pnugues/EB7 huggingface dataset:
SERES, a people of the Farther Asia, bounded on the west by Scythia without Imaus, on the north and east by Terra Incognita, and on the south by India beyond the Ganges. According to these limits, their country answers nearly to Cathay or Northern China. Mela places them between the Indi and Scythae, and perhaps beyond the Indi, if we distinguish them from the Sinae. The ancients commend them for their cotton manufactures, different from the produce of the bombyces or silk-worms, called seres by the Greeks; and hence serica means silk.

Seres, or Sims, a city of European Turkey, in the province of Rumelia, and the circle of the Bay of Contessa. It stands on a fine plain watered by the rivers Egrifu and Stromza; but it is considered as unhealthy. It is surrounded with walls, which are in a neglected state. It contains ten mosques, several Greek and Armenian churches, and about thirty thousand inhabitants. It is the chief market for cotton wool, which is extensively cultivated on the fertile plains around it. It has also a considerable trade in rice, tobacco, and fruits of all kinds.
SERGEANT, or S erjeant, at Law, or of the Coif, is the highest degree, taken at the common law, as that of doctor is of the civil law; and as these are supposed to be the most learned and experienced in the practice of the courts, there is one court appointed for them to plead in by themselves, which is the Common Pleas, where the common law of England is most strictly observed. But they are not restricted from pleading in any other court, where the judges, who cannot have that honour till they have taken the degree of sergeant-at-law, call them brothers.

Sergean-tat-Arms, or Mace, an officer appointed to attend the person of the king, to arrest traitors and such persons of quality as offend, and to attend the lord high steward when sitting in judgment on a traitor.

There are four other sergeants-at-arms, created in the same manners one, who attends the lord chancellor; a second, the lord treasurer; a third, the speaker of the House of Commons; and a fourth, the lord mayor of London on solemn occasions.

common Sergeant, an officer in the city of London, who attends the lord mayor and court of aldermen on court days, and is in council with them on all occasions, within and without the precincts or liberties of the city. He takes care of orphans’ estates, either by taking account of them, or by signing their indentures, before these pass the lord mayor and court of aldermen; and he likewise lets and manages the orphan estates, according to his judgment, to the best advantage.

Sergeant, in War, is an uncommissioned officer in a company of foot or troop of dragoons, armed with an halbert, and appointed to see discipline observed, to teach the soldiers the exercise of their arms, and to order, straighten,[7:20:108] and form their ranks and files. He receives the orders from the adjutant, which he communicates to his officers. Each company has generally two sergeants.
SERGEANTY (serjeantia) signifies, in Law, a service that cannot be due by a tenant to any lord but the king; and this is either grand sergeanty or petit. The first is a tenure by which the one holds his lands of the king by such services as he ought to do in person to the king at his coronation, and may also concern matters military, or services of honour in peace. Petit sergeanty is where a man holds lands of the king to furnish him yearly with some small thing towards his wars, and in effect payable as rent.

Though all tenures are turned into soccage by the 12th Car. II. cap. 24, yet the honorary services of grand-sergeanty still remain, being excepted in that statute.
SERIES, in general, denotes a continual succession of things in the same order, and having the same relation or connection with each other. In this sense we say, a series of emperors, kings, bishops, and the like.

