Part 147 (1/2)

=Semir'amis=, queen of a.s.syria, wife of Ninus. She survived her husband, and reigned. The glory of her reign stands out so prominently that she quite eclipses all the monarchs of ancient a.s.syria. After a reign of forty-two years she resigned the crown to her son, Ninyas, and took her flight to heaven in the form of a dove. Semiramis was the daughter of Derceto, the fish-G.o.ddess, and a Syrian youth, and, being exposed in infancy, was brought up by doves.

=Semiramis of the North=, Margaret, daughter of Waldemar III. of Denmark.

At the death of her father she succeeded him; by the death of her husband, Haco VIII., king of Norway, she succeeded to that kingdom also; and, having conquered Albert of Sweden, she added Sweden to her empire.

Thus was she queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1353-1412).

_Semiramis of the North_, Catherine of Russia, a powerful and ambitious sovereign, but in morals a law unto herself (1729-1796).

=Semkail=, the angel of the winds and waves.

I keep the winds in awe with the hand which you see in the air, and prevent the wind Haidge from coming forth. If I gave it freedom it would reduce the universe to powder. With my other hand I hinder the sea from overflowing, without which precaution it would cover the face of the whole earth.--Comte de Caylus, _Oriental Tales_ (”History of Abdal Motalleb,” 1743).

=Semo= (_Son of_), Cuthullin, general of the Irish tribes.

=Sempro'nius=, one of the ”friends” of Timon of Athens, and ”the first man that e'er received a gift from him.” When Timon sent to borrow a sum of money of ”his friend,” he excused himself thus: As Timon did not think proper to apply to me first, but asked others before he sent to me, I consider his present application an insult. ”Go,” said he to the servant, ”and tell your master:

Who bates mine honor shall not know my coin.”

Shakespeare, _Timon of Athens_, act iii. sc. 3 (1600).

_Semp.r.o.nius_, a treacherous friend of Cato while in Utica. Semp.r.o.nius tried to mask his treason by excessive zeal and unmeasured animosity against Caesar, with whom he was acting in alliance. He loved Marcia, Cato's daughter, but his love was not honorable love; and when he attempted to carry off the lady by force, he was slain by Juba, the Numidian prince.--J. Addison, _Cato_ (1713).

I'll conceal My thoughts in pa.s.sion, 'tis the surest way.

I'll bellow out for Rome, and for my country, And mouth at Caesar till I shake the senate.

Your cold hypocrisy's a stale device, A worn-out trick.

Act i. 1.

=Sena'nus= (_St._), the saint who fled to the island of Scattery, and resolved that no woman should ever step upon the isle. An angel led St.

Can'ara to the isle, but Sena.n.u.s refused to admit her.--T. Moore, _Irish Melodies_ (”St. Sena.n.u.s and the Lady,” 1814).

=Sen'eca= (_The Christian_), Bishop Hall, of Norwich (1574-1656).

=Sene'na= (3 _syl._), a Welsh maiden, in love with Car'adoc. She dressed in boy's clothes, and, under the a.s.sumed name of Mervyn, became the page of the Princess Goervyl, that she might follow her lover to America, when Madoc colonized Caer-Madoc. Senena was promised in marriage to another; but when the wedding day arrived and all was ready, the bride was nowhere to be found.

... she doffed Her bridal robes, and clipt her golden locks, And put on boy's attire, thro' wood and wild To seek her own true love; and over sea, Forsaking all for him, she followed him.

Southey, _Madoc_, ii. 23 (1805).

=Sennac'herib=, called by the Orientals King Moussal.--D'Herbelot, _Notes to the Koran_ (seventeenth century).