Chapter Seven Wise Men to SGANARELLE of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Barbarossa changes his position in his sleep every seven years.

Charlemagne starts in his chair from sleep every seven years.

Ogier the Dane stamps his iron mace on the floor every seven years.

Olaf Redbeard of Sweden uncloses his eyes every seven years.

Seven Years’ War(The), the war maintained by Frederick II. of Prussia against Austria, Russia, and France (1756–1763).

Seven against Thebes(The). At the death of Œdipus, his two sons Et eoclês and Polynicœs agreed to reign alternate years, but at the expiration of the first year Eteoclês refused to resign the crown to his brother. Whereupon Polynicês induced six others to join him in besieging Thebes, but the expedition was a failure. The names of the seven Grecian chiefs who marched against Thebes were; Adrastos, Amphiaraos, Kapanens, Hippomedon (Argives), Parthenopæos (an Arcadian), Polynicês (a Theban,) and Tydeus (an Æolian), (See EPIGONI, p 326.)

(Æschylos has a tragedy on the subject; Statius wrote an epic poem on the subject, called the Thebaid.).

Severall, a private farm or land with enclosures; a “champion” is an open farm not enclosed.

The country enclosed I praise (severall);
The other delighteth not me (champion).

Tusser; Five Hundred Points of Good Husbandry, liii. 1(1557).

Severn, a corruption of Averne, daughter of Astrild. The legend is this; King Lo cryn was engaged to Gwendollen daughter of Corineus, but seeing Astrild (daughter of the king of Germany), who came to this island with Homber king of Hungary, fell in love with her. While Corineus lived he durst not offend him, so he married Gwendolen, but kept Astrild as a mistress, and had by her a daughter (averne). When Corineus died, he divorced Gwendolen, and declared Astrild queen, but Gwendolen summoned her vassals, dethroned Locryn, and caused both Astrild and Averne to be cast into the river, ever since called Severn from Averne“the kinges dohter.”

Sex. Milton says that spirits can assume either sex at pleasure, and Michael Psellus asserts that demons can take what sex, shape, and colour they please, and can also contract or dilate their from at pleasure.

For spirits, when they please.
Can either sex assume, or both; so soft
And uncompounded is their essence pure;
Not tied or manacled with joint and limb,
Nor founded on the brittle strength of bones,
Like cumbrous flesh.
   —Milton; Paradise Lost, i 423,etc,(1665).

Sex. Êneus and Tire’sias were at one part of their lives of the male sex, and at another part of their lives of the female sex. (See these names).

Iphis was first a women, and then a man.—Ovid: Metamorphosesix. 12; xiv. 699.

Sextus [Tarquinius]. There are several points of resemblance in the story of Sextus and that of Paris son of Priam. (1) Paris was the guest of Menelaos when he elopled with his wife Helen; and Sextus was the guest of Lucretia when he defiled her. (2) The elopement of Helen was the cause of a national was between the Greek cities and the allied cities of Troy: and the defilement of Lucretia was the cause of a national war between Rome and the allied cities under Porésena. (3) The contest between Greece and Troy terminated in the victory of Greece, the injured party; and the contest between Rome and the supporters of Tarquin terminated in favour of Rome, the injured party. (4) In the Trojan war, Paris, the aggressor, showed himself before the Trojan ranks, and defied the bravest of the Greeks to single combat, but when Menelaos appeared, he took to flight; so Sextus rode vauntingly against the Roman host, but when Herminius appeared, fled to the rear like a coward. (5) In the Trojan contest, Priam and his sons