Mary marries the dauphin of France Francis II. dies, leaving Mary a widow The Reformation in Scotland, by John Knox, and others, during the minority of Mary, between 1550 & Mary, after an absence of thirteen years, arrives at Leith from France 21 Aug. 1561 Upon an inquisition, which was officially taken, by order of queen Elizabeth, only 58 Scotsmen were found in London. Stow. 1562 Mary marries her cousin, Henry Stuart, lord Darnley 29 July, 1565 David Rizzio, her confidential secretary, murdered by Darnley in her presence 9 March, 1566 Lord Darnley blown up by gunpowder, in his house (Mary accused of conniving at his death), 10 Feb. 1567 James Hepburn, earl of Bothwell, carries off the queen, who marries him 15 May, Mary made prisoner at Carberry hill by her nobles, 15 June, Resigns her crown to her infant son James VI. ; the earl of Murray appointed regent 22 July, Mary escapes from prison, and collects a large army, which is defeated by the regent Murray, at the battle of Langside, 13 May; enters England, 16 May, 1568 The regent Murray murdered 23 Jan. 1570 12 July, . The earl of Lennox appointed regent Death of the reformer John Knox [His funeral in Edinburgh is attended by Sept. 1571 24 Nov. 1572 most of the nobility, and by the regent Morton, who exclaims, "There lies he who never feared the face of man!"] The university of Edinburgh founded. The Raid of Ruthven (see Ruthven). Mary having taken refuge in England, 16 May, 1568, is after a long captivity, beheaded at Fotheringay castle (see Fotheringay) Gowrie's conspiracy fails, Scott's "Lay of the Last Minstrel" published Cardinal Henry duke of York (last of the Stuarts) dies. .1806 31 Aug. 1807 The Court of Session is formed into two divisions Royal Caledonian asylum, London, founded Scott's "Waverley" published The establishment of a jury court under a lord chief commissioner Visit of George IV. to Scotland 1815 Oct. 1822 21 Sept. 1832 Seven ministers of the presbytery of Strathbogie are deposed by the General Assembly to the Church of Scotland for obeying the civil in preference to the ecclesiastical law. (Their deposition was formally protested against by the minority of ministers and elders, headed by Dr. Cook). 28 May, 1841 The General Assembly condemn patronage as a grievance to the cause of true religion that ought to be abolished. 23 May, 1842 Visit of the queen, prince Albert, and the court; she landed at Granton pier. 1-13 Sept. Secession of the non-intrusion ministers of the church of Scotland (about 400) at the General Assembly (see Free Church) Death of Jeffrey.. 8 Feb. 1587 5 Aug. 1600 Union of the crown of Scotland with that of England by the accession of James VI. 24 March, 1603 James proclaimed "king of Great Britain, and Ireland France, 24 Oct. 1604 the Eng 1640 Charles I. attempts in vain to introduce Charles II. crowned at Scone, 1 Jan.; defeated at 30 Jan. 1647 21 May, 1650 22 Aug. 1651 Sept. 1661 Scotland united to the English commonwealth by Charles II. revives episcopacy in Scotland Scottish hospital, London, incorporated 3 May, 1679 The Covenanters defeat Claverhouse at Drumelog 1 June; are routed at Bothwell bridge, 22 June, Resolution of a convention in favour of William III.; re-establishment of presbytery 14 March, 1689 Insurrection of Claverhouse: killed at Killiecrankie, 27 July, Massacre of the Macdonalds at Glencoe 13 Feb. 1692 Legislative union of Scotland with England, 1 May, 1707 Insurrection under the earl of Mar in favour of the son of James II. (see Pretender) . 1715 The rebels defeated at Preston, 12 Nov.; and at Dumblaue (or Sheriffmuir) 13 Nov. Captain Porteous killed by a mob in Edinburgh (see Porteous) 7 Sept. 1736 Prince Charles Edward proclaimed at Perth, 4 Sept.; at Edinburgh, 16 Sept.; with the Highlanders defeats sir John Cope at Prestonpans, 21 Sept.; takes Carlisle, 15 Nov.; arrives at Manchester, 28 Nov.; at Derby, 4 Dec.; retreats to Glasgow. Scotch reform bill introduced into the commons, 17 Feb. passed 13 July, 1868 Procedure in court of session and justiciary and other courts amended July, Scotch Reform act passed 13 July, Land Registers and Titles to Land act passed, July, Commission appointed to inquire into the administration of justice Municipal elections amendment act passed, 9 Aug. 1870 Act to unite counties for sheriffs' duties passed, 9 Aug. Robert Chambers, author and publisher, died aged 69 17 March, 1871 Scott centenary celebrated in Edinburgh, &c. (Scott born 15 Aug. 1771) 9 Aug. See Edinburgh. KINGS OF SCOTLAND. BEFORE CHRIST. 