His miscellaneous publications are too numerous to be mentioned, and we therefore only note the "Quellen des Shakspeare in Novellen, Mährchen und Sagen," 3 vols., Berlin, 1831, which he published conjointly with Echtermeyer and Henschel, and his "Handy Book of German Mythology."—K. E.
SIMSON, Robert, an eminent Scottish mathematician, was born at Kirton-hall in Ayrshire on the 14th of October, 1687, and died at Glasgow on the 1st of October, 1768. He studied at the university of Glasgow, and distinguished himself so highly by his ability in mathematics that he was offered the professorship of that science in 1710; he did not, however, accept that appointment till 1711, passing the intervening time in study, that he might be the better qualified for the chair. He performed its duties with success and honour for fifty years, and retired in 1761 on the grounds of age and infirmity. He edited the first six and the eleventh and twelfth books of Euclid, and the works of other Greek mathematicians, and was perhaps the most able and zealous cultivator of the ancient geometry who has lived in modern times. Amongst his achievements in that study was the discovery of the nature of those propositions which the ancients called "porisms," and of which very vague accounts only had been handed down to our age.—W. J. M. R.
SINA-IBN. See Avicenna.
SINCLAIR, Catherine, sixth daughter of Sir John, was born in 1800. At the age of fourteen she was installed as her father's secretary, writing from his dictation five or six hours daily for many years. The deep interest which she felt in the education of a nephew first led Miss Sinclair to become a writer, and she composed two little volumes for children called "Charlie Seymour," and the "Heirs of the Cæsars." On the death of her father in 1835, her career as an authoress commenced in earnest. Her first work was a novel entitled "Modern Accomplishments," which was followed by "Modern Society," "The Journey of Life," "The Business of Life," "Modern Flirtation," "Lord and Lady Harcourt," "Beatrice," &c., most of which have had a very large circulation. She also wrote a lively and entertaining record of a "Tour through Wales," "Scotland and the Scotch," "Shetland and the Shetlanders," and various other works of a miscellaneous character. Miss Sinclair took a deep interest in the various philanthropic schemes for the benefit of the poor and the ignorant. She latterly superintended a charitable institution for the widows of military officers, a charge which was bequeathed to her, together with a large income, by a lady who was first attracted to her by the perusal of her writings. She died on the 6th of August, 1861.—J. T.
SINCLAIR, Sir John, Bart., a distinguished philanthropist and public benefactor, was the eldest son of George Sinclair, Esq. of Ulbster, and Lady Janet Sutherland, sister of the seventeenth earl of Sutherland, and was born at Thurso castle, in the county of Caithness, in 1754. His father having died in 1770, John Sinclair succeeded in his sixteenth year to the family estate, which, until he came of age, was managed by his mother. He received his early education at the high school of Edinburgh, under the superintendence of Logan the poet, and afterwards studied at the universities of Edinburgh, Glasgow, and Oxford. In 1775 he became a member of the Faculty of Advocates, and was subsequently called to the English bar, though he had no intention of following the law as a profession. In 1780 he was elected member of parliament for his native county and sat in the house of commons for upwards of thirty years. Even before this period he had commenced his improvements in Caithness-shire, where the fields were uninclosed, the lands undrained, the fisheries neglected, and where there were no roads, and no bridges. Pennant states that at this time scarcely any farmer in the county owned a wheel-cart, and burdens were conveyed on the backs of women. So vigorous were the exertions of Mr. Sinclair, that in 1812 he had reclaimed upwards of eleven thousand acres of waste land. His advice and example so excited the zeal of the other landlords and tenants, that the value of their estates was enormously increased, and the whole face of the country changed. His own estate of Langwell, which his mother had bought for £8000, he sold for £100,000. Mr. Sinclair's next effort was to improve the breed of sheep and the quality of their wool. He wrote letters to every landed proprietor with whom he had any influence; held meetings; imported Merino sheep from the continent; introduced the Cheviot breed of sheep from England, which up to this period it was supposed could not live in Scotland; and established the