The Cheyenne daily leader. [volume] (Cheyenne, Wyo.) 1870-1884, 1880-06-15
WHAT DOES s. SIGNIFY.
Abbreyfafies-LlEht Waates
N IA 8ukieef.

ms a~bbreyiatlon. which commonly
appears at the head Of afidayits, As fol
example: State Of New York, cit,
and county Of Albany, ST." perplexes
Rochester correspondent Of the Lau
Journal, who writes:
When reading law, | frequently, In
copying papers, came upon the mystic
rious symbol S., and in answer to my
request for an explanation, the lawyer
with whom l Was studying told me that
those letters stood for the word s~cilioet.
This sileneed but did not satisfy me;
for from that day to this 1t has never
been clear TO me how the word s~cilioei
could furnish comfortable accommoda-
tions TO more than one ..
Yet TIE lawyer who answered my
question had all the authority at his
back. Every dictionary, legal OF 9TH
erwise, which contains the abreviatIon
s., states that 1t Is an abbreyiation for
the word s~eiiioet. Every legal work
which attempts to explain the meaning
Of IS. gives the explanation by the alb
rupt declaration that the letters repre-
sent the word ~srilicei. II seems te have
been a tradition, the origin Of which
has been lost sight OF. and which, like
many other traditions, will not endure
a close scrutiny.
Years ago. when Greek children
were taught that Atlas supported the
heavens OF his shoulders, they were
doubtless warned not TO make any fur
Their inquiries. but to accept the state
ment blindly and reverently. The
same warning should accompany the
%seilicet explanation Of IS. ; for. In spite
Of the authority in its favor, l venture
TO believe that IS. does not represent
scilica- That abbreviation Is only used
In acts requiring peculiar solemnity,
afidavits, acknowledgements, certii-
Gates. In the last two II Is sometimes
omitted, but It always precedes and in
PRODUCES an AFFIDAVIT. Apparently, rs
the act becomes more solemn, the IS.
becomes more important. What. then,
is its meaningp Certainly not scilicet,
'to-wit," which, occupying the place
which IS. occupies, would be absolutely
meaningless. There is. however, an
explanation which, whether or not it
be correct, Is at least plausible.
The most binding oath which the
R~osicrncians could take was that in
the name of the Holy Spirit-Saneiae
Spiritas-and in writing the oath the
name OF the Holy Spirit was abbrevi-
ated to IS. Doubtless they were not
the first to make use of this oath. 1t
Is declared in the scriptures that bias
phemy against the Holy Ghost Is n sin
which shall not be pardoned either in
this world OF in the world to come.
The awful consequences OF this sin
probably led 10 nm early adoption OF
the appeal 10 the Holy Ghost, rs the
weightiest obligation which men could
attach to their promises or acts. II
this theory DO correct, it is reasonably
certain that the name OF the Holy
Ghost would. in writing, be abbreviat-
ed, after the fashion Of early times, to
IS. Thus We have l.. II. S. for the
Latin Of Lesns Hominima Salvador;
Ichtus, for the Greek Jesus Christ,
Son OF God, Saviour" and numerous
other authorizations OF a like character.
1t is therefore probable that the Rosi.
crucians, in using the oath in the name
of the Holy Spirit, and in a~bbreviatine
that name to S., originated nothing
new, but merely adopted an old form
Of oath, with its written abbreviation.
Certainly the similarity between the
IS. Of the oath and the IS. OF legal use
is striking. And IL they may claim an
origin not merely similar, but identi.
cal, we sliall then have the reason fol
the use Of IS. in those acts whose exc
cution calls for particular solemnity.
This theory may be incorrect; but
so long as the ~scilicet explanation is n!
feeble as It now is-so long, in fact, n.
1t is not an explanation but an asser
tion-it is not, in my opinion, as de
serving Of acceptance rs the one hers
given.
The editor of the Lao Journa
throws no light on the subject, but
merely says:
We have always thought IS. n singu.
lar abbreviation of %scilicet. But the
latter expression would not be mean
ingless where IS. is used. Although
s~cilicet Is always defined ''to-wit." as Il
II were equivalent to namely" vel
"to-wit" was originally employed there
In the sense of ito know"-"wit" be
ing an old form Of ''know." .Sciiicei
is derived from scire and licet, and
means ait is permitted to know" A.
thus understood, the cabalistic letters
have the force of the phrase "Know all
men by these presents"
As there is but one $50 in sciiicet, We
must agree with the Rochester CORE.
spondent in doubling whether the IS.
can be the proper abbreviation of that
word. But he is mistaken in asserting
that every dictionary states that IS. is
an abbreviation Of %scilicet. The Encyc.
lopedia Britannica says:
s.. (scilicet), namely; that is TO say.
"a snnra ~srriDiiDa. saucfissiUus sena.