Part 141 (1/2)

=Scapin=, valet of Leandre, son of Seignior Geronte. (See FOURBERIES.)--Moliere, _Les Fourberies de Scapin_ (1671).

(Otway has made an English version of this play, called _The Cheats of Scapin_, in which Leandre is Anglicized into ”Leander,” Geronte is called ”Gripe,” and his friend, Argante, father of Zerbinette, is called ”Thrifty,” father of ”Lucia.”[TN-160]

=Scapi'no=, the cunning, knavish servant of Gratiano, the loquacious and pedantic Bolognese doctor.--_Italian Mask._

=Scar= (_Little_), son of Major and Madam Carroll, believed by his father to be legitimate, known by his mother to have been born during the lifetime of her first husband, although she had married the major, supposing herself a widow.--Constance Fenimore Woolson, _For the Major_.

=Scar'amouch=, a braggart and fool, most valiant in words, but constantly being drubbed by Harlequin. Scaramouch is a common character in Italian farce, originally meant in ridicule of the Spanish don, and therefore dressed in Spanish costume. Our clown is an imbecile old idiot, and wholly unlike the das.h.i.+ng poltroon of Italian pantomime. The best ”Scaramouches” that ever lived were Tiberio Fiurelli, a Neapolitan (born 1608), and Gandini (eighteenth century).

_Scar'borough Warning_ (_A_), a warning given too late to be taken advantage of. Fuller says the allusion is to an event which occurred in 1557, when Thomas Stafford seized upon Scarborough Castle, before the townsmen had any notice of his approach. Heywood says a ”Scarborough warning” resembles what is now called Lynch law: punished first, and warned afterwards. Another solution is this: If s.h.i.+ps pa.s.sed the castle without saluting it by striking sail, it was customary to fire into them a shotted gun, by way of warning.

Be suerly seldom, and never for much ...

Or Scarborow warning, as ill I believe, When (”Sir, I arrest ye”) gets hold of thy sleeve.

T. Tusser, _Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry_, x. 28 (1557).

=Scarlet= (_Will_), =Scadlock= or =Scathelocke=, one of the companions of Robin Hood.

”Take thy good bowe in thy hande,” said Robyn.

”Let Moche wend with the And so shall Wyllyam Scathelocke, And no man abyde with me.”

Ritson, _Robin Hood Ballads_, i. 1 (1520).

The tinker looking him about, Robin his horn did blow; Then came unto him Little John And William Scadlock, too.

Ditto, ii. 7 (1656).

And there of him they made a Good yeoman Robin Hood, Scarlet and Little John, And Little John, hey ho!

Ditto, appendix 2 (1790).

In the two dramas called _The First and Second Parts of Robin Hood_, by Anthony Munday and Henry Chettle, Scathlock or Scadlock, is called the brother of Will Scarlet.

... possible that Warman's spite ... doth hunt the lives Of bonnie Scarlet and his brother, Scathlock.

Pt. i. (1597).

Then ”enter Warman, with Scarlet and Scathlock bounde,” but Warman is banished, and the brothers are liberated and pardoned.

=Scarlet Woman= (_The_), popery (_Rev._ xvii. 4).

And fulminated Against the scarlet woman and her creed.

Tennyson, _Sea Dreams_.