As a letter, S is the eighteenth in our alphabet, and the fourteenth consonant. The sound is formed by driving the breath through a narrow passage between the palate and the tongue, elevated near it, together with a motion of the lower jaw and teeth towards the upper, the lips being a little way open; with such a configuration of every part of the mouth and larynx as renders the voice somewhat hissing.

S has in English the same sound as in other languages, and unhappily prevails in so many of our words that it produces in the ear of a foreigner a continued sibilation. In the beginning of words it has invariably its natural and genuine sound: in the middle it is sometimes uttered with a stronger appulse of the tongue to the palate, like z, as rose, rosy, osier, resident, business. In the end of monosyllables it is sometimes s, as in this; and sometimes z, as in as, has; no noun singular should end with s single therefore in words written with diphthongs, and naturally long, an e is nevertheless added at the end, as goose, house; and, where the syllable is short, the s is doubled, and was once sse, as ass, anciently asse; wilderness, anciently wildernesse; distress, anciently distresse. In some words it is silent, as isle, island, viscount, &c. Of all other letters, the s is nearest akin to the r; whence it was frequently changed, on account of its disagreeable sound,

into r.

See R. Add to this, that the Latin nouns now terminating in or, as arbor, labor, &c., all anciently ended in s, as arbos, labos, &c. As an abbreviation, S stands for societas or socius; as, R.S. S. for Regiæ societatis socius; or F.R.S. Frater regiæ societatis, i. e. fellow of the royal society. See ABBREVIATIONS. As a numeral, S was anciently used for seven.

SAAD EDDIN MOHAMMED BEN HASSAN, known also by the appellation of Khodja Effendi, the most celebrated of the Turkish historians. He became preceptor to sultan Amurath III.; and was subsequently appointed mufti, which office he held till his death, about A. D. 1600. He was the author of The Crown of Histories, containing an account of all the Turkish emperors to his own times, translated into Italian by Vincent Brattuti, and into Latin by Kollar. A. L. Schloezer, in his Critico-Historical Amusements, Gottingen, 1797, 8vo., has given full details of this Chronicle, which has been continued from 1510, where the author concluded it, to 1751, by five other historiographers appointed by the sultans.

SAADE, a town of Arabia, the capital of the mountainous district of Yemen, called also the Sahan. It is the residence of a chief, who assumes the title of Imam; but who finds it difficult to maintain his ground. His revenue arises chiefly from a custom-house here established, at which duties are paid by goods passing into the interior. In the neighbourhood is a fortified height. 368 miles N. N. E. of Mocha.

SAAN LOUIS, a town of the Prussian province of the Lower Rhine, fortified by Vauban,

S.

under Louis XIV., but ceded to Prussia by a treaty of Paris in 1815. During the revolution, this place was called Sarre Libre. It is eleven miles north-west of Saarbruck, and thirty-four east of Thionville, contains 4100 inhabitants, and has manufactures of iron and leather.

SAATZ, a circle of Bohemia, contiguous to the Saxon frontier, and to the circles of Leutmeritz, Rakonitz, and Elnbogen. Its area is about 820 square miles, is level towards the south, and contains some of the best corn land in Bohemia, but the north is traversed by the Erzgebirge mountains, in which there are mines of iron, alum, and tin. The woods are here also extensive. Other products of this circle are flax, hops, turf, and coal. There are some cotton manufactures. Population 114,000.

SAATZ, in Bohemian Zatets, a town of Bohe mia, on the Egra, the chief place of the preceding circle. Population 3800. Eighty-nine miles west by north of Prague, aud twenty-eight east of Carlsbad.

SAAVEDRA. See CERVANTES.

SABA, a Dutch island of the West Indies, is a great but fruitful rock, four leagues in circuit, without any road for ships, and with but one landing place, at a creek on the south side. One delightful valley produces necessaries for the few inhabitants, and materials for several manufactures; but, being destitute of a port, its commerce is inconsiderable. There is abundance of fish, particularly bonitos, caught on the coasts. Rocks appear for some distance on the coast, and vessels of course cannot come in, unless they be very small.

SABÆANS, or SABEI. See SABIANS. SAB'AOTH, n.s. Heb. y. Signifying an

army.

