SHERWOOD, MRS. MARY MARTHA (BUTT) (1775-1851).—­Writer of children’s books, m. in 1803 Captain H. Sherwood, and went to India, where she took much interest in soldiers’ children.  Among her books, many of which attained great popularity, are Susan Gray, Little Henry and his Bearer, and The Fairchild Family.

SHIRLEY, JAMES (1596-1666).—­Dramatist, b. in London, ed. at Merchant Taylor’s School, London, and at Oxf. and Camb., became a master of St. Alban’s Grammar School, and afterwards joined the Roman Catholic Church, and going to London wrote for the stage, producing 39 plays.  His talents and his religion recommended him to Queen Henrietta Maria, and he appears to have led a fairly prosperous life until the interdict of plays by Parliament in 1642.  In the Civil War he bore arms on the Royalist side, and during the Commonwealth he returned to his occupation of schoolmaster.  The Restoration does not appear to have improved his fortunes much; he was burnt out in the great fire of 1666, and very soon afterwards he and his wife d. on the same day.  The plays of S. include The Traitor (1631), The Cardinal (1641), The Gamester (1633), Hyde Park (1632), and The Lady of Pleasure (1635).  He also wrote poems, including the well-known lines beginning “The Glories of our mortal State.”  S. has fancy, liveliness, and the style of a gentleman, but he lacks depth and interest.  He is less gross than most of his contemporaries.

Other plays are The Ball (1632), The Maid’s Revenge (1626), The Grateful Servant (1629), Bird in a Cage (1633), The Example (1634). The Constant Maid (c. 1640), Doubtful Heir, or Rosania (1640), Court Secret (1653), Contention of Ajax and Ulysses (1659), etc.

SHORTHOUSE, JOSEPH HENRY (1834-1903).—­Novelist, b. at Birmingham, where he was a chemical manufacturer.  Originally a Quaker, he joined the Church of England.  His first, and by far his best book, John Inglesant, appeared in 1881, and at once made him famous.  Though deficient in its structure as a story, and not appealing to the populace, it fascinates by the charm of its style and the “dim religious light” by which it is suffused, as well as by the striking scenes occasionally depicted.  His other novels, The Little Schoolmaster Mark, Sir Percival, The Countess Eve, and A Teacher of the Violin, though with some of the same characteristics, had no success comparable to his first.  S. also wrote an essay, The Platonism of Wordsworth.

SIBBES, RICHARD (1577-1635).—­Divine, was at Camb., where he held various academic posts, of which he was deprived by the High Commission on account of his Puritanism.  He was the author of several devotional works expressing intense religious feeling—­The Saint’s Cordial (1629), The Bruised Reed and Smoking Flax, etc.  He was a man of great learning.