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SHA'PELY, adj. Symmetrical; well formed.— Shapelich 
or to ben an alderman. Chaucer. —The shapely column. 
Dr. Wart on. 
SHAPINSHAY, one.of the Orkney islands, about 3 miles 
north from the Mainland. It is about 7 miles long and 5 
broad, somewhat in the form of a cross, and contains in all 
about 10 square miles of surface. All around the shore, 
which, from the many indentations of the sea, is very exten¬ 
sive, the land is pretty level to a considerable distance in¬ 
land, and bears rich crops of grass and corn. Towards the 
interior the land rises, high, and never having been under 
culture, is in its present state only fit for the pasture of sheep. 
Of this useful animal, there were formerly about 3000 kept 
on the island, and thence it is thought to have derived its 
name; but from extremely harsh treatment, they are now 
reduced to half that number. The cattle amount to 800, 
the horses to 250, and the swine to a number unknown. 
The state of agriculture is wretched, exhausting the soil by 
alternate crops of oats and barley, and denying it the advan¬ 
tage of rest or summer fallow. The Standing Stone of Sha- 
pinshay, and the Black Stone of Odin, are supposed to be 
the remains of places of Scandinavian worship. A small bay 
bears the name of Grucula, which tradition reports is owing 
to a Roman vessel, one of Agricola’s ships, in his celebrated 
voyage round the island of Britain, beings here stranded in a 
violent storm. This tradition is rendered more probable, 
from some Roman coins having been found lately near the 
place. There are several of those subterraneous habitations 
called Piets’ houses. The harbour of Elwick is the only one 
of the island. About 120 tons of kelp are annually burnt on 
the shores. Shapinshay forms a parochial district of itself, 
which contained, in 1801, 744 inhabitants; in 1811, 726. 
SHAPLEIGH, a post township of the United States, in 
York county, Maine, on the Piscataqua; 108 miles north- 
north-east of Boston. Population 2362. 
SHAPOUR, Ruins of, are situated at the end of the 
valley of Kazeroon, in the province of Fars, in Persia. The 
city is said to have existed prior to Alexander the Great, 
and to have been destroyed by him, but was rebuilt with 
augmented splendour by Sapor, who made it the capital of 
his dominions, and erected there a magnificent palace. 
Though entirely deserted, yet the breadth and circumference 
of the ramparts, and the remains of some public buildings, 
shew it to have been a city of great extent and magnificence. 
It is situated immediately under a range of mountains, on 
the banks of a small but rapid river, and in a wild romantic 
spot, amidst rocks and precipices, many of which are deco¬ 
rated with pieces of sculpture similar to those near Persepolis. 
The most remarkable of these are small groupes of figures, 
cut into compartments, and tolerably well executed. The 
hero of the piece is mounted on horseback, and crowned 
with a tiara. The hills in the immediate vicinity of these 
ruins appear to have been formerly fortified, and an extra¬ 
ordinary cavern farther up the river, has given rise to many 
fabulous stories; 18 miles west of Kazeroon. 
SHAPWICH, a parish, fonnerly a market town of Eng¬ 
land, on the river Stour, Dorsetshire; 5 miles south-east of 
Blandford Forum. Population 395. 
SHAPWICH, a parish of England, in Somersetshire; 6 
miles west-by-south of Glastonbury. Population 418. 
SHARAF BENI GATEI, a town of Hedsjas, in Arabia; 
25 miles north of Madian. 
SHARBASHI, a village of Turkish Armenia; 18 miles 
south-east of Moush. 
SHARBIN, a village of Lower Egypt; 16 miles south- 
south-west of Damietta. 
SHARD, s. [The past particle of the Sax. pcipan, to 
cut; to divide; to separate.] “ Shards, pieces of stones 
broken and scattered.” Huloet. —A fragment of an earthern 
vessel, or of any brittle substance. 
For charitable prayers. 
Shards, flints and pebbles should be thrown on her ; 
Yet here she is allow’d her virgin crants. 
Her maiden strewments. Shakspeare. 
S H A 
The splinters and shards of so violent a jousting. Milton. 
Shard, or Sherd, is our ancient word for a scale or 
outward covering, a case or sheath. 
-A dragon— 
Whose scherdes shynen as the sunne. Gower. 
[Chard.] A plant. 
Shards or mallows for the pot, 
Keep the loosen’d body sound. Dry den 
It seems in Spenser to signify a frith or strait. It is used, 
says Upton, in the west, for a gap, as it is in some parts of 
the north for a prospect through an avenue. 
Upon that shore he spied Atin stand, 
There by his master left, when late he far’d 
In Phedria’s fleet bark, over that perl’ous shard. Spenser. 
A sort of fish. 
SIIA'RDBORNE, adj. Borne along the air by shards or 
sheathed wings. 
Ere to black Hecat’s summons 
The shardborne beetle with his drowsy hums 
Hath rung night’s yawning peal, there shall be done 
A deed ot dreadful note. Shalcspearc. 
SHA'RDED, adj. Having a scaly covering; sheath¬ 
winged. 
With his sword, and with his spere. 
He might not the serpent dere (i. e. hurt). 
He was so sherded all about. 
It held all edge toole withoute. 
Often shall we find 
The sharded beetle in a safer hold. 
Than is the full-wing’d eagle. 
SIIARDLOW, a township of England, 
7 miles south-east of Derby. 
To SHARE, v. a. [jeeapan, pcipan, Sax. 
ders it, in all its significations, as derived from the Su. Goth. 
shaera, to divide; to separate ; to cut.] To divide ; to part 
among many. 
Good fellows all. 
The latest of my wealth I’ll share amongst you. Shalcspeare. 
Any man may make trial of his fortune, provided he ac¬ 
knowledge the lord’s right, by sharing out unto him a toll. 
Carew. — To partake with others; to seize or possess jointly 
with another. 
In vain does valour bleed. 
While avarice and rapine share the land. Milton. 
Go, silently enjoy your part of grief. 
And share the sad inheritance with me. Dryden. 
To cut; to separate ; to sheer. 
Scalp, face and shoulders the keen steel divides, 
And the shar'd visage hangs on equal sides. Dryden. 
To SHARE, v. n. To have part; to have a dividend. 
Had greater haste these sacred rites prepar’d, 
Some guilty mouths had in your triumphs shar'd. 
But this untainted year is all your own. Dryden. 
SHARE, s. Part; allotment; dividend obtained. 
If every just man, that now pines with want, 
Had but a moderate and beseeming share, 
Of that which lewdly-pamper’d luxury 
Now heaps upon some few with vast excess. Milton. 
To go shares; to partake.—By being desirous that every 
one should have their full share of the favours of God, they 
would not only be content, but glad to see one another 
happy in the little enjoyments of this transitory life. Law. 
—A part contributed.—These, although they bear a share 
in the discharge, yet have different offices in the composition. 
Brown. —[jxeap, Sax.] The blade of the plow that cuts the 
ground. 
Nor laws they knew, nor manners, nor the care 
Of labouring oxen, nor the shining share. Dryden. 
SHA'REBONE, s. The os pubis; the bone that divides 
the 
Gower. 
Shakspeare. 
in Derbyshire; 
Serenius 
