exiles, who had been driven out by the contrary faction. The Syracusians built Acre, Chasmen, and Camarina; the first seventy years, the second ninety, and the third 135, after the foundation of their own city. This is the account which Thucydides, a most judicious and exact writer, gives us of the various nations, whether Greeks or barbarians, who settled in Sicily. Strabo counts, among the ancient inhabitants of Sicily, the Morgetes, who being driven out of Italy by the Oenotrians, settled in that part of the island where the ancient city of Morgantium stood. The Campani, who assumed the name of Mamertini, that is, invincible warriors, and the Carthaginians, who settled very early in Sicily, ought likewise to be counted among the ancient inhabitants of the island. Before this period the history of Sicily is blended with fables, like the early history of almost every other country. After the settlement of the Greeks in the island, its various revolutions have been traced from their several sources by many writers; but by none with greater accuracy or brevity than Mr. Swinburne. From his account of his Travels in the two Sicilies, we therefore quote the following concise history of this kingdom :

'Aristocracy prevailed at first in the Greek settlements, but soon made way for tyranny; which in its turn was expelled by democracy. One of the earliest destroyers of common liberty was Phalaris of Agrigentum, who reigned about A. A. C. 600. See PHALARIS. His example was contagious; a legion of tyrants sprang up, and not a commonwealth in the island escaped the lash of a usurper. Syracuse was most oppressed and torn to pieces by dissension; as its wealth and preponderance in the general scale held out a greater temptation than other cities to the ambition of wicked men. It requires the combined testimony of historians to enforce our belief of its wonderful prosperity, and the no less extraordinary tyranny of some of its sovereigns. These Grecian colonies attained to such excellence in arts and sciences as emboldened them frequently to vie with the learned and ingenious in the mother country: nay, often enabled then to bear away the palm of victory. There needs no stronger proof of their literary merits than a bare recital of the names of Archimedes, Theocritus, Gorgias, and Charondas. But the Sicilian Greeks were not destined to enjoy the sweets of their situation without molestation. Very soon after their arrival, the inhabitants of the neighbouring coast of Africa began to aspire to a share of Sicily. Carthage sent large bodies of forces at different times to establish their power in the island, and about 500 years before the Christian era they had made themselves masters of all the western parts of it. The Siculi retained possession of the midland country, and the south and east coasts were inhabited by the Greeks. About that time Gelo was chosen prince of Syracuse on account of his virtues, which grew still more conspicuous after his exaltation; had the example he set been followed by his successors, the advantages of freedom would never have been known or wished for by the Syracusans. The Carthaginians found in him a

vigorous opponent to their project of enslaving Sicily; a project invariably pursued, but never accomplished. Hiero I. succeeded his brother Gelo, and, contrary to the usual progression, began his reign by a display of bad qualities. Sensible of his error, and improved by experience, he afterwards adopted more equitable measures. At his death the Syracusans threw off the yoke, and for sixty years revelled in all the joys of freedom. Their peace was, however, disturbed by the Athenians and the Carthaginians. The latter plundered Agrigentum, and threatened ruin to the rest of the Grecian states; but a treaty of peace averted that storm. The Athenians, under pretence of supporting their allies the people of Segesta, but in reality from a thirst of dominion, invested Syracuse with a formidable land and naval armament under the command of Nicias; but in consequence of a rash indigested plan, ill conducted attacks, and inadequate supplies, their whole host was cut to pieces, or led away into captivity. Syracuse had scarcely time to breathe after her victory, ere intestine wars broke out, and raised Dionysius I. to supreme command.' See DIONYSIUS. Avarice, despotism, and cruelty, marked his reign; but his military enterprises were crowned with constant success. Like the modern tyrant of Europe, he patronised men of letters, and was even ambitious of literary fame. 'He died in peace, and bequeathed a powerful sovereignty to a son of his name, tainted with the same and worse vices, but not endowed with equal capacity and martial ability; in such hands the rod of tyranny ceased to be formidable, and the tyrant was driven out of Sicily by the patriotic party; but matters were not sufficiently settled for popular government, and Dionysius II. resumed the sceptre for a while, till Timoleon forced him into perpetual exile.'