Holy Lord God of sabaoth; that is, Lord of hosts. Common Prayer.

SABAZIA, in Greek antiquity, were nocturnal mysteries in honor of Jupiter Sabazius. All the initiated had a golden serpent put in at their breasts, and taken out at the lower part of their garments, in memory of Jupiter's ravishing Proserpine in the form of a serpent. There were also other feasts and sacrifices distinguished by this appellation, in honor of Mithras, the deity of the Persians.

SABBATARIANS, a sect of Christians, chiefly Baptists, who observe the Jewish or seventh-day Sabbath, from a persuasion that, being one of the ten commandments, which they contend are all in their nature moral, it was not abrogated by the New Testament. They say that Saturday must at least be deemed of equal validity for public worship with any day never particularly set apart by Jesus Christ and his Apostles. In our own country this sect is by no means numerous. They have but two congregations in London, if these are not united. In America, however, there are many Christians of this persuasion, particularly in Rhode Island, and New Jersey.

the Jews at the giving of the law, and its observance enforced by the severest penalties. It was accordingly observed by them with more or less strictness in every period of their commonwealth and kingdom; and there is no one of the institutions of their divine lawgiver which, in their present state of dispersion, they more highly honor. In the time of the Maccabees they carried their respect for the Sabbath so very high that they would not on that day defend themselves from the attacks of their enemies. But afterwards they did not scruple to stand upon their necessary defence, although they would do nothing to prevent the enemy from carrying on their operations. When our Saviour was on earth, it was no sin to loose a beast from the stall, and lead him to water; and, if he had chanced to fall into a ditch, they pulled him out: but now it is absolutely unlawful to give a creature in that situation any other assistance than that of food. Their various ceremonies are so trifling, superstitious, and ridiculous, that we think it would be disgracing a work of science to take up room with them. Vide Buxtorf's Judaica Synagoga; and Allen's Modern Judaism. As the seventh day was observed by the Jewish church, in memory of the rest of God after the works of creation, so the first day of the week has always been observed by the Christian church, in memory of the resurrection of Jesus Christ, by which he completed the work of man's redemption on earth, and rescued him from the dominion of him who has the power of death. This day was denominated by the primitive Christians the Lord's Day, or Sunday, but it was never styled the Sabbath; a name solely appropriated to Saturday, or the seventh day, both by sacred and ecclesiastical writers. Of the change from the seventh to the first day of the week, or even of the institution of the Lord's Day festival, there is no account in the New Testament. However, it may be fairly inferred from it that the first day of the week was, in the apostolic age, a stated time for public worship. On this day the apostles were assembled, when the Holy Ghost came down so visibly upon them to qualify them for the conversion of the world. On this day we find St. Paul preaching at Troas, when the disciples came to break bread: and the directions which the same apostle gives to the Corinthians, concerning their contributions for the relief of their suffering brethren, plainly allude to their religious assemblies on the first day of the week. From the consentient evidence and uniform practice of the primitive church, and also from the attestation of Pliny, we find that the first day of the week was observed in the earliest ages as a holy day or festival, in honor of the resurrection of Christ. In the early ages this day was occupied in a constant attendance on all the offices of divine worship. On it they held their religious assemblies, in which the writings of the apostles and prophets were read to the people, and the doctrines of Christianity pressed upon them by the exhortations of the clergy. Solemn prayers and praises were offered up to God, and hymns sung in honor of Christ; the Lord's supper was celebrated; and collections were made for the main

tenance of the clergy and the relief of the poor. On this day they abstained, as much as they could, from bodily labor. They looked upon it as a day of joy and gladness; and therefore all fasting on it was prohibited, even during Lent, their great annual fast.-Such was the zeal of those times that nothing, no, not the severest persecutions, hindered them from celebrating holy offices on this day; and, when they could not meet in the day time, they assembled in the morning before it was light. When the empire became Christian, Constantine and his successors made laws for the more solemn observation of the Lord's day. They prohibited all prosecutions and pleadings, and other juridical matters, to be transacted on it, and also all unnecessary labor.