In natural history, a series is used for an order or subdivision of some class of natural bodies; comprehending all such as are distinguished from the other bodies of that class, by certain characters which they possess in common, and which the rest of the bodies of that cast have not.
SERINGHAM, an island formed by the Cavery, opposite to Trichinopoly, in the Carnatic. The river separates into two branches, and about thirteen miles eastward these branches again approach; but the northern, which is at this place twenty feet lower than the southern branch, is permitted to run waste into the sea, and is termed the Coleroon; whilst the southern, which retains the name of Cavery, is led into a variety of channels to irrigate the province of Tanjore. Near the east end of the island is formed an immense mound, to prevent the waters of the Cavery from descending into the Coleroon. This island is celebrated for two Hindu temples, the largest of which is situated about a mile from the western extremity of the island, and is surrounded by seven square enclosures built of brick, the walls of which are twenty-five feet in height and four feet in thickness. These enclosures are at the distance of 350 feet from each other, and have each four gates opposite the cardinal points. The outward wall is nearly four miles in circumference, and its gateway to the south is ornamented with pillars, several of which are single stones thirty-three feet in length and five in diameter. The British pay so much deference to the Hindu superstitions, that no European has yet entered this temple. It is resorted to from all parts of India by pilgrims seeking absolution for their sins. A tax is levied on them; and this fund, besides supporting a number of dancing girls, who are prostitutes to the Brahmins, yields a revenue to the British government. In 1751, during the siege of Trichinopoly, the French and their allies took possession of the island of Seringham. In 1752, the French force was compelled to surrender to Major Laurence. The Hindu sanc tuaries in these temples were respected by the troops of both nations, neither of whom sought access into the temples.
SERINO, a city of Italy, in the Neapolitan province of Ulteriore. It stands between two hills, and contains ten parish churches, with 7500 inhabitants, who are employed in making woollen goods and in spinning silk. There is also a very large annual fair held at Serino; and near to it are the ruins of the ancient Roman city Sabatia.
SERLE’S Island, in the Southern Pacific Ocean. It is seven or eight miles long, and four or five broad, with a lagoon in the middle. Long. 223. E. Lat. 18. 18. S.
SERMATTA, an island in the Eastern Seas, about twenty-two miles in length and six in breadth. Long. 129.13. E. Lat. 8. 9. S.
SERONGE, a town of Hindustan, in the Mahratta territories, and province of Malwah. It is situated in a fine open country, well cultivated, and has the remains of ancient prosperity and greater population than at present. The bazaars are strong, and built of stone; and a large caravanserai still remains. The adjacent country is an open plain. It was formerly the scene of the Pindaric plunderers; and the villages are in consequence mostly in ruins. It is 165 miles north-east from Oojain, 389 from Benares, 595 from Bombay, 849 from Calcutta. Long. 78. E. Lat. 24. 8. N.
SERPENS, in Astronomy, a constellation in the northern hemisphere, called more particularly Serpens Ophiuchi. The stars in the constellation Serpens are, in Ptolemy’s catalogue, eighteen; in Tycho’s, thirteen; in Hevelius’s, twenty-two; and in the British catalogue, sixty-four.
Serpent, a powerful bass musical instrument of the wind kind, invented by a French priest at Auxerre in 1590. See the article Music .
SERPENTARIUS, in Astronomy, a constellation of the northern hemisphere, called also Ophiuchus, and anciently Aesculapius. The stars in the constellation Serpentarius are, in Ptolemy’s catalogue twenty-nine, in Tycho’s fifteen, in Hevelius’s forty, and in the British catalogue seventy-four.
SERPENTINE, in general, denotes any thing that resembles a serpent. Hence the worm or pipe of a still, twisted in a spiral manner, is termed a serpentine worm. Serpentine Verses are such as begin and end with the same word; as,
Ambo dorentes statibus, Arcades ambo.

Serpentine , in the Manège. A horse is said to have a serpentine tongue, if it is always frisking and moving, and sometimes passing over the bit, instead of keeping in the void space called the liberty of the tongue.
SERPOOR, a town of Hindustan, province of Berar, in the nizam’s territories, 104 miles south from Nagpoor. Long. 80. 2. E. Lat. 19. 41. N.
SERPUCHOW, a city of European Russia, in the province of Moscow, the capital of a circle of the same name. It stands at the junction of the rivers Nara and Serpeika, which soon after fall into the Oka. It is a place of some trade in corn, tallow, hemp, flax, and wool, which are sent both to Moscow and to St Petersburg. It contains sixteen churches, 780 houses, and 5740 inhabitants. Long. 37. 2. E. Lat. 55. 51. N.
SERRA, a town of Italy, in the Neapolitan province of Calabria Ulteriore I., containing 4830 inhabitants.

