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SONOKIANG, a city of China , of the first rank, in the pro-vince of Kiang-nan ; 500 miles S. of Pekin. Lon. 120. 45. E.Lat. 31.0. N.

SON KAAS, a people who inhabit the S.'part of Africa , on theN. of the Cape of Good Hope .

SONNA, a hook of the Mohammedan traditions, which the or-thodox of the mussulmans are required to believe.

SONNEltATIA, in botany, a genus of the icosandria mono-gvnia class and order. Natural order, Ilesperidex. Calyx six-cleft ; petals six, lanceolate ; berry many-celled, with several seedsin each cell. There is but one species, viz. S. acida, a native ofthe Molucca islands, and the bogs of New Guinea ; also of Co-chin China , on the banks of rivers.

SONNET, in poetry, a short poem containing fourteen venes,viz. two stanzas or measures of four verses each, and two of three,the eight first verses being all in three rhimes.

SONNITES, among the Mohammedans, an appellation givento the orthodox mussulmans or true believers; in opposition tothe several heretical sects, particularly the Shiites or followersof Ali.

SOODERA, or SOODERS, in Indian mythology and polity,the fourth cast, or the lowest class of the people. See Gentoos,and Hindoos.

SOOLOO, an island in the East Indian Ocean, one of the Phi-lippines ; about 30 miles long, and 12 broad. Lon. 121. 25. E.Lat. 5. 58. N.

SOONDA, a province of Hindoostan, in Mysore . It lies be-tween Canaraand Concan ; and is about 40 miles long from N.to S. and 30 broad from E. to W.

SOONTABURDAR, in the East Indies, an attendant, whocarries a silver-bludgeon in his hand about two or three feet long,and runs before the palanquin.

SOOT, a volatile matter arising from wood and other fuel alongwith the smoke ; or rather, it is the smoke itself condensed andgathered to the sides of the chimney. Though once volatile,however, soot cannot be again resolved into vapour ; but, if dis-tilled by a strong fire, yields a volatile alkali and empyreumaticoil, a considerable quantity of fixed matter remaining at the bot-tom of the distilling vessel. If burnt in an open fire, it flameswith a thick smoke, whence other soot is produced. It is used asa material for making sal ammoniac, and as a manure.

SOPPII, or SOFf, a title given to the emperor of Persia ; im-porting wise, sage or .philosopher. The title is by some said tohave taken its rise from a young shepherd named Sophi, who at-tained to the crown of Persia in 1370 ; others derive it from thesoplioi or sages, anciently called magi.

SOPHIA, SOFIA, or SOFFA, a city of European Turkey ,the capital of Bulgaria . Lon. 23. 58. E. Lat. 42. 30. N.

SOPHIAI, a town of Russia , in Petersburg ; 10 miles S. S. E.of the city.

SOPPIIANA, orSOPIIlANIA, a town of Persia , in Adir-beitzan ; 25 miles N. W. of Tauris . Lon. 47. 25. E. Lat. 38.35. N.

SOPIIIS, or SOFEES, a kind of order of religious among theMohammedans in Persia , answering to what are otherwise calleddervises, and among the Arabs and Indians faquirs. Some willhave them called sopliis from a kind of course camblet which theywear called souf, from the city Souf in Syria , where it is princi-pally manufactured.

SOPHISM, in logic, &c. a specious argument hav-

ing the appearance of truth, but leading to falsehood. Sophismsare reduced by Aristotle into eight classes, an arrangement so jmtand comprehensive, that it is equally proper now as in formertimes. 1. Ignoralio elenchi, in which the sophist seems to deter-mine the o,uestion, while he only does it in appearance. Thusthe question, “ Whether excess of wine be hurtful ?” seems to bedetermined by proving, that wine revives the spirits, and gives aman courage: but the principal point is here kept out of sight ;for still it may be hurtful to health, to fortune, and reputation,g: Pelitio principii, a begging of the question, or taking for grant-ed that which remains to be proved, as if any one should under-take to prove that the soul is extended though all the parts of thebody, because it resides in every member. This is affirming thetame thing in different words. 3. Reasoning in a circle ; as whenthe Roman Catholics prove the Scriptures to be the word of God

by the authority of the church, gnd the authority of the churchfiom the Scriptures. 4. Non causa pro-causS, or the assigning ofa false cause to any effect. Thus the supposed principle, that na-ture abhors a vacuum, was applied to explain the rising of water ina pump, before Galileo discovered that it was owing to the pres-sure of the atmosphere. In this way the vulgar ascribe accidentsto chance or fortune, and the heresies and infidelity of moderntimes to learning. 5. Fallacia accidentis, in which the sophist re-presents what is merely accidental as essential to the nature of thesubject. This is nearly allied to the former, and is committed bythe Mohammedans and Roman Catholics . The Mohammedansforbid wine, because it is sometimes the occasion of drunkennessand quarrels ; and the Roman Catholics prohibit the reading ofthe Bible , because they think it has sometimes promoted heresies.(5. By deducing an universal assertion from what is true only inparticular circumstances, and the reverse; thus some men argue,"transcribers have committed many errors in copying the Scrip-tures, therefore they are not to be depended on." 7. By assert-’ ing any thing in a compound sense which is only true in a dividedsense ; so when the Scriptures assure us, that the worst of sinnersmay be saved, it does not mean that they shall be saved whilethev remain sinners, but that if they repent they may be saved.8. l3y an abuse of the ambiguity of words. This is the largest andmost extensive kind of fallacy ; and, indeed, several of the formerfallacies might be reduced to this head. When the words orphrases are plainly equivocal, they are called sophisms of equivo-cation. This sophism, as well as the foregoing, and ail of the likenature, are solved by shewing the different senses of the words,terms, or phrases. But, where such gross equivocations and am-biguities appear in arguments, there is little danger in imposing onourselves or others; the greatest danger, and what we are perpe-tually exposed to, in reasoning, is, where the two senses or signifi-cations of one term are near a-kin, and not plainly distinguished ;and yet are sufficiently different in their sense to lead us into greatmistakes, if we be not watchful. And, indeed, the greatest partof controversies, in the sacred or civil life, arise from the differentsenses that are put upon words, and the different ideas conveyedby them. There is, after all these, another sort of sophism, whichis wont to be called an imperfect enumeration, or a false induction,when, from a few experiments or observations, men infer generaltheorems and universal propositions.

SOPHIST, [from vpi, wise,] in ancient Grecian history, wasan appellation assumed by those who devoted their time to thestudy o f cience. This appellation appearing loo arrogant to Py-thagoras , he declined it, and wished to be called a philosopher;declaring that, though he could not consider himself as a wiseman, he was indeed a lover of wisdom. True wisdom and mo-desty are generally united. The example of Pythagoras was fol-lowed by every man of eminence, while the name Sophist was re-tained only by those who, with a pomp of words, made a magni-ficent display of wisdom upon a very slight foundation of know-ledge. Those men taught an artificial structure of language, anda false method of reasoning, by which, in argument, the worsemight be made to appear the better reason.

SOPHISTICATION, in trade, is the mixing of any thingwith what is not genuine ; a practice too common in the "makingup of medicines for sale ; as also among vintners, distillers, anaothers, who are accused of sophisticating their wines, spirits, oils,&c. by mixing with them cheaper and coarser materials; and inmany eases the cheat is carried on so artfully as to deceive thebest judges.

SOPHOