SKALD, an old Scandinavian poet, a reciter or singer of poems in praise of the Norse warriors and their deeds.

SKEAN-DHU, a small dirk which a Highlander wears in his stocking.

SKEAT, WALTER WILLIAM, English philologist, born in London; professor of Anglo-Saxon at Cambridge; author of "Etymological Dictionary of the English Language," and a great authority on Early English literature; the first Director of the Dialect Society, established in 1873; _b_. 1835.

SKEGGS, MISS, a character in the "Vicar of Wakefield," boastful for her aristocratic connections and delicacy of taste, but vulgar at bottom.

SKELTON, JOHN, early English satirist, his chief poetic works being "Why come ye not to Courte," a satire against Wolsey; the "Book of Colin Clout," against the corruption of the Church; and the "Book of Phyllyp Sparrow," the grief of a nun for the death of her sparrow; Erasmus calls him "the glory and light of English letters" (1460?-1528).

SKENE, WILLIAM FORBES, Scottish historian, born in Kincardineshire, bred to law; devoted 40 years of his life to the study of the early, in particular the Celtic, periods of Scottish history, and was from 1881 historiographer for Scotland (1809-1892).

SKERRYVORE, a rock with a lighthouse, one of an extensive reef 10 m.

W. of Tiree, on the west coast of Scotland; the light is a revolving one; is seen at the distance of over 18 nautical miles.

SKIDDAW, a mountain in c.u.mberland, 3054 ft. in height; is some 6 m.

from Keswick, whence it is of easy ascent.

SKIMPOLE, HAROLD, a plausible character in "Bleak House," who was in the habit of sponging his friends.

SKINNER, JOHN, author of "Tullochgorum," born in Bervie, Aberdeenshire; originally a schoolmaster; became an Episcopal clergyman (1721-1807).

SKIPTON (10), a market-town in Yorkshire, 26 m. NW. of Leeds; population largely engaged in agriculture; has manufactures of cotton and woollen goods.

SKOBELEFF, MICHAEL, a Russian general, distinguished himself by his bravery in the Russian service, particularly in the Russo-Turkish War of 1877-78; was a leader in the Panslavist movement; died suddenly (1841-1882).

SKYE (16), next to Lewis the largest of the Hebrides Islands, belongs to the Inner group, and is included in Inverness-shire, from the mainland of which it is separated by the narrow channel Kyle Rhea; has a deeply indented coast-line, and a picturesquely diversified surface of mountain, moor, and loch; the most notable features being the lofty Coolin Hills (highest point 3234 ft.), Loch Coruisk, Glen Sligachan, and the wild columnar height of basalt, the Quiraing; sheep and Highland cattle are raised, and valuable ling, cod, and herring fisheries are carried on in the coastal waters. Portree is the chief town and port, but is little better than a small village.

SLADE, FELIX, antiquary and art-collector; left his art-collection to the British Museum, and money to found Slade professorships of art at Oxford, Cambridge, and London Universities (1789-1868).

SLAVE COAST, name given to the Bight of Benin, in West Africa, from Lagos to the Volta River.

SLAVONIA, a kingdom that at one time included Croatia and that lies between the Drave and the Military Frontier.

SLAVS, an important branch of the Aryan race-stock, comprising a number of European peoples chiefly in East Europe, including the Russians, Bulgarians, Servians, Bohemians, Poles, Croatians, Moravians, Silesians, Pomeranians, &c. At the dawn of history we find them already settled in Europe, chiefly in the neighbourhood of the Carpathians, whence they spread N., S., and W., a.s.suming their present position by the 7th century. They are estimated to number now 100,000,000, and the various languages spoken by them are notable, compared with the Teutonic and Celtic tongues, for their rich inflections.

SLAWKENBERGIUS, an author quoted and referred to in "Tristram Shandy," distinguished by the length of his nose, and a great authority on the subject of noses.