Serra DI Falco, a town of the Island of Sicily, in the province of Mazzara, situated in a moderately healthy plain, sixty-four miles from Palermo. It contains 3800 inhabitants.
SERRAMANNU, a town of the island of Sardinia, in the diocese of Cagliari. It is situated upon the unhealthy plain of Ippis, and contains 1820 inhabitants.
SERRANUS, Joannes, or John de Serres, a learned French Protestant, was born about the middle of the sixteenth century. He acquired the Greek and Latin languages at Lausanne, and devoted himself to the study of the philosophy of Aristotle and of Plato. On his return to France he studied divinity, and in 1574 he began to distinguish himself by his writings, but was obliged to forsake his country after the dreadful massacre of St Bartholomew. He became minister of Nismes in 1582, but was never regarded as a very zealous Calvinist; he has even been sus pected, though without reason, of having actually abjured the Protestant religion. He was one of the four clergymen whom Henry IV. consulted about the Catholic religion, and who returned for answer, “that Catholics might be saved.” He wrote afterwards a treatise in order to reconcile the two communions, entitled “De Fide Catholica, sive de Principiis Religionis Christianae, communi omnium Christianorum consensu, semper et ubique ratis.” This work was disliked by the Catholics, and received with such indignation by the Calvinists of Geneva, that many writers have affirmed that they poisoned the author. It is certain at least that he died at Geneva in 1598, at the age of fifty. His principal works are, 1. A Latin translation of Plato, published by Henry Stephens; 2. A treatise on the Immortality of the Soul; 3. De Statu Religionis et Republics: in Francia; 4. Mémoire de la Troisième Guerre Civile et derniers Troubles de France sous Charles IX. &c.; 5. Inventaire Général de l’Histoire de France, illustré par le Conférence de l’Eglise et de l’Empire; 6. Recueil des Choses Memorables avenues en France sous Henri IL, François II., Charles IX., Henri III. These three historical treatises have been justly accused of partiality and passion; faults which it is next to impossible for a contemporary writer to avoid, especially if he bore any part in the transactions which he describes. His style is exceedingly incorrect and inelegant; his mistakes and mistatements of facts also are very numerous.
SERRATED, in general, something indented or notched in the manner of a saw; a term much used in the description of the leaves of plants.
SERRA-VALLE, a town of Italy, in the kingdom of Sardinia, in the province of Turin. It is situated on the river Scrivia, has an old castle, four churches, and four monasteries, and a college formerly occupied by the Jesuits. It contains 5420 inhabitants.
SERRAVALLE, a city of the delegation of Treviso, in the Austrian kingdom of Lombardy. It stands on the river Maschio, between two mountains; is the seat of a bishop, has a cathcdral and several churches and monasteries, and 5630 inhabitants employed in the silk and woollen manufactories, and some trade in corn, wine, and oil.
SERRIS, a town of Hindustan, in the province of Bahar, eighty miles south-west by south from Patna. Long. 84. 18. E. Lat. 24. 50. N.
SERT, a town of Kurdistan, in Asiatic Turkey, the ancient capital of Tigranes, which was plundered by the Romans under Lucullus, but retained its consequence till after the Saracen invasion. It is now only a large village, containing about 3000 inhabitants, partly Mahommedans and partly Armenian Christians, for whose accommodation there are three small mosques, a college, and an Armenian church. It is situated in a small plain, surrounded by mountains, and is washed by the river Kabυur. The chief is a powerful feudal lord. It is seventy-five miles south-east of Diarbekir.
SERVANDONI, John Nicholas, a celebrated architect, was born at Florence in 1695. He rendered himself famous by his exquisite taste in architecture, and by his genius for decorations, fetes, and building. He was employed and rewarded by most of the princes in Europe. In Portugal he was honoured with the order of Christ. In France he was architect and painter to the king, and member of the different academies established for the advancement of these arts. He received the same titles from the kings of Britain, Spain, Poland, and from the Duke of Wirtemberg. Notwithstanding these advantages, his want of economy was so great, that he left nothing behind him. He died at Paris in 1766. Paris is indebted to him for many of its ornaments. He made decorations for the theatres of London and Dresden. The French king’s theatre, called La Salle des Machines, was under his management for some time. He was permitted to exhibit certain shows, consist-[7:20:157] ing of simple decorations. Some of these were astonishingly sublime; his Descent of Aeneas into Hell in particular, and his Enchanted Forest, are well known. He built and embellished a theatre at Chambor for Marshal Saxe, and furnished the plan and the model of the theatre-royal at Dresden. His genius for fetes was remarkable; and he had the management of a great number in Paris, and even in London. He conducted one at Lisbon, given on account of a victory gained by the Duke of Cumberland. He was employed frequently by the king of Portugal, to whom he presented several elegant plans and models. The Prince of Wales, too, the father of George III. engaged him in his service; but the death of that prince prevented the execution of the designs which had been projected. He presided at the magnificent fete given at Vienna on account of the marriage of the Archduke Joseph and the Infanta of Parma. But it would be endless to attempt an enumeration of all his performances and exhibitions.
SERVANT, a term of relation, signifying a person who owes and pays obedience for a certain time to another in quality of a master.

