200 SOUTHCOTT chilly in the X. W. counties. In the latter part of 1871 and the beginning of 1872 numerous .irrists wore made under an act of congress for the suppression of these outrages, and many persons were convicted in the United States courts and punished. SOITHCUTT, Joanna, an English religious en- thusiast, horn at Gittisham, Devonshire, about 1750, died in London, Dec. 27, 1814. Until nearly 40 years of age she was a domestic servant, and for some years was a member of the established church, but shortly before promulgating her peculiar notions she united with the Wesleyans. In 1792 she began to at- tract attention by claiming supernatural pow- ers and narrating remarkable revelations made to, her in dreams. She published prophecies and warnings in extravagant prose and rude doggerel, challenged the clergy to investiga- tion and discussion, and labored with so much energy and zeal that her sect at the time of her death was estimated at 100,000 persons. When upward of GO years old she announced that she was pregnant and would give birth to a second Shilph. Shortly before her death she expressed the conviction that "if she was deceived, she had at all events been misled by some spirit, good or evil." A post mortem ex- amination disclosed the fact that dropsy was mistaken by her for pregnancy. Before her death a communication, said to be from her, directed her followers to hold no more meet- ings until after the birth of Shiloh. Little was heard of the sect till 1825, when a man named Twort professed to be the Shiloh promised. One George Turner made a like claim. In the census of 1851 there were reported in England four congregations of her followers. John Wroe became their leader in 1822, and in 1857 opened a mansion at Wenthorp for a community of Southcottians. SOU IIKRV, Thomas, a British dramatist, born at Oxmantown, Ireland, about 1060, died in Westminster, May 26, 1746. After spending two years at Trinity college, Dublin, he en- tered in 1678 the Middle Temple, London, but soon gave up the law for literature. Of the ten plays which he wrote, the best known are "Isabella, or the Fatal Marriage," in which Mrs. Siddons won her first laurels, and " Oro- nooko," in which he denounced slavery and the slave trade. A complete edition of his works appeared in 1774 (3 vols. 12mo). SOmiKRMVOOI). See ARTEMISIA. SOITIIEY. I. Robtrt, an English author, born in Bristol, Aug. 12, 1774, died at Greta hall, near Keswick, March 21, 1843. In his 14th year he was placed at Westminster school, the expenses }t v i borne by a maternal uncle. For publishing in "The Flagellant," a periodical started by him and his associates, a satirical articK- on corporal punishment, he was ex- pelled in 1792. He entered Balliol college, Ox- f..r.l. in January, 1793, accepted with enthu- siasm the liberal ideas to which the French revolution had given currency, and began his SOUTHEY career of unparalleled industry as a man of letters. He wrote in 1793 the dramatic poem of "Wat Tyler," first published surreptitiously in 1817, which was assailed in the house of commons as seditious. With Coleridge and Lovell he formed the abortive plan of a panti- socracy, or perfect society, on the banks of the Susquehanna. He left the university in 1794, published in connection with Lovell a volume of "Poems" (1794), and received from Cottle 50 guineas for his "Joan of Arc" (1795), an epic poem, which was favorably received. In 1795-'6 he spent six months with his uncle in the Peninsula, and published "Letters written during a Short Residence in Spain and Portu- gal " (1797). In 1797 he went to London to study law, but soon took lodgings for most of the time in the country, and continued his literary pursuits. He was the editor and prin- cipal writer of the " Annual Anthology " for 1799 and 1800. His health failing, he again visited Portugal in 1800, and collected mate- rials for a history of that country. For his second epic poem, " Thalaba, the Destroyer " (2 vols. 12mo, 1801), he received 100 guineas. The post of secretary to the chancellor of the exchequer for Ireland was offered to him with a salary of 350, but he soon resigned what he termed " a foolish office and a good salary." In 1804 he settled at Greta, near Keswick, where Coleridge was living, and about 14 m. from Wordsworth at Grasmere. From this time he appears in his writings as an uncom- promising monarchist and churchman, and his life was marked by untiring and cheerful labor, and by repeated acts of generosity. He re- ceived as permanent inmates of his house the wives of Lovell and Coleridge, sisters of his own wife, assisted in editing the works of Chatterton for the benefit of the sister of that poet, and extended his kindness to several unfortunate poets, among whom was Henry Kirke White, whose "Remains" he edited with a biography. He visited and formed a life-long intimacy with Sir Walter Scott in 1805 ; became an occasional contributor to the " Quarterly Review ;" received in 1807 a pension of 160; undertook in 1809 the his- torical department of the "Edinburgh An- nual Register;" was appointed poet laureate in 1813 ; received the degree of LL. D. from the university of Oxford in 1821 ; visited Hol- land in 1825, and remained three weeks at Ley den in the house of Bilderdijk ; declined the offer of a baronetcy in 1835, but accepted an addition of 300 to his pension ; and made a tour in Normandy and Brittany in 1837. His intense and protracted activity had now resulted in mental prostration; his memory failed, and his recognition of time and place gave way, and during the last year there was an utter extinction of his faculties. He left at his death one of the most remarkable pri- vate libraries in England, which was sold by auction in London. There is scarcely a de- partment of literature in which Southey did