357. Eugenius I., son of Fincormachus; slain in battle by Maximus, the Roman general, and the Picts. With this battle ended the kingdom of the Scots, after having existed from the coronation of Fergus I., a period of 706 years; the royal family fled to Denmark. Bocce; Buchanan. [Interregnum of 27 years.] 404. Fergus II. (I.) great grandson of Eugenius, and 40th king; slain in battle with the Romans. 420. Eugenius II. or Evenus: reigned 31 years. 451. Dongardus or Domangard, brother: defeated and drowned. 457. Constantine I., brother: assassinated. 479. Congallus I. nephew; just and prudent. 501. Goranus, brother; murdered. Boece. Died while Donald of Athol was conspiring to take his life. Scott. 535. Eugenius III. nephew; "none excelled him in justice." 558. Congallus II. brother. 569. Kinnatellus, brother; resigned for 570. Aidanus or Aldan, son of Goranus. 605. Kenneth, son of Congallus II. 606. Eugenius IV. son of Aidanus. 621. Ferchard or Ferquhard I. son; confined for misdeeds to his palace, where he laid violent hands upon himself. Scott. 632. Donald IV. brother; drowned in Loch Tay. 646. Ferchard II. son of Ferchard I.; "most execrable.” 664. Malduinus, son of Donald IV. ; strangled by his wife for his supposed infidelity, for which crime she was immediately afterwards burnt. 684. Eugenius V. brother. 688. Eugenius VI. son of Ferchard II. 698. Amberkeletus, nephew; fell by an arrow from an unknown hand. 699. Eugenius VII. brother; some ruffians designing the king's murder, entered his chamber, and, he being absent, stabbed his queen, Spontana, to death. Scott, 715. Mordachus, son of Amberkeletus. 730. Etfinus, son of Eugenius VII. 761. Eugenins VIII. son of Mordachus: sensual and tyrannous; put to death by his nobles. 764. Fergus III. son of Etfinus; killed by his jealous queen, who afterwards stabbed herself to escape a death of torture. 767. Solvathius, son of Eugenius VIII. 787. Achaius: just and wise. 819. Congallus III.; a peaceful reign. 824. Dongal or Dougal, son of Solvathius; drowned. 831. Alpine, son of Achaius; beheaded by the Piets. 834. Kenneth II. son; surnamed Mac Alpine; defeated the Picts, slew their king, and united them and the Scots under one sceptre, and became the first sole monarch of all Scotland, 843 854. Donald V. brother: dethroned; committed suicide. 858. Constantine II. son of Kenneth II.; taken in battle by the Danes and beheaded. 874. Eth or Ethus, surnamed Lightfoot; died of grief in prison; confined for sensuality and crime. 876. Gregory the Great; brave and just. 893. Donald VI. son of Constantine II.; excellent. 904. Constantine HI. son of Ethus; became a monk, and resigned in favour of 944. Malcolm I. son of Donald VI.; murdered. 953. Indulfus or Gondulph; killed by the Danes in an ambuscade. 961. Duff or Duffus, son of Malcolm; murdered by Donald, the governor of Forres castle. 965. Cullen or Culenus, son of Indulphus; avenged the murder of his predecessor. assassinated. 970. Kenneth III. brother of Duffus; murdered by Fenella, the lady of Fettercairn. 994. Constantine IV. son of Cullen; slain. 995. Grimus or the Grim, son of Duffus; routed and slain in battle by Malcolm, the rightful heir to the crown, who succeeded. 1003. Malcolm II. son of Kenneth III.; assassinated on his way to Glamis; the assassins in their flight crossing a frozen lake were drowned. 1033. Duncan I. grandson; assassinated by his cousin. 1039. Macbeth, usurper; slain by Macduff, the thane of Fife. Historians so differ up to this reign, in the number of the kings, the dates of succession, and the circumstances narrated, that no account can be taken as precisely accurate. 1057. Malcolm III. (Canmore), son of Duncan; killed while besieging Alnwick castle. 1093. Donald VII. (Donald Bane), brother; usurper; fled to the Hebrides. married his sister Maud). 1107. Alexander I. the Fierce, brother. 1249. Alexander III. married Margaret, daughter of Henry III. of England; dislocated his neck, when hunting near Kinghorn. 