SISYPHUS 
 
 
then killed them. Their names are Par- 
then~pA, Ligeia, and Leucothga.-- Greek 
Fable. 
 
   Sirloin of Beef. James I., on his re- 
 turn from a hunting excursion, so much 
 enjoyed his dinner, consisting of a loin of 
 roast beef, that he laid his sword across 
 it, and dubbed it Sir Loin. At Ching- 
 ford, in Essex, is a place called "Friday 
 Hill House," in one of the rooms of which 
 is an oak table with a brass plate let into 
 it, inscribed with the following words:- 
 "ALL LovERs OF ROAST BEEF WILL LIKE TO 
 KNOW THAT ON THIS TABLE A LOIN WAS 
 KNIGHTED BY KING JAMES THE FIRST ON HIS 
 RETURN FROM HUNTING IN EPPING FOREST." 
 Knighting the loin of beef is also ascribed 
 to Charles II. 
 Our second Charles, of fame facete, 
    On loin of beef did dine; 
  He held his sword, pleased, o'er the meat. 
    "Arise, thou famed Sir Loin." 
        Ballad of the New Sir John Barleycorn. 
 
  Sister Anne, sister of Fatima (the 
seventh and last wife of Bluebeard). Fat- 
ima, being condemned to death by her 
tyrannical husband, requested sister Anne 
to ascend to the highest tower of the cas- 
tle to watch for her brothers, who were 
momentarily expected. Bluebeard kept 
roaring below stairs for Fatima to be 
quick; Fatima was constantly calling out 
from her chamber, " Sister Anne, do you 
see them coming? " and sister Anne was 
on the watch-tower, mistaking every cloud 
of dust for the mounted brothers. They 
arrived at last, rescued Fatima, and put 
Bluebeard to death.-Oharles Perrault, 
Contes (" La Barbe Bleue," 1697). 
  This is a Scandinavian tale taken from 
the Folks Sagqas. 
 
  Sis'yphos, in Latin Sisyphus, a king 
 
 
of Corinth, noted for his avarice and fraud. 
He was punished in the infernal regions 
by having to roll uphill a huge stone, 
which always rolled down again as soon 
as it reached the top. Sisyphos is a type 
of avarice, never satisfied. The avaricious 
man reaches the summit of his ambition, 
and no sooner does he so than he finds the 
object of his desire as far off as ever. 
With many a weary step, and many a groan, 
Up the high bill he heaves a huge round stone; 
The huge round stone, returning with a bound, 
Thunders impetuous down, and smokes along 
    the ground. 
         Homer, Odyssey, xi. [Pope's trans.]. 
 
   Sisyphus, in the Milesian tales, was 
 doomed to die, but when Death came to 
 him, the wily fellow contrived to fasten 
 the unwelcome messenger in a chair, and 
 then feasted him till old Spare-ribs grew 
 as fat as a prize pig. In time, Pluto re- 
 leased Death, and Sisyphus was caught, 
 but prayed that he might speak to his 
 wife before he went to Hades. The prayer 
 was granted, and Sisyphus told his wife 
 not to bury him, for though she might 
 think him dead, he would not be really so. 
 When he got to the infernal regions, he 
 made the ghosts so merry with his jokes, 
 that Pluto reproved him, and Sisyphus 
 pleaded that, as he had not been buried, 
 Pluto had no jurisdiction over him, nor 
 could he even be ferried across the Styx. 
 He then obtained leave to return to earth, 
 that he might persuade his wife to bury 
 him. Now, the wily old king had pre- 
 viously bribed Hermes, when he took him 
 to Had~s, to induce Zeus to grant him life, 
 provided he returned to earth again in 
 the body; when, therefore, he did return, 
 he demanded of Hermes the fulfillment of 
 his promise, and Hermes induced Zeus to 
bestow on him life. Sisyphus was now 
allowed to return to earth, with a promise 
that he should never die again, till he him- 
                                   III 
 
 
SIRENS 
 
 
407