. "His Excellency" fled from
Brussels on the day of the battle between Napoleon and Wellington, and
returned to Calcutta, where he bragged of his brave deeds, and made
appear that he was Wellington's right hand; so that he obtained the
sobriquet of "Waterloo Sedley." He again returned to England, and became
the "patron" of Becky Sharp (then Mrs. Rawdon Crawley, but separated
from her husband). But this lady proved a terrible dragon, fleeced him
of all his money, and in six months he died under very suspicious
circumstances.--Thackeray, _Vanity Fair_ (1848).

_Sedley_ (_Sir Charles_), in the court of Charles II.--Sir W. Scott,
_Woodstock_ (time, Commonwealth).

=Seelencooper= (_Captain_), superintendent of the military hospital at
Ryde.--Sir W. Scott, _The Surgeon's Daughter_ (time, George II.).

=Seer= (_The Poughkeepsie_), Andrew Jackson Davis.

=Seicen'to= (3 _syl._), the sixteenth century of Italian notables, the
period of bad taste and degenerate art. The degraded art is termed
_Seicentista_, and the notables of the period the _Seicentisti_. The
style of writing was inflated and bombastic, and that of art was what is
termed "rococo." The chief poet was Marini (1569-1615), the chief
painter Caravaggio (1569-1609), the chief sculptor Bernini (1593-1680),
and the chief architect Borromini (1599-1667).

=Sede=, in Voltaire's tragedy of _Mahomet_, was the character in which
Talma, the great French tragedian, made his _d['e]but_ in 1787.

=Seidel-Beckir=, the most famous of all talismanists. He made three of
extraordinary power: viz., a little golden fish, which would fetch from
the sea whatever was desired of it; a poniard, which rendered the
person who bore it invisible, and all others whom he wished to be so;
and a steel ring, which enabled the wearer to read the secrets of
another's heart.--Comte de Caylus, _Oriental Tales_ ("The Four
Talismans," 1743).

=Sejanus= (_AElius_), a minister of Tib[=e]rius, and commander of the
Praetorian Guards. His affability made him a great favorite. In order
that he might be the foremost man of Rome, all the children and
grandchildren of the emperor were put to death under sundry pretences.
Drusus, the son of Tiberius, then fell a victim. He next persuaded the
emperor to retire, and Tiberius went to Campania, leaving to Sej[=a]nus
the sole management of affairs. He now called himself emperor; but
Tiberius, roused from his lethargy, accused his minister of treason. T