1285. Margaret, the "Maiden of Norway," grand-daughter of Alexander, "recognised by the states of Scotland, though a female, an infant, and a foreigner;" died on her passage to Scotland. A competition for the vacant throne; Edward I. of England decides in favour of 1292. John Balliol, who afterwards surrendered his crown, and died in exile. [Interregnum.] 1306. Robert (Bruce) I. a great prince. 1329. David (Bruce) II. son; Edward Balliol disputed the throne with him. 1332. David II. again; a prisoner in England, 1346-57 (Edward Balliol king, 1332-4.) 1371. Robert (Stuart) II. nephew; died 19 April. 1390. Robert (John Stuart) III. son; died 4 April. 1406. James I. second son; imprisoned 18 years in England; set at liberty in 1423: conspired against, and murdered at Perth, 20 Feb., 1437. 1460. 1488. James II. son; killed at the siege of Roxburgh James III. son; killed in a revolt of his subjects at James IV. son; married Margaret Tudor, daughter 1513. James V. son; succeeded when little more than a year old; a sovereign possessing many virtues; died 14 Dec., 1542. Mary, daughter; born, 7 Dec. 1542; succeeded 14 Dec.; see Annals, above. 1567. James VI. son; succeeded to the throne of England, and the kingdoms were united, 1603. See England. SCOTT CENTENARY, celebrated in London and throughout Scotland, 9 Aug. 1871. Sir Walter Scott was born 15 Aug. 1771. The SCREW, was known to the Greeks. pumping-screw of Archimedes, or screw-cylinder for raising water, invented about 236 B.C., is still in use. It is stated that with the assistance of the screw, one man can press down or raise up as much as 150 men can do without it.-The SCREW-PROPELLER consists of two or more twisted blades, like the vanes of a windmill, set on an axis, running parallel with the keel of a vessel, and revolving beneath the water at the stern. It is driven by a steam-engine. The principle was shown by Hooke in 1681, and since by Du Quet, Bernouilli, and others. Patents for propellers were taken out by Joseph Bramah in 1784; by Wm. Lyttelton in 1794; and by Edward Shorter in 1799. But these led to no useful result. In 1836 patents were obtained by Francis Pettit Smith (knighted July, 1871) and captain John Ericsson, and to them the successful application of the screw-propeller must be attributed. The first vessels with the screw were the Archimedes, built on the Thames in 1838 by H. Wimshurst, and the Rattler, built in the United States (1844), and tried in England in 1845. Double screw-propellers are now employed. SCRIBLERUS CLUB, a literary club, founded by Swift in 1714, included amongst its members, Bolingbroke, Pope, Gay, and Arbuthnot. SCRIPTURE KNOWLEDGE INSTITUTION, Bristol, was founded by George Müller, a Prussian (born in 1805). He came to Bristol as a minister of the "Brethren" in 1832, and on 5 March, 1834, founded this institution, the objects of which are: I. Assistance of schools giving instruction on scriptural principles; 2. Circulation of the scrip 1124. David I. brother; married Matilda, daughter of tures; 3. Assistance to missions; 4. Circulation of Waltheof, earl of Northumberland. 1153. Malcolm IV. grandson. 1165. William the Lion; brother. 1214. Alexander II. son; married Joan, daughter of John, king of England. tracts; 5. Provision for destitute orphans, see Orphan-houses. Without application, Mr. Müller, since he began, up to 1868, had received by voluntary contribution, 430,000l. SCROFULA, see King's-evil. SCULLABOGUE, see Massacres, 1798. SCULPTURE is said to have begun with the Egyptians. Bezaleel and Aholiab built the tabernacle in the wilderness, and made all the vessels and ornaments, 1491 B.C., and their skill is recorded as the gift of God. Exod. xxxi. 3 Diponus and Scyllis, statuaries at Crete, established a school at Sicyon. Pliny speaks of them as being the first who sculptured marble and polished it; all statues before their time being of wood, 568 B.C. Alexander gave Lysippus the sole right of making his statues, 326 B.C. He left no less than 600 pieces, some of which were so highly valued in the age of Augustus, that they sold for their weight in gold. Sculpture did not flourish among the Romans, and in the middle ages became generally degraded. With the revival of painting, it revived also; and Donato di Bardi, born at Florence, A.D. 1383, was the earliest professor among the moderns. An institute of sculptors was established in 1861. SEA. Lieut. Maury