SAX

SAXONY, the name of two circles of the Ger man empire, an electorate, and duchy.

1. SAXONY, DUCHY OF, or the ELECTORAL CIRCLE of SAXONY, is bounded by the circles of Meifen, Leipzig, and Thuringia, the principality of Anhalt, the marche of Brandenburg, and Lufa tia. The principality of Anhalt lies acrofs it, and divides it into two parts. Its greatest length and breadth is computed to about 40 miles; but though it is watered by the Elbe, the Black Elfter, and the Mulde, it is not very fruitful, the foil for the moft part confifting of fand. It contains 24 towns, 3 boroughs, betwixt 400 and 500 villages, 164 noble. men's eftates, 11 fuperintendencies, 3 infpections, under one confiftory, and 11 prefecturates or diftries. The prefent duchy of Saxony is not to be confound with the old; for the latter was of a much greater extent, and contained in it thofe large tracts, anciently called Eaftphalia, Eugern, and Weftphalia, of which the electoral circle was no part, but was taken by Albert the Bear, margrave of Salzwedel, from the Vendi. His fon Bernard obtaining the dignity of duke of Saxony from the emperor Frederic I. the title of duchy was given to this country; and the electoral dignity having been afterwards annexed to the duchy, it acquired thereby alfo the name of the electoral circle.

1. SAXONY, ELECTORATE OF, or SAXONY PROPER, Confifts of the duchy, N° 1, the greateft part of the Margraviate of Meiffen, afpart of the Vogtland, and the northern half of the landgravate of Thuringia. The Lufatias alfo, and a part of the Country of Henneberg, belong to it, but are no part of this circle. The foil of the electoral dominions lying in this circle is in general exceeding rich and fruitful, yielding corn, fruits, and pulfe in abundance, together with hops, flax, hemp, tobacco, anifeed, wild faffron, wood; and in fome places wood, wine, coals, porcelain clay, terra figillata, fullers earth, fine fhiver, various forts of beautiful marble ferpentine ftone, and almost all the different fpecies of precious ftones. Sulphur, alum, vitriol, free-ftone, falt fprings, amber, turf, cinnabar, quick filver, antimony, bifmuth, arfenic, cobalt, and other minerals, are found in it: likewife valuable mines of filver, copper, tin, lead, and iron; and abounds in many places with horned cattle, sheep, horfes, and venifon The principal rivers are the Elbe, the Black Elfter, the Mukle, the Saale, the Unftrut, the White Elfter, and the Pleiffe. Thefe rivers, as well as the lakes and rivulets, abound in fish; and in the White El

VOL. XX. PART I

SA X

fter are found beautiful pearls. This electorate ro extremely well cultivated and inhabited, and includes about 250 great and small towns, upwards of 5000 villages, 196 royal manors, and near as many royal castles, befides private eftates, and commanderies. The provincial diets confift of 3 claffes. The firft is compofed of the prelates, the counts, and lords, and the two univerfities of Leipfic and Wittenberg. To the ad belong the nobility in general, immediate or mediate, that is, fuch as ftand immediately under the fief-chancery or the aulic judicatories, and fuch as are immedi ately under the jurifdiction of the amtman. The 3d clafs is formed of the towns in general. The general provincial diets are ordinarily held every fix years; but there are others, called selection diets, convened commonly every two years. Not only thefe diets, but thofe in moft of the other states of Germany, are at prefent extremely infignificant and unimportant, retaining little more than the shadow of their former power and privileges; yet even the petty princes, though they depend upon their more potent neighbours, and muft be careful not to give them any umbrage, are almost as abfolute in their refpective territories as the grand feignior himself. As to religion, it was in this country, that the reformation took its rife in the 16th century, to which it hath ever fince adhered, according to the doctrines of Luther. The two late electors, when they embraced Popery, to qua lify themfelves to be elected kings of Poland, gave the moft folemn affurances to their people that they would inviolably maintain the established religion and its profeffors in the full and free enjoyment of all their ecclefiaftical rights, privileges, and prerogatives whatsoever, in regard to churches, worship, ceremonies, ufages, univerfities, fchools, benefices, incomes, profits, jurifdictions, and immunities. The electoral families ftill continue Roman Catholics, though they have loft the crown of Poland, for which they at firft embraced Popery. As to ecclefiaftical matters, the country is divided into parishes, and these again into fpiritual inspections and confiftories, all fubor dinate to the ecclefiaftical council and upper confiftory of Drefden, in which city and Leipfic the Calvinifts and Roman Catholics enjoy the free exercife of their religion. Learning flourishes in this electorate: in which, befides the free fchools and gymnafia in moft of the chief towns, are the two celebrated univerfities of Wittenberg and Leipzic, in the last of which are alfo focieties for the liberal

