Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 19, Scripture-SUG
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SOP [ 473 ] SOP
phift generally united. The example of Pythagoras was fol-
H , lowed by every man of eminence-, while the name fo-
ii0cies'. phifl was retained only by thole who with a pomp of words
made a magnificent dilpiay ol wifdom upon a very flight
foundation of knowledge. Thole men taught an arti¬
ficial flru£lure of language, and a lalle method of rea-
foning, by which, in argument, the worfe might be made
to appear the better reafon (fee Sophism). In Athens
they were long held in high repute, and fupported, not
only by contributions from their pupils, but by a regular
falarv from the ftate. They were among the bitterefl:
enemies of the illuftrious Socrates, becaufe he embraced
every opportunity of expoling to contempt and ridicule
their vain pretenfions to fuperior knowledge, and the
pernicious influence of their dodlrines upon thetafte and
morals of the Athenian youth.
SOPHISTICATION, the mixing of any thing
with what is not genuine j a practice too common in
the making up of medicines for fale ; as alfo among
vintners, diftillers, and others, who are accufed of fo-
phiflicating their wines, fpirits, oils, &c. by mixing
with them cheaper and coarfer materials j and in many
cafes the cheat is carried on fo artfully as to deceive the
bell judges.
SOPHOCLES, the celebrated Greek tragic poet,
the fon of Sophilus an Athenian, was born at Co-
lonn, and educated with great attention. Superior vi¬
gour and addrefs in the exercifes of the paleltra, and
Ikill in mufic, were the great accomplilhments of young
men in the Hates of Gree«e. In thefe, Sophocles ex¬
celled 5 nor was he lefs diftinguifhed by the beauty of
his perfon. He was alfo inllrufted in the noblell of all
fciences, civil polity and religion: from the firll of
thefe he derived an unlhaken love of his country, which
he ferved in fame embaflies, and in high military com¬
mand with Pericles j from the latter he was impreffed
with a pious reverence for the gods, manifelled by the
inviolable integrity of his life. But his ftudies were
early devoted to the tragic mufe; the fpirit of Efchy-
lus lent a fire to his genius, and excited that noble emu¬
lation which led him to contend with, and fometimesto
bear away the prize from, his great mailer. He wrote
43 tragedies, of which 7 only have efcaped the ravages
of time: and having teftified his love of his country by
refuting to leave it, though invited by many kings 5
and having enjoyed the uninterrupted elleem and affec¬
tion of his fellow citizens, which neither the gallant ac¬
tions and fublime genius of Efchylus, nor the tender
fpirit and philofophic virtue of Euripides, could fecure
to them, he died in the 9111 year of his age, about 406
years before Chrill. The burial-place of his ancellors
was at Decelia, which the Lacedaemonians had at that
time feized and fortified-, but Lyfander, the Spartan
chief, permitted the Athenians to inter their deceafed
poet-, and they paid him all the honours due to his love
of his country, integrity of life, and high poetic excel¬
lence. Efchylus had at once feized the highell poll of
honour in the field of poetry, the true fublime; to that
eminence his claim could not be difputed. Sophocles
had a noble elevation of mind, but tempered with fo
fine a talle, and fo challened a judgment, that he ne¬
ver paffed the bounds of propriety. Under his conduft
the tragic mufe appeared with the challe dignity offome
noble matron at a religious folemnity 5 harmony is in
her voice, and grace in all her motions. From him the
Vol. XIX. Part II.
theatre received feme additional embellilhmeiTts; and -ophouey
the drama the introdudlion of a third fpeaker, which ^ jl
made it more active and intereiling: but his diltin- , ^)U“ .
guilhed excellence is in the judicious difpofition of the
fable, and fo nice a connexion and dependence of the
parts on each other, that they all agree to make the
event not only probable, but even neceffary. This is pe¬
culiarly admirable in his “ Oedipus King of Thebes 5”
and in this important point he is far fuperior to every
other dramatic writer.
The ingratitude of the children of Sophocles is well
known. They wiflied to become immediate mafters of
their father’s poffeflions; and therefore tired of his
long life, they accufed him before the Areopagus of
infanity. The only defence the poet made was to read
his tragedy of Oedipus at Colonos, which he had lately
finifhed \ and then he alked his judges, whether the au¬
thor of fuch a performance could be taxed with infani¬
ty ! The father upon this was acquitted, and the child¬
ren returned home covered with lhame and confufion.
The feven tragedies of Sophocles which Hill remain, to¬
gether with the Greek Scholia which accompany them,
have been tranflated into Latin by Johnfon, and into
Englifh by Dr Franklin and Mr Potter.
