fertile W.; rich coal-fields lie to the S., and zinc is also a valuable product; agriculture and the breeding of cattle, horses, and sheep flourish, as also the manufacture of cottons, linens, &c.; Breslau is the capital; for long under the successive dominions of Poland and Bohemia, the Silesian duchies became, in the 18th century, a _casus belli_ between Austria and Prussia, resulting in the SEVEN YEARS' WAR (q. v.) and the ultimate triumph of Frederick the Great of Prussia.

SILESIA, AUSTRIAN (602), that portion of the original Silesian country preserved to Austria after the unsuccessful struggle with Prussia; forms a duchy and crownland of Austria, and extends SW. from the border of Prussian Silesia; agriculture and mining are the chief industries.

SILHOUETTE, name given to the profile of a portrait filled in with black; a design familiar to the ancients, and in vogue in France during the reign of Louis XV.

SILISTRIA (12), a town of Bulgaria, on the Danube, 70 m. below Rustchuk; occupies a fine strategical position, and is strongly fortified; withstood successfully a 39 days' siege by the Russians during the Crimean War; cloth and leather are the chief manufactures.

SILIUS ITALICUS, a Roman poet; was consul in the year of Nero's death, and his chief work an epic "Punica," relating the events of the Second Punic War, a dull performance.

SILLIMAN, BENJAMIN, American chemist and geologist, born in North Stratford (now Trumbull), Connecticut; graduated at Yale, and was called to the bar in 1802, but in the same year threw up law for science; became professor of Chemistry at Yale, a position he held for 50 years (till 1853); did much to stimulate the study of chemistry and geology by lectures throughout the States; founded (1818) the _American Journal of Science_, and was for 28 years its editor; during 1853-55 was lecturer on Geology at Yale; his writings include "Journals of Travels in England, Holland, and Scotland" (1779-1864). BENJAMIN SILLIMAN, son of preceding, also an active scientist along his father's lines; founded the Yale School of Science, and filled the chairs of Chemistry at Louisville (1849-1854) and at Yale (till 1869); was co-editor of the _Journal of Science_ (1845-85), and wrote various popular text-books of chemistry and physics (1816-1885).

SILLOTH (3), a watering-place of c.u.mberland, on the Solway Firth, 20 m. W. of Carlisle; has good docks and an increasing commerce.

SILURES, one of the ancient British tribes occupying the SE. of Wales; conjectured to be of Non-Aryan stock, and akin to the Iberians; offered a fierce resistance to the invading Romans.

SILVa.n.u.s, an Italian divinity, the guardian of trees, fields, and husbandmen; represented as a hale, happy, old man.

SILVER AGE, the age in the Greek mythology in succession to the Golden; gold being viewed as the reality, and silver the idle reflection.

See AGES and GOLDEN AGE.

SIMEON, ST., the aged seer who received the infant Christ in his arms as He was presented to the Lord by His mother in the Temple; usually so represented in Christian art.

SIMEON STYLITES, famous as one of the PILLAR SAINTS (q. v.).

SIMFEROPOL (36), a town in the Crimea, 49 m. NE. of Sebastopol; surrounded by gardens, orchards, and vineyards; exports a great quant.i.ty of fruit.

SIMLA (15, but largely increased in summer), the chief town of a district in the Punjab, and since 1864 the summer hill-quarters of the British Government in India; beautifully situated on the wooded southern slopes of the Himalayas, 7156 ft. above sea-level, and 170 m. N. of Delhi; has a cool and equable climate, and possesses two vice-regal palaces, government buildings, beautiful villas, &c.

SIMMS, WILLIAM GILMORE, a prolific American writer, born at Charleston, South Carolina; turned from law to literature; engaged in journalism for some years, and found favour with the public as a writer of poems, novels, biographies, &c., in which he displays a gift for rapid, vivid narrative, and vigour of style; "Southern Pa.s.sages and Pictures" contains characteristic examples of his poetry, and of his novels "The Yema.s.see," "The Partisan," and "Beauchampe" may be mentioned (1806-1870).

SIMON, JULES, French statesman and distinguished writer on social, political, and philosophic subjects, born at Lorient; succeeded Cousin in the chair of Philosophy at the Sorbonne; entered the Chamber of Deputies in 1848; lost his post at the Sorbonne in 1852 for refusing to take the oath of allegiance to Napoleon III.; subsequently became Minister of Education under Thiers (1871-73), a life-senator in 1875, and in 1876 Republican Prime Minister; later more conservative in his att.i.tude, he edited the _Echo Universel_, and was influential as a member of the Supreme Educational Council, and as permanent secretary of the Academy of Moral and Political Sciences; his voluminous works include treatises on "Liberty," "Natural Religion," "Education," "Labour," &c., and various philosophic and political essays (1814-1896).