SABBATH BREAKING, or profanation of the Lord's day, is punished by the municipal laws of England. The keeping one day in seven holy, as a time of relaxation and refreshment, as well as for public worship, is of great service to a state, considered merely as a civil institution. The laws of king Athelstan forbad all merchandising on the Lord's day, under very severe penalties. And by the statute 27 Henry VI., c. 5, no fair or market shall be held on the principal festivals, Good Friday, or any Sunday (except the four Sundays in harvest), on pain of forfeiting the goods exposed to sale. And by the statute 1 Car. I., c. 1, no persons shall assemble, out of their own parishes, for any sport whatsoever, upon this day; nor, in their parishes, shall use any bull or bear beating, interludes, plays, or other unlawful exercises or pastimes, on pain that every offender shall pay 3s. 4d. to the poor. By statute 29 Car. II., c. 7, no person is allowed to work on the Lord's day, or use any boat or barge, or expose any goods to sale, except meat in public houses, milk at certain hours, and works of necessity or charity, on forfeiture of 5s.

SABBATH DAY'S JOURNEY, a measure, among the ancient Jews, of 729 English paces and three feet; or 2000 cubits; or 3648 feet.

SABBATICAL YEAR, or the year of jubilee, among the ancient Jews, was every seventh year; in which it was unlawful to till the ground, and all slaves were set at liberty, except those who preferred continuing in service to freedom. There was also a grand sabbatical year held by the Jews with uncommon splendor every forty-ninth year ; though some commentators assert it was held the fiftieth year. See JUBILEE.

SABEANS, in ancient history, a tribe of Arabs, descended from Sheba, the son of Cush, or from Sheba, the son of Raamah, and grandson of Cush.. They inhabited the country called Saba or Sheba; they carried off Job's cattle, and were afterwards conquered by Cyrus.

SABEANS, in ecclesiastical history, a sect of Christian heretics, who held mixed doctrines derived from Christianity, Judaism, Mahometanism, and Paganism. They adopted baptism after the example, and in commemoration of, John the Baptist; but did not administer it in the name of the Trinity. They have four sacraments; baptism, the eucharist, orders, and marriage. Both ministers and laity are allowed two wives. They still retain some knowledge of the gospel;

but their superstitious ceremonies and frequent washings are supposed to be of Jewish origin, and derived from the Hemerobaptists, who had a chief of the name of John.

SABELLI, an ancient people of Italy, descended from the Sabines, or, as others say, of the Samnites. They inhabited that part of Italy which lay between the Sabines and the Marsi. SABELLIANS, in ecclesiastical history, a sect of the third century, who embraced the opinions of Sabellius. They maintained that the Word and the Holy Spirit are only virtues, emanations, or functions of the Deity; and held that he who is in heaven is the Father and Creator of all things, that he, through the virgin, became a child; and that, having accomplished the mystery of our salvation, he diffused himself on the apostles in tongues of fire, and was then denominated the Holy Ghost. This they explained by resembling God to the sun, the illuminative virtue or quality of which was the Word, and its warming virtue the Holy Spirit. The Word, they taught, was darted like a divine ray, to accomplish the work of redemption; and that, being re-ascended to heaven, the influences of the Father were communicated after a like manner to the apostles. They were anathematised in a council held at Constantinople, A. D. 381.

SABELLICUS (Mark Anthony Coccius), a learned Italian, born at a small town upon the Teveron, in the fifteenth century. He became professor of belles lettres at Vicenza, and died in the seventieth year of his age.

SABELLIUS, an ancient philosopher of Egypt, the founder of the sect of the Sabellians, was a native of Libya. He first broached his doctrines in the third century, about the year 255, in Ptolemais. He taught, according to Epiphanius, that the same person is Father, Son, and Holy Ghost; so that there are only three denominations in one hypostasis or subsistence; or, as in man, body, soul, and spirit. This author says that the Sabellians agreed with the Noetians, except in one thing, viz. that they said the Father did not suffer. Theodoret's account of Sabellius is, that he taught the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit, to be one hypostasis or subsistence, and one person with three names; that he speaks of the same sometimes as Father, some times as Son, and sometimes as Holy Ghost.

SABIA, a country of Eastern Africa, to the south of Sofala, traversed by a river of the same name, which falls into the Indian Ocean. Slaves, ivory, and gold dust, may be procured here.

