82 S F O 
SF ACC HI A, a small town of European Turkey, in the 
island of Candia. 
SFASACA, a town of Niphon, in Japan; 18 miles east 
of Amanguchi. 
SFAX, a neat thriving city of Tunis, in Africa, surrounded 
with walls. A considerable trade in oil and cloth is here 
carried on ; 45 miles south-south-east of Kairwan. 
SFORZA (Giacomuzzo), named also Attendolo, founder 
of the illustrious house of Sforza, was born in 1369 at 
Cotignola, in Romagna. He is said to have been originally 
a peasant, and, according to a traditionary report, being one 
day at work, he was solicited to enlist for a soldier, when 
throwing his spade on a tree, he said he would enter if the 
spade did not fall down again, which proving to be the case, 
he immediately engaged in that military life which rendered 
him famous. He first served under general Alberic de 
Barbiano, and had for his comrade in arms the celebrated 
Braccio. These, in the early part of their career, were as 
intimate as brothers, but as they advanced in the profession, 
jealousy intervened, and they became at length such deter¬ 
mined enemies, that when one engaged in the service of a 
prince or state, it was a sufficient motive for the other to 
engage on the opposite side. Sforza was soon distinguished 
for his bravery, and for a disposition to seize by force what¬ 
ever booty fell in his way. Braccio and he perfectly agreed 
in selling their services as dearly as possible, and in con¬ 
sidering war as a trade which was to be kept up for their 
benefit. From the command of 100 men he rose to that of 
7000: he obtained the office of gonfalonier to the holy see, 
and by pope John XXIII, he was created count Cotignola, 
an honour that was given by way of payment of a sum of 
money due to him. He commanded in the kingdom of 
Naples against Alphonso of Arragon, and was made constable 
of the kingdom. In marching to the relief of Aquila, he 
was drowned in the passage of the river Aterno or Pescara, 
in the year 1424. He is represented to have been robust in 
body, and when elevated to his highest rank, that he 
preserved the peasant’s disregard of luxury, and frankness of 
manners. 
SFORZA (Francesco), first duke of Milan of that family, 
natural son of the preceding, was born in 1401. In 1421 he 
was viceroy to Louis, duke of Anjou, who had been adopted 
by queen Joan II. of Naples, and in 1424, he defeated the 
troops of Braccio; but his father, as we have seen, being 
drowned, he could make no advantage of his success. Al¬ 
though an illegitimate son, Joan conferred upon him all his 
father’s estates, and he served successfully against the Arago¬ 
nese commanders. He afterwards entered into the service 
of the duke of Milan, and defeated a fleet of the Venetians 
in the Po, in 1431. After the death of the queen, in 1435, 
he attached himself to her heir, Rene, duke of Anjou, and 
made himself master of several places in the Marche of 
Ancona. He even seized some of the pope’s possessions, 
which brought on him an excommunication from Euge- 
nius IV., whom he had formerly served. He had long 
wished to marry Bianca, the natural daughter of Philip- 
Maria Visconti, duke of Milan, and being in the Venetian 
service against that prince, he gained such advantages as 
induced Philip, who had often deceived him, to enter into a 
treaty in 1441, by which he made peace with the Venetians, 
and gave his daughter to Sforza, with Cremona and its 
territory for her portion. 
The father and son-in-law did not long continue united, 
and Sforza commanded, as general, the troops of the pope, 
Venetians, and Florentines, in a war against Philip. He was, 
however, at length, induced to go over to the party of 
the duke of Milan, who, in 1447, died without legitimate 
issue. Sforza was now ambitious of succeeding him, and 
took a commission, as general of the troops of Milan, against 
the Venetians. But he soon made a treaty with the latter, 
and then led an allied army to the gates,of Milan, to which 
he laid siege The distress of the city occasioned a popular 
commotion, the leaders of which proposed the electing of 
Sforza for their duke. The majority concurred in the pro¬ 
posal, and in February, 1450, he was received with great ac- 
S H A 
clamations in that quality. Sforza remained in possession of 
the duchy, and in 1464 made himself master of Genoa, 
Lewis XL of France having made over to him all the right 
of France to that city. Sforza died in 1466, and transmitted 
the sovereignty to his son. He had shewn himself a brave 
and skilful commander; but with several traits of grandeur 
in his character, he was not a man of principle, and was 
ready to change sides as suited his interest. Mod. Univ. 
