S I M 
witty reply which this author made to Hiero's queen, who 
demanded of him whether knowledge or wealth was most 
to be preferred: “ Wealth,” said he; “ for I see every day 
learned men at the doors of the rich.” When he was ac¬ 
cused of being so sordid, as to sell part of the provisions 
with which his table was furnished by Hiero, he said he had 
done it, in order “ to display to the world the magnificence 
of that prince, and his own frugality.” In justification of 
his passion for wealth, he said, “ I choose rather to be useful 
to my enemies after I am dead, than burdensome to my 
friends while I am living.” He is said to have been suffi¬ 
ciently eloquent to reconcile two princes extremely irritated 
against each other, and actually at war. He was unquestion¬ 
ably one of the most conspicuous characters of his time. 
Of his numerous works only a few fragments remain, which 
are published in the Corpus Poetarum Grsecarum. 
SIMONOR, a small island in the Sooloo archipelago. 
Lat. 4. 59. N. long. 119. 50. E. 
SIMONSBURG, a post village of the United States, in 
Southampton county, Virginia. 
SIMONSHALL, a hamlet of England, in Gloucestershire, 
adjoining to Wootton-.under-Edge. 
SIMONSIDE HILL, in Northumberland, England, 1407 
feet high. 
SIMONSTONE, a village of England, in Lancashire; 5 
miles west-by-north of Burnley. 
SIMONSWOOD, a hamlet of England, in Lancashire; 
5 miles south-by-east of Ormskirk. 
SI'MONY, s. The crime of buying or selling church 
preferment.—Many papers remain in private hands, of which 
one is of simony; and I wish the world might see it, that it 
might undeceive some patrons, who think they have dis¬ 
charged that great trust to God and man, if they take no 
money for a living, though it may be parted with for other 
ends less justifiable. Walton. 
No simony nor sinecure is known ; 
There works the bee, no honey for the drone. Garth, 
The word Simony or Simonia, is borrowed from Simon 
Magus, who is mentioned in the Acts of the Apostles, as 
offering to buy the power of working miracless with money : 
Judge Blackstone, says, 1. That to purchase a presentation, 
the living being actually vacant, is open and notorious 
simony. 
9. That for a clerk to bargain for the next presentation, 
the incumbent being sick and about to die, was simony, 
even before the statute of queen Anne; and now, by that 
statute, to purchase, either in his own name or another’s, 
the next presentation, and be thereupon presented at any 
future time to the living, is direct and palpable simony. 
But, 3. It is held, that for a father to purchase such a 
presentation, in order to provide for his son, is not simony; 
the son not being concerned in the bargain, and the father 
being by nature bound to make a provision for him. 
4. That if a simoniacal contract be made with the patron, 
the clerk not being privy thereto, the presentation for that 
turn shall indeed devolve to the crown, as a punishment of 
the guilty patron; but the clerk who is innocent, does not 
incur any disability or forfeiture. 
5. That bonds given to pay money to charitable uses, on 
receiving a presentation to a living, are not simoniacal, pro¬ 
vided the patron or his relations be not benefited thereby; 
for this is no corrupt consideration, moving to the patron. 
6. That bonds of resignation in case of non-residence, or 
taking any other living, are not simoniacal, there being no 
corrupt consideration therein, but such as is only for the 
good of the public. So also bonds to resign, when the 
patron’s son comes to canonical age, are legal; upon the 
reason before given, that the father is bound to provide for 
his son, 
7. Lastly,—general bonds to resign at the patron’s request 
are held to be legal; for they may possibly be given for one 
of the legal considerations before-mentioned, and where 
there is a possibility that the transaction may be fair, the 
law will not suppose it iniquitous without proof; but if the 
Vox..XXIII. No. 1567. 
SIM 233 
party can prove the contract to have been a corrupt one; 
such proof will be admitted, in order to shew the bond 
simoniacal, and therefore void. Neither will the patron be 
suffered to make an ill use of such a general bond of resig¬ 
nation ; as by extorting a composition for tithes, procuring 
an annuity for his relations, or by demanding a resignation 
wantonly, and without good cause, such as is approved by 
the law, as for the benefit of his own son, or on account 
of non-residence, plurality of livings, or gross immorality 
in the incumbent. B/ac/cst. Comm. 
Simony is also committed by buying or selling the sacra¬ 
ment, baptism, ordination, or absolution. 
SIMONYTORNYA, or Simonthurm, a small town in 
the south-west of Hungary, at the confluence of the 
Kaproneza and the Sio ; 57 miles south-south-west of Buda, 
with 2800 inhabitants. 
S1MORRE, a town in the south of France, department of 
the Gers. There are some lead mines in the neighbourhood. 
Population 1400; 13 miles south-east of Auch. 
To SI'MPER, v. n. [from pymbelan, Saxon, to keep 
holiday.] To smile ; generally to smile foolishly.—A made 
countenance about her mouth between simpering and 
smiling, her head bowed somewhat down, seemed to languish 
with over-much idleness. Sidney. 
SEMPER, s. Smile ; generally a foolish smile. 
Great Tibbald nods: the proud Parnassian sneer, 
The conscious simper , and the jealous leer, 
Mix on his look. Pope. 
SEMPERER, s. One who simpers.—A smperer, that 
a court affords. Neville. 
SI'MPERINGLY, adv. With a foolish smile.—Why 
looks neat Curus all so simperingly ? Marsto?i. 
SEMPLE, ad). [ simplex , Latin; simple, Fr.] Plain; 
artless; unskilled; undesigning; sincere; harmless.—Were 
it not to satisfy the minds of the simpler sort of men, these 
nice curiosities are not worthy the labour which we bestow 
to answer them. Hooker. 
They meet upon the way, 
A simple husbandman in garments gray. Spenser , 
In simple manners all the secret lies. 
Be kind and virtuous, you’ll be blest and wise. Young. 
Uncompounded; unmingled; single; only one; plain; 
not complicated.— Simple philosophically signifies single, 
but vulgarly foolish. Watts. —Silly; not wise; not cun¬ 
ning.—The simple believeth every word; but the prudent 
man looketh well to his going. Proverbs. 
SEMPLE, s. A single ingredient in a medicine; a drug. 
It is popularly used for an herb. 
He would ope his leathern scrip, 
And shew me simples of a thousand names, 
Telling their strange and vigorous faculties. ' Milton. 
To SEMPLE, v. n. To gather simples. Unused. 
As once the foaming boar he chas’d. 
Lascivious Circe well the youth survey’d, 
As sit/ipling on the flowery hills she stray’d. Garth. 
SEMPLE-MINDED, adj. Having a simple, unskilled, 
and artless mind. 
[They,] bending oft their sanctimonious eyes. 
Take homage of the simple-minded throng. Akenside; 
SEMPLENESS, s. The quality of being simple. 
I will hear that play: 
For never any thing can be amiss. 
When simpleness and duty tender it. Shalcspeare. 
SEMPLER, s. A simplist; an herbarist.—An English 
botanist will not have such satisfaction in shewing it to a 
simpler. Barrington. 
SEMPLESS, s. [simplcsse, Fr.] Simplicity; silliness: 
folly. Obsolete. 
Their 
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