The first sort of servants acknowledged by the laws of England are menial servants, so called from being intra maenia, or domestics. The contract between them and their masters arises upon the hiring.

Another species of servants are called apprentices, from apprendre, to learn; and are usually bound for a term of years, by deed indented, or indentures, to serve their musters, and be maintained and instructed by them.

A third species of servants are labourers, who are only hired by the day or the week, and do not live intra maenia, as part of the family.

There is yet a fourth species of servants, if they may be so called, being rather in a superior or ministerial capacity, such as stewards, factors, and bailiffs; whom, however, the law considers as servants pro tempore, with regard to such of their acts as affect their master’s or employer’s property.
SERVETISTS, a name given to the modern Antitrinitarians, from their being supposed to be the followers of Michael Servetus, who, in the year 1553, was burned at Geneva, together with his books.
SERVIA, a province of Turkey in Europe, bounded on the north by the rivers Danube and Save, which separate it from Hungary; on the east it is bounded by Bulgaria; on the west by Bosnia; and on the south by Albania and Macedonia. It is about 190 miles in length from east to west, ninety-five in breadth from north to south, and it is divided into four sangiacates. Two of these were ceded to the Christians in 1718, who united them into one. This continued till 1739, when the Turks were victorious, and then they were abandoned to the Turks by the treaty of Belgrade. Belgrade is the capital town.
SERVICE, Choral, in the Romish church, &c. consists of a certain order of antiphonies and psalms sung to what is called canto fermo in Italian, canto llano in Spanish, and plain chant in French. This kind of chant, in its simplest form, consists of slow sounds of equal duration, and without any embellishment, sung in unisons and octaves. In other cases the canto fermo is accompanied by Parts in harmony, but always with due regard to a certain antique and very simple style of melody and of harmony, which is founded upon the peculiar tonality and cadences of the canto fermo, and without which it loses its characteristic effects. The canto corale, or choral chant, is often particularly named canto Gregorianο, or Gregorian chant, from the great pains taken by St Gregory, in the sixth century, to improve and to teach to his pupils the oriental church chants derived from the Greeks. St Ambrose before him had introduced the oriental choral chants into the western church of Italy. We believe that there is yet much curious matter for investigation regarding the probable origin of the melodies that constituted the older canto fermo, and the nature and character of oriental scales and melodies. See Music. With regard to the tunes introduced into the early reformed church in the time of Luther and Calvin, some curious particulars are to be found in Bayle’s Dictionaire Historique et critique, article Marot. The Puritans in England suppressed the church choral service, and permitted psalm-singing only. Charles II. revived the choral service in England. For minute accounts of the origin, progress, and revolutions of this species of music in various Christian churches, the reader may consult Gerbert, De cantu et Musica Sacra, Padre Martini’s Storia, Hawkins and Burney’s Histories of Music. For technicalities, &c consult, among other works, A. E. Choron’s Méthode de Plain-chant, &c. Paris, 1818; and his Principes pour apprendre le Plain-chant, Paris, 1818.
SERVITES, a religious order in the church of Rome, founded about the year 1233, by seven Florentine merchants, who, with the approbation of the bishop of Florence, renounced the world, and lived together in a religious community on Mount Senar, two leagues from that city.
SERVITOR, in the university of Oxford, a student who attends on another for his maintenance and learning.
SERVIUS, Maurus Honoratus, a celebrated grammarian and critic of antiquity, who flourished about the time of Arcadius and Honorius. He is now chiefly known by his Commentaries on Virgil. There is also extant a piece of Servius upon the feet of verses and the quantity of syllables, called Centimetrum.
SERWEL, a small district in the province of Caubul, between the 34th and 35th degrees of north latitude. The country is but little known, it never having been explored by Europeans.
SESOSTRIS, Sesoosis, Sesoosis, the fifteenth sovereign of the eighteenth dynasty of the Egyptians, is called Rameses by Eusebius, and is said to have reigned during the sixteenth century before the Christian era. At his birth his father is said to have collected all the children born at the same time with him, and to have subjected them to an education which he thought best fitted to render them able to assist his son in his future career. When they had reached the age of puberty, he sent them, under the command of his son, to subdue the inhabitants of Arabia, and afterwards to Libya. On his accession to the throne, he first devoted his attention to the internal affairs of his kingdom, and after having divided i into thirty-six nomi, and appointed governors, he commenced a military career, which only ended when he had subdued the greater part of the world. The Aethiopians, the Gangetic Indians, the Scythians, and the Thracians, with the whole of Asia Minor, acknowledged his sway; and, as memorials of his victories, he erected pillars in the various countries he subdued, some of which were seen by Herodotus. On his return to Egypt[7:20:159] he narrowly escaped being burnt to death by the treachery of his brother, who was Danaus of Greece. He brought home a large body of captives, whom he employed in the erection of public works, and more particularly in constructing canals. He erected two statues representing himself and his wife before the temple of Hephaestos, which were forty-five feet high; and four representing his sons, which were thirty feet high. At his death he was succeeded by his son Pheros.
SESQUI, a Latin particle, signifying a whole and a half. When joined with altera, terza, quarta, &c. it is much used in the Italian music to express a kind of ratios, particularly several species of triples.
SESQUIALTER, in Music, the ratio of 3: 2 in the numerical calculation of musical intervals. This, and many other old pedantic terms, such as super-particular and super-partient, &c., employed to express ratios very simple, and easily intelligible under other terms, had better be abandoned entirely in musical nomenclature, which has long been overloaded with such jargon.

