SLOANE, SIR HANS, physician and naturalist, born in co.  Down, Ireland, of Scotch descent; settled as a physician in London; attained the highest distinction as a professional man; his museum, which was a large one, of natural objects, books, and MSS. became by purchase the property of the nation, and formed the nucleus of the British Museum (1660-1753).

SLOeJD (sleight), a system of manual training adopted to develop technical skill originally in the schools of Sweden and Finland; is education of the eye as well as the hand.

SLOP, DOCTOR, a choleric physician in “Tristram Shandy.”

SLOUGH OF DESPOND, a deep bog in the “Pilgrim’s Progress,” into which Christian sinks under the weight of his sins and his sense of their guilt.

SLOVAKS, a Slavonic peasant people numbering some 2,000,000, subject to the crown of Hungary since the 11th century, and occupying the highlands of North-West Hungary; speak a dialect of Czech.

SLOVENIANS, a Slavonic people akin to the Servians and Croatians in Austro-Hungary, dwelling chiefly in Styria, Carinthia, and Carniola.

SLY, CHRISTOPHER, a drunken sot of a tinker in the “Induction” to “Taming of the Shrew.”

SMART, CHRISTOPHER, English poet, born in Kent; was a Fellow of Cambridge and a friend of Johnson’s; author of the “Song to David,” now famous, much overrated, think some; he was subject to insanity, and it was written during lucid intervals; he was the author of a prose translation of Horace (1722-1771).

SMEATON, JOHN, civil engineer, born near Leeds; began life as a mathematical instrument-maker; made improvements in mill-work, and gained the Copley Medal in 1758; visited the principal engineering works in Holland and Belgium; was entrusted with the rebuilding of EDDYSTONE LIGHTHOUSE (q. v.) after it was in 1755 burnt down, which he finished in 1759; did other engineering work in the construction of canals, harbours, and mills, rising to the summit of his profession (1724-1792).

SMECTYMNUUS, a pamphlet written in 1641, the title of which is made up of the initial letters of the names of the authors.

SMELFUNGUS, a name given by Sterne to Smollett as author of volume of “Travels through France and Italy,” for the snarling abuse he heaps on the institutions and customs of the countries he visited; a name Carlyle assumes when he has any seriously severe criticisms to offer on things particularly that have gone or are going to the bad.

SMILES, SAMUEL, author of “Self-Help,” born in Haddington; was bred to medicine, and professed it for a time, but abandoned it for literary and other work; wrote the “Life of George Stephenson” in 1857, followed by “Self-Help” two years after; b. 1812.