Chapter Sangrado to Saracen of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

The meaning of this allegory is this: Una (truth), separated from St. George (holiness), is deceived by Hypocrisy; and immediately truth joins hypocrisy, it is carried away by superstition. Spenser says the “simplicity of truth” abides with the common people, especially of the rural districts, after it is lost to towns and the luxurious great. The historical reference is to queen Mary, in whose reign Una (the Reformation) was carried captive, and religion, being mixed up with hyprocisy, degenerated into superstition; but the rural population adhered to the simplicity of the protestant faith.—Spenser: Faërie Queene, i. 2 (1590).

Sansonetto, a Christian regent of Mecca, vicegerent of Charlemagne.—Ariosto: Orlando Furioso (1516).

Sansuenna, now Saragossa (q.v.).

Santa Casa, the house occupied by the Virgin Mary at her conception, and miraculously removed, in 1291, from Galilee to Loretto (q.v.).

Santa Klaus , the Dutch name of St. Nicholas, the patron saint of boys.

In Flanders and Holland, the children put out their shoe or stocking on Christmas Eve, in the confidence that Santa Klaus or Knecht Clobes (as they call him) will put in a prize for good conduct before morning.—Yonge.

Santiago [Sent-yah’-go], the war-cry of Spain; adopted because St. James (Sant Iago) rendered, according to tradition, signal service to a Christian king of Spain in a battle against the Moors.

Santiago for Spain. This saint was James, son of Zebedee, brother of John. He was beheaded, and caught his head in his hands as it fell. The Jews were astonished, but when they touched the body they found it so cold that their hands and arms were paralyzed.—Francisco Xavier: Añales de Galicia (1733).

Santiago’s Head. When Santiago went to Spain in his marble ship, he had no head on his body. The passage took seven days, and the ship was steered by the “presiding hand of Providence.”—España Sagrada, xx. 6.

Santiago had two heads. One of his heads is at Braga, and one at Compostella.

John the Baptist had half a dozen heads at the least, and as many bodies, all capable of working miracles.

Santiago leads the armies of Spain. Thirty-eight instances of the interference of this saint are gravely set down as facts in the Chronicles of Galicia, and this is superadded: “These instances are well known, but I hold it for certain that the appearances of Santiago in our victorious armies have been much more numerous, and in fact that every victory obtained by the Spaniards has been really achieved by this great captain.” Once, when the rider on the white horse was asked in battle who he was, he distinctly made answer, “I am the soldier of the King of kings, and my name is James.”—Don Miguel Erce Gimenez: Armas i Triunfos del Reino de Galicia, 648-9.

The true name of this saint was Jacobo. …We have first shortened Santo Jacobo into Santo Jac’o. We clipped it again into Sant’ Jaco, and by changing the J into I and the c into g, we get Sant-Iago. In household names we convert Iago into D’iago or Diago, which we soften into Diego.—Ambrosio de Morales. Coronica General de España, ix. 7, sect. 2 (1586).

Santons, a body of religionists, also called Abdals, who pretended to be inspired with the most enthusiastic raptures of divine love. They were regarded by the vulgar as saints.—Olearius: Reisebeschreibung, i. 971 (1647).

He diverted himself with the number of calenders, santons, and dervises, who were continually coming and going, but especially with the Brahmins, faquirs, and other enthusiasts, who had travelled from the heart of India, and halted on their way with the emir. —Beckford: Vathek (1784).