British Wool Society, whose operations have been productive of vast benefit to the northern counties. The improvement of the fisheries on the Caithness coast next attracted Mr. Sinclair's attention. He brought about the re-establishment of the cod-fishing, which had long been almost abandoned; he supplied capital for the commencement of a herring fishery, and induced the government to assist in constructing harbours at Wick and Thurso. It was through his exertions also that the board of agriculture was established in 1793, and an annual grant voted by parliament to defray its necessary expenditure. Meanwhile Mr. Sinclair was taking an equally active part in the public questions of the day. He published a number of seasonable pamphlets on finance and on the defence of the country. On the breaking out of the French war he raised a regiment on his own estates, of which he took the command. It was at his suggestion that the government issued exchequer bills to the amount of £5,000,000 for the behoof of our suffering merchants, and thus averted almost universal bankruptcy. It was with justice Mr. Pitt said to him emphatically, "There is no man to whom government is more indebted, and if you have any object in view I shall attend to it with pleasure." Mr. Sinclair was created a baronet in 1786, and some years later was made a privy councillor. Sir John wrote a treatise on agriculture, and a "History of the Public Revenue." But his most important work was the well-known "Statistical Account of Scotland," in twenty-one volumes. After nearly eight years of ceaseless labour and anxiety, during which he received above twenty thousand letters on the subject, this great work was completed on the 1st of January, 1798. The profits of the publication were, with Sir John's usual generosity, assigned to the Society for the Sons of the Clergy. In 1811 he was appointed cashier of excise for Scotland, and in consequence resigned his seat in parliament. He continued to employ his pen for the public good down to the last year of his life. He published in all three hundred and sixty-seven pamphlets on various subjects, and eighteen volumes octavo, in addition to the "Statistical Account of Scotland." The venerable and kind philanthropist survived till the close of 1835. Sir John was twice married, and left seven sons and eight daughters. His domestic life was as happy as his public life was useful.—(Memoir of Sir John Sinclair, by his son, Archdeacon Sinclair, 2 vols., 1837.)—J. T.
SINDIA, Family of. See Scindiah.
SINGER, Samuel Weller, an eminent literary antiquary, was born in 1783; and though almost entirely self-educated, he distinguished himself in the course of a long life by remarkable critical acumen and by an extensive and accurate knowledge of books. He rendered great service to the cause of old English literature, and edited Shakspeare (10 vols. 18mo, 1826) and Bacon. In 1816 he printed a valuable and interesting work entitled "Researches into the History of Playing Cards." His position as a commentator on Shakspeare impelled him to enter into the controversy concerning Mr. Collier's emendations, upon which he published a volume entitled "Vindication of the Text of Shakspeare from Collier." He was a judicious collector of books and manuscripts. His collection of the latter was sold during his lifetime in 1858; his books after his death, which took place on the 20th December, 1858.—R. H.
SINGLETON, Henry, portrait and historical painter, was born in 1766. He learned the rudiments of his art from his uncle, a miniature painter, and became a student in the Royal academy, where he carried off the gold medal in 1788. A large painting of the Academicians assembled in the Council-room, 1793, attracted much notice. Singleton continued to exhibit regularly at the academy; but when he became a candidate for the associateship in 1807 he was passed over, and he did not apply again. His exclusion from the academy had an ill effect on his fortunes; but though a clever painter, he would never, under the happiest circumstances, have been more than a mediocre one. Several of his paintings have been engraved on a large scale—"Christ healing the Blind;" "Christ's Entry into Jerusalem;" "Hannibal swearing enmity to the Romans;" "The Storming of Seringapatam;" "The Death of Tippoo Saib;" and "The Surrender of the Sons of Tippoo Saib," were all popular prints in their day. He also made a large number of designs for book illustrations. His latest work was a series of illustrations of Shakspeare's principal plays. Singleton died September 15, 1839.—J. T—e.
SIRANI, Elisabetta, born at Bologna in 1638, was taught painting by her father, Giovanni Andrea Sirani (1610-70)
