Character Sketches of Romance, Fiction and the Drama Part 157

_Sigismunda_, the heroine of Cervantes's last work of fiction. This tale is a tissue of episodes, full of most incredible adventures, astounding prodigies, impossible characters, and extravagant sentiments. It is said that Cervantes himself preferred it to his _Don Quixote_, just as Corneille preferred _Nicomede_ to his _Cid_, and Milton _Paradise Regained_ to his _Paradise Lost_.--_Encyc. Brit._, Art. "Romance."

=Sigurd=, the hero of an old Scandinavian legend. Sigurd discovered Brynhild, encased in a complete armor, lying in a death-like sleep, to which she had been condemned by Odin. Sigurd woke her by opening her corselet, fell in love with her, promised to marry her, but deserted her for Gudrun. This ill-starred union was the cause of an _Iliad_ of woes.

An a.n.a.lysis of this romance was published by Weber in his _Ill.u.s.trations of Northern Antiquities_ (1810).

=Sijil= (_Al_), the recording angel.

On that day we will roll up the heavens as the angel Al Sijil rolleth up the scroll wherein every man's actions are recorded.--_Al Koran_, xxi.

=Sikes= (_Bill_), a burglar, and one of f.a.gin's a.s.sociates. Bill Sikes was a hardened, irreclaimable villian,[TN-179] but had a conscience which almost drove him mad after the murder of Nancy, who really loved him (ch. xlviii.) Bill Sikes (1 _syl._) had an ill-conditioned savage dog, the beast-image of his master, which he kicked and loved, ill-treated and fondled.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Oliver Twist_ (1837).

The French "Bill Sikes" is "Jean Hiroux," a creation of Henry Monnier.

=Sikundra= (_The_), a mausoleum about six miles from Agra, raised by Akhbah "the Great."

=Silence=, a country justice of asinine dullness when sober, but when in his cups of most uproarious mirth. He was in the commission of the peace with his cousin Robert Shallow.

_Falstaff._ I did not think Master Silence had been a man of this mettle.

_Silence._ Who, I? I have been merry twice and once, ere now.--Shakespeare, 2 _Henry IV._, act vi. sc. 3 (1598).

=Sile'no=, husband of Mysis; a kind-hearted man, who takes pity on Apollo when cast to earth by Jupiter, and gives him a home.--Kane O'Hara, _Midas_ (1764).

=Silent= (_The_), William I., prince of Orange (1533-1584). It was the principle of Napoleon III., emperor of the French, to "hear, see, and say nothing."

=Silent Man= (_The_), the barber of Bagdad, the greatest chatterbox that ever lived. Being sent for to shave the head and beard of a young man who was to visit the cadi's daughter at noon, he kept him from daybreak to midday, prating, to the unspeakable annoyance of the customer. Being subsequently taken before the caliph, he ran on telling story after story about his six brothers. He was called the "Silent Man," because on one occasion, being accidentally taken up with ten robbers, he never said he was not one of the gang. His six brothers were Bacbouc, the hunchback, Bakbarah, the toothless, Bakac, the one-eyed, Alcouz, the blind, Alnaschar, the earless, and Schacabac, the hare-lipped.--_Arabian Nights_ ("The Barber," and "The Barber's Six Brothers").

=Silent Woman= (_The_), a comedy by Ben Jonson (1609). Morose, a miserly old fellow, who hates to hear any voice but his own, has a young nephew, Sir Dauphine, who wants to wring from him a third of his property; and the way he gains his point is this: He induces a lad to pretend to be a "silent woman." Morose is so delighted with the phenomenon that he consents to marry the prodigy; but the moment the ceremony is over, the boy-wife a.s.sumes the character of a virago, whose tongue is a ceaseless clack. Morose is in despair, and signs away a third of his property to his nephew, on condition of being rid of this intolerable pest. The trick is now revealed, Morose retires into private life, and Sir Dauphine remains master of the situation.

