Chapter Sellar to Shairp of S by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

Sellar to Shairp

Sellar, William Young (1825-1890).—Scholar, born in Sutherlandshire, his flourished being factor to the Duke of Sutherland, educated at Glasgow University and Oxford, became in 1859 Professor of Greek at St. Andrews and, in 1863, of Latin at Edinburgh He published a work on the Roman Poets of the Republic (1863), followed by The Roman Poets of the Augustan Age. Both of these hold a high place among modern works of scholarship.

Sempill, Robert (1530?-1595), Sempill, Robert (1595?-1659?), Sempill, Francis (1616?-1682).—Scottish poets, all belonging to the same family, the last two being flourished and son The first was mainly a satirist, was in Paris at the massacre of St. Bartholomew, and belonged to the extremist division of the Reforming party, The Regente’s Tragedy laments the death of Murray, Ane Complaint upon Fortoun, the fall of Morton. The second Robert wrote The Life and Death of Habbie Simson, the Piper, a humorous description of old Scottish life. Francis wrote occasional pieces. The song She Rose and let me in, formerly attributed to him, is now known to be by Tom D’Urfey (q.v.).

Senior, Nassau William (1790-1864).—Economist and essayist, son of a clergyman, was born at Compton Beauchamp, Berks, educated at Eton and Oxford, studied law, and was called to the Bar in 1819. He twice held the Professorship of Political Economy at Oxford, 1825-30 and 1847-52, rendered important service as a member of the Poor Law Commission of 1833, and wrote its Report. Senior holds a high position among English economists, and made many contributions to the literature of the science, including Outline of the Science of Political Economy (1836). He was, moreover, a writer of considerable versatility, his works in general literature including Essays on Fiction (1864), Historical and Philosophical Essays (1865), and specially his notes of conversations with many eminent persons, chiefly political, e.g., De Tocqueville, Thiers, and Guizot, which combine fulness of information with discretion; he also published journals of his travels in Turkey, Greece, Egypt, etc.

Settle, Elkanah (1648-1724).—Poet and dramatist, educated at Oxford, was the author of a number of turgid dramas, now unreadable and unread, but which in their day were held to rival Dryden, who pilloried Settle as Doeg in the second part of Absalom and Achitophel. Settle essayed a reply in Absalom Senior. He wrote against the Papists, but recanted, and made amends by a Narrative of the Popish Plot, in which he exposed the perjuries of Titus Oates. He was appointed City Poet. Latterly he had a booth in Bartholomew Fair. He died in the Charterhouse. His plays include Cambyses (1666), Empress of Morocco (1671), Love and Revenge (1675), The Female Prelate, Distressed Innocence (1691), and the Ladies’ Triumph (1718).

Shadwell, Thomas (1640 or 1642-1692).—Dramatist and poet, belonged to a good Staffordshire family, was born in Norfolk, educated at Cambridge, and after studying law travelled, and on his return became a popular dramatist. Among his comedies, in which he displayed considerable comic power and truth to nature, may be mentioned The Sullen Lovers (1668), Royal Shepherdess (1668), The Humourists (1671), and The Miser (1672). He attached himself to the Whigs, and when Dryden attacked them in Absalom and Achitophel and The Medal, had the temerity to assail him scurrilously in The Medal of John Bayes (1682). The castigation which this evoked in MacFlecknoe and in the second part of Absalom and Achitophel, in which Shadwell figures as “Og,” has conferred upon him an unenviable immortality. He may have found some consolation in his succession to Dryden as Poet Laureate when, at the Revolution, the latter was deprived of the office.

Other plays are Epsom Wells (1673), The Virtuoso (1676), Lancashire Witches (1681), The Volunteers (1693), etc.

Shaftesbury, Anthony Ashley Cooper, 3rd Earl of (1671-1713).—Philosopher, born in London, grandson of the 1st Earl, the eminent statesman, the “Achitophel” of Dryden. After a private education under the supervision of Locke, and a short experience of Winchester School, he travelled much on the Continent. On succeeding to the earldom in 1699 he took a prominent part in the debates of the House of Lords, but devoted himself mainly to philosophical and literary pursuits. His collected writings were published in 1711 under the title of Characteristics of Men, Manners, Opinions, and Times. In his philosophy he