Chapter Sleepers to Slowboy of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Sleepers to Slowboy

Sleepers. (See Seven Sleepers, p. 985.)

Sleeping Beauty (The), a lady who sleeps in a castle a hundred years, during which time an impenetrable wood springs up around the castle; but being at length disenchanted by a young prince, she marries him. The brothers Grimm have reproduced this tale in German. The old Norse tale of Brynhild and Sigurd seems to be the original of The Sleeping Beauty.—Perrault: Contes du Temps (“La Belle au Bois Dormant,” 1697). (See also Triermain.)

(Tennyson has poetized this nursery story.)

Sleepless Men. Arsenus never went to bed; and St. Euthymus slept only leaning against a wall.

Euthyme se proposa d’imiter le grand Arsène dont la réputation courait alors partout l’Orient. Il jeunait toute la semain sans rien prendre que le dimanche; jamais personne ne l’a vu couché pour se reposer; quand la nature était accablée, il s’ appuysait seulement contre la muraille ou il se tenait à une corde qui pendait au plancher. Dès il s’ évultat en s’ excitant par ces paroles du mème Arsène, “A quoi penses-tu lache et misérable Arsène?”—Les Petits Bollandistes, vol. i. p. 498.

Sleipner, the horse of Odin.

Slender, one of the suitors of “sweet Anne Page.” His servant’s name is Simple. Slender is a country lout, cousin of justice Shallow.—Shakespeare: Merry Wives of Windsor (1596).

Slender is a perfect satire … on the brilliant youth of the provinces … before the introduction of newspapers and turnpike roads; awkward and boobyish among civil people, but at home in rude sports, and proud of exploits at which the town would laugh.—Hallam.

Slender and sir Andrew Ague-cheek are fools troubled with an uneasy consciousness of their folly, which in the latter produces a most edifying meekness and docility, and in the former awkwardness, obstinacy, and confusion.—Macaulay.

Slick (Sam), judge Thomas Chandler Haliburton of Nova Scotia, author of The Clockmaker (1837).

Sam Slick, a Yankee clockmaker and pedlar, wonderfully ’cute, a great observer, full of quaint ideas, droll wit, odd fancies, surprising illustrations, and plenty of “soft sawder.” Judge Haliburton wrote the two series called Sam Slick or the Clockmaker (1837).

Sliderskew (Peg), the hag-like housekeeper of Arthur Gride. She robs her master of some deeds, and thereby brings on his ruin.—Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby (1838).

Sligo (Dr.), of Ireland. He looks with contempt on his countryman, Dr. Osasafras, because he is but a parvenu.

Osasafras? That’s a name of no note. He is not a Milesian, I am sure. The family, I suppose, came over the other day with Strongbow, not above seven or eight hundred years ago.—Foote: The Devil upon Two Sticks (1768).

Slingers (or Balearic) Islands. Majorca, Minorca, and lviça were so called, because their inhabitants were very noted for the use of the sling, at one time much employed in war.

Slingsby (Jonathan Freke), John Francis Waller, author of The Slingsby Papers (1852), etc.

Slinkton (Julius), in Dickens’s story of Hunted Down (1860). He attempts the murder of Alfred Beckwith, and finally summits suicide.