Sardes

See Sardis. Sardinia (sär-din'i-ä). A former kingdom, constituted in 1720 out of the duchy of Savoy, to which the island of Sardinia had just been ceded. It comprised Savoy proper, Nice, Aosta, Montferrat, Piedmont. Genoa, and the island of Sardinia. It made acquisitions from Milan in 1736 and 1748; joined the Allies against France in the French Revolution; lost dominions on the mainland to France in 1798, and recovered them in 1814. An insurrection suppre ed with aid of Austriarre King Charles Albert was at war with Austria in 1848-49; was defeated at Novara, March 23, 1849; and immediately abdicated in favor of Victor Emmanuel The leading more recent events are the following: acce ion of Cavour to the premiership, 1852; union with the Allies against Ru ia in the Crime an war, 1855; succe ful war in alliance with France against Austria ended by the treaty of Villa franc a, 1859; Lombardy annexed, 1859; Savoy and Nice ceded to France, 1860; Emilia, Tuscany, and the greater part of the Papal States annexed, 1860; kingdom of Naples invaded by Garibaldi and annexed, 1860; title of king of Italy a umed by Victor Emmanuel, 1861. See Savoy and Italy . Sardinia, It. Sardegna (sär-dān'yä), F. Sardaigne (sär-dāny'), Sp. Cerdeña (ther-dān'yä). An island in the Mediterranean, belonging to Sardona (sär-dō'nä). A group of the Glarner Alps, on the confines of the cantons of Glarus, St. Gall, and Grisons, Switzerland. Height, about 10,000 feet. Sardou (sär-dö'), Victorien. Born at Paris, Sept. 7,1831. A noted French dramatist. His extreme poverty as a young man compelled him to give up his medical studies. In 1854 he wrote a play, "La taverne des étudiants," which proved a complete failure. Discouraged and broken down in health, he fell dangerously ill. He was cared for by a charitable neighbor, Mademoiselle de Brécourt, whom he subsequently married, and who was largely instrumental in restoring his enthusiasm for dramatic writing. A fortunate introduction into theatrical circles enabled him to place his plays: his first succe may be said to date from his productions of "M. Garat" and "Les prés Saint-Gervais" (1860-61). Among his numerous plays are the comedies "Les pattes de mouche" (1861), "Nos in times" (1861), "La famille Benoîton” (1865), "Les bons village ois" (1866), "Maison neuve" (1866), "Ferréol" (1875), "Dora" (1877), "Daniel Rochat" (1880), "Divorçons" (1880), "Odette" (1881), "Georgette" (1885), "Marquise" (1889), and "Belle-Maman" (1889). He is also the author of Rabagas" (1871), a political satire; “L'Oncle Sam"(1873), a satire on American society; "Les bourgeois de Pont. Arcy" (1878); "Fédor a" (1882); "Le crocodile" (1886); and "Madame Sans-Gêne" (with others, 1894). Sar dou has acquired reputation for a more serious style of work, as "Patrie" (1869), "La haine" (1874), and "Théodor a" (1884), "La Tosca" (1887), “Cléopâtre" (1890), "Thermidor" (1891). The accusation of plagiarism has repeatedly been brought against Sardou: for instance, "Les pattes de mouche" has been said to be based on "The Purloined Letter" by Edgar Allan Poe; "L'Oncle Sam" to have been borrowed from Alfred A ollant's "Scènes de la vie des Etats-Unis" (1858), etc. In addition to winning cases of this kind before the courts. Sardou wrote "Mes plagiats" (1883) in refutation of such attacks. He was elected to the French