wr fflCILY. 



...;: ' ..;..-.. of N .;;- in ITM, 



KmlinamJ and hi* court escaped to Sicily. In the followm? June 

 UM troops of Ferdinand, joined to a Urg Calabrian militia, led by 

 cardinal Ruflb, retook the capital and the whole kingdom, and Ferdi- 

 nand returned to Naples. In 1805 he entered secretly into a coalition 

 gain* Napoleon, who after the victory of Auxterlitz sent Marshal 

 Matnri apunat Naples, and for the second time Ferdinand took 

 refuge in Sicily, where he remained with bin court till 1815. 



In 1812, a new repiessntative constitution upon a liberal scale was 

 proclaimed in Sicily. The parliament of 1814 was opened by the 

 king in person, but after its dissolution he never called another. In 

 the following year, after the defeat of Mural by the Austrians, king 

 Ferdinand was restored to the throne of Naples. He assumed the 

 title of Ferdinand I., King of the United Kingdom of the Two 

 pfoJU. aU (l the legislation and administration of both divisions of 

 the kingdom were reduced to a uniform system. Thus the Sicilian 

 constitution was virtually abolished. 



In 1818, a new concordat for the Two Sicilies wns ngreed upon by 

 the Pope. But a revolt broke out in 1820, in consequence of which 

 the Spanish constitution of 1812 was proclaimed, and a uuited parlia- 

 ment convoked for Naples and Sicily. Sicily however, ever jealous of 

 its nationality, demanded a separate parliament, and a repeal of the 

 union effected by the king. Tho Parliament at Naples refused to 

 listen to this demand, and an insurrection broke out at Palermo, 

 which was put down with much bloodshed. In 1821 an Austrian 

 army marched upon Naples, the constitution was abolished, and the 

 king restored to absolute power. Ferdinand died in 1825, and was 

 succeeded by his son Francis, who died in 1830. The present kins, 

 Ferdinand II., ascended the throne on the death of his father. He 

 commenced his reign well, introducing many reforms in the finances, 

 the tariff, and the personnel of the administration. An attempt, made 

 by the Sicilians in 1831-2 to break off the union with Naples, was 

 quickly suppressed. In January 1837, the cholera broke out with 

 great violence ; a fancy seized the people that the poor were poisoned by 

 the physicians at the command of the government ; the wealthy took 

 to flight, and a panic seized the population including even the military. 

 In six weeks there were not less than 26,000 deaths in the city of 

 Palermo alone. Pernicious regulations made for the isolation of 

 infected districts, led to a dearth of provisions and many tumults. 

 At last the Palermitans, roused by political malcontents, disarmed the 

 garrison, deposed the viceroy from his government, and broke off all 

 connection with Naples; the palaces were plundered, and many 

 physicians, their wives, and children thrown into the sea. Similar 

 scenes took place in Catania (where there were 10,000 deaths), in 

 Syracuse, and other places. To put an end to this state of anarchy, 

 3000 Swiss troops, under the command of General Sonnenberg and 

 Del Caretto, chief of police, landed in the island and were received 

 without opposition into the disaffected towns, where, while the pesti- 

 lence was mowing down the people, the ringleaders of the insur- 

 rection were executed under sentence of courts martial. By a 

 decree dated October 31, 1837, the separate administration of the 

 island was abolished, the ministerial council for Sicilian affairs in 

 Naples was suppressed, the island declared a Neapolitan province, 

 and public offices in both parts of the kingdom ordered to be 

 filled up without regard to the nationality of the candidates. In 

 March 1838, the king visited the island, dissolved the courts martial, 

 and granted an amnesty which excepted only the ringleaders in the 

 late commotions. 



The arbitrary interference of the king in his endeavour to check 

 the sulphur trade of Sicily, led to new complications and humiliations. 

 Kngland and France were the principal customers for the sulphur of 

 the island ; but in 1838 a French company obtained a monopoly of 

 the trade, on condition that the yearly consumption should be reduced 

 from 900,000 to 600,000 cantars (150 Ibs. or 160 Iba. each). The 

 English government protested against this contract, as opposed to the 

 interest of British subjects, and as the protest was disregarded an 

 English fleet blockaded the coast and seized many Neapolitan vessels. 

 In consequence of these vigorous measures the sulphur contract was 

 cancelled, and the trade resumed its usual course. 



Few events of importance occurred in Sicily for several years after 

 this. There was but little symptom of discontent notwithstanding 

 the loss of all its privileges. But the inspiriting reforms that followed 

 the election of Pius IX. in Central Italy, seemed to rouse the spirit ol 

 liberty in the hearts of the Sicilians, and in January 1848 the island 

 broke out into a blaze of insurrection. Messina led the way (Jan. 6), 

 Palermo raised the insurrectionary standard on the 12th, and on the 

 16th had established a native provisional government, with Kuggero 

 Settimo as one of its chiefs. A royal fleet, under the Count of Aquila, 

 the king's brother, bombarded the town, which was prepared for 

 defence. The bombardment and several attempts at negotiation 

 having failed, the king granted a constitution with two chambers 

 and the usual guarantees on tho 10th of February. A parliament me' 

 in Palermo in April, which decreed (April 15) the deposition of the 

 king and the Bourbon dynasty. The king occupied with revolutionary 

 troubles at home could do nothing but protest, and the Sicilians con 

 tinued to frame their constitution, which, monarchical in form, was 

 adopted by the parliament on the 10th of the following July, and 01 

 the next day, the Duke of Oenoa, second son of Carlo Alberto, was 



SIDOV. 



663 



n'vited to occupy the throne. Still the king's necessities in his 

 rontinental dominions allowed him merely to protest. 