SOPHORA, a genus of plants belonging to the clafs
of decandria, and to the order of monogynia ; and in
the natural fyftem arranged under the 3 2d order, Papi-
lionacece. See Botany Index.
SOPORIFIC, or Sop or 1 ferous, a medicine that
produces fleep. Such are opium, laudanum, the feed
of poppies, &c. The word is formed from the Latin
fopor, “ fleep.” The Greeks in place of it ufe the word
hypnotic.
SORBONNE, or Sorbon, the houfe or college of
the faculty of theology eftabliflied in the univerfity of
Paris. It was founded in j 252 by St Louis, or rather
by Robert de Sorbon his confeffor and almoner, firft ca¬
non of Cambray, and afterwards of the church of Paris;
who gave his own name to it, which he himfelf took
from the village of Sorbon or Serbon, near Sens, where
he was born. The foundation was laid in 1250-, Oueen
Blanche, in the abfence of her hufband, furnifhing him
with a houfe which had formerly been the palace of
Julian the apoftate, of which feme remains are Hill
feen. Aftertvards the king gave him all the houfes he
had in the fame place, in exchange for fome others.
The college has been fince magnificently rebuilt by the
cardinal de Richelieu. The defign of its inftitution was
for the ufe of poor ftudents in divinity. There are
lodgings in it for 36 dodlors, who are faid to be of the
fociety of the Sorbonne; thofe admitted into it without
being doctors, are faid to be of the hofpitality of the Sor¬
bonne. Six regent doflors formerly held leftures every
day for an hour and a half each j three in the morning,
and three in the afternoon.
Sorbonne, is alfo ufed in general for the whole fa-
cultv of theology at Paris; as the affemblies of the
whole body are held in the houfe of the Sorbonne;
and the bachelors of the other houfes of the faculty,
as the houfe of Navarre, &c. come hither to hold their
forbonnique, or a£l for being admitted dodlor in divinity.
SORBUS, Service-tree, agenus of plants belong¬
ing to the clafs of icofandria, and to the order of tri-
gvnia. See Botany Index.—The aucuparia, mountain-
afli, quicken-tree, quick-beam, or roan-tree, rifes with
3 O a
phift generally united. The example of Pythagoras was fol-
H , lowed by every man of eminence-, while the name fo-
ii0cies'. phifl was retained only by thole who with a pomp of words
made a magnificent dilpiay ol wifdom upon a very flight
foundation of knowledge. Thole men taught an arti¬
ficial flru£lure of language, and a lalle method of rea-
foning, by which, in argument, the worfe might be made
to appear the better reafon (fee Sophism). In Athens
they were long held in high repute, and fupported, not
only by contributions from their pupils, but by a regular
falarv from the ftate. They were among the bitterefl:
enemies of the illuftrious Socrates, becaufe he embraced
every opportunity of expoling to contempt and ridicule
their vain pretenfions to fuperior knowledge, and the
pernicious influence of their dodlrines upon thetafte and
morals of the Athenian youth.
SOPHISTICATION, the mixing of any thing
with what is not genuine j a practice too common in
the making up of medicines for fale ; as alfo among
vintners, diftillers, and others, who are accufed of fo-
phiflicating their wines, fpirits, oils, &c. by mixing
with them cheaper and coarfer materials j and in many
cafes the cheat is carried on fo artfully as to deceive the
bell judges.
SOPHOCLES, the celebrated Greek tragic poet,
the fon of Sophilus an Athenian, was born at Co-
lonn, and educated with great attention. Superior vi¬
gour and addrefs in the exercifes of the paleltra, and
Ikill in mufic, were the great accomplilhments of young
men in the Hates of Gree«e. In thefe, Sophocles ex¬
celled 5 nor was he lefs diftinguifhed by the beauty of
his perfon. He was alfo inllrufted in the noblell of all
fciences, civil polity and religion: from the firll of
thefe he derived an unlhaken love of his country, which
he ferved in fame embaflies, and in high military com¬
mand with Pericles j from the latter he was impreffed
with a pious reverence for the gods, manifelled by the
inviolable integrity of his life. But his ftudies were
early devoted to the tragic mufe; the fpirit of Efchy-
lus lent a fire to his genius, and excited that noble emu¬
lation which led him to contend with, and fometimesto
bear away the prize from, his great mailer. He wrote
43 tragedies, of which 7 only have efcaped the ravages
of time: and having teftified his love of his country by
refuting to leave it, though invited by many kings 5
and having enjoyed the uninterrupted elleem and affec¬
tion of his fellow citizens, which neither the gallant ac¬
tions and fublime genius of Efchylus, nor the tender
fpirit and philofophic virtue of Euripides, could fecure
to them, he died in the 9111 year of his age, about 406
years before Chrill. The burial-place of his ancellors
was at Decelia, which the Lacedaemonians had at that
time feized and fortified-, but Lyfander, the Spartan
chief, permitted the Athenians to inter their deceafed
poet-, and they paid him all the honours due to his love
of his country, integrity of life, and high poetic excel¬
lence. Efchylus had at once feized the highell poll of
honour in the field of poetry, the true fublime; to that
eminence his claim could not be difputed. Sophocles
had a noble elevation of mind, but tempered with fo
fine a talle, and fo challened a judgment, that he ne¬
ver paffed the bounds of propriety. Under his conduft
the tragic mufe appeared with the challe dignity offome
noble matron at a religious folemnity 5 harmony is in
her voice, and grace in all her motions. From him the
Vol. XIX. Part II.
