Chapter Sea-Born City to Secret Hill of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

“Summer” begins with a description of the season, and the rural pursuits of haymaking a nd sheep- sh earing; passes on to the hot noon, when “nature pants, and every stream looks languid.” After de scr ibing the tumultuous character of the season in the torrid zone, he returns to England, and descri bes a thunderstorm, in which Celadon and Amelia are overtaken. The thunder growls, the lightnings flash, louder and louder crashes the aggravated roar, “convulsing heaven and earth.” The maiden, terrified, clings to her lover for protection. “Fear not, sweet innocence,” he says. “He who involves you skies in darkness ever smiles on thee. ’Tis safety to be near thee, sure, and thus to clasp perfection.” As he speaks the words, a flash of lightning strikes the maid, and lays her a blackened corpse at the young man’s feet. The poem concludes with the more peaceful scenery of a summer’s evening, when the story of Damon and Musidora is introduced. Damon had long loved the beautiful Musidora, but met with scant encouragement. One summer’s evening, he accidentally came upon her bathing, and the respectful modesty of his love so won upon the damsel that she wrote upon a tree, “Damon, the time may come when you need not fly.” The whole book contains 1804 lines.

(3) In “Spring” the poet describes its general features, and its influence on the vegetable and animal world. He describes a garden with its haram of flowers, a grove with its orchestra of song-birds making melody in their love, the rough world of brutes furious and fierce with their strong desire, and lastly man tempered by its infusive influence. The book contains 1173 lines.

(4) In “Autumn” we are taken to the har vest-field, where the poet introduces a story similar to that of Ruth and Boaz. His Ruth he calls “Lavin ia,” and his Boaz “Palemon.” He then describes partridge and pheasant shooting, hare and fox hunting, all of which he condemns. After luxuriating in the orchard and vineyard, he speaks of the emigration of birds, the falling of the sear and yellow leaf, and concludes with a eulogy of country life. The whole book contains 1371 lines.

It is much to be regretted that the poet’s order has not been preserved. The arrangement of the seasons into Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter, is unnatural, and mars the harmony of the poet’s plan.

Seatonian Prize. The Rev. Thomas Seaton, Fellow of Clare Hall, Cambridge University, bequeathed the rents of his Kislingbury estate for a yearly prize of £40 to the best English poem on a sacred subject announced in January, and sent in on or before September 29 following.

Shall hoary Granta call her sable sons…
Shall these approach the Muse? Ah, no! she flies,
And even spurns the great Seatonian prize.
   —Byron: English Bards and Scotch Reviewers (1809).

Sebastes of Mytilene , the assassin in the “Immortal Guards.”—Sir W. Scott: Count Robert of Paris (time, Rufus).

SEBASTIAN, a young gentleman of Messalinê, brother to Viola. They were twins, and so much alike that they could not be distinguished except by their dress. Sebastian and his sister being shipwrecked, escaped to Illyria. Here Sebastian was mistaken for his sister (who had assumed man’s apparel), and was invited by the countess Olivia to take shelter in her house from a street broil. Olivia was in love with Viola, and thinking Sebastian to be the object of her love, married him.—Shakespeare: Twelfth Night (1614).

Sebastian, brother of Alonso king of Naples, in The Tempest (1609).

Sebastian, father of Valentine and Alice.—Fletcher: Mons. Thomas (1619).

Sebastian, a name adopted by sir Henry Ponsonby, in his contributions to Notes and Queries. (Died 1894.)

Sebastian (Don), king of Portugal, is defeated in battle and taken prisoner by the Moors (1574). He is saved from death by Dorax a noble Portuguese, then a renegade in the court of the emperor of Barbary. The train being dismissed, Dorax takes off his turban, assumes his Portuguese dress, and is recognized as Alonzo of Alcazar.—Dryden: Don Sebastian (1690).

The quarrel and reconciliation of Sebastian and Dorax [alias Alonzo of Alcazar] is a masterly copy from a similar scene between Brutus and Cassius [in Shakespeare’s Julius Cæsar].—R. Chambers: English Literature, i. 380.

Don Sebastian, a name of terror to Moorish children.

Nor shall Sebastian’s formidable name
Be longer used to still the crying babe.
   —Dryden: Don Sebastian (1690).