At last, General Filaugieri (Prince de Satriano) was dispatched to 

 iicily, and commenced the reconquest of the island by the capture of 

 ilessina (September 7, 1848) after an obstinate resistance of two days. 

 I'he zealous but somewhat indiscreet interference of the British and 

 Drench representatives at the court of Naples, and the approach of a 

 British and a French fleet, checked the progress of the king's arms, 

 and raised high the hopes of the islander.*, who had time to put all 

 heir towns into a state of defence. After long negotiations the king 

 granted an ultimatum, offering every guarantee for constitutional 

 iberty that any sensible people could desire. This decree, dated 

 <"eb. 28th, 1849, granted tc Sicily, among other privileges, a general 

 amnesty; a resident viceroy, failing the residence of the king; a 

 separate Sicilian ministry ; the responsibility of ministers, who must 

 >e native Sicilians; a separate budget; a parliament consisting of 

 two chambers peers and deputies ; and a resident minister for 

 Sicily at the court of Naples. On the 9th of March following the 

 Sicilian parliament having considered this ultimatum, refused to 

 accept it, ordered a leveVen-masse, and were left to fight out their 

 mttle single-handed. The struggle did not last long. The Prince of 

 Satriano took the lines of Taormina (April 2), Catania (April 6) ; 

 Agosto and Noto were soon mastered ; and Palermo sent a deputation 

 ;o announce a surrender at discretion on the 23rd of April. Some 

 attempts were made however to continue the contest in the capital, 

 Dut the prince at the head of his troops took possession of it on tho 

 15tU of May. And thus in Sicily, as elsewhere at this period, a 

 aroxysmal effort to obtain constitutional liberty, ended in abortion. 

 SI'CYON and SICYONIA, the territory of Sicyon. Sicyonia was 

 situated on the south coast of the Corinthian Gulf, and near the 

 'astern extremity of the gulf. In the time of Strabo (p. 382, Casaub.) 

 ;he river Nemea was the boundary on the east between Corinthia and 

 Sicyonia. On the west it was bounded by the territory of Pallene 

 (Herod., i. 145), and on the south by the territory of Phlius. Sicyonia 

 consisted of a plain country along the coast and a higher tract extend- 

 ing a few miles inland. The area cannot be ascertained ; it perhaps 

 fell short of 100 square miles. The Asopus, a small stream, gave its 

 name to a district called Asopia. In proceeding along the coast from 

 the harbour of Sicyon westward, the small streams Helisson and 

 Sythas were crossed. The Sythas was the boundary between Sic- 

 yonia and Pellene. In going from Corinthia to Sicyonia the Nemea 

 was first crossed and then the Asopus. The old name of Sicyou was 

 ^Egiale, or ^giali, which was afterwards changed into Mecoue. 



Sicyon, the chief town, was, according to some accounts, 20 stadia, 

 and, according to others, 12 stadia from the sea. The old town was 

 on the const, and it became the port when the new town was built. 

 Demetrius the son of Antigonus pulled down the city in the plain and 

 built the new city close to the ancient Acropolis. In the time of 

 Pausam'as many of the public buildings were in a ruinous state ; but 

 it still contained works of some of the great sculptors of Greece. 

 Between Sicyon and Phlius, 60 stadia from the former and 40 from the 

 latter, was Titane, situated in a mountainous country. A road led 

 direct from Sicyon through Titane to Phlius. 



-dSgioleus, according to tradition, was the founder of Sicyon. The 

 Sicyonians sent 3000 hoplites to the battle of Platoea ; and they had 

 15 ships at the battle of Salamis. In the Peloponnesian war the 

 Sicyonians joined the Spartan confederation. 



As a school of art Sicyon holds a distinguished rank. This school 

 was founded by Eupompus, and it produced Pamphilus and Apelles. 

 Sicyon was also one of the most ancient seats of the plastic art. 

 Canachus and Lysippus were natives of Sicyon. 



SIDMOUTH, Devonshire, a market-town in the parish of Sidmouth, 

 is situated at the mouth of the little river Sid, in 50" 41' N. lat., 

 3 15' W. long., distant 14 miles E.S.E. from Exeter, and 156 miles 

 S.W. by W. from London. The population of the town in 1851 was 

 2516. The living is a vicarage in the archdeaconry and diocese of 

 Exeter. 



Sidmouth was a borough and market-town, governed by a port- 

 reeve, as early as the 13th century. It was anciently one of the prin- 

 cipal fishing-towns of Devonshire, but the fishery has declined. The 

 town has recently risen into some importance as a watering-place. 

 The hills on each side of the valley of the Sid rise to a considerable 

 elevation, and form, towards the sea, bold and lofty cliffs. The 

 narrowness of the valley does not admit of the town displaying a 

 considerable front to the sea; but the villas and detached houses 

 extend for some distance inland on both sides of the stream. A sea- 

 wall, extending upwards of 1700 feet in length, forms an excellent 

 promenade. The baths, public rooms, and libraries face the sea. 

 The town ia lighted with gas and paved. Markets are held ou 

 Tuesday and Saturday; fairs are held on Easter-Monday and the 

 third Monday in September. The parish church, dedicated to St. 

 Nicholas, was erected in the 15th century; it was enlarged a few years 

 back. There are a chapel of ease, chapels for Wesleyan Methodists, 

 Baptists, and Independents; and National and Infant schools. 



SIDON, or ZIDON, the most ancient, and for a long time the chief 

 city of PH<EHICE, and probably the mother city of Tyre, which is 

 called in the Bible "tho daughter of Sidon." It stood on the coast 

 of the Mediterranean, in a plain about a mile broad, about 30 miles 



