Chapter Supporters in Heraldry to Sutor of S by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Supporters in Heraldry to Sutor

Supporters in Heraldry represent the pages who supported the banner. These pages, before the Tudor period, were dressed in imitation of the beasts, etc., which typified the bearings or cognizances of their masters.

Sura, any one ethical revelation; thus each chapter of the Korân is a Sura.

Hypocrites are apprehensive lest a Sura should be revealed respecting them, to declare unto them that which is in their hearts.—Al Korân, ix.

Surface (Sir Oliver), the rich uncle of Joseph and Charles Surface. He appears under the assumed name of Premium Stanley.

Charles Surface, a reformed scapegrace, and the accepted lover of Maria the rich ward of sir Peter Teazle. In Charles, the evil of his character was all on the surface.

William Smith [1730–1790]. To portray upon the stage a man of the true school of gentility required pretensions of no ordinary kind, and Smith possessed these in a singular degree, giving to “Charles Surface” all that finish which acquired for him the distinction of Gentleman Smith.”—Life of Sheridan (Bohn’s edit.

Joseph Surface, elder brother of Charles, an artful, malicious, but sentimental knave; so plausible in speech and manner as to pass for a “youthful miracle of prudence, good sense, and benevolence.” Unlike Charles, his good was all on the surface.—Sheridan: School for Scandal (1777).

(John Palmer (1747–1798) was so admirable in this character that he was called emphatically “The Joseph Surface.”)

Surgeon’s Daughter (The), a novel by sir Walter Scott, laid in the time of George II. and III., and published in 1827. The heroine is Menie Gray, daughter of Dr . Gideon Gray of Middlemas. Adam Hartley, the doctor’s apprentice, loves her, but Menie herself has given her heart to Richard Middlemas. It so falls out that Richard Middlemas goes to India. Adam Hartley als o goes to India, and, as Dr. Hartley, rises high in his profession. One day, being sent for to visit a sick fakir, he sees Menie Gray under the wing of Mme. Montreville. her father had died, and she had come to India, under madame’s escort, to marry Richard; but Richard had entrapped the girl for a concubine in the haram of Tippoo Saib. When Dr. Hartley heard of this scandalous treachery, he told it to Hyder Ali the father of Tippoo Saib. He and his son were so disgusted at the villainy that they condemned Richard Middlemas to be trampled to death by a trained elephant, and liberated Menie, who returned to her native country under the escort of Dr. Hartley.

Surgery (Father of French), Ambrose Parê (1517–1590).

Surly, a gamester and friend of sir Epicure Mammon, but a disbeliever in alchemy in general, and in “doctor” Subtle in particular.—Ben Jonson: The Alchemist (1610).

Surplus (Mr.), a lawyer; Mrs. Surplus; and Charles Surplus the nephew.—Morton: A Regular Fix.

Surrey (White), name of the horse used by Richard III. in the battle of Bosworth Field.

Saddle White Surrey for the field to-morrow.
   —Shakespeare: King Richard III. act v. sc. 3 (1597).

Surtees Society (The), so named from Robert Surtees, the historian, who lived 1779–1834. It was established in 1834 for the publication of MSS. dealing with the history of the region lying between the Humber and the Forth, the Mersey and the Clyde.

Surtur, a formidable giant, who is to set fire to the universe at Ragnarök, with flames collected from Muspelheim.—Scandinavian Mythology.