first published his "Physical Geography of the Sea" in 1854, and other important works since; he died Feb. 1873; see Deep Sea. SEA BIRDS' PRESERVATION ACT, passed 24 June, 1869. SEA FIGHTS, see Naval Battles. SEALS or SIGNETS. Engraved gems were used 442 363 328 288 A.D. 1474-1564 1500-1570 SEAMEN. In consequence of the great loss of life by wrecks of merchant vessels, attributed to bad ships and overloading, a commission of inquiry was agreed to by parliament on the motion of Mr. S. Plimsoll (who published Our Seamen: an Ap1754-1826 peal"), 4 March, 1873. The duke of Edinburgh 1781-1841 was on the commission; the duke of Somerset, 1770-1844 chairman. Mr. Plimsoll has been censured for 1757-1822 1775-1856 1777-1857 exaggeration. 1813-1862 1864 1802-1865 1791-1866 SCUTAGE or ESCUAGE. The service of the shield (scutum) is either uncertain or certain. Escuage uncertain is where the tenant by his tenure is bound to follow his lord; and is called Castleward, where the tenant is bound to defend a castle. Escuage certain is where the tenant is set at a certain sum of money to be paid in lieu of such uncertain services. The first tax levied in England to pay an army, 5 Hen. II. 1159. Cowel. SCUTARI, Asiatic Turkey, opposite Constantinople, of which it is a suburb. It was anciently called Chrysopolis, golden city, in consequence, it is said, of the Persians having established a treasury here when they attempted the conquest of Greece. Near here Constantine finally defeated Licinius, 323. The hospital was occupied by the sick and wounded of the Anglo-French army, in 1854-5, whose sufferings were much alleviated by the kind exertions of Miss Florence Nightingale and a band of nurses under her, aided by a large fund of money (15,000l.) subscribed by the public and placed in the care of the proprietors of the Times newspaper; see Times. SCYTHIA, situate in the most northern parts of Europe and Asia. The boundaries were unknown to the ancients. The Scythians made several irruptions upon the more southern provinces of Asia, especially 624 B.C., when they remained in possession of Asia Minor for twenty-eight years, and at different periods extended their conquests in Europe, penetrating as far as Egypt; see Tartary. SEAS, SOVEREIGNTY OF THE. The claim of England to rule the British seas is of very ancient date. Arthur is said to have assumed it, and Alfred afterwards supported this right. It was maintained by Selden, and measures were taken by government in consequence, 8 Chas. I. 1633. The Dutch, after the death of Charles I., made some attempts to obtain it, but were roughly treated by Blake and other admirals. Russia and other powers of the north armed to avoid search, 1780; again, 1800; see Armed Neutrality and Flag. The international rule of the road at sea was settled in 1862; yet near Great Britain alone there have been 13,000 collisions in six years. Mr. Wm. Stirling Lacon proposes to reduce the rules from 749 words to 144, for simplicity and security. His form has been nine times before parliament (1873). SEBASTIAN, ST. (N. Spain), was taken by the French, under the duke of Berwick, in 1719. It was besieged by the British and allied army under Wellington. After a most heavy bombardment, by which the whole town was laid nearly in ruins, it was stormed by general Graham (afterwards lord Lynedoch), and taken 31 Aug. 1813-On 5 May, 1836, the fortified works, through the centre of which ran the high road to Hernani, were carried by the English auxiliary legion under general Evans, after very hard fighting. The British naval squadron, off St. Sebastian, under lord John Hay, lent very opportune aid to the victors in this contest.-A vigorous assault was made on the lines of general De Lacy Evans, at St. Sebastian, by the Carlists, 1 Oct. 1836. Both parties fought with bravery. The Carlists were repulsed, after suffering severely. The loss of the Anglo-Spanish force was 376 men and 37 officers, killed and wounded. General De Lacy Evans was slightly wounded. SEBASTOPOL or SEVASTOPOL, a town and once a naval arsenal, at S. W. point of the Crimea, formerly the little village of Aktiar. The buildings were commenced in 1784, by Catherine II. after the conquest of the country. The town is built in the shape of an amphitheatre on the rise of a large hill flattened on its summit, according to a plan laid down before 1794, which has been since adhered to. The fortifications and harbour were constructed by an English engineer, colonel Upton, and his sons, since 1830. The population in 1834 was 15,000. This place underwent eleven months' siege, by the English and French in 1854 and 1855. Immediately after the battle of the Alma, 20 Sept. 1854, the allied army marched to Sebastopol, and took up its position on the plateau between it and Balaklava, and the grand attack and bombardment commenced 17 Oct. 1854, without success.