Sesqui-alterate, in Geometry and Arithmetic, is a ratio between two lines, two numbers, or the like, where one of them contains the other once, with the addition of a half.

Thus 6 and 9 are in a sesqui-alterate ratio, since 9 contains 6 once, and 3, which is half of 6, over; and 20 and 30 are in the same, as 30 contains 20 and half 20, or 10.

Sesqui-Duplicate Ratio is when of two terms the greater contains the less twice, and half the less remains; as 15 and 6, 50 and 20.

Sesqui-Tertional Proportion is when any number or quantity contains another once and one third.
SESSION, in general, denotes each sitting or assembly of a council, or other body.

SesskjN of Parliament is the season or space from its meeting to its prorogation.

Kirk- Session , the name of a petty ecclesiastical court in Scotland.

Sessions for weights and measures. In London, four justices, from among the mayor, recorder, and aldermen, may hold a session to inquire into the offences of selling by false weights and measures, contrary to the statutes; and to receive indictments and punish offenders.

Court of Session. See Scotland. court of Quarter- Sessions , an English court that must be held in every county once in every quarter of a year.
SESTET, Italian Sestetto, a piece of vocal or instrumental music for six voices or six instruments.
SESTOS, a fortress of European Turkey, situated at the entrance of the Hellespont or Dardanelles, twenty-four miles south-west of Gallipoli. This place is famous for the loves of Hero and Leander, sung by the poet Musaeus.
SET, or Sets, a term used by the farmers and gardeners to express the young plants of the white thorn and other shrubs, with which they used to raise their quick or quickset hedges. The white thorn is the best of all trees for this purpose; and, under proper regulations, its sets seldom fail to answer the farmer’s utmost expectations.
SETCHEOU, a city of China, of the first rank, in the province of Koeitchoo. The inhabitants are extremely rude and ignorant. Long. 108. E. Lat. 27. 10. N.
SETCHING, a city of China, of the first rank, in the province of Quangsee, bordering on Yunan. Long. 105. 54. E. Lat. 24. 17. N.
SETCHUEN, a province of China, on the western frontier. It has on the north Chen-si, on the east and south Houquang and Yunan, and on the west Thibet. It is mountainous, but is fertilized by the great river Yang-tse-kiang. It produces the sugar-cane, silk, orange and lemon trees, and the best rhubarb in China; while in the moan-[7:20:160] tains are found iron, tin, lead, loadstone, and lapis lazuli. It breeds a small but handsome race of horses. The population is estimated by Sir George Staunton at twenty-seven millions.