SABIANS, or SABEANS, an ancient sect of idolaters, who worshipped the sun. Some critics derive the name from the Hebrew Tsaba, a host or army, because they worshipped the host of heaven, the Tsaba hememim, against which idolatry Moses cautions the Israelites. The word is sometimes also written Sabaites, Zabæans, Zabians, Zabaites, Tsabæans, Tsabians, and Tsabaists. Mahomet, in the Koran, and the Arabian authors since him, make frequent mention of them. Beidavius, in his comment on the Koran, represents them as a kind of mean between the Christians and the Magusians, who are the followers of the Magi among the Persians:

he adds, that they pretend to be of the religion of Noah. Some charge them with worshipping the stars; and others the angels or demons. Maimonides attributes both to them.

Sale, in his preliminary discourse to the Koran, has given the following brief account of the tenets and worship of this sect:-They believe in the existence of one God, though they also pay an adoration to the stars, or the angels and intelligences which they suppose reside in them, and govern the world under the supreme Deity. They endeavour to perfect themselves in the four intellectual virtues, and believe the souls of wicked men will be punished for 9000 ages, but will afterwards be received to mercy. They are obliged to pray three times a day, before sunrise, before noon, and before sun-set; and in praying they turn their faces, as some say, to the north; according to others to the south, to Mecca, or to the star to which they pay their devotion. They have three fasts in the year; the first lasts thirty days, the second nine days, and the last seven. They offer many sacrifices, of which they eat no part, but wholly burn them. They abstain from beans, garlic, and some other pulse and vegetables.

SABINA (Julia), a Roman lady, who married the emperor Adrian, by advice of Plotina, Trajan's widow. She is celebrated for her virtues, but was ill used by her husband, though she assisted in raising him to the empire. Some say he even poisoned her. She had been thirty-eight years married to him when she died A. D. 138. SA'BINE, n. s. Fr. sabine; Lat. sabina. A plant.

Sabine or savin will make fine hedges, and may be brought into any form by clipping much beyond

trees.

SABINE, or SAVIN. See JUNIPERUS.

Mortimer.

SABINES, or SABINI, an ancient nation of Italy, reckoned among the Aborigines. Some, however, say they were originally a colony of Spartans, who settled in that part of Italy. Their territories were situated in the neighbourhood of Rome between the Nar and the Anio, and bounded on the north by the Appennines and Umbria; east by the dominions of the Æqui; south by Latium; and west by Etruria. Their chief cities were Cures, Fidena, Crustumerium, Collatia, Corniculum, Nomentum, and Reate. The greatest part of the neighbouring nations were descended from them; particularly the Sabelli, the Samnites, the Umbrians, Equi, Brutii, Marsi, &c. Under their king Titus Tatius they made war with the Romans under Romulus, on account of the rape of their virgins; but, after several battles, the war was put an end to by the women on whose account it was commenced, who by this time were attached to their Roman husbands; a peace was concluded, the nations united, and Romulus and Tatius reigned jointly for six years over both nations, till Tatius was killed. See ROME. After this they occasionally revolted, but were finally subdued and incorporated as Roman citizens about A. U. C. 373.

SABINUS, a native of Sparta, the founder of the Sabine nation, to whom he gave name. He was deified after his death.

SABINUS (Flavius), a brother of the emperor Vespasian, famed for his fidelity to Vitellius. He commanded the Roman armies thirty-five years, and governed Rome twelve years; but was killed in an insurrection of the people.

SABINUS (Julius), a Roman commander, who proclaimed himself emperor, in opposition to Vespasian, but, being defeated soon after, hid himself for nine years in a cave, attended by his wife and two faithful domestics; but being discovered he was dragged before Vespasian, and by his order put to death, though his wife endeavoured to excite Vespasian's compassion, by showing him the twins she had borne in the cave. SABINUS (Francis Floridus), a learned writer, who flourished soon after the restoration of letters in Europe. His chief works are, In Calumniatores Plauti et aliorum linguæ Latinæ scripsorum apologia, Basil, 1540; and Lectionum Successivarum libri tres. Franc. 1602, 8vo. He died in 1547.

