Chapter Scalping to Schahriah of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Scalping to Schahriah

Scalping (Rules for). The Cheyennes, in scalping, remove from the part just over the left ear, a piece of skin not larger than a silver dollar. The Arrapahoes take a similar piece from the region of the right ear. Others take the entire skin from the crown of the head, the forehead, or the nape of the neck. The Utes take the entire scalp from ear to ear, and from the forehead to the nape of the neck.

Scambister (Eric), the old butler of Magnus Troil the udaller of Zetland.— Sir W. Scott: The Pirate (time, William III.).

(A udaller is one who holds his lands by allodial tenure.)

Scandal, a male character in Love for Love, by Congreve (1695).

Scandal (School for), a comedy by Sheridan (1777).

Scanderbeg. So George Castriota, an Albanian hero, was called. Amurath II. gave him the command of 5000 men; and such was his daring and success, that he was called Skander (Alexander). In the battle of Morava (1443) he deserted Amurath, and, joining the Albanians, won several battles over the Turks. At the instigation of Pius II. he headed a crusade against them, but died of a fever, before Mahomet II. arrived to oppose him (1404–1467).

(Beg or Bey is Turkish for “prince.”)

Scanderbeg’s sword needs Scanderbeg’s arm. Mahomet II. “the Great” requested to see the scimitar which George Castriota used so successfully against the Ottomans in 1461. Being shown it, and wholly unable to draw it, he pronounced the weapon to be a hoax, but received for answer, “Scanderbeg’s sword needs Scanderbeg’s arm to wield it.”

The Greeks had a similar saying, “None but Ulysses can draw Ulysses’s bow.”

Robin Hood’s bow needed Robin Hood’s arm to draw it; and hence the proverb, “Many talk of Robin Hood that never shot in his bow.”

Scandinavia, Sweden and Norway; or Sweden, Norway, and Denmark.

Scapegoat (The), a farce by John Poole. Ignatius Polyglot, a learned pundit, master of seventeen languages, is the tutor of Charles Eustace, aged 24 years. Charles has been clandestinely married for four years, and has a little son named Frederick. Circumstances have occurred which render the concealment of this marriage no longer decorous or possible, so he breaks it to his tutor, and conceals his young wife for the nonce in Polyglot’s private room. Here she is detected by the housemaid, Molly Maggs, who tells her master; and old Eustace says, the only reparation a man can make in such circumstances is to marry the girl at once. “Just so,” says the tutor. “Your son is the husband, and he is willing at once to acknowledge his wife and infant son.”

Scapin, valet of Léandre son of seignior Géronte. (See FOURBERIES, p. 390.)—Molière: Les Fourberies de Scapin (1671).

J’ai, sans doute recu du ciel un genie assez beau pour toutes les fabriques de ces gentilleses d’esprit, de ces galanteries ingénieuses, à qui le vulgaire ignorant donne le nom de fourberies; et je puis dire, sans vanité, qu’on n’a guère vu d’homme qui fût plus habile ouvrier de ressorts et d’intrigues, qui ait acquis plus de glorie que moi dans ce noble métier.—Molière: Les Fourberies de Scapin, i. 2 (1671).

(Otway has made an English version of this play, called The Cheats of Scapin, in which Léandre is Anglicized into “Leander,” Géronte is called “Gripe,” and his friend Argante father of Zerbinette is called “Thrifty” father of “Lucia.”)