* After many sanguinary encounters by day and night, and repeated bombardments, a grand assault was made on 8 Sept. 1855, upon the Malakhoff tower and the Redans, the most important fortifications to the south of the town. The French succeeded in capturing and retaining the Malakhoff. The attacks of the English on the great Redan and of the French upon the little Redan were successful, but the assailants were compelled to retire after a desperate struggle with great loss of life. The French lost 1646 killed, of whom 5 were generals, 24 superior and 116 inferior officers, 4500 wounded, and 1400 missing. The English lost 385 killed (29 being commissioned and 42 non-commissioned officers), 1886 wounded, and 176 missing. In the night the Russians abandoned the southern and principal part of the town and fortifications, after destroying as much as possible, and crossed to the northern forts. They also sank or burnt the remainder of their fleet. The allies found a very great amount of stores when they entered the place, 9 Sept. The works were utterly destroyed in April, 1856, and the town was restored to the Russians in July; see Russo-Turkish War. SECEDERS; SECESSION CHURCH, see Burghers. SECONDARY OF LONDON, an ancient office, resembling that of under-sheriff in counties. The place was purchaseable till early in the present century, when it was bought up by the corporation. SECRET SOCIETIES, Assassins, Fenians, Ribbonism, Vehmic Tribunal, Rosicrucians, &c. SECRETARIES OF STATE. The earliest authentic record of a secretary of state is in the reign of Henry III., when John Maunsell is described as "Secretarius Noster," 1253. Rymer. Towards the close of Henry VIII.'s reign, two secretaries were appointed; and upon the union with Scotland, Anne added a third as secretary for In consequence of the sufferings and disasters of the army in the winter of 1854-5, the Sebastopol Inquiry Committee was appointed, and the Aberdeen administration resigned, Feb. 1855. The committee sat from 1 March to 15 May, lord Aberdeen being the last person examined. Its report was presented 18 June. Mr. Roebuck, the chairman, moved on 17 July that the house should pass a vote of severe reprehension on every member of the Aberdeen administration. On 19 July his motion was lost by a majority of 107 against it. In 1855 the government sent sir John M'Neill and col. Tulloch to inquire into the state of the armies in the Crimea. Their report was presented to parliament in Feb. 1856. A commission was appointed to consider the statements in the report (which were very unfavourable to many officers), but the substance of the report was unshaken. Scotch affairs; this appointment was afterwards laid aside; but in the reign of George III. the number was again increased to three, one for the American department. In 1782 this last was abolished by act of Parliament; and the secretaries were appointed for home, foreign, and colonial affairs. When there were but two secretaries, one held the portefeuille of the Northern department, comprising the Low Countries, Germany, Denmark, Sweden, Poland, Russia, &c.; the other, of the Southern department, gal, and Turkey; the affairs of Ireland belonging to including France, Switzerland, Italy, Spain, Portuthe elder secretary; both secretaries then equally directed the home affairs. Beatson. There are now five secretaries-home, foreign, colonial, war, and (in 1858) India, all in the cabinet. See Administrations, and separate articles, Liverpool, &c., to Gladstone. SECTS, RELIGIOUS, see under Worship, and their respective titles. SECULAR GAMES (Ludi Sæculares), very ancient Roman games, celebrated on important occasions. Horace wrote his "Carmen Sæculare for their celebration in the reign of the