Hist. 
SFORZA (Catherine), an heroine of the same family, 
the natural daughter of Galeazzo Sforza, duke of Milan, 
who was assassinated in 1476. She married Jerome Riario, 
lord of Forli and of Imola, which was her own dowry; 
but she was left a widow at the age of twenty-two, with 
several children. In 1500 Forli was besieged by the duke 
of Valentinois, son of pope Alexander VI.; but she defended 
the fortress with the greatest bravery, though the besiegers 
threatened to put her children to death, who were in their 
hands. At length the place was taken, and Catherine sent 
prisoner to Rome, but she soon recovered her liberty, and 
was married to John de Medicis, to whose family she ren¬ 
dered very eminent services. 
SFRONDATI (Francis), a senator of Milan, and coun¬ 
sellor of state to the emperor Charles V. On the death of 
his wife he entered into orders, aud was elevated to the car- 
dinalship. He died in 1550, aged 56. A poem of his, on 
the “ Rape of Helen,” was printed at Venice in 1559. His 
son Nicholas became pope by the name of Gregory XIV. 
There was another cardinal of this name and family, who 
wrote several works against the liberties of the Gallican 
church. He died in 1696. 
SGIGATA, or Stora, a town of Algiers, in Africa, the 
ancient Rusicada, situated near the Mediterranean. This 
city possessed anciently great splendour, which is now only 
attested by the ruins of a few cisterns. 
To SHAB, v. n. To play mean tricks. A low cant 
■word. 
SHAB. See Sheb. 
SHABAMOUSHVVAN LAKE, a lake of Canada; 210 
miles north-north-west of Quebec. Lat. 49. 10. N. long. 
75. W. 
SHABBILY, adv. Meanly; reproachfully; despicably; 
paltrily. 
SHABBINESS, s. Meanness; paltriness.—He exchanged 
his gay shabbiness of clothes fit for a much younger man, 
to warm ones that would be decent for a much older one. 
Spectator. 
SHABBINGTON, a parish of England, in Buckingham¬ 
shire; 12 miles west-south-west of Aylesbury 
SHABBY, ad/. [Etymology unknown,] Mean ; pal¬ 
try.-—They were very shabby fellows, pitifully mounted, and 
worse armed. Ld. Clarendon. 
The dean was so shabby, and look’d like a ninny, 
That the captain suppos’d he was curate of Jenny. Swift. 
SHABOUR, in Persia. See Shapour. 
SHABOUR, a considerable town of Lower Egypt, si¬ 
tuated in the district called Bahireh, on the western or Ro¬ 
setta branch of the Nile. It is supposed to be the ancient 
Andropolis; 48 miles south-east of Alexandria. 
SHABRAN, a village of Shirwan, in Persia ; 40 miles 
north-east of Schamachie. 
SHACK, in Ancient Customs, a liberty of winter-pas¬ 
turage. In the counties of Norfolk and Suffolk, the lord 
of the manor has shack, i. e. a liberty of feeding his sheep 
at pleasure, in his tenants’ lands, during the six winter 
months. 
In Norfolk, shack also extends to the common for hogs, 
in all men’s grounds, from the end of harvest till feeding¬ 
time. ' Whence to go a shack, is to feed at large. 
SHACK, provincially, to shed as grain at harvest. 
SHACKERSTONE, a parish of England, in Leicester¬ 
shire ; 10 miles from Hinckley. 
SHA'CKLE, s. Stubble. Herefordshire. Pegge. 
To SHA'CKLE, v. a. [ s'chaeckelen , Teut.] To chain ; 
to 
C. 