SABINUS (George), a celebrated Latin poet, born in the electorate of Brandenburg in 1508. His poem, Res gestæ Cæsarum Germanorum, spread his reputation all over Germany, and procured him the patronage of several princes; he was made professor of the belles lettres at Frankfort on the Oder, rector of the academy of Konigsburg, and counsellor to the elector of Brandenburg. He married two wives, the first was the eldest daughter of the famous reformer Melancthon. He died in 1560. His poems have been often printed.

SABIONCELLO, or SABIONEIRA, a peninsula of Austrian Dalmatia, having the islands of Curzolo and Meleda on the south, and on the north the island of Lesina, from which it is separated by a part of the gulf of Venice called the Canal of Sabioncello, or the Stagno. Forty-five miles north-west of Ragusa.

SABIONETTA, a town of Mantuan, now Austrian Italy, with a castle. It was for a time the capital of a principality of the same name, given in 1806, by an imperial decree of Buonaparte, to his sister Paulina, and her husband, the prince Borghese, duke of Guastalla. Nineteen miles S. S. W. of Mantua. Inhabitants 6000. SA'BLE, n. s. & adj. Fr. sable; Swed. sabel; Lat. zibella. Fur; black.

By this the drooping daylight 'gan to fade, And yield his room to sad succeeding night, Who with her sable mantle 'gan to shade The face of earth, and ways of living wight.

Faerie Queene. Furiously running in upon him with timultuous speech, he violently raught from his head his rich cap of subles. Knolles.

Sable is worn of great personages, and brought out of Russia, being the fur of a little beast of that name, esteemed for the perfectness of the colour of the hairs, which are very black. Hence sable, in heraldry, signifies the black colour in gentlemen's Peacham on Blazoning.

arms.

With him inthroned

Adoring first the genius of the place. And night, and all the stars that gild her sable

throne.

Dryden. The peacock's plumes thy tackle must not fail, Nor the dear purchase of the sable's tail. Gay.

SABLE, in heraldry, signifies black; and, in engraving, is expressed by horizontal and perpendicular lines crossing each other. Alexander Nisbet says that the duke of Anjou, king of Sicily, after the loss of that kingdom, appeared at a tournament in Germany all in black, with his shield of that tincture, semé de larmes, i. e. sprinkled with drops of water to represent tears, indicating by that both his grief and loss.

SABLE, in zoology. See MUSTELA. The chase of these animals, in the more barbarous times of the Russian empire, was the employ, or rather task of the unhappy exiles in Siberia. As that country is now become more populous, the sables have in a great measure quitted it, and retired north and east to live in desert forests and mountains; they live near the banks of rivers, or in the little islands in them; on this account they have by some been supposed to be the Eaßeptov of Aristotle (Hist. An. lib. viii. c. 5), which he classes with the animals conversant among waters. The hunters of sables formed themselves into troops, from five to forty each; the last subdivided into lesser parties, and each chooses a leader, but one directs the whole; a small covered boat is provided for each party, loaded with provisions, a dog and net for every two men, and a vessel to bake their bread in; each party has also an interpreter for the country they penetrate into. Every party then sets out according to the course their chief points out; they go against the stream of the rivers, drawing their boats up, till they arrive in the hunting country; there they stop, build huts, and wait till the waters are frozen, and the season commences. They then penetrate into the woods; mark the trees as they advance, that they may know their way back; and in their hunting quarters form huts of trees, and bank up the snow round them; near these they lay their traps; then advance farther, and lay more traps, still building new huts in every quarter, and return successively to every old one to visit the traps and take out the game to skin it, which the chief of the party alone must do; during this time they are supplied with provisions by persons who are employed to bring it on sledges, from the places on the road, where they are obliged to form magazines. The traps are a sort of pit-fall, with a loose board placed over it, baited with fish or flesh; when sables grow scarce the hunters trace them in the new-fallen snow to their holes; place their nets at the entrance; and sometimes wait two or three days for the coming out of the animal. The season of chase being their leader of the number of sables each has over, the hunters re-assemble, make a report to taken; share the booty; then continue at the head-quarters till the rivers are clear of ice; and afterwards return home.

SABLES, D'OLUNE DES, a port in the west of France, in La Vendée. It is well built, and has a harbour capable of admitting vessels of considerable size. The chief traffic is in bay