mpson_ (_Dr._), eccentric Irish physician; inventor of
_Chronothermalism_.--Charles Reade, _Very Hard Cash_.

_Sampson_ (_George_), a friend of the Wilfer family. He adored Bella
Wilfer, but married her youngest sister, Lavinia.--C. Dickens, _Our
Mutual Friend_ (1864).

_Sampson_ (_Nurse_), dry-visaged, soft-hearted sick-nurse, whose adage
is, "Somebody must eat drumsticks," and whose practice is based upon the
formula.--A. D. T. Whitney, _Faith Gartney's Girlhood_ (1863).

=Samson= (_The British_), Thomas Topham (1710-1749).

=Samson Agonistes= (4 _syl._), "Samson, the Combatant," a sacred drama by
Milton, showing Samson blinded and bound, but triumphant over his
enemies, who sent for him to make sport by feats of strength on the
feast of Dagon. Having amused the multitude for a time, he was allowed
to rest awhile against the "grand stand," and, twining his arms round
two of the supporting pillars, he pulled the whole edifice down, and
died himself in the general devastation (1632).

=Samson's Crown=, an achievement of great renown, which costs the life of
the doer thereof. Samson's greatest exploit was pulling down the "grand
stand" occupied by the chief magnates of Philistia at the feast of
Dagon. By this deed "he slew at his death more than [_all_] they which
he slew in his life."--_Judges_ xvi. 30.

And by self-ruin seek a Samson's crown.

Lord Brooke, _Inquisition upon Fame, etc._ (1554-1628).

=San Bris= (_Conte di_), father of Valenti'na. During the Bartholomew
slaughter his daughter and her husband (Raoul) were both shot by a party
of musketeers, under the count's command.--Meyerbeer, _Les Huguenots_
(opera, 1836).

=Sancha=, daughter of Garcias, king of Navarre, and wife of Fernan
Gonsalez, of Castile. Sancha twice saved the life of her husband: when
he was cast into a dungeon by some personal enemies who waylaid him, she
liberated him by bribing the jailer; and when he was incarcerated at
Leon she effected his escape by changing clothes with him.

The countess of Nithsdale effected the escape of her husband from the
Tower, in 1715, by changing clothes with him.

The Countess de Lavalette, in 1815, liberated her husband, under
sentence of death, in the same way; but the terror she suffered so
affected her nervous system that she lost her senses, and never
afterwards recovered them.

=San'chez II.= of Castile, was killed at the battle of Zamo'ra, 1065.

It was when brave K