SLEEPING BEAUTY, a princess who was by enchantment shut up to sleep 100 years in a castle surrounded by a dense forest, and was delivered from her trance at the end of that term by a prince, to admit whom the forest opened of itself.

SLEIPNIR, in the Scandinavian mythology the horse of Odin, which had eight legs, as representing the wind with its eight princ.i.p.al "airts."

SLESWICK-HOLSTEIN (1,217), a province of North Prussia, stretching up to Denmark, between the North Sea and the Baltic; various ca.n.a.ls cross the country, bearing to the coast the export produce--corn and cattle; the land is highly cultivated, and fishing is an important industry on the Baltic coast; Flensburg, the chief seaport, and Sleswick (15), the capital, are both situated on inlets of the Baltic; the latter lies 28 m.

NW. of Kiel, consists of a single street 3 m. long, and possesses a fine Gothic cathedral with a fine altar-piece, &c., the sections representing the history of the Pa.s.sion of Christ.

SLICK, SAM, a clockmaker and pedlar, a character ill.u.s.trating Yankee peculiarities, and remarkable for his wit, his knowledge of human nature, and his use of "soft sawder," a creation of JUDGE HALIBURTON'S (q. v.).

SLIGO, 1, a maritime county of North-West Ireland (98), in the province of Connaught; fronts the Atlantic on the N. between Mayo (W.) and Leitrim (E.), Roscommon forming the S. boundary; the land, sloping N.

to the coast from the Ox Mountains, is chiefly under gra.s.s for cattle pasture, and divided into small holdings; Sligo Bay is a fine sheet of water, and in the S. and E. are the picturesque Loughs Arrow and Gill; the manufacture of coa.r.s.e woollens and linens and fishing are the princ.i.p.al industries; the Moy, Owenmore, and Garvogue are navigable rivers. 2, At the mouth of the Garvogue stands Sligo (10), the county town, 137 m. NW. of Dublin; has ruins of a 13th-century Dominican abbey, a Roman Catholic cathedral, and exports cattle, corn, b.u.t.ter, &c.

SLOANE, SIR HANS, physician and naturalist, born in co. Down, Ireland, of Scotch descent; settled as a physician in London; attained the highest distinction as a professional man; his museum, which was a large one, of natural objects, books, and MSS. became by purchase the property of the nation, and formed the nucleus of the British Museum (1660-1753).

SLoJD (sleight), a system of manual training adopted to develop technical skill originally in the schools of Sweden and Finland; is education of the eye as well as the hand.

SLOP, DOCTOR, a choleric physician in "Tristram Shandy."

SLOUGH OF DESPOND, a deep bog in the "Pilgrim's Progress," into which Christian sinks under the weight of his sins and his sense of their guilt.

SLOVAKS, a Slavonic peasant people numbering some 2,000,000, subject to the crown of Hungary since the 11th century, and occupying the highlands of North-West Hungary; speak a dialect of Czech.

SLOVENIANS, a Slavonic people akin to the Servians and Croatians in Austro-Hungary, dwelling chiefly in Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola.

SLY, CHRISTOPHER, a drunken sot of a tinker in the "Induction" to "Taming of the Shrew."

SMART, CHRISTOPHER, English poet, born in Kent; was a Fellow of Cambridge and a friend of Johnson's; author of the "Song to David," now famous, much overrated, think some; he was subject to insanity, and it was written during lucid intervals; he was the author of a prose translation of Horace (1722-1771).

SMEATON, JOHN, civil engineer, born near Leeds; began life as a mathematical instrument-maker; made improvements in mill-work, and gained the Copley Medal in 1758; visited the princ.i.p.al engineering works in Holland and Belgium; was entrusted with the rebuilding of EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE (q. v.) after it was in 1755 burnt down, which he finished in 1759; did other engineering work in the construction of ca.n.a.ls, harbours, and mills, rising to the summit of his profession (1724-1792).