Page:Appletons' Cyclopædia of American Biography (1900, volume 5).djvu/639

Rh (1630); "Amur al uso"(1632); "La Gitanilla de Madrid" (1034); and "Euridice y Orfeo " (1642). Snne authorities consider him to be the author of ' Gil Bias de Santillana," and look upon Le Sage as only its translator. He also wrote " Poesias sagradas y profanas" (1074), but his chief fame depends on his " llistoria de la Conquista, poblacion y progreso de la America Septentrional " (Madrid, 10S4 ; many subsequent editions), which was trans- lated into French (Paris, 1691), into Italian (Flor- ence, 1699), and into English (London, 1734).

SOLORZANO Y PERE1RA, Juan de (so-lor- thah'-no), Spanish author, b. in Madrid, 30 Nov., 1575; d. there in 1654. He studied in the Uni- versity of Salamanca, and was afterward professor of Roman and common law in the same university. In 1609 he was appointed by Philip III. judge of the audiencia of Lima, where he organized the tri- bunals, introduced improvements in the adminis- tration, and promoted the working of the mercury- mines of Huancavelica. In 1627 he returned to Spain, and was successively member of the treasury board, of the council of the Indies, and of the su- preme council of Castile. He wrote several valu- able juridical works, of which the principal one is " De Indiarum jure disputations " (Madrid, 1653).

SOMERBY, Horatio Gates, genealogist, b. in Newburyport, Mass., 24 Dec., 1805 ; d. in London, England, 14 Nov., 1872. His ancestor, Anthony, came from England to Newbury, Mass., in 1639. He received a public-school education in his na- tive town, studied art in Boston, and had a studio in Troy, N. Y., for several years, but in 1832 returned to Boston, where he was a fancy painter and japanner. After 1845 he resided chiefly in London as a professional genealogist, and was the first American to devote himself exclusively to such work. He became very skilful, and many families in this country availed themselves of his services in tracing their English ancestry. Mr. Somerby was on confidential terms with George Peabody, and became secretary to the board of trustees of the Peabody fund. He was a member of the New England historic-genealogical society, to whose publications he contributed valuable papers, and a large quantity of his unpublished material is in possession of the Massachusetts historical society, with which he had been connected since 1859. fie was the originator of systematic research for the purpose of connecting New England families with their ancestors in Great Britain. His brother, Frederic Thomas, author, b. in Newburyport, 4 Jan., 1814; d. in Worcester, Mass., 18 Jan., 1871, was educated in his native place, and became an ornamental painter. He was for many years a correspondent of the Boston " Post " and the "Spirit of the Times," and published, under the name of ' Cymon," " Hits and Dashes, or a Medley of Sketches and Scraps touching People and Things " (Boston, 1852).

HOMERS, Richard, naval officer, b. on Somers point, Great Egg harbor, N. J., in 1778; d. neat- Tripoli, Africa, 4 Sept., 1804. His grandfather emigrated from England about 1730 and settled at Somers point, and his father was colonel of militia, judge of the county court, and an active Whig in the Revolution. The son entered the navy as midshipman, 30 April, 1798, after some experience at sea in small coasting vessels. He sailed from Philadelphia in the frigate " United States" in July, 1798, to Cape Cod and along the coast to the West Indies in search of French cruis- ers during that brief war with France. He was commissioned lieutenant, 21 May, 1799, sailed in the "United States" with the embassy to France on 3 Nov., 1799, and in 1801 again went to France as 1st lieutenant of the sloop " Boston," with Chancellor Livingston on board as passenger. He was appointed to command the schooner " Nau- tilus," tilted out to form a part of Preble's squadron in the war with Tripoli, and he was the first to arrive at Gibraltar. He participated in the block- ade and operations at Tripoli in 1803-'4. In the first attack he commanded a division of gun-boats, and at one time fought five Tripolitan vessels at close quarters. On 7 Aug., 1804, he led the 1st division of three gun-boats in the second attack, and successfully fought superior forces for three hours. He was promoted commander, 16 Feb., 1804, and was conspicuous for his ability in the attacks on 28 Aug. and 3 Sept., 1804. As the sea- son for operations drew to a close he proposed to destroy the Tripolitan fleet by fitting the "In- trepid " as a bomb-vessel to explode in their midst and cause a panic. About 15,000 pounds of powder and 200 loaded shells were stowed in the " In- trepid " and arranged with a slow-match to ex- plode after the crew should have escaped. Lieut. Henry Wadsworth, Midshipman Israel, and ten men voluntarily accompanied Somers in the night of 4 Sept., 1804, toward the inner harbor, con- voyed by the brig "Siren." The enemy sighted the " Intrepid " and opened fire upon her as she approached, and when 500 yards from her destina- tion she suddenly blew up, and all on board per- ished. No damage was done to the enemy. The cause of the premature explosion was never ascer- tained, and none of the bodies of the unfortunate crew wore found. The report was heard for miles, but it had no effect except subsequently to convince the foe that Americans were ready to undertake the most perilous measures to accomplish their ob- ject. Other events had prepared them to dread the American navy, and, since this was the last hostile operation, it doubtless was potent in the negotiations by which the Tripolitans acceded to the terms demanded by the Americans. Congress passed a resolution of condolence with the friends of those who perished, and several ships of the navy have been named after Somers.

SOMERVILLE, Alexander, Canadian journalist, b. in Springfield, Haddingtonshire, Scotland, 15 March, 1811; d. in Toronto, Canada, 17 June, 1885. He was educated in the parish school, entered the army, and served for several years in the Scots greys. He was with his regiment at Birmingham, England, in 1832, at the time of the first reform-bin agitation, and for some act of supposed insubordination was sentenced to receive 200 lashes on the bare back, half of which were inflicted. The whole matter, which has been described by him in his " Diligent Life " (Montreal. 1860), was made the subject of discussion in parliament at the time, and resulted in mitigating the injustice and severity of military discipline. During 1835-'7 Mr. Somerville served in a Highland regiment in Spain, and soon afterward he left the service. From 1838 till 1858 he wrote for several of the chief British newspapers, under the pen-name of " Whistler at the Plough," his graphic descriptive sketches attracting attention. In 1858 he came to Canada, and from that time till his death was engaged in journalism. He edited the " Canadian Illustrated News," and among other works wrote "Autobiography of a Workman" (London, 1849): "History of the Fiscal System" (Liverpool, 1850) : ' The Whistler at the Plough " (Manchester. 1852); "The Conservative Science of Nations " (Montreal, 1860) ; and " A Narrative of the Fenian Invasion of 1866" (Toronto, 1867).