Chapter Soulis to Spanish Lady of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Sowerberry, the parochial undertaker, to whom Oliver Twist is bound when he quits the workhouse. Sowerberry was not a badly disposed man, and he treated Oliver with a certain measure of kindness and consideration; but Oliver was ill-treated by Mrs. Sowerberry, and bullied by a big boy called Noah Claypole. Being one day greatly exasperated by the bully, Oliver gave him a thorough “drubbing,” whereupon Charlotte the maidservant set upon him like a fury, scratched his face, and held him fast till Noah Claypole had pummelled him within an inch of his life. Three against one was too much for the lad, so he ran away.—Dickens: Oliver Twist (1837).

Sowerberry was a tall, gaunt, large-jointed man. Mrs. Sowerberry was a short, thin, squeezed-up woman, with a vixenish countenance.

Sowerberry, a misanthrope. — Brough: A Phenomenon in a Smock Frock.

Sowerbrowst (Mr.), the maltster. —Sir W. Scott: St. Ronan’s Well (time, George III.).

Soyer (Alexis), a celebrated cook, appointed, in 1837, chef de cuisine to the Reform Club. Alexis Soyer [Swi-yea] was the author of several works, as The Gastronomic Regenerator, The Poor Man’s Regenerator, The Modern Housewife, etc. (died 1858).

Spado, an impudent rascal in the band of don Cæsar (called “captain Ramirez”), who tricks every one, and delights in mischief.—O’Keefe: Castle of Andalusia (1798).

Quick’s great parts were “Isaac,” “Tony Lumpkin,” “Spado,” and “sir Christopher Curry.”—Records of a Stage Veteran.

(“Isaac,” in the Duenna, by Sheridan; “Tony Lumpkin,” in She Stoops to Conquer, by Goldsmith; “sir Christopher Curry,” in Inkle and Yarico, by G. Colman.)

Spahis, native Algerian cavalry officered by Frenchmen. The infantry are called Turcos.

Spanish Brutus (The), Alfonso Perez de Guzman, governor of Tarifa in 1293. Here he was besieged by the infant don Juan, who had Guzman’s son in his power, and threatened to kill him unless Tarifa was given up. Alfonso replied, “Sooner than be guilty of such treason, I will lend Juan a dagger to carry out his threat;” and so saying, he tossed his dagger over the wall. Juan, unable to appreciate this patriotism, slew the young man without remorse.

(Lopê de Vega has dramatized this incident.)

Spanish Curate (The), Lopez.— Fletcher: The Spanish Curate (1622).

Spanish Fryar (The), a drama by Dryden (1680). It contains two plots, wholly independent of each other. The serious element is this: L eonora, the usurping queen of Aragon, is promised in marriage to duke Bertran, a prince of the blood; but is in love with Torrismond general of the army, who turns out to be the son and heir of king Sancho, supposed to be dead. Sancho is restored to his throne, and Leonora marries Torrismond. The comic element is the illicit love of colonel Lorenzo for Elvira, the wife of Gomez a rich old banker. Dominick (the Spanish fryar) helps on this scandalous amour, but it turns out that Lorenzo and Elvira are brother and sister.

Spanish Fury (The), the historical name for the attack upon Antwerp by the Spaniards, November 4, 1576, which resulted in the pillage and burning of the place and a terrible massacre of the inhabitants.

Spanish Gypsy (The), a dramatic poem by George Eliot (Mrs. J. W. Cross, 1867).

Spanish Lady (The), a ballad contained in Percy’s Reliques, ii. 23. A Spanish lady fell in love with captain Popham, whose prisoner she was. A command being sent to set all the prisoners free, the lady prayed the gallant captain to make her his wife. The Englishman replied that he could not do so, as he