A

arts

Warfaw, and a member of the confederation of the Rhine; but he has not the tenth part of the power which he then had, though his ftates are rather increafed. He is the mere creature of Bonaparte; and, as he is certainly an unwilling flave, and known to be fo, even his nominal power and dignity will probably be of very short duration.

3. SAXONY, LOWER, a circle of the German empire, bounded on the S. by the circle of Upper Saxony, and a part of the Upper Rhine; on the N. by the duchy of Slefwick, belonging to the king of Denmark, and the Baltic; on the W. by the circle of Weftphalia and the North Sea; and on the E. by the circle of Upper Saxony. The ftates belonging to it are the duchies and principalities of Magdeburg and Bremen, Zell, Grubenhagen, Calenburg, Wolfenbuttle, Halberftadt, Mecklenburg-Schwerin, MecklenburgGuftro, Holftein-Gluckstadt, Holftein-Gottorp, Hildesheim, Saxe-Lauenburg; the archbishopric of Lubeck; the principalities of Schwerin, Ratzeburg, Blankenburg, Ranzau; the imperial cities of Lubeck, Gotzlar, Muhlhaufen, Nordhaufen, Hamburgh, and Bremen. The dukes of Bremen and Magdeburg are alternately directors and fummoning princes; but, ever fince 1682, the diets which ufed generally to be held at Brunswick or Lunenburg, have been difcontinued. Towards the army of the empire, which, by a decree of the empire in 1681, was fettled at 40,000 men, this circle was to furnish 1322 horsemen and 2707 foot; and of the 300,coo florins granted to the imperial cheft in 1707, its quota was 31,271 florins; both which affeffments are the fame with those of Upper Saxony, Burgundy, Suabia, and Weftphalia. This circle at prefent nominates only two affeffors in the chamber judicatory of the empire, of one of which the elector of Brunswick Lunenburg has the nomination, who must be a Lutheran, and is the ninth in rank. The inhabitants of this circle are almost all Lutherans.

arts and the German language, with bookfellers and printers of the greateft eminence. A great variety of manufactures is alfo carried on in this country. The principal are thofe of fiue and coarfe linen, thread, fine lace, paper, fine glaffes and mirrors; PORCELAIN, equal, if not fuperior, to that of China; iron, brafs, and fteel wares; manufactures of gold and filver, cotton, wool and filk; gloves, caps, hats, and tapeftry; in which, and the natural productions mentioned above, together with dyeing, an important foreign commerce is carried on. A great addition has been made fince 1718 to the electorial territories, by the extinction of the collateral branches of Zeitz, Merseburg, and Weifenfels, whofe dominions devolved to the elder electoral branch, defcended from the margraves of Meiffen. The first of thefe, who was elector of Saxony, was Frederick the Warlike, about the beginning of the 15th century. This elector ftyled himself duke of Saxony, Juliers, Cleves, and Berg, as alfo of Engen and Weftphalia, arch-marthal and elector of the 'Holy Roman empire, landgrave in Thuringia, margrave of Meiffen, and of Upper and Lower Lufatia, burgrave of Magdeburg, princely count of Henne berg, count of La Mark, Ravenfberg, Barby, and Hanau, and the lord of Ravenftein. But the titles of JULIERS and CLEVES may now be laid afide, as thefe countries are now annexed to the French empire. (See thefe articles.) Among the electors he is reckoned the fixth, as great marfhal of the empire, of which he is alfo vicar during an interregnum, in all places not subject to the vicariate of the count palatine of the Rhine. He is fole director of the circle. His matricular affeffment, on account of the electorate, is 1984 florins, befides what he pays for other diftricts and territories. To the chamber courts he contributes each term the fum of 1545 rix dollars, with 83 rix-dollars and 63 Aruitzers on account of the county of Mansfield. In this electorate, fubordinate to the privy council, are various colleges for the departments of war, foreign affairs, the finances, fiefs, mines, police, and ecclefiaftical affairs, together with tribunals and courts of juftice, to which appeals lie from the inferior. The revenues of this clector are as confiderable as thofe of any prince in the empire, if we except thofe of the houfe of Auftria. They arife from the ordinary and extraordinary fubfidies of the ftates; his own demefnes, confifting of 72 bailiwics; the impoft on beer, and fine porcelain; tenths of corn, fruit, wine, &c. his own filver mines, and the tenths of thofe that belong to others; all which added together, bring in an yearly revenue of betwixt 700,000l. and 800,000l.; yet the electorate is at prefent deeply in debt. The regular troops commonly amount to 20,000 men, exclusive of the militia of the ban, the arriere-ban, aud the body of miners and hunters, who are obliged in time of war to bear arms. The whole electorate, is divided into circles. The war with Prufla in 1806, fee PRUSSIA, 15, and the fub fequent events of the French revolution, fee REVOLUTION, have totally destroyed the Germanic conftitution, and altered the names, powers, and relations of all the princes. The ftate of Saxony was, as we have juft defcribed it, ten years ago. The elector is now king of Saxony and duke of