emperor Augustus (17). They took place again in the reign of Claudius (47), of Domitian (88), and for the last time, of Philip (248), believed to be 2000 years after the foundation of the city. SECURITY FROM VIOLENCE ACT, passed in 1863, appointed whipping as part of the punishment for attempts at garotting. SEDAN, an ancient fortified city in the valley of the Meuse, N.E. of France, the seat of a principality long held by the dukes of Bouillon. On 6 July, 1641, a victory was gained at La Marfée, near Sedan, by the count of Soissons and the troops of Bouillon and other French princes, over the royal army supporting Richelieu; but the count was slain on 23 June, 1642. The duke was arrested in the midst of his army, and was made to cede Sedan to the crown. The protestant university was abolished 1685. Around this place a series of desperate conafter the revocation of the edict of Nantes, 22 Oct. flicts on 29, 30, and 31 Aug. between the French army of the north, under marshal MacMahon (about 150,000 men), and the greater part of the three German armies under the king and crown-prince of Prussia and the crown-prince of Saxony (about 250,000 men) was brought to a close on 1 Sept. 1870. At 4 The battle began with attacks on the French right and left about 5 a. m., and was very severe at 2 p.m. p.m. the Germans remained masters of the field, and the crown-prince of Prussia announced a complete victory, the chief part of the French army retreating into Sedan. The emperor Napoleon was present during the battle, and, it is said, stood at Iges, near Sedan, exposed for four hours to the German grenades. The impossibility of further resistance was then evident. The Germans had contracted their circle close round Sedan; their formidable artillery held all the heights, from which they could at pleasure wholly destroy the town and the army, and only 2000 men were in a condition to respond to their commander's call, and to make a supreme effort to break through the enemy with the emperor and escape to Montmedy. At first general de Wimpfen (called to the command when MacMahon was wounded) indignantly rejected the terms offered by the victor, and the emperor had a fruitless interview with count Bismarck to endeavour to mitigate them. On 2 Sept the emperor wrote in autograph to the king of Prussia, "Mon frère, n'ayant pu mourir à la tête de mes troupes, je dépose mon épée au pied de votre majesté. NAPOLEON. A capitulation of Sedan and the whole army therein was signed by generals Von Moltke and De Wimpffen at the château of Bellevue, near Frenois, at 11:30 a. m., and at 2 p.m. an interview took place between the king and the emperor, who was downcast but dignified. The conflict was principally carried on by the artillery, in which (according to the emperor) the Germans had the advantage, not only in number (600 to 500), but also in weight, range, and precision. The carnage was awful, and the field the next day was a mass of shattered bones, torn flesh, and coloured rags. About 25,000 French prisoners were taken in the battle, and 83.000 surrendered the next day, together with 70 mitrailleuses, 400 field-pieces, and 150 fortress guns. About 14,000 French wounded were found lying in the neighbourhood, and about 3000 escaped into Belgium and laid down their arms. The great army of the north had ceased to exist. Among the killed was lieut.-col. Pemberton, a correspondent of the Times, who had approached too near the conflict. The French emperor and his suite arrived at Wilhelmshöhe, a castle near Cassel appointed for his residence, (formerly inhabited by his uncle Jerome, when king of Westphalia), in the evening of 5 Sept. On 1 Sept. the village of Bazeilles was stormed by the Bavarians and burnt, it was said, because the inhabitants fired on the ambulances; many women and flict, taking 4000 prisoners and several pieces of cannon; but this success was soon followed by fatal reverses. SEISMOMETER (from seismos, Greek for earthquake), an apparatus for measuring the violence of the shocks. One is described by Mr. Robert Mallet in his work on earthquakes, published in 1858. SELA, see Petra. SELECTION, NATURAL, see Species. SELENIUM, a grayish-white elementary substance (chemically resembling sulphur), discovered in the stone riolite by Berzelius, in 1817. SELEUCIA (Syria), made the capital of the Syrian monarchy by its builder, Seleucus Nicator, 312 B.C. On the fall of the Seleucida, it became a republic, 65 B.C. It was taken by Trajan, A.D. 116; several times given up and retaken; subjugated by the Saracens, and united with Ctesiphon, children perished. The French denied the provocation. 