26(5 



S1LVESTRE DE SACY SIMON, ST 



so that no air-bubbles be left. After the papor is 

 drawn out, weights are placed upon the glass to 

 press out the superfluous mercury, and make the 

 foil adhere. Another method is, to slide the glass 

 over the foil without the assistance of paper. To 

 make shell silver, silver leaf is ground with gum- 

 water, or honey: the gum, or honey, is washed 

 away, and the powder which remains is used with 

 gum-water, or white of eggs, laid on with a hair 

 pencil. 



SILVESTRE DE SACY. See Sacy. 



SIMEON STYLITES. See Stylites. 



SIMOIS ; a river of Troas, which rises in mount 

 Ma, and falls into the Xanthus. It is celebrated 

 bv Homer, and most of the ancient poets, as many 

 battles were fought in its neighbourhood during the 

 Trojan war. Modern travellers call it a small rivu- 

 let, and some have even disputed its existence. 

 See Scamander. 



SIMON MAGUS, or the Magician ; an impostor, 

 mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, a native of 

 Samaria, who pretended to be an a?on of an exalted 

 nature, and called himself the supreme power of 

 God. (See Gnostics.) Struck with astonishment 

 at the miracles of the Apostles, he offered them 

 money for their secret. (See Simony.) He then 

 went about making proselytes, carrying with him a 

 Tyrian courtesan, whom he represented as Helen 

 who had been the cause of the Trojan war, and 

 sometimes as Minerva ; calling her, at the same 

 time, the first intelligence, or mother of all things. 

 Other stories are related of him, but are not well 

 authenticated. It has also been said that he was 

 worshipped as a god at Rome, and that his statue 

 was erected there, with the inscription Simoni Deo 

 sancto. His followers are called Simonians. See 

 Heretics. 



SIMON, ST; an ancient French family, which 

 claims to derive its origin, through the counts of 

 Vermandois, from Charlemagne. Louis de Rouvroy, 

 duke de St Simon, a peer of France, known as the 

 author of some very curious memoirs, was born in 

 1675, and died in 1755. He was employed in 

 several diplomatic missions, and was made one of 

 the council of regency by the notorious regent, 

 duke of Orleans, after whose death he retired to 

 his estates. His memoirs remained a long time in 

 manuscript, and were afterwards published in a 

 mutilated form, with many suppressions. The first 

 complete edition appeared in Paris, in 1829 30 (in 

 21 vols., 8vo.), under the title of Memoires complets 

 et authentiqu.es du Due de Saint Simon sur le Siecle 

 de Louis XIV., et la Reg ence, publics pour la pre- 

 miere Fois sur le Manuscrit original entierement ecrit 

 de la Main de l'Auteur,par M. le Marquis de Saint 

 Simon. 



Claude Henri, count de St Simon, founder of the 

 politico-philosophical-religious sect of St Simonians, 

 or of the New Christianity, which has recently at- 

 tracted attention in France, was born in 1760. We | 

 know little of his youth ; but he appears to have I 

 been early tinctured with a spirit of enthusiasm, as | 

 we are told that he caused himself to be called, ] 

 every morning, with the words, "Get up, count; 

 you have great things to accomplish." He was at- 

 tached to the French auxiliary corps, which served 

 in America in the last years of the revolutionary 

 war, and, soon after his return to France, was 

 promoted to a colonelcy. Previous to the breaking 

 put of the French revolution, the count travelled 

 in Holland and Spain; but he took no part in the 

 great events of 1789. He died in 1825, the last 



thirty-four -years of his life, if we may believe his 

 own account, having been devoted to the objects of 

 his missioT , as tin* npostle of the New Christianity. 

 His disciples are not very communicative in regard 

 to the history of their founder, whose reputation ap- 

 pears not to have been always the best. In 1790, 

 he entered into financial speculations, for the pur- 

 pose, as we are told, of raising the funds necessary 

 to aid his great projects. His partner not partici- 

 pating in his philanthropic views, St Simon retired 

 from the business at the expiration of seven years, 

 and next applied himself to the study of the scienrrs. 

 He took up his residence near the polytechnic 

 school, formed an acquaintance with the professors, 

 and attended their lectures. Three years were 

 thus occupied with the study of inorganic nature, 

 and the succeeding four years were spent in the 

 study of organic bodies, for which purpose he lived 

 near the medical school, conversed with the profes- 

 sors, heard their lectures, and kept open house and 

 free table for men of science. A tour in Germany, 

 England and Italy, completed his 'inventory of the 

 philosophical treasures of Europe,' and he now felt 

 himself master of his ideas and ready to communi- 

 cate them. His fortune, however, was exhausted, 

 and his friends had deserted him. His Introduction 

 aux Travaux scientifiques du 19e Siecle (1807), 

 contains an exposition of his philosophical views at 

 this time. After the restoration, in 1814, his at- 

 tention was turned to politics ; and, partly in con- 

 junction with his disciple and adopted son Augustus 

 Thierry and olhers, hf wrote several works, which 

 show his political opinions. Among these are De 

 la Reorganisation de la Societe Europeenne (1814); 

 Du Sy steme Industriel (1821) ; Catichisme des In- 

 dustriels (1824) ; Discussions politiques, morales et 

 philosophiques (4 vols., 1817 18) ; and Opinions 

 litteraires, philosophiques et industrielles. Seven 

 years had thus been spent in obtaining pecuniary 

 resources, seven in collecting scientific materials, 

 ten in effecting the reformation of philosophy, and 

 ten that of politics; and St Simon, reduced to ex- 

 treme want by the exhaustion of his resources, and 

 to despair by neglect and ill success, attempted to 

 shoot himself through the head. The ball grazed 

 his forehead : but " his hour," say his pupils, after 

 their master, "was not yet come; the philosopher 

 and legislator becomes the prophet of a law of love; 

 God raises him from the abyss; sheds over him a 

 religious inspiration which animates, sanctifies and 

 renews his whole being ; a hymn of love is poured 

 forth from that mutilated body ; the divine man is 

 manifested ; the New Christianity is sent to the 

 world; the kingdom of God is come upon earth." 

 The Nouveau Christianisme (8vo., 1825) is an ex- 

 position of St Simon's religious notions. By this 

 new religion, the principle of antagonism is done 

 away ; a universal church, a brotherhood of peace, 

 unites all mankind, and sanctifies all. Science is 

 holy, industry is holy; society is formed only of 

 priests, savans and labourers (industriels) ; govern- 

 ment consists only of the chiefs of these three 

 classes. The basis of the political system of the 

 St Simonians is a new mode of the distribution of 

 property, by substituting the right of capacity for 

 the right of inheritance. "Each one according to 

 his capacity, each capacity according to its works." 

 is the rule of this new right. All property becomes, 

 at the death of the proprietor, the property of the 

 church or society; all children receive a general 

 education to a certain point till their capacities are 

 ascertained, and then, chacun a sa capacitc, each be- 