=Sile'nus=, son of Pan, chief of the sile'ni or older satyrs. Silenus was the foster-father of Bacchus, the wine-G.o.d, and is described as a jovial old toper, with bald head, pug nose, and pimply face.

Old Silenus, bloated, drunken, Led by his inebriate satyrs.

Longfellow, _Drinking Song._

=Silky=, a Jew money-lender, swindler, and miser. (See SULKY.)

Yon cheat all day, tremble at night, and act the hypocrite the first thing in the morning.--T. Holcroft, _The Road to Ruin_, ii. 3 (1792).

=Silly Billy=, William IV. (1765, 1830-1837).

=Silva= (_Don Ruy Gomez de_), an old Spanish grandee, to whom Elvira was betrothed; but she detested him, and loved Ernani, a bandit-captain.

Charles V. tried to seduce her, and Silva, in his wrath, joined Ernani to depose the king. The plot being discovered, the conspirators were arrested, but, at the intercession of Elvira, were pardoned. The marriage of Ernani and Elvira was just about to be consummated, when a horn sounded. Ernani had bound himself, when Silva joined the bandit, to put an end to his life whenever summoned so to do by Silva; and the summons was to be given by the blast of a horn. Silva being relentless, Ernani kept his vow, and stabbed himself.--Verdi, _Ernani_ (1841).

=Silver-Fork School= (_The_), a name given to a cla.s.s of English novelists who gave undue importance to etiquette and the externals of social intercourse. The most distinguished are: Lady Blessington (1789-1849), Theodore Hook (1716-1796), Lord Lytton (1804-1873), and Mrs. Trollope (1790-1863).

=Silver Pen.= Eliza Meteyard was so called by Douglas Jerold, and she adopted the pseudonym (1816-1879).

=Silver Star of Love= (_The_), the star which appeared to Vasco da Gama, when his s.h.i.+ps were tempest-tossed, through the malice of Bacchus.

Immediately the star appeared, the tempest ceased, and there was a great calm.

The sky and ocean blending, each on fire, Seemed as all Nature struggled to expire; When now the Silver Star of Love appeared, Bright in the east her radiant front she reared.

Camoens, _Lusiad_, vi. (1572).

=Silver Tongued= (_The_), Joshua Sylvester, translator of Du Bartas's _Divine Weeks and Works_ (1563-1618).

William Bates, a puritan divine (1625-1699).

Henry Smith, preacher (1550-1600).

Anthony Hammond, the poet, called "Silver Tongue" (1668-1738).

Spranger Barry, the "Irish Roscius" (1719-1777).

=Silverquill= (_Sam_), one of the prisoners at Portanferry.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

=Silves de la Selva= (_The Exploits and Adventures of_), part of the series called _Le Roman des Romans_, pertaining to "Am'adis of Gaul."

This part was added by Feliciano de Silva.

=Silvester= (_Anne_), woman betrayed under promise of marriage, by _Geoffrey Delamayne_, a famous athlete. By a series of _contretemps_, Anne is made out to be the wife (according to Scotch law) of her dearest friend's betrothed, who visits her as Delamayne's emissary. She is released from the embarra.s.sing position, by the exhibition of a letter from Delamayne, promising to marry her, written before _Arnold's_ visit.

Infuriated by the _expose_, Delamayne tries to murder his wife, and is prevented by a crazy woman. Her sudden attack brings on apoplexy. Anne, as his widow, marries her old friend and defender, Sir Patrick Lundie.--Wilkie Collins, _Man and Wife_ (1874).

=Silvestre= (2 _syl._), valet of Octave (son of Argante, and brother of Zerbinette).--Moliere, _Les Fourberies de Scapin_ (1671).

=Sil'via=, daughter of the duke of Milan, and the lady-love of Valentine, one of the heroes of the play.--Shakespeare, _The Two Gentlemen of Verona_ (1594).