th his gifted young wife, Elizabeth
Linley, and scored his first success with the "Rivals" in 1775, following
it up with the overrated "Duenna"; aided by his father-in-law became
owner of Drury Lane Theatre, which somewhat lagged till the production of
his most brilliant satirical comedy, "The School for Scandal" (1777) and
the "Critic" set flowing the tide of prosperity; turning his attention
next to politics he entered Parliament under Fox's patronage in 1780, and
two years later became Under-Secretary for Foreign Affairs in
Rockingham's ministry; his great speech (1787) impeaching Hastings for
his treatment of the Begums placed him in the front rank of orators, but
although he sat for 32 years in Parliament, only once again reached the
same height of eloquence in a speech (1794) supporting the French
Revolution, and generally failed to establish himself as a reliable
statesman; meanwhile his theatrical venture had ended disastrously, and
other financial troubles thickening around him, he died in poverty, but
was accorded a burial in Westminster Abbey (1751-1816).

SHERIF or SHEREEF, a title of dignity among Mohammedans of
either sex bestowed upon descendants of the Prophet through his daughters
Fatima and Ali; as a distinguishing badge women wear a green veil, and
men a green turban.

SHERIFF, in England the chief officer of the Crown in every county,
appointed annually, and intrusted with the execution of the laws and the
maintenance of peace and order, with power to summon the _posse
commitatus_. The office originated in Anglo-Saxon times, when it
exercised wide judicial functions which have been gradually curtailed,
and such duties as remain--the execution of writs, enforcement of legal
decisions, &c., are mostly delegated to an under-sheriff (usually a
lawyer) and bound-bailiffs, while the sheriff himself, generally a person
of wealth (the office being unsalaried and compulsory, but not
necessarily for more than one year) discharges merely honorary duties. In
Scotland the sheriff, or sheriff-depute as he is called, is the chief
judge of the county, and has under him one or more sheriffs-substitute,
upon whom devolves the larger portion of the important and multifarious
duties of his office. In America the sheriff is the chief administrative
officer of the county, but exercises no judicial functions at all.

SHERIFFMUIR, a barren spot stretching N. of the Ochils, in
Perthshire, 5 m. NE. of Stirling; was th