636. The place had been previously twice bombarded and stormed by the maddened combatants. In a letter dated 12 May, 1872, the emperor Napoleon took upon himself the whole responsibility of the surrender of Sedan. SEDAN CHAIRS (so called from Sedan), were first seen in England in 1581. One used in the reign of James I., by the duke of Buckingham, caused great indignation, and the people exclaimed that he was employing his fellow-creatures to do the service of beasts. Sedan chairs came into London in 1634, when sir Francis Duncomb obtained the sole privilege to use, let, and hire a number of such covered chairs for fourteen years. They came into very general use in 1649. SEDGMOOR (Somersetshire), where the duke of Monmouth (natural son of Charles II. by Lucy Walters), who had risen in rebellion on the accession of James II., was completely defeated by the royal army, 6 July, 1685. The duke was made a prisoner in the disguise of a peasant, at the bottom of a ditch, overcome with hunger and fatigue. He was tried and beheaded on 15 July following. SEDITION. Sedition acts were passed in the reign of George III. The proclamation against seditious writings was published May, 1792. The celebrated Sedition bill passed Dec. 1795. Seditious societies were suppressed by act, June, 1797: The Seditious Meetings and Assemblies' bill passed 31 March, 1817. In Ireland, during the Roman Catholic and Repeal agitation, acts or proclamations against sedition and seditious meetings were published from time to time until 1848. SEEDS. An act was passed to prevent the adulteration of seeds (a common practice), 11 Aug. 1869. SEEKERS, see Quakers. SEGEDIN, or SZEGEDIN, Hungary. Here was concluded a treaty between Ladislaus IV. and Amurath II., 12 July, 1444. It was treacherously annulled at the instigation of cardinal Julian, who with Ladislaus perished in the fatal battle of Varna, 10 Nov. 1444. See l'arna. SEICENTO, see Italian, p. 368. SEIDLICE (Poland), where a battle was fought 10 April, 1831, between the Poles and Russians. The Poles obtained the victory after a bloody con SELEUCIDES, ERA OF THE, dates from the reign of Seleucus Nicator. It was used in Syria for many years, and frequently by the Jews until the 15th century, and by some Arabians. Opinions vary as to its commencement. To reduce it to our era (supposing it to begin 1 Sept. 312 B.C.), sub-. tract 311 years 4 months. SELF-DENYING ORDINANCE, which ordained that no member of parliament should hold any civil or military office or command conferred by either or both of the houses, or by authority derived from them, after much discussion, was passed 3 April, 1645, by the influence of Cromwell, who thus removed the earl of Essex and other Presbyterians out of his way. A somewhat similar ordinance was adopted by the parliament at Melbourne in Australia, in 1858. The name was given to an arrangement made respecting British naval promotions and retirements in 1870. SELLASIA (Laconia). Here the Spartans under Cleomenes were defeated by Antigonus Doson and the Achæans, 221 B.C. SELSEY, see Chichester. SEMAPHORE, see Telegraphs. SEMINARA (Naples). Near here Gonsalvo de Cordova, the great captain, was defeated by the French, in 1495; but defeated them, 21 April, 1503. SEMINCAS, see Simancas. SEMPACH (Switzerland). Here the Swiss gained a great victory over Leopold, duke of Austria, 9 July, 1386. The duke was slain, and the liberty of their country established. The day is still commemorated. SEMPER EADEM ("Always the same"), one of the mottoes of queen Elizabeth, was adopted by queen Anne, 13 Dec. 1702. Many suspected this motto to denote her Jacobitism, and it ceased to be used after her reign. SEMPERINGHAM, see Gilbertines. SENATE (Senatus). In the ancient republics the government was divided between the senatus (from senis, old; in Greek, gerousia, from gerōn, old), an assembly of elders, and the popular assembly (comitia, Latin; ecclesia, Greek), the king being merely the executive. The Roman |