Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XIV.djvu/815

SEVIER claimed emperor by his troops at Carnuntum, and inarched upon Rome. No sooner had he appeared before the city (June, 193) than he was acknowledged emperor by the senate, and Julianus was deposed and killed. His first care was to disarm and banish the praetorian guard, .and put to death all concerned in the murder of Pertinax. Clodius Albinus, commander of the Roman forces in Britain, and Pescennius Niger, in Syria, had each at the same time with Severus been proclaimed emperor by his army. The former, whom he most feared, Severus associated with himself as Caesar ; and against the latter, having distributed an immense lar- gess to the troops, he marched within 30 days after his arrival at Rome, defeated his legate ./Emilianus near Cyzicus, and Pescennius Niger himself near Nicsea, and again on the gulf of Issus, where Niger was slain. Byzantium held out for three years, when it was taken (196), devastated, and dismantled, Rome being thus deprived of its strongest bulwark against the Asiatic barbarians. Meanwhile Severus had crossed the Euphrates and subdued the bor- der tribes. He next attempted to procure the assassination of Clodius Albinus, who, hearing of his intention, passed over into Gaul. Seve- rus marched against him, and the armies, each 150,000 strong, met near Lugdunum (Lyons), Feb. 19, 197; after a terrible slaughter, during which Severus came near losing the battle and his life, Albinus was routed, and died by his own hand. Severus trampled the body under his horse's feet, ordered the head to be cut off and carried to Rome, whither he soon followed, and put to death the family of Albinus, as he had previously that of Niger, besides many senators and others. Soon after, marching against the Parthians, he took and plundered Ctesiphon and other cities, but was less success- ful against the Arabs. After spending three years more in settling the affairs of Arabia, Syria, and Egypt, he returned to Rome in 202, and gave shows and distributed money with unparalleled profusion, on occasion of his son Caracalla's marriage, and the completion of the 10th year of his reign. The next few years were passed in prosperous administra- tion at Rome, but were disturbed by the dis- cord and profligacy of his sons Caracalla and Geta, both of whom he associated with him- self as Augusti. In 208, a war breaking out in Britain, he went thither with them. Cale- donia was overrun by his soldiers to the north- ern extremity of the island; but 50,000 of them were destroyed by the climate and the attacks of concealed foes, and Severus retired southward and began building the wall known ty his name. The Caledonians nominally sub- mitted, but again rebelled, and he was prepar- ing for a new campaign when he died. SEVIER. I. A S. W. county of Arkansas, bordering on the Indian territory and bound- ed S. by Little river ; area, about 825 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 4,492, of whom 968 Avere colored. The surface is diversified and the soil mod- SEVIGNE 789 erately fertile. The chief productions in 1870 were 1,919 bushels of wheat, 123,045 of Indian corn, 11,873 of sweet potatoes, 2,189 bales of cotton, 3,367 Ibs. of tobacco, and 8,761 of wool. There were 757 horses, 363 mules and asses, 1,472 milch cows, 2,906 other cattle, 2,507 sheep, and 8,658 swine. Capital, Lockesburgh. II An E. county of Tennessee, bordering on North Carolina and traversed by French Broad and Little Pigeon rivers ; area, 520 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 11,028, of whom 583 were col- ored. Much of the surface is mountainous, and the soil along the streams is fertile. Lime- stone and iron ore abound. The chief pro- ductions in 1870 were 63,488 bushels of wheat, 260,214 of Indian corn, 42,460 of oats, 13,997 Ibs. of tobacco, 16,109 of wool, 79,135 of butter, 15,528 of honey, and 16,588 gallons of sorghum molasses. There were 1,954 horses, 2,264 milch cows, 3,950 other cattle, 9,578 sheep, and 13,088 swine. Capital, Sevier- ville. III. An E. county of Utah, bordering on Colorado, and intersected by the Green and Grand rivers; area, about 7,000 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 19. The "W. part is crossed by the Wahsatch mountains, and watered by Se- vier river. Capital, Richfield. SEVIGIVE, Marie de Rabntjn-Chantal, marquise de, a French epistolary writer, born in Paris, Feb. 6, 1626, died at Grignan, April 18, 1696. Left an orphan at the age of six, she was brought up by her maternal grandfather, and afterward by her uncle, the abbe 1 de Coulanges, whom she used to style in her letters Bienbon. She received lessons and advice from Chapelain and Manage, who taught her Latin, Spanish, and Italian. As soon as she appeared in society, she was greatly admired on account of her beauty, wit, and wealth. In 1644 she married the marquis Henri de S6vigne, a nobleman of Brit- tany and a relative of the Retz family, who in 1645 was appointed governor of Fougerea. Owing to her husband's family relations, she was involved in the civil troubles of the Fronde, and became acquainted with the duchesses of Longueville and Chevreuse. Her husband was killed in a duel in 1651, and she devoted her- self to the education of her son and daughter. Mme. de S6vigne received the homage of many distinguished personages, including the prince of Conti, Marshal Turenne, the count de Bussy (her cousin), and Fouquet. Her letters to her daughter, the marquise de Grignan, which are admired for their vivacity, delicacy, and wit, were not intended for publication, and they were not printed till 30 years after her death (1726). One of the most complete editions is by Regnier, included in Les grands ecrivaim de la France (14 vols., 1862-'6). A selection from the English editions has been edited by Mrs. S. J. Hale (12mo, New York, 1856). See Walckenaer, Memoir e* touchant la tie et let ecrits de Mme. de Semgne (5 vols. 12mo, Paris, 1842-'52), and "Madame de S6vSgn6, her Cor- respondence and Contemporaries," by Coun- tess de Puliga (2 vols. 8vo, London, 1872).