Chapter Set Scene to Seven Weeks' War of S by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Set Scene to Seven Weeks' War

Set Scene In theatrical parlance, a scene built up by the stage carpenters, or a furnished interior, as a drawing-room, as distinguished from an ordinary or shifting scene.

Set-to ( A) boxing match, a pugilistic fight, a scolding. In pugilism the combatants are by their seconds “set to the scratch” or line marked on the ground.

Setebos A deity of the Patagonians, introduced by Shakespeare into his Tempest.

“His art is of such power,
It would control my dam's god, Setebos,
And make a vassal of him.” Tempest, i. 2.

Sethites (2 syl.). A sect of the second century, who maintained that the Messiah was Seth, son of Adam.

Setting a Hen Giving her a certain number of eggs to hatch. The whole number for incubation is called a setting.

Setting a Saw Bending the teeth alternately to the right or left in order to make it work more easily.

Setting of a Jewel The frame of gold or silver surrounding a jewel in a ring, brooch, etc.

“This precious stone set in the silver sea.”
Shakespeare: Richard II., ii. 1.

Setting of Plaster or Paint. Its hardening.

Setting of Sun, Moon, and Stars Their sinking below the horizon.

Setting the Thames on Fire (See Thames .)

Settle your Hask (To). “To cook his goose;” or “make mince-meat of him.” Our slang is full of similar phrases.

“About earls as goes mad in their castles,
And females what settles their hash.”
Sims: Dagonet Ballads (Polly).

Seven (Greek, hepta; Latin, septem; German, sieben; Anglo-Saxon, seofan; etc.). A holy number. There are seven days in creation, seven spirits before the throne of God, seven days in the week, seven graces, seven divisions in the Lord's Prayer, seven ages in the life of man, and the just fall “seven times a day.” There are seven phases of the moon, every seventh year was sabbatical, and seven times seven years was the jubilee. The three great Jewish feasts lasted seven days, and between the first and second of these feasts were seven weeks. Levitical purifications lasted seven days. We have seven churches of Asia, seven candlesticks, seven stars, seven trumpets, seven spirits before the throne of God, seven horns, the Lamb has seven eyes, ten times seven Israelites go to Egypt, the exile lasts the same number of years, and there were ten times seven elders. Pharaoh in his dream saw seven kine and seven ears of corn, etc.
   It is frequently used indefinitely to signify a long time, or a great many; thus in the Interlude of the Four Elements, the dance of Apetyte is called the best “that I have seen this seven yere.” Shakespeare talks of a man being “a vile thief this seven year.”

Seven Bibles (The) or Sacred Books.

1. The Bible of Christians. (Canon completed A.D. 494; Old Testament as we have it, B.C. 130.)
   
2. The Eddas of the Scandinavians.
   
3. The Five Kings of the Chinese. “King” here means web-of-cloth on which they were originally written.
   
4. The Koran of the Mohammedans. (Seventh century, A.D.)
   
5. The Tri Pitikes of the Buddhists. (Sixth century B.C.)
   
6. The Three Vedas of the Hindus. (Twelfth century B.C.)
   
7. Zendavesta of the Persians. (Twelfth century B.C.)