3. SAXONY PROPER. See N° 2.

4. SAXONY, UPPER, a circle of the German empire, bounded by that of Franconia, the Upper Rhine, and Lower Saxony; and alfo by the Baltic Sea, Pruffia, Poland, Silefia, Lufatia, and Bohemia. It is of great extent, and contains the following ftates, viz. the electorates of Saxony and Brandenburg, Saxe-Weimar, Saxe-Eifenach, SaxeCobourg, Saxe-Gotha, Saxe-Altenburg, SaxeQuerfurt, the Hither and Farther Pomerania, Camin, Anhalt, Quedlinburg, Gernrode, Walkenried, Schwartburg, Sonderfhaufen, Schwarzburg Rudolftadt, Mansfield, Stolberg, Barby, the counties of Reuffen, and the counties of Schonberg. No diets have been held in this circle fince 1683. The elector of Saxony has always been the fole fummoning prince and director of it. Moft of the inhabitants profefs the Proteftant religion. When the whole empire furnishes 40,000 men, the quota of this circle is 1322 horse, and 2707 foot. Of the 300,000 Borins granted by the empire in 1707, it contributed only 31,272 florins, 28 kruitzers, being rated no higher than thofe of Weftphalia, Lower Saxony, Suabia, and Burgundy, though it is much larger. Agreeable to a refolution and regulation in 1654, this circle

nominates

nominates now only two affeffors of the chamber

court.

SAXTED, a fmall town of England, in Suffex, near Framlingham.

SAXTHORP, a town of England, in Norfolk, NW, of Alefham.

SAXTON, a town of Yorksh, near Aberforth. SAITON'S RIVER, a river of Vermont, which runs into the Connecticut, at Westminster. SAXULBY, a fmall town of England, in Leicefterfhire, NW. of Melton Mowbray.

(1) SAY, Samuel, an English clergyman and poet, fecond fon of the Rev. Giles Say, vicar of St Michaels in Southampton, was born in 1675. He was educated at the academy of the Rev. Thomas Rowe, London, about 1692. After acting as chaplain and preacher in Andover and Yarmouth, he was fettled at Loweftoffe for 18 years. He next became colleague to the Rev. Samuel Baxter, at Ipfwich for 9 years, and at last, in 1734, fucceeded the celebrated Dr Edmund Calamy at Westminster; where he died April 12, 1743, aged 68. A volume of bis Poems was published in 4to, 1743, with 2 Elays in profe, On the Harmony, Variety, and Power of Numbers which have been much ad. 3 mired. Thefe were published for the benefit of his daughter. He wrote feveral other tracts. (2)SAY... [from the verb.] 1. A fpeech; what one has to fay. He no fooner faid out his ay, but up rifes a cunning inap. L'Etrange. 2. [For aay. Sample.

good a say invites the eye. Sidney. Thy tongue fome 'say of breeding breathes, By rule of knighthood I difdain. Shak. Trial by a fample. This gentleman having brought that earth to the public 'say mafters, and upon their being unable to bring it to fufion, or mak it fly away, he had procured a little of it, and with a peculiar flux feparated a third part of pure gold. Boyle. 4. [Soie, Fr.) Silk. Obfolete. 3. A kind of woollen ftuff.