SIMON, RICHARD, a celebrated French biblical scholar, born at Dieppe; entered the Congregation of the Oratory in 1659, and became professor of Philosophy at the College of Juilly; was summoned to Paris, and under orders of his superiors spent some time in cataloguing the Oriental MSS. in the library of the Oratory; his free criticisms and love of controversy got him into trouble with the Port-Royalists and the Benedictines, and the heterodoxy of his "Histoire Critique du Vieux Testament" (1678) brought about his withdrawal to Belleville, where he remained as cure till 1682, when he retired to Dieppe to continue his work on Old and New Testament criticism; he ranks as among the first to deal with the scriptural writings as literature, and he antic.i.p.ated not a few of the later German theories (1638-1712).

SIMON MAGUS, a sorcerer, one who by his profession of magic aggrandised himself at the expense of the people of Samaria, and who, when he saw the miracles wrought by the Apostles, and St. Peter in particular, offered them money to confer the like power on himself; Peter's well-known answer was not without effect on him, but it was only temporary, for he afterwards appeared in Rome and continued to impose upon the people so as to persuade them to believe him as an incarnation of the Most High. Hence Simony, the sin of making gain by the buying or selling of spiritual privileges for one's material profit.

SIMONIDES OF AMORGOS, a Greek poet who flourished in the 7th century B.C.; dealt in gnome and satire, among the latter on the different cla.s.ses of women.

SIMONIDES OF CEOS, one of the most celebrated lyric poets of Greece; spent most of his life in Athens, employed his poetic powers in celebrating the events and heroes of the Persian wars; gained over aeschylus the prize for an elegy on those who fell at Marathon; composed epigrams over the tombs of the Spartans who fell at Thermopylae, and in his eightieth year was crowned victor at Athens; shortly after this was invited by Hiero to Syracuse, at whose court he died; his poetry was distinguished at once for sweetness and finish; he was a philosopher as well as a poet (556-467 B.C.).

SIMOOM or SIMOON, a hot, dry wind-storm common to the arid regions of Africa, Arabia, and parts of India; the storm moves in cyclone (circular) form, carrying clouds of dust and sand, and produces on men and animals a suffocating effect.

SIMPLON, a mountain in the Swiss Alps, in the canton of Valais, traversed by the famous Simplon Pa.s.s (6594 ft. high), which stretches 41 m. from Brieg in Valais to Domo d'Ossola in Piedmont, pa.s.sing over 611 bridges and through many great tunnels, built by Napoleon 1800-6.

SIMPSON, SIR JAMES YOUNG, physician, born, the son of a baker, at Bathgate, Linlithgows.h.i.+re; graduated M.D. at Edinburgh in 1832; was a.s.sistant to the professor of Pathology and one of the Presidents of the Royal Medical Society before his election to the chair of Midwifery in 1840; as an obstetrician his improvements and writings won him wide repute, which became European on his discovery of chloroform in 1847; was one of the Queen's physicians, and was created a baronet in 1866; published "Obstetric Memoirs," "Archaeological Essays," &c. (1811-1870).

SIMROCK, KARL JOSEPH, German scholar and poet, born at Bonn; studied at Bonn and Berlin, where he became imbued with a love for old German literature, in connection with which he did his best-known work; modernised the "Nibelungen Lied" (1827), and after his withdrawal from the Prussian service gave himself to his favourite study, becoming professor of Old German in 1850, and popularising and stimulating inquiry into the old national writings by volumes of translations, collections of folk-songs, stories, &c.; was also author of several volumes of original poetry (1802-1876).

SIMS, GEORGE ROBERT, playwright and novelist, born in London; was for a number of years on the staff of _Fun_ and a contributor to the _Referee_ and _Weekly Dispatch_, making his mark by his humorous and pathetic Dagonet ballads and stories; has been a busy writer of popular plays (e. g. "The Lights o' London," "The Romany Rye") and novels (e. g.

"Rogues and Vagabonds," "Dramas of Life"); contributed noteworthy letters to the Daily News on the condition of the London poor; _b_. 1847.