Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/841

* SEISTAN. in 1870-72 by an English boundary com- mission, wliic-h gave Sistan proper (mostly west of the Helmund) to IVrsia, and outer Sistan (to the east and southeast of Sistan proper) to Afghanistan. The Persian distriel is mostly sandy, but well watered and productive. Outer Sistan is only sparsely inhal)ited. The inhabi- tants are Persians and Baluehis. The region abounds in relics of antiquity, and before tlie ravages of Tamerlane, in the fourteenth century, was one of the most important of the Persian provinces. SEITZ, zits, A.XTOX (1829-1900). A Gernmn genre painter, born at Roth-am-Sand, near Nuremberg. He was especially successful with interior scenes on miniature scale, remarkable for delicate elaboration of the figures, line chia- roscuro, and subtle liumor, which earned him tlie name of the ilunicli iIeis.sonier. A partial list of Ids principal works includes: "The Miser" (18G0); "Dice-Players in a Tavern" (1802); "Uural Letter-Writer" (Germanic Museum, Nuremberg) ; "Vagabonds" (Xew PinaUothek, Municli) ; "Champion Shot" (1874, D. V. Powers, Rochester, X. Y.) ; "Capucliin Monk in Peasant's Cottage" (1SS3, Leipzig Museum) ; and "Political Declaration" (1891). SE'JANT (OF. scant, from Lat. sedens, prcs. part, of scdcre, to sit), or Assis (Fr. ). In heraldry (q.v.), a term of blazon applied to a beast represented as prejjaring for action. SEJA'NUS, .Elius ( ?-a.d. 31). A favorite and minister of the Emperor Tiberius (q.v.). Sejanus was born at Vulsinii. His father was Sejus Strabo, commander of the praetorian guard under Augustus. When Sejus Strabo became governor of Egypt (a.d. 14) .Elius was set over the pr;ptorian cohorts, whom he united (..D. 23) and with whose support he for a while lield Rome in his sway. In order to make himself eventually Emperor, he persviaded Tiberius to withdraw to Capri. With Livia, wife of Tiberius, whom he had debauched, he plotted and brought about in A.D. 23 the death of Drusus Ciesar (q.v.) and got rid of Agrip]iina (q.v.), wife of Germanicus. and her sons Xero and Drusus. Tiberius named Sejanus to be consul along with himself for the year 31 and then to be pontifex. but he became suspicious of Sejanus and had him killed with many of his suspected followers and liis whole family. Our rather uncertain authority is Ta- citus. Consult Jiilg, Vita Lucii JEUi Scjani (Innsbruck, 1SS2). SELACHII, se-la'ki-i (X^'eo-Lat. nom. pi., from Gk. o-Aaxos, selachos, shark). A group of fishes including the sharks and rays. See Car- TiLAGixoi'.s FisnE.s. For fossil forms, see Shark. SE'LAH. A rubrical note foimd in Hebrew- psalms and pra.yers. It occurs as follows: In 39 Psalms, 71 times; in Habakkuk iii. (properly a psalm). 3 times; in the Eifihtren lienedicfirnix, one of the most ancient portions of the .Tewish liturgy-, twice ; also with more or less author- itv in other prayers of the .Jewish ritual. In the Septuagint it is represented by the term diap- salmn ; the Hebrew text is gener:illy followed, but the term is sometimes omitted, sometimes sup- plied, where not found in the Hebrew. The Selah is also found twice in the Greek P^nlmx of Solo- mon (first century B.C.. translated from a Hebrew original). In two-thirds of the cases in the Bible, it is found at the end of evident strophes, Vol. XVII.— 49. 763 SEL DOR. four times at the end of the p.salin; in most of the remuinaing eases, in ennneetion with a quo- tation. In general, therefore, it inilieale.s .some natural break in the hyinn. The most probable exphumtion is that adviineed by Dr. C. A. Uriggs, that the term is connected with a verb meaning •to lift up,' in the .sense of 'raising' a lialleUijah, and that it was the rulirieal direction for ehoric doxologics, which are found at the end of the first four Books of the Psalms (xli. 13; Ixxii. 18-19; Ixxxix. 52; cvi. 48), and which were used at the end of each psalm in the services. 'I'liis view is supported by some of the Greek and Syriac renderings of the term, and by .Jacob of Edessa and .leromc. Consult: .Jacob in Xril- sclirifl fiir alllintamcnlliclic Wisscnschafl, vol. xvi. (1890) ; C. A. Briggs in Joiinml of lliblical Literature, vol. xviii. (1899); E. C. Briggs in Amcrictiii Journal of ticmitic Languages, vol. xvi. (1899). SEL'BORNE, Lor». See Palmer, Sir Roux- UELL. SEL'BY. A river port in the West Riding of ^ (irksliire, England, on the Ou.se, 20 miles east of Leeds (.Map: England. E 3|. An ancient (Gothic cross adorns the market-place. The famous ])arish church. 300 feet long by 00 feet wide, was ])art of a Benedict ini' abbcv founded by William the Conquiror in 1008. Population, in 1901, 7S00. Consult Abiirell. Ilistorg of Sclbg (Selby, 18G7). SEL'DEN, .Toil.v ( 1584- 10.54 ) . An English jurist and Orientalist. He was born near Worth- ing, in Sussex, studied at Hart ll:ill. Oxford, and studied law at the Inner Temple. In 1010 appeared his Janus Anglorum, [-'acics Altera (English translation. 1083), which dealt with the progress of English law down to Henry II.; and in 1014 was published his Tillrs of Honour. In 1023 he was elected member for Lancaster, and from this period till his death he took a considerable part in public affairs. In 1021! he took part in the impeachment of Huckinghain ; in 1027 he was counsel for Sir Edward Hamp- den in the celebrated Five Knights Case; in 1028 he pla.ved an important n'lle in drawing up and passing the Petition of Right, and for his participation in the tumultuous closing scene of the P:irli;iment of 1029 was committed to the Tower for two years. In 1040 he was chosen member for the L niversity of Oxford. After the execution of Charles 1. (of which it is certain he strongly disapproved), he took little share in public matters. The principal writings of Sclden deal with ancient Hebrew law and include: De Hiiccessionihus in Bona Dcfuncti Secundum Leges Hebrworum (1034) ; De Suceessionc in I'onlifica- turn Uchr(vorum Libri Duo (Leyden, 10.38); De June Xnturali et flentium Ju.rtii Diseiplinam Hebro'oruni (1040). His Mare Clausum (pub- lished in lli3:>. though written sixteen or seven- teen years before) was a reply to Grotius's Mare Librruni. He left besides a great variety of posthumous works, of which the most famous, and also the most valuable, is his Table- Talk, recorded and published by his amanuensis, Richard Milward. in 1089. and reeentlv reprinted (London. 1808). Consult .Tohnson, Memoirs of John Selditi (10 vols.. London and N'ew York. 1883-84). SEL D'OR (Fr., salt of gold). A name given to sodium aurothiosulphnte. which is used in photographv. It was originally employed to aid