(3.) SAY, or Sove, in commerce, a kind of ferge much ufed abroad for linings, and by the religious for fhirts; with us it is ufed for aprons by feveral forts of artificers, being ufually dyed green. (1.) To SAY. v. a. preter. said. [secgan, Sax. eggen, Dutch.] 1. To fpeak; to utter in words;

to tell.

い

Say it ought Diggon, whatever it hight. Spens. In this flumbery agitation what have you heard her say? Shak.-Speak unto Solomon; for he will not say thee nay. I Kings-Say nothing to any man, Mark. 2. To allege by way of argument. After all can be said against a thing, this will fill be true, that many things poffible are Tillotfon In vain fhall we attempt to justify ourfelves, as the rich young man in the gofpel did, by appealing to the great duties of the law; unless we can say fomewhat more. Atterbury. 3. To tell

in

apy manner.

Meffenger with letters which his meffage said. Fairy Queen. 4. To repeat; to rehearfe; as, to say a part; to say a leffon. 5. To pronounce without finging. Then thall be said or fung as follows. Common Prayer.

1. To fpeak; to proHe said moreover,

(3.) To SAY, v. n. nounce; to utter; to relate.

I have fomewhat to say unto thee; and she said, say on. I Kings. The council-table and starchamber hold, as Thucydides said of the Athenians for honourable that which pleased, and for just that which profited. Clarendon. -The lion here has taken his right measures, that is to say, he bas made a true judgment. L'Erange. Of fome propofitions it may be difficult to say whether they affirm or deny; as when we say, Plato was no fool. Watts. 2. In poetry, say is often used before a question; tell.

Say first what caufe

Moved our grand parents to fall off? Milton.
Say, Stella, feel you no content,
Reflecting on a life well fpent?

Swift.

And who more bleft, who chained his country; say,

Or he whole virtue fighed to lofe a day? Pope. SAYA, a town in the island of Cuba; 15 miles SSW. of Spiritu Santo.

SAYAN KIAMEN, a town of Chinese Tartary. Lon. 143. 21. E. of Ferro. Lat. 43, 27. N.

SAYBROOK, a town of Connecticut, in Middlesex county, fo named after Lord Say and Lord Brook, whofe agent built it about 1630. Its fort was a fecurity against the Pequot Indians in 1637; and was useful during the American war. It is feated on the W. fide of the mouth of the Con. necticut, across which is a bridge 15 miles W. of New London, and 1s S. of Hadham,

SAYCOCK, an island of Japan, feparated from Niphon, by a narrow channel The Dutch factors refide in the inland of Difnia, which lies on the W. fide of Saycock. Lon. 132. 28, E. Lat. 34. o. N.

SAYD. See SIDON,

SAYDA, a town of Germany, in Upper Saxony, and circle of Erzgeburg; 14 miles SSE. of Freyberg.

SAYE. See SAY, N° 3. *SAYING. 2.s. [from say] Expreffion; words; opinion fententiously delivered.

Thou haft proved Lucilius saying true. Shak. Mofes fled at this faying. A&s Milton.

Many are the sayings of the wife. Others try to divert the troubles of other men by pretty and plaufible sayings, fuch as this, that if evils are long, they are but light. TilletfonWe poetic folks, who must reftrain Our measured sayings in an equal chain, Have troubles utterly unknown to thofe Who let their fancy loofe in rambling profe.

.SAYN-HACHENBACH lies in the Westerwald, and is intermixed with the territories of Heffe Darmstadt.

