mis=, queen of Assyria, wife of Ninus. She survived her husband,
and reigned. The glory of her reign stands out so prominently that she
quite eclipses all the monarchs of ancient Assyria. After a reign of
forty-two years she resigned the crown to her son, Ninyas, and took her
flight to heaven in the form of a dove. Semiramis was the daughter of
Derc[)e]to, the fish-goddess, and a Syrian youth, and, being exposed in
infancy, was brought up by doves.

=Semiramis of the North=, Margaret, daughter of Waldemar III. of Denmark.
At the death of her father she succeeded him; by the death of her
husband, Haco VIII., king of Norway, she succeeded to that kingdom also;
and, having conquered Albert of Sweden, she added Sweden to her empire.
Thus was she queen of Denmark, Norway and Sweden (1353-1412).

_Semir[)a]mis of the North_, Catherine of Russia, a powerful and
ambitious sovereign, but in morals a law unto herself (1729-1796).

=Semkail=, the angel of the winds and waves.

I keep the winds in awe with the hand which you see in the air, and
prevent the wind Haidge from coming forth. If I gave it freedom it
would reduce the universe to powder. With my other hand I hinder
the sea from overflowing, without which precaution it would cover
the face of the whole earth.--Comte de Caylus, _Oriental Tales_
("History of Abdal Motalleb," 1743).

=Semo= (_Son of_), Cuthullin, general of the Irish tribes.

=Sempro'nius=, one of the "friends" of Timon of Athens, and "the first man
that e'er received a gift from him." When Timon sent to borrow a sum of
money of "his friend," he excused himself thus: As Timon did not think
proper to apply to me first, but asked others before he sent to me, I
consider his present application an insult. "Go," said he to the
servant, "and tell your master:

Who bates mine honor shall not know my coin."

Shakespeare, _Timon of Athens_, act iii. sc. 3 (1600).

_Sempronius_, a treacherous friend of Cato while in Ut[)i]ca. Sempronius
tried to mask his treason by excessive zeal and unmeasured animosity
against Caesar, with whom he was acting in alliance. He loved Marcia,
Cato's daughter, but his love was not honorable love; and when he
attempted to carry off the lady by force, he was slain by Juba, the
Numidian prince.--J. Addison, _Cato_ (1713).

I'll conceal
My thoughts in passion, 'tis the surest way.
I'll bellow out