Sidney (Sir Philip). Sir Philip Sidney, though suffering extreme thirst from the agony of wounds, received in the battle of Zutphen, gave his own draught of water to a wounded private, lying at his side, saying, “Poor fellow, thy necessity is greater than mine.”
A similar instance is recorded of Alexander “the Great,” in the desert of Gedrosia.
David, fighting against the Philistines, became so parched with thirst, that he cried out, “Oh, that one would give me drink of the water of the well of Bethlehem, which is by the gate!” And the three mighty men broke through the host of the Philistines, and brought him water; nevertheless, he would not drink it, but poured it out unto the Lord.—2 Sam. xxiii. 15-17.
Sidney’s Sister, Pembroke’s Mother. Mary Herbert (born Sidney), countess of Pembroke, who died 1621.
Underneath this sable hearse
Lies the subject of all verse—
Sidney’s sister, Pembroke’s mother.
Death, ere thou hast slain another
Fair, and good, and learned as she,
Time shall throw his dart at thee.
Ben Jonson (1574-1637).
Sid´rophel, William Lily, the astrologer.
Quoth Ralph, “Not far from hence doth dwell
A cunning man, hight Sidrophel,
That deals in destiny’s dark counsels,
And sage opinions of the moon sells;
To whom all people, far and near,
On deep importances repair.”
S. Butler, Hudibras, ii. 3 (1664).
Siebel, Margheri´ta’s rejected lover, in the opera of Faust e Margherita, by Gounod (1859).
Siége. Mon siége est fait, my opinion is fixed, and I cannot change it. This proverb rose thus: The abbé de Vertot wrote the history of a certain siege, and applied to a friend for some geographical particulars. These particulars did not arrive till the matter had passed the press; so the abbé remarked with a shrug, “Bah! mon siége est fait.”
Siege Perilous (The). The Round Table contained sieges for 150 knights, but three of them were “reserved.” Of these, two were posts of honor, but the third was reserved for him who was destined to achieve the quest of the Holy Graal. This seat was called “perilous,” because if any one sat therein, except he for whom it was reserved, it would be his death. Every seat of the table bore the name of its rightful occupant, in letters of gold, and the name on the “Siege Perilous” was Sir Galahad (son of Sir Launcelot and Elaine).