Liberty seemed now to be established on a permanent basis; but in Syracuse such prospects always proved illusory. Agathocles, a tyrant more inhuman than any preceding usurper, seized the throne, and deluged the country with blood. He was involved in a perilous contest with the Carthaginians, who obtained many advantages over him, drove his troops from port to port, and at last blocked up his capital. In this desperate situation, when all foreign. helps were precluded, and hardly a resource remained at home, the genius of Agathocles compassed his deliverance by a plan that was imitated among the ancients by Hannibal, and among the moderns by the famous Cortes. He embarked with the flower of his army; forced his way through innumerable obstacles; landed in Africa; and, having burnt his fleet, routed the Carthaginians in a pitched battle, and laid their territory waste. Carthage seemed to be on the brink of ruin, and that hour might have marked her downfal had the Sicilian host been composed of patriotic soldiers, and not of ungovernable assassins; discord pervaded the victorious camp, murder and riot ensued; and the tyrant, after beholding his children and friends butchered before his face, escaped to Sicily, to meet a death as tragical as his crimes deserved. See AGATHOCLES. Anarchy now raged throughout the island, and every

faction was reduced to the necessity of calling in the assistance of foreign power; among whom Pyrrhus king of Epirus took the lead, and reduced all parties to some degree of order and obedience. But ambition soon prompted him to invade those rights which he came to defend; he cast off the mask, and made Sicily feel under his sway as heavy a hand as that of its former oppressors; but the Sicilians soon assumed courage and strength enough to drive him out of the island. About this period the Mamertini, whom Mr. Swinburne indignantly styles a crew of miscreants, surprised Messina, and, after a general massacre of the citizens, established a republican form of government. See MAMER TINI. Their commonwealth became so troublesome a neighbour to the Greeks that Hiero II., who had been raised to the chief command at Syracuse in consideration of his superior wisdom and warlike talents, found himself necessitated to form a league with Carthage to destroy this nest of villains. In their distress the Mamertini implored the assistance of Rome, though the senate had recently punished with exemplary severity one of their own legions for a similar outrage committed at Rhegium. The virtue of the Romans gave way to the temptation, and the desire of extending their empire beyond the limits of Italy cast a veil over every odious circumstance attending this alliance. A Roman army crossed the Faro, relieved Messina, defeated the Carthaginians, and humbled Hiero into an ally of the republic. Thus began the first Punic war, which was carried on for many years in Sicily with various success.

The genius of Hamilcar Barcas supported the African cause under numberless disappointments, and the repeated overthrows of his colleagues; at last, finding his exertions ineffectual, he advised the Carthaginian rulers to purchase peace at the price of Sicily. Such a treaty was not likely to be observed longer than want of strength should curb the animosity of the vanquished party; when their vigor was recruited, Hannibal, son of Hamilcar, easily persuaded them to resume the contest, and for sixteen years waged war in the heart of the Roman territories. Meanwhile Hiero conducted himself with so much prudence that he retained the friendship of both parties, and preserved his portion of Sicily in perfect tranquillity. He died in extreme old age, beloved and respected both at home and abroad. See HIERO II. His grandson Hieronymus, forsaking this happy line of politics and contracting an alliance with Carthage, fell an early victim to the troubles which his own folly had excited. Once more, and for the last time, the Syracusans found themselves in possession of their independence; but the times were no longer suited to such a system; dissensions gained head and distracted the public councils. Carthage could not support them, or prevent Marcellus from undertaking the siege of Syracuse, immortalised by the mechanical efforts of Archimedes, and the immensity of the plunder. See SYRACUSE.

The Sicilians after this relinquished all martial ideas, and, during a long series of generations, turned their attention solely to the arts of

peace and the labors of agriculture. Their position in the centre of the Roman empire preserved them both from civil and foreign foes, except in two instances of a servile war. The rapacity of their governors was a more constant and insupportable evil. In this state of apathy and opulence Sicily remained down to the seventh century of our era, when the Saracens began to disturb its tranquillity. The barbarous nations of the north had before invaded and ravaged its coasts, but had not long kept possession. The Saracens were more fortunate. In 827 they availed themselves of quarrels among the Sicilians to subdue the country. Palermo was chosen for their capital, and the standard of Mahomet triumphed about 200 years. In 1038 George Maniaces was sent by the Greek emperor with a great army to attack Sicily. He made good his landing, and pushed his conquests with vigor; his success arose from the valor of some Norman troops, which were at that time unemployed and ready to sell their services to the best bidder. Maniaces repaid them with ingratitude; and by his absurd conduct gave the Mussulmans time to breathe, and the Normans a pretext and opportunity of invading the Imperial dominions in Italy. Robert and Roger of Hauteville afterwards conquered Sicily on their own account, not as mercenaries; for, having substantially settled their power on the continent, they turned their arms against this island in obedience to the dictates of zeal and ambition. After ten years struggle, the Saracens yielded up the rich prize, and Robert ceded it to his brother Roger, who assumed the title of great earl of Sicily, ruled the state with wisdom, and ranks deservedly among the greatest characters in history. He raised himself from the humble station of a poor younger son of a private gentleman, to the exalted dignity of a powerful monarch, by the sole force of his own genius and courage; he governed a nation of strangers with vigor and justice, and transmitted his possessions undisputed to his posterity. Such an assemblage of great qualities is well entitled to our admiration.

