His appearance puritanical. Ragged black clothes, blue worsted stockings, pewter-headed long cane.—Guy Mannering (dramatized), i. 2.
Sampson (Dr.), eccentric Irish physician; inventor of Chronothermalism.—Charles Reade, Very Hard Cash.
Sampson (George), a friend of the Wilfer family. He adored Bella Wilfer, but married her youngest sister, Lavinia.—C. Dickens, Our Mutual Friend (1864).
Sampson (Nurse), dry-visaged, soft-hearted sick-nurse, whose adage is, “Somebody must eat drumsticks,” and whose practice is based upon the formula.—A. D. T. Whitney, Faith Gartney’s Girlhood (1863).
Samson (The British), Thomas Topham (1710-1749).
Samson Agonistes (4 syl.), “Samson, the Combatant,” a sacred drama by Milton, showing Samson blinded and bound, but triumphant over his enemies, who sent for him to make sport by feats of strength on the feast of Dagon. Having amused the multitude for a time, he was allowed to rest awhile against the “grand stand,” and, twining his arms round two of the supporting pillars, he pulled the whole edifice down, and died himself in the general devastation (1632).
Samson’s Crown, an achievement of great renown, which costs the life of the doer thereof. Samson’s greatest exploit was pulling down the “grand stand” occupied by the chief magnates of Philistia at the feast of Dagon. By this deed “he slew at his death more than [all] they which he slew in his life.”—Judges xvi. 30.
And by self-ruin seek a Samson’s crown.
Lord Brooke, Inquisition upon Fame, etc. (1554-1628).
San Bris (Conte di), father of Valenti´na. During the Bartholomew slaughter his daughter and her husband (Raoul) were both shot by a party of musketeers, under the count’s command.—Meyerbeer, Les Huguenots (opera, 1836).
Sancha, daughter of Garcias, king of Navarre, and wife of Fernan Gonsalez, of Castile. Sancha twice saved the life of her husband: when he was cast into a dungeon by some personal enemies who waylaid him, she liberated him by bribing the jailer; and when he was incarcerated at Leon she effected his escape by changing clothes with him.