SOP 
357 
SOP 
from sop/iist.'] Fallaciously subtle; logically deceitful.— 
The subtyll persuacions and sophistical cavillations of the 
papistes. Cranmer.— That may seem a demonstration for 
the present, which to posterity will appear a mere sophistical 
knot. More. 
SOPHl'STICALLY, adv. With fallacious subtilty.— 
Bollingbroke argues most sophistically. Swift 
SOPHISTICATE, v. a. [sophistiquer, French, from 
sophist.'] To adulterate; to corrupt with something spurious. 
_If the passions of the mind be strong, they easily sophis¬ 
ticate the understanding; they make it apt to believe upon 
every slender warrant, and to imagine infallible truth, where 
scarce any probable shew appeareth. Hooker. 
SOPHISTICATE, part. adj. Adulterate ; not genuine. 
Wine sparkles brighter far than she, 
’Tis pure and right without deceit, 
And such no woman e’er will be; 
No, they are all sophisticate. Cowley. 
SOPHISTICATION, s. [sophistication, Fr.] Adultera¬ 
tion; not genuineness.—'Besides easy submissions to sophis¬ 
tications of sense, we have inability to prevent the mis¬ 
carriages of our junior reasons. Glanville.— The drugs 
and simples sold in shops, generally are adulterated by the 
fraudulent avarice of the sellers, especially if the pre¬ 
ciousness may make their sophistication very beneficial. 
Bor/le. 
SOPHI'STICATOR, s. Adulterator; one that makes 
things not genuine.—I cordially commend, that the sophis- 
ticators of wine may suffer punishment above any ordinary 
thief. Whitaker. 
SO'PHISTRY, s. Fallacious ratiocination.—His sophis¬ 
try prevailed; his father believed. Sidney. —Logical 
exercise.—The more youthful exercises of sophistry , themes, 
and declamations. Felton. 
SOPHOCLES, a famous tragic poet, was born at Athens 
about B. C. 49'7. He was of a condition that allowed of his 
being educated in the accomplishments most valued at that 
time; and it is related, that being a youth when the monu¬ 
ments of the victory over Xerxes were fixed up at Salamis, 
he appeared at the head of a chorus of noble birth, whose 
song of triumph he led by the strains of his lyre. He first 
applied himself to lyric poetry ; but the fame acquired by 
iEschylus, the celebrated reformer or author of Grecian 
tragedy, induced him to try his powers in that species of 
composition, and in his 28th year he ventured to contend 
with that veteran for.the theatrical prize. The result was, a 
victory on his part, which was followed by the retreat of 
his rival, and left him undisputed master of the tragic stage. 
The improvements he introduced into the drama were so 
considerable that he may be regarded almost as the father of 
regular tragedy. He brought a third interlocutor to the two 
who before alone appeared on the scene at once; he in¬ 
terested the chorus in the subject of the piece; he reduced 
the turgid and unnatural diction of iEschylus to the proper 
standard of heroic dignity; and invented that artful con¬ 
struction of fable and developement of incidents which con¬ 
tributes so much to the interest of a dramatic performance. 
In these points he was superior to his younger competitor 
Euripides; and upon the whole, he appears to have stood at 
the head of his class in the judgment both of the Greek and 
Roman critics. Cicero tenns him “ a divine poet;” and in 
a line of Virgil the “ Sophoclean buskin” is made an ap¬ 
pellation for tragedy in general. Dionysius of Halicarnassus 
commends him particularly for preserving the dignity of his 
characters, and dwelling rather on the more noble and 
generous affections, than on the mean and debasing passions. 
These praises show that his works were regarded as the most 
perfect example of tragedy in the highest sense of the word. 
