Page:Men of the Time, eleventh edition.djvu/1015

 SKEKE—SMILES.

Ui (Jothic," an " Etymological Eng- lish Dictionary' ' (his chief work), and an abridgment of the same entitled a " Concise Etymological Dictionary." His various works have greatly con- tributed to the increased interest which is now taken in the intelligent study of our older literature.

SKENE, WiLUAM FOBBBB,

second son of James Skene, of Eubislaw, Aberdeenshire, by his wife Jane, daughter of Sir William Forbes of Pi&ligo, Baronet, was bom at Inverie, Kincardineshire, June 7, 1809, and educated at the High School of Edinburgh. He then studied for a year and a half in Germany, and a session at each of the UniTersities of Edinburgh and St. Andrews. He afterwards entered the legal profession as a Writer to the Signet. Mr. Skene is Secretary to the Eoyal Institu- tion for the Promotion of the Pine Arts; has filled the office of Vice- President of the Royal Society of Edinburgh, of the Cambrian ArchaB- ological Society, and of the Society of Antiquaries of Edinburgh, and had the honorary degree of LL.D. conferred upon him by the Uniyer- sity of Edinburgh, and that of D.C.L. by the University of Oxford (1879). In 1881 he was appointed Her Majesty's Historiographer for Scotland in the room of the late Dr. HiU Burton. He has written the following works, besides papers read to the above societies, and published in their Proceedings : "The Highlanders of Scotland, their Origin, History, and Anti- quities," 2 vols., 1837 ; *' The Dean of Lismore's Book, with Introduc- tion and Notes, Ancient G^lic Poetry," 1862 j " Chronicles of the IMcts and Scots, and other early Memorials of Scottish History," edited for the Lord Clerk Register, 1868 ; '* The Four Ancient Books of Wales, containing the Cymric Poems of the 6th Century," 2 vols., 1869 ; '* The Coronation Stone." 1869 ; •John of Fordun*8 Chronicles of the Scottish Nation," 2 vols., 1871 ;

" Celtic Scotland, a History of An- cient Alban," — vol. i., ** History and Ethnology," 1876, vol. ii., "Church and Culture," 1877, v<a. iii., " Land and People," 1880.

SLOPER, Lindsay E. H., musi- cal composer and pianist, born in London, June 14, 1826, although not intended by his parents to become a professor, was allowed to follow the bent of his inclination ; and, after studying diligently under Moscheles for some years, went to Frankfort, in order to profit by the instructions of Herr Aloys Sclmiitt, a well-known professor and teacher. From Frankfort he proceeded to Heidelberg, and studied harmony and counterpoint under Herr Chicles VoUweiller, an eminent theorist, whose sole pupil he was at that time. Mr. Lindsay Sloper repaired to Paris in IS-Jfl, and, during a lon£ residence in that capital, obtained a well-merited reputetion, both as a writer and as a pianoforte player. He returned to London in 1846^ and appeared with great succem at one or the Maiinies of the Musical Union. Of late years, like many of his brother professors, he has chiefly devoted his time to the laborious duties of tuition ; though he is occasionally heard at morning concerts daring the season, and has published some compositions for the pianoforte.

SMILES, Saihtbl, born at Had- dington, Scotland, in 1816, was edu- cated for the medical profession, and practised for some time as a surgeon at Leeds; but abandoning medicine, he succeeded the late Mr. Robert Niool as editor of the Leed^ Tima. He became, in 1845, secretary of the Leeds and Thirsk Railway, whence, after a temporary engagement, he transferred his services, about 1852, to the South-Eastem Rmhray, from which he retired in 1866. The Uni- versity of Edinburgh conferred on him tie honorary degree of IiL.D. in 1878. He has written " Physioal Education ; or. Nature of Children,** 1837; "History of Irelwad," pub- lished whilst he was at Leeds;