theatre received feme additional embellilhmeiTts; and -ophouey
the drama the introdudlion of a third fpeaker, which ^ jl
made it more active and intereiling: but his diltin- , ^)U“ .
guilhed excellence is in the judicious difpofition of the
fable, and fo nice a connexion and dependence of the
parts on each other, that they all agree to make the
event not only probable, but even neceffary. This is pe¬
culiarly admirable in his “ Oedipus King of Thebes 5”
and in this important point he is far fuperior to every
other dramatic writer.
The ingratitude of the children of Sophocles is well
known. They wiflied to become immediate mafters of
their father’s poffeflions; and therefore tired of his
long life, they accufed him before the Areopagus of
infanity. The only defence the poet made was to read
his tragedy of Oedipus at Colonos, which he had lately
finifhed \ and then he alked his judges, whether the au¬
thor of fuch a performance could be taxed with infani¬
ty ! The father upon this was acquitted, and the child¬
ren returned home covered with lhame and confufion.
The feven tragedies of Sophocles which Hill remain, to¬
gether with the Greek Scholia which accompany them,
have been tranflated into Latin by Johnfon, and into
Englifh by Dr Franklin and Mr Potter.
SOPHORA, a genus of plants belonging to the clafs
of decandria, and to the order of monogynia ; and in
the natural fyftem arranged under the 3 2d order, Papi-
lionacece. See Botany Index.
SOPORIFIC, or Sop or 1 ferous, a medicine that
produces fleep. Such are opium, laudanum, the feed
of poppies, &c. The word is formed from the Latin
fopor, “ fleep.” The Greeks in place of it ufe the word
hypnotic.
SORBONNE, or Sorbon, the houfe or college of
the faculty of theology eftabliflied in the univerfity of
Paris. It was founded in j 252 by St Louis, or rather
by Robert de Sorbon his confeffor and almoner, firft ca¬
non of Cambray, and afterwards of the church of Paris;
who gave his own name to it, which he himfelf took
from the village of Sorbon or Serbon, near Sens, where
he was born. The foundation was laid in 1250-, Oueen
Blanche, in the abfence of her hufband, furnifhing him
with a houfe which had formerly been the palace of
Julian the apoftate, of which feme remains are Hill
feen. Aftertvards the king gave him all the houfes he
had in the fame place, in exchange for fome others.
The college has been fince magnificently rebuilt by the
cardinal de Richelieu. The defign of its inftitution was
for the ufe of poor ftudents in divinity. There are
lodgings in it for 36 dodlors, who are faid to be of the
fociety of the Sorbonne; thofe admitted into it without
being doctors, are faid to be of the hofpitality of the Sor¬
bonne. Six regent doflors formerly held leftures every
day for an hour and a half each j three in the morning,
and three in the afternoon.
Sorbonne, is alfo ufed in general for the whole fa-
cultv of theology at Paris; as the affemblies of the
whole body are held in the houfe of the Sorbonne;
and the bachelors of the other houfes of the faculty,
as the houfe of Navarre, &c. come hither to hold their
forbonnique, or a£l for being admitted dodlor in divinity.
SORBUS, Service-tree, agenus of plants belong¬
ing to the clafs of icofandria, and to the order of tri-
gvnia. See Botany Index.—The aucuparia, mountain-
afli, quicken-tree, quick-beam, or roan-tree, rifes with
3 O a
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Description | Ten editions of 'Encyclopaedia Britannica', issued from 1768-1903, in 231 volumes. Originally issued in 100 weekly parts (3 volumes) between 1768 and 1771 by publishers: Colin Macfarquhar and Andrew Bell (Edinburgh); editor: William Smellie: engraver: Andrew Bell. Expanded editions in the 19th century featured more volumes and contributions from leading experts in their fields. Managed and published in Edinburgh up to the 9th edition (25 volumes, from 1875-1889); the 10th edition (1902-1903) re-issued the 9th edition, with 11 supplementary volumes. |
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