As at Athens the theatre was an important public concern, 
we need not wonder to find a tragedian so eminent as So¬ 
phocles entrusted with civil and military employments, and 
joined with Pericles in a commission against the revolted 
Samians. He retained his faculties, and continued to write 
tragedies, to an advanced age: and when his sons, on account 
Vol. XXIII. No. 1575. 
of neglect of his domestic affairs, applied to the magistrates 
to put him under their guardianship, as having outlived his 
understanding, he appeared in court, and reciting his GEclipus 
at Colonos, which he had just finished, asked, if that were 
the work of a dotard ? The judges, convinced by such an 
appeal, pronounced in his favour, and the audience con¬ 
ducted him home in triumph. The benignity of his cha¬ 
racter acquired him a number of friends, his attachment to 
whom, and his moderate wishes, caused him to decline the 
invitations of the kings who were desirous of drawing him to 
their courts. It is related to his honour, that at the death of 
his great rival Euripides, instead of displaying satisfaction, 
he put on mourning, and would not suffer the actors in a 
new piece of his to wear crowns. Sophocles is said to have 
passed his 90th year, and to have died of joy on obtaining 
the prize for his last tragedy. Above a hundred pieces have 
been attributed to him by some ancient writers, of which 
only seven have reached our times. 
SOPHORA [Linnaeus's derivation of the name of this 
genus will be best given in his own words.—“ Sophora vel 
Sophera est verbum antiquum plantse, huic proximae, impo- 
situm, quo utor ad designandum hocce genus quod Sopho- 
rum est sive sapientiam et admonitionem fert staminum 
filamenta in papilionaceis, si separata inter se sint, vix 
classe naturali conjungendas esse plantas, si unquam limites 
classis reperiundr sint.” Hort. Cliff., p. 156.], in Botany, a 
genus of the class decandria, order monogynia, natural order 
of papilionacea? or leguminosse.—Generic Character. Ca¬ 
lyx : perianth one-leafed, short, bell-shaped, gibbous at the 
base above; mouth five-toothed, oblique, obtuse. Corolla: 
papilionaceous, five-petalled. Standard oblong, gradually 
wider, straight, reflexed at the sides. Wings two, oblong- 
appendicled at the base, length of the standard. Keel two, 
petalled, with the petals conformable to the wings, the 
lower margins approximating and boat-shaped. Stamina: 
filaments ten, distinct, parallel, awl-shaped, length of the 
corolla within the keel. Anthers very small, rising. Pistil: 
germ oblong, cylindrical. Style, size and situation of the 
stamens. Stigma obtuse. Pericarp: legume very long, 
slender, one-celled, knobbed at the seeds. Seeds very many, 
roundish. It agrees in every thing with the plants of the 
class diadelphia, except in having all the filaments separate. 
—Essential Character. Calyx five-toothed, gibbous above. 
Corolla papilionaceous, with the wings of the same length 
with the standard. Legume. 
1. Sophora tetraptera, or wing-podded sophora.—Leaves 
pinnate, leaflets numerous, lanceolate-oblong, somewhat 
villose; legumes quadrangular-membranaceous; stem arbo¬ 
reous.—'This magnificent tree is a native of New Zealaud. 
It displays its pendulous branches of large golden flowers in 
May and June. 
2. Sophora microphylla, or small-leaved shrubby sophora. 
■—Leaves pinnate; leaflets very numerous, obovate, some¬ 
what villose; legumes quadrangular-membranaceous. This 
is a smooth tree. Flowers large and yellow.—Native of 
New Zealand. 
3. Sophora flavescens, or Siberian sophora.—This re¬ 
sembles the next species, but is smooth all over.—Native of 
Siberia. 
4. Sophora alopecuroides, or fox-tail sophora.—Leaves 
pinnate; leaflets numerous, oblong-villose; stem herba¬ 
ceous. Root perennial. Flowers pale blue and small, in 
long axillary spikes standing erect close to the stalk.—Native 
of the Levant. 
5. Sophora tomentosa, or downy sophora.—Leaves pin¬ 
nate; leaflets numerous, roundish, tomentose. Stem downy, 
six or seven feet high.—Native of Ceylon. 
6. Sophora occidentalis, or occidental sophora.—Leaves 
pinnate; leaflets numerous, roundish, hoary, subtomentose. 
This is a shrub, with a round, hoary-pubescent stem, and 
round, spreading, subtomentose branches.—Native of the 
West Indies. 
7. Sophora monosperma, or one-seeded sophora.—Leaves 
unequally pinnate, pinnas five-paired, legumes one-seeded. 
This is a small tree, ten feet high, with a whitish bark, and 
4 Y a hard 