SAYPAN, one of the MARIANA ISLANDS, in the E. Indian Ocean, about 20 miles in circumference. Except Guam, it is the largest and moft populous of all these islands. Its foil is fertile, and climate ferene; and it abounds in all the neceffaries of life. Lon. from 140° to 150° E. Lat. 14° 30 to 15° 22′ N.

SAZA, a town of Spain, in the province of Arragon: 6 miles SW. of Ainfa.

SBIRRI, n. f. [Ital.] Halberdeers. See ROME, $99.

SBROGLIAVACCA, a town of Auftria, in Friuli; 8 miles from Concordia.

(1.) SCAB. n. f. [fcab, Saxon; fcabbia, Italian; fchabbe, Dutch; fcabies, Latin.] 1. An incruftation formed over a fore by dried matter.

What's the matter, you diffentious rogues, That rubbing the poor itch of your opinion, Make yourselves fcabs?

Shak.

Clear from feabs produc'd by freezing air. Dryden. 2. The itch or mange of horfes. 3. A paltry fellow, fo named from the itch often incident to negligent poverty.-I would make thee the loathfomeft fcab in Greece. Shak.-Well said, Wart, thou art a good feab. Shak.-A head man of the city took it in dudgeon to be ranked, cheek by joul, with a fcab of a currier. L'Eftrange.

This vap'ring feab must needs devile To ape the thunder of the skies. Savift. (2.) SCAB. See ITCH and MEDICINE, Index. (3.) SCAB, in fheep. See SHEEP. *SCABBARD. n. f. fchap, German, Junius.] The fheath of a fword.

Nor in thy Scabbard sheath that famous blade, 'Till fettled be thy kingdom and eftate. Fairf. -What eyes! you do well to keep 'em veil'd; they are too fharp to be trufted out o' the feabbard. Dryden.

* SCABBED. adj. [from fcab.] 1. Covered or difeafed with fcabs. The briar fruit makes thofe that eat them fcabbed. Bacon. 2. Paltry; forry; vile; worthlefs.

To you fuch feabb'd harsh fruit is giv'n, as

raw

Young foldiers at their exercifings gnaw. Dryd. * SCABBEDNESS. n. f. [from scabbed.] The State of being fcabbed.

*SCABBINESS. n. f. [from feabby. The quality of being fcabby.

fcabs.

SCABBY. adj. [from scab.] Diseased with

Her writhled skin, as rough as maple rind, So fcabby was, that 'twould have loathed all womankind. Fairy Queen. A feabby tetter on their pelts will stick. Dryd. If the grazier should bring me one wedder fat and well fleeced, and expect the fame price for a whole hundred, without giving me fecurity to refore my money for thofe that were lean, fhorn, or feabby, I would be none of his cuftomer. Swift, SCABIOSA, SCARIOUS, in botany, a genus of the monogynia order, belonging to the tetrandria clafs of plants; and in the natural method ranking

under the 48th order, Aggregata. The common calyx is polyphyllous; the proper one is double fuperior; the receptacle is paleaceous or naked. The most remarkable species are,

1. SCABIOSA ARVENSIS, the meadow fcabious, grows naturally in many places of Britain. It hath a strong, thick, fibrous root, fending out many branching stalks, which rife to the height of three feet; the lower leaves are fometimes almoft entire, and at others they are cut into many fegments almoft to the midrib. The flowers are produced upon naked footftalks at the end of the branches; they are of a purple colour, and have a faint odour.

2. SCABIOSA SUCCISA, or devil's bit, grows naturally in woods and moift places. This has a fhort tap-root, the end of which appears as if it was bitten or cut off, whence the plant has taken ite name. The leaves are open and fpear-shaped, and smooth; the ftalks are single, about two feet high, garnished with two leaves at each joint; they generally send out two fhort footftalks from their upper joint, ftanding opposite, which are terminated by purple flowers. Both these have been recommended as aperient, fudorific, and expectorant; but the prefent practice has no de pendence on them.

1

(r.)* SCABIOUS. adj. [fcabiofus, Lat.] Itchy; leprous. In the fpring Scabious eruptions upon the skin were epidemical, from the acidity of the blood. Arbuthnot.

(2.) SCABIOUS. n. f. [fcabieufe, Fr. fcabiofa, Lat.] A plant.

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