Earl Roger was succeeded by his son Simon, whose reign was short, and made way for a second son called Roger II. In 1127 this prince joined to his Sicilian possessions the whole inheritance of Robert Guiscard (see NAPLES), and assumed the regal style. The greatest part of his reign was taken up in quelling revolts in Italy, but Sicily enjoyed profound peace. In 1154 his son William ascended the throne, and passed his life in war and confusion. William II. succeeded his father and died without issue. His defeat by Saladin is noticed under the article EGYPT. Tancred, though basely born, was elected his successor, and after him his son William III., who was vanquished by Henry of Suabia. During the troubles that agitated the reign of his son, the emperor Frederick, peace appears to have been the lot of Sicily. A shortlived sedition, and a revolt of the Saracens, are the only commotions recorded. For greater security the Saracens were removed to Puglia, 400 years after the conquest of Sicily by their ancestors. Under Conrad and Manfred Sicily

remained quiet; and from that time the history of Sicily is related under the article NAPLES. At the death of Charles II. of Spain his spoils became an object of furious contention; and, at the peace of Utrecht, Sicily was ceded to Victor, duke of Savoy, who, not many years after, was forced by the emperor Charles VI. to relinquish that fine island, and take Sardinia as an equivalent. But, as the Spaniards had no concern in these bargains, they made a sudden attempt to recover Sicily, in which they failed, through the vigilance of the English admiral Byng. He destroyed their fleet in 1718, and compelled them to drop their scheme for a time. In 1734 the Spanish court resumed their design with success. The infant Charles drove the Germans out, and was crowned king of the two Sicilies at Palermo. When he passed into Spain, to take possession of that crown, he transferred the Sicilian diadem to his son Ferdinand III. of Sicily and IV. of Naples, and it has ever since remained in the possession of the same family. See NAPLES. We conclude the history of Sicily with a piece of very important local history. About 1785 Count Caraccioli was appointed viceroy. The government of this nobleman was very beneficial to Sicily, as he, in a great measure, cleared the island of the banditti that used to infest it, and made several excellent regulations for the establishment of social order and personal security. He deserves the thanks of every well-wisher to mankind for having abolished the court of inquisition which had been established in this country by Ferdinand the Catholic, and made dependent on the authority of the grand inquisitor of Spain. Its last auto-da-fe was held in 1724, when two persons were burnt. At length Charles III. rendered it independent of the Spanish inquisitor, and abridged its power, by forbidding it to make use of the torture, and to inflict public punishments. The marchese Squillace and his successor for the marchese Tanucci, were both enemies to the hierarchy; and, during their vice-royalties, took care to appoint sensible and liberal men to the office of inquisitor; the last of whom was Ventimiglia, a man of a most humane and amiable character, who heartily wished for the abolition of this diabolical court, and readily contributed towards it. While he held the office of inquisitor, he always endeavoured to procure the acquittal of the accused; and, when he could succeed no other way, would pretend some informality in the trial. The total annihilation of this instrument of the worst of tyranny was reserved for Caraccioli. A priest, being accused to the inquisition, was dragged out of his house and thrown into the dungeon. He was condemned; but on account of informality, and a violation of justice in the trials, he appealed to the viceroy, who appointed a committee of jurists to examine the process. The inquisitor refused to acknowledge the authority of this commission; pretending that to expose the secrets of the holy office, and to submit its decisions to the examination of lay judges, would be so inconsistent with his duty, that he would see the inquisition abolished rather than consent to it. Caraccioli took him at his word, and procured

