Chapter Scipio to Scotland a Fief of England of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Scipio to Scotland a Fief of England

Scipio “dismissed the Iberian maid” (Milton: Paradise Regained, ii.). The poet refers to the tale of Scipio’s restoring a captive princess to her lover Allucius, and giving to her, as a wedding present, the money of her ransom. (See CONTINENCE, p.232.)

During his command in Spain, a circumstance occurred which contributed more to his fa me and glory than all his military exploits. At the taking of New Carthage, a lady of extraordinary beaut y was brought to Scipio, who found himself greatly affected by her charms. Understanding, however, that she was betrothed to a Celtiberian prince named Allucius, he resolved to conquer his rising passion, and sent her to her lover without recompense. A silver shield, on which this interesting event is depicted, was found in the river Rhone by some fishermen in the seventeenth century.—Goldsmith:History of Rome.3.(Whittaker’s improved edition contains a facsimile of the shield on p.215.)

Scipio, son of the gipsy woman Coscolina and the soldier Torribio Scipio. Scipio becomes the secretary of the Gil Blas, and settles down with him at “the castle of Lirias.” His character and adventures are very similar to those of Gil Blas himself, but he never rises to the same level. Scipio begins by being a rogue, who pilfered and plundered all who employed him, but in the service of Gil Blas he was a model of fidelity and integrity.—Lesage: Gil Blas (1715).

Scironian Rocks, between Meg’ara and Corinth. So called because the bones of Sciron, the robber of Attica, were changed into these rocks, when Theseus (2syl.) hurled him from a cliff into the sea. It was from these rocks that Ino cast herself into the Corinthian bay.—Greek Fable.

Scirum. The men of Scirum used to shoot against the stars.

Like…men of wit bereaven,
Which howle and shoote against the lights of heaven.

W. Browne: Britannia’s Pastorals, iv.(1613)

Scobellum, a very fruitful land, the inhabitants of which were changed into beasts by the vengeance of the gods. The drunkards were turned into swine, the lechers into goats, the proud into peacocks, shrews into magpies, gamblers into asses, musicians into song-birds, the envious into dogs, idle women into milch cows, jesters into monkeys, dancers into squirrels, and misers into moles.

They exceeded cannibals in cruelty, the Persians in pride, the Egyptians in luxury, the Cretans in lying, the Germans in drunkenness, and all in wickedness.—Ridley [R. Johnson]: The Seven Champions of Christendom, iii, lo(1617).

Scogan (Henry), M. A., a poet contemporary with Chaucer. He lived in the reigns of Richard II., Henry IV., and probably Henry V. Among the gentry who had letters of protection to attend Richard II. in his expedition into Ireland, in 1399, is “Henricus Scogan, Armiger.”—Tyrwhitt’s Chaucer, V.15(1773).

Scogan! What was he!
Oh, a fine gentleman, and a master of arts
Of Henry the Fourth’s time, that made disguises
For the king’s sons, and-writ in ballad royal
Daintily well.
   —Ben Jonson: The Fortunate Isles(1626).

Scogan (John), the favourite jester and buffoon of Edward IV. “Scogan’s jests” were published by Andrew Borde, a physician in the reign of Henry VIII.

The same sir John [Falstaff], the very same. I saw him break Skogan’s head at the court-gate, when he was a crack not thus high.—Shakespeare: 2 Henry IV. act iii. sc. 2.(1598).

N. B.—Shakespeare has confounded Henry Scogan, M.A., the poet, who lived in the reign of Henry IV., with John Scogan the jester, who lived about a century later, in the reign of Edward IV.; and, of course, sir John Falstaff could not have known him when “he was a mere crack.”

Scogan’s Jest. Scogan and some companions, being in lack of money, agreed to the following trick: A peasant, driving sheep, was accosted by one of the accomplices, who laid a wager that his sheep were