ral reefs; export fibres,
nuts, palm-oil, &c.; Victoria, in Mahe, is the chief town, and an
imperial coaling station.

SFORZA (i. e. stormer), Italian family celebrated during the 15th
and 16th centuries, founded by a military adventurer, a peasant of the
name of Muzia Allendolo, and who received the name; they became dukes of
Milan, and began by hiring their services in war, in which they were
always victorious, to the highest bidder, the first of the number to
attain that rank being Francesco Sforza, the son of the founder, in 1450
(1401-1466), the last of the series being Francois-Marie (1492-1535).

SGRAFFITO, a decorative wall painting, produced by layers of plaster
applied to a moistened surface and afterwards operated on so as to
produce a picture.

SHADWELL, THOMAS, dramatist, who lives as the "MacFlecknoe" of
Dryden's "Absalom and Achitophel," born, of a good family, in Norfolk;
studied law and adopted literature, in which he made a successful start
with the comedy "The Sullen Lovers" (1668); his numerous plays, chiefly
comedies, are of little poetic value, but serve as useful commentaries on
the Restoration period; quarrelled with and satirised Dryden in the
"Medal of John Bayes," which drew forth the crushing retort in Dryden's
famous satire; succeeded Dryden as poet-laureate in 1688 (1640-1692).

SHAFITES, a sect of the Sunnites or orthodox Mohammedans, so called
from Shafei, a descendant of Mohammed.

SHAFTESBURY, ANTHONY ASHLEY COOPER, EARL OF, a notable politician,
prominent in the times of Cromwell and Charles II., born, of good
parentage, in Dorsetshire; passed through Oxford and entered Lincoln's
Inn; sat in the Short Parliament of 1640; changed from the Royalist to
the Parliamentary side during the Civil War, and was a member of
Cromwell's Council of State, but latterly attacked the Protector's
Government, and was one of the chief promoters of the Restoration;
Chancellor of the Exchequer in 1661, and later a member of the "Cabal";
he in 1672 was created an earl and Lord Chancellor, but, hoodwinked by
Charles in the secret Treaty of Dover, went over to the Opposition, lost
his chancellorship, supported an Anti-Catholic policy, leagued himself
with the Country Party, and intrigued with the Prince of Orange; came
into power again, after the "Popish Plot," as the champion of toleration
and Protestantism, became President of the Council, and passed the Habeas
Corpus Act; his virulent attacks