a royal mandate by which the holy office was at once annihilated. He assembled all the nobility, judges, and bishops, on the 27th of March, 1782, in the palace of the inquisition, and commanded the king's order to be read; after which he took possession of the archives, and caused all the prisons to be set open: in these were at that time only two prisoners who had been condemned to perpetual confinement for witchcraft. The papers relating to the finances were preserved; but all the rest were publicly burned. The possessions of the holy office were assigned to the use of churches and charitable institutions but the officers then belonging to it retained their salaries during their lives. The palace itself is converted into a custom-house, and the place where heretics were formerly roasted alive, for the honor of the Catholic faith, is now changed into a public garden. The cognizance of offences against orthodoxy is committed to the bishops; but they cannot cite any one to appear before them without permission from the viceroy; neither can they confine any person in a solitary prison, nor deny him the privilege of writing to his friends, and conversing freely with his advocate. In 1798 the king of the two Sicilies having irritated the French republicans, by taking part in the war, they soon made reprisals and obliged him to flee for refuge, with the whole royal family, on board the British fleet under lord Nelson; who landed them safely at Palermo in Sicily, on the 27th of December, where they continued till the French were finally expeiled from Italy; after which they returned to Naples. Thence they were again driven in the beginning of the year 1806: NAPLES, see that article, was given to Buonaparte's brotherin-law, Murat; until, in May, 1815, he participated in the general overthrow of that despot's schemes; and, in the June of that year, the old royal family was restored.

SICK, adj. & v. n.
SICK EN, v. a. & v. n.
SICK'LY, adv., adj., & v. a.
SICKNESS, n. s.

Saxon, reoc; Dutch, sieck. Afflicted with disease; with of before the disease; disordered; corrupted; disgusted: as a verb neuter (obsolete) to take a disease: to sicken, verb active, is to make sick; disease; weaken: as a verb neuter, to grow sick; grow weak; decay; be filled with disgust: the adverb, adjective, and noun substantive following, correspond.

Himself took our infirmities and bare our sicknesses. Matthew.

In poison there is physic; and this news,
That would, had I been well, have made me sick,
Being sick, hath in some measure made me well.
Shakspeare.
Cassius I am sick of many griefs. Id. Julius Cæsar.
What we oft do best,

By sick interpreters, or weak ones, is
Not ours, or not allowed: what worst, as oft
For our best act.
Hitting a grosser quality, is cried up

Id. Henry VIII.

A little time before
Our great grandsire Edward sicked and died.
Id. Henry IV.
Kinsmen of mine have

By this so sickened their estates, that never
They shall abound as formerly. Id. Henry VIII.

It

SICK-BAY, or SICK-BIRTH (Fr. poste aux malades), in line of battle ships, is a place immediately under the forecastle, usually fitted up on the starboard side, and appropriated to the reception of the sick and wounded seamen. is partitioned off by wooden frames screened with canvas, and may be easily taken down and folded on coming to action. When there is not sufficient room in the sick bay for the patients, other places are fitted up between decks, &c.

The sick and hurt and transport board for prisoners of war consists in time of war of six commissioners and a secretary, one of whom is always physician, who are called commissioners of that board. Their duty consists in arranging, in the most advantageous manner, the various the United Kingdom, with respect to receiving, departments relating to the prisoners of war in discharging, exchanging, victualling, and clothing them. It also extends to our naval hospital departments, so far as victualling, clothing, and supplying medicines, necessaries, &c.; and they have the appointment of all officers thereto, except governors, chaplains, physicians, and lieutenants, who are within the patronage of the admiralty board. They appoint first and second lieutenants, stewards, and clerks to prison-ships; also all medical officers to the navy. The medical commissioner has the examining of the surgeons and assistant surgeons, intended for the royal navy, in physic, chemistry, &c., after they have passed Surgeon's Hall; he has also the examination of all the surgeon's journals. The commissioner's power is united in the appointment of all officers within the limits of the board, which has an immediate intercourse with the Admiralty Board.

on

Regulations for sick and hurt seamen board our own ships.-In every ship convenient room must be made between decks for the reception of sick and hurt seamen, who are placed under the immediate care of the surgeon, or assistant where no surgeon is allowed, who visits them twice a day, or oftener if occasion requires. The captain is to appoint some of the ship's company, by turns, to serve the sick night and day, and keep the place clean, to be washed with vinegar, and fumigated if the surgeon shall deem it necessary.

By orders from the captain, the cooper may make buckets out of the old staves and hoops and the carpenter cradles for the use of the sick, and those who have fractured bones. When men are taken ill with infectious fevers, they are to be stripped at their entry into the sick birth, and, if practicable, washed with soap and warm water; their clothes are also to be immersed and washed in boiling water, in order to destroy infection, and the strictest attention must be paid to the cleanliness of the patient. The surgeon is also to direct in regulating the diet of the sick, according to their several symptoms and disarticles as he may judge improper; in cases orders, restricting salted provisions, and such where wine is required, he is to apply to the captain, that the purser may supply them with the quantity he shall judge necessary. When fish is caught for the ship's company, he is to give the captain a list of the men who stand

most in need of such refreshment, that they may be the first attended to.

Regulations for sending sick and hurt seamen from their ships for cure.-Sick men are never to be sent to hospitals, neither attending the ship nor on shore, except when their distempers or hurts render it inconvenient to keep them on board their own ships. In that case they must be sent under the charge of an officer and a surgeon's assistant, as the case may require, with, their clothes, bedding, and a sick ticket, expressing their names, entry, and number on the ship's books, with a case from the surgeon particularising the previous symptoms and treatment which he or his assistant has experienced and adopted. An officer is never to be sent to an hospital except in cases of urgency, without the approbation of the commander-in-chief, who is to direct the captains to visit the hospitals, and enquire into the conduct of the medical attendants, &c., and to attend to any complaints the patients may have to make. The commander-inchief, or senior-officer present, must occasionally visit the hospital when other duties will admit of it. The captain is to send an officer on discharging days, to receive such men as are recovered, and to take an account of such as are dead, discharged, &c.

When any are discharged from sick-quarters, and do not return to their ship in twenty-eight days, a D. S. Q. is placed against their names, in order to stop their pay. Captains are to receive such men as the agent of an hospital shall send to them; and if they think them unserviceable, they are to apply for their being surveyed. Slop clothes are not to be issued to any man during his continuance in sick-quarters, unless when it is absolutely necessary, and then they must be entered in the ship's books to be charged against his wages. When ships are in a foreign port where there is not a naval hospital, nor any person appointed by the commissioners for sick and wounded seamen, when necessity requires, the commander-in-chief, senior officer, or captain present, must cause tents to be made for their reception with the old sails of the ship, and appoint the best qualified surgeon in the squadron, &c., to attend them. But, if the raising of tents and the attendance of surgeons be impracticable, the commander-in-chief, &c., may contract with proper persons to supply the sick with lodgings, provisions, &c.; and to appoint some well-qualified medical man or surgeon of the place to attend them, who shall be allowed a specified sum for medicines and attendance. With the sick men are sent the usual sick-tickets, which the surgeon is never to deliver to them, but is to send them to the captain of the ship into which they may be discharged; and he is to receive from the captain a certificate of the day on which the men are sent on board.

SICK-LIST (Fr. ètat des malades), a list containing the names of all those who are unable to do duty in the ship, is daily sent up by the surgeon to the captain, for his inspection and guidance. SICK ER, adj. Welsh, siccr; Belg. seker. Sure; certain; firm. Obsolete.

Sicker thou's but a lazy loord,

And rekes much of thy swink,

Time should never,

In life or death their fortunes sever;
But with his rusty sickle mow
Both down together at a blow.

Shakspeare.

Hudibras.

O'er whom Time gently shakes his wings of down, Till with his silent sickle they are mown. Dryden. When corn has once felt the sickle, it has no more South's Sermons. benefit from the sunshine.

SICKLE. The same instruments are denominated sickles and hooks. Some of them are also used in one part of the country and some in another.

The common sickle is a sort of semicircular piece of wrought iron faced with steel, which in general is from about twenty to thirty inches in length, and about half an inch in breadth, having a sharp toothed edge cut in the steel part, from twenty-six to thirty teeth being formed in every inch in length. The teeth all incline towards the handle of the tool, so that it only cuts when it is drawn towards the person using it, and not when introduced through the standing corn in the act of reaping. The Furness sickle, a valuable tool of this kind, made use of in a district of that name in the northern part of Lancashire, has a blade two feet six inches long, edged with fifteen teeth in every inch, and in the span of its curvature measures two feet from the heel to the point. It is a powerful tool, and capable of doing much work in a given time when in good hands, as seen below.

The smooth-edged sickle, or reap hook, has a shape and length which are much the same as those in the common sickle, only a little broader; but the edge is smooth or sharp, and without teeth.

The badging or bagging sickle, or hook, is a tool of the same kind, but which is a great deal larger and heavier, as well as broader at the point. It can, however, be used with great effect and expedition by those who are accustomed to this mode of reaping.

The sickle-hook is also another tool of this nature, which is made use of in some districts. It is only toothed from about the middle to the point end, by which the waste of grain in cutting is said to be prevented.

The most ancient of these tools is the common sickle, and it is probably on the whole the best of them, though it is getting much out of use in many parts of the country, being now even scarcely known or employed in the counties of Devon, Cornwall, and Somerset, and many other places in the more western districts of the kingdom, having long since given place to the hooks, the reason of which seems to be the greater ease