Chapter Saint's Everlasting Rest of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

St. Ronan’s Well, a novel by sir W. Scott (1823). An inferior work; but it contains the character of Meg Dods, of the Clachan or Mowbray Arms inn; one of the very best low comic characters in the whole range of fiction.

The tale is a good deal involved, but chiefly concerns Clara Mowbray of St. Ronan’s, and the two sons of the earl of Ethrington. One of them is Frank Tyrrel, the son of his wife, but said to be illegitimate. The other is Valentine [Bulmer], the child of Mrs. Bulmer married in bigamy. Clara is deceived into a private marriage with Valentine, supposing him to be the heir of the title; but when it is proved that Frank Tyrrel is not illegitimate, and therefore the true heir, Clara dies, and Valentine is slain in a duel. The story concludes with the marriage of Dr. Quackleben and Mrs. Blower a shipowner’s widow.

St. Stephen’s Chapel, properly the House of Commons, but sometimes applied to the two Houses of Parliament. So called by a figure of speech from St. Stephen’s Chapel, built by king Stephen, rebuilt by Edward II. and III., and finally destroyed by fire in 1834. St. Stephen’s Chapel was fitted up for the use of the House of Commons in the reign of Edward IV. The great council of the nation met before in the chapter-house of the abbey.

St. Swithin, tutor of king Alfred, and bishop of Winchester. The monks wished to bury him in the chancel of the minster; but the bishop had directed that his body should be interred under the open vault of heaven. Finding the monks resolved to disobey his injunction, he sent a heavy rain on July 15, the day assigned to the funeral ceremony, in consequence of which it was deferred from day to day for forty days. The monks then bethought them of the saint’s injunction, and prepared to inter the body in the churchyard. St. Swithin smiled his approbation by sending a beautiful sunshiny day, in which all the robes of the hierarchy might be displayed without the least fear of being injured by untimely and untoward showers.

St. Tammany, the patron of democracy in the American states. His day is May 1. Tammany or Tammenund lived in the seventeenth century. He was a native of Delaware, but settled on the banks of the Ohio. He was a chief sachem of his tribe, and his rule was discreet and peaceful. His great maxim was, “Unite. In peace unite for mutual happiness, in war for mutual defence.”

Saint’s Everlasting Rest (The), by Richard Baxter (1649).