for the Christian religion, "our
highest religion, for the Son of Man," Carlyle adds, interpreting this,
"there is no noble crown, well worn or even ill worn, but is a crown of
thorns."

SORROWS OF THE VIRGIN. See SEVEN DOLOURS.

SORROWS OF WERTHER, a work by Goethe and one of his earliest, the
production of which constituted a new era in the life of the poet, and
marks a new era in the literature of Europe, "as giving expression to a
class of feelings deeply important to modern minds, but for which our
older poetry offered no exponent, and perhaps could offer none, because
they are feelings that arise from Passion incapable of being converted
into Action, and belong to an ignorant, uncultivated, and unbelieving age
such as ours," feelings that Byronically, "in dark wayward" mood reflect
a mere sense of the miseries of human life.

SORTES VIRGILIANAE, consulting the pages of Virgil to ascertain one's
fortune, by opening the book at random, putting the finger on a passage
and taking that for the oracle of fate one is in quest of.

SOSTRATUS, architect of the Pharos of Alexandria, lived in the 3rd
century B.C., and was patronised by Ptolemy Philadelphus.

SOTHERN, EDWARD ASKEW, comedian, born in Liverpool; at 23 went on
the stage, and for some time was a member of the stock company of the
Theatre Royal, Birmingham; afterwards acted in America, and made his mark
in Tom Taylor's "Our American Cousin" (1858) in the small part of Lord
Dundreary, which he gradually developed into an elaborate and
phenomenally successful caricature of an English peer, and in which he
appeared thousands of times in America and England; scored a great
success also as David Garrick in Robertson's well-known comedy
(1826-1881).

SOUBISE, DUC DE, French soldier; served first under Prince Maurice
of Orange, and commanded the Huguenots against Louis XIII., but after
some successes was compelled to take refuge in England; distinguished
himself at the defence of Rochelle, but was defeated again and had to
betake himself to England as before, where he died (1589-1641).

SOUBISE, PRINCE DE, marshal of France; was aide-de-camp to Louis XV.
in Flanders, was favoured by Pompadour, held an important command in the
Seven Years' War, but was defeated by Frederick the Great at Rossbach
(1713-1787).

SOUDAN or "THE LAND OF THE BLACKS," the cradle of the negro
race, a vast tract of territory stretching E. and W. across the African
contin