Setia. An ancient town of Latium, in the east of the Pontine Marshes; originally belonged to the Volscian confederacy, but was subsequently taken by the Romans and colonized. It was here that the Romans kept the Carthaginian hostages.
Setter. In gunnery, a round stick, to drive fuzes, or any other compositions, into cases of paper.
Sevastopol. See [Sebastopol].
Seven Weeks’ War. The war declared by Prussia, on June 18, 1866, which ended in the total defeat of Austria and her allies. See Prussia.
Seven Years’ War. This was the third, last, and by far the longest and most terrible of the contests for the possession of Silesia. This long and desperate war was maintained by Frederick II. of Prussia against Austria, Russia, and France, from 1756 to 1763. It made no change in the territorial distribution of Europe, but it increased tenfold the moral power of Prussia, and gave its army a prestige it retained till the battle of Jena. It cost Europe 1,000,000 lives, and prostrated the strength of almost all the powers who had engaged in it.
Seville, or Sevilla (anc. Hispalis, or Hispal). A famous city of Spain, capital of the province of the same name, on the left bank of the Guadalquiver, 60 miles north-northeast of Cadiz. It was captured by Julius Cæsar, 45 B.C. It surrendered to the Moors at once, after the defeat of Don Roderick on the Guadalete, and it continued its allegiance to the caliph of Damascus until 756; it surrendered to Ferdinand III. of Castile on November 23, 1248, when 300,000 Moors left for Granada and Africa. In 1810 it was taken and ravaged by Soult. It was taken by assault by the British and Spaniards, August 27, 1812. It capitulated to Espartero in 1843. The peace of Seville between England, France, and Spain, and also a defensive alliance to which Holland acceded, was signed November 9, 1729.
Sevir. A captain of cavalry among the Romans was so called.
Sextant. An instrument of reflection for measuring angular distances between objects. It is constructed on the same optical principle as Hadley’s quadrant, but usually of metal, with a nicer graduation, telescopic sight, and its arc the sixth, and sometimes the third part of a circle.
Seymeny-bassy. Appellation given to the lieutenant-general of Janissaries in the Turkish service.
Shabrack, or Shabraque. A Hungarian term, generally used among cavalry officers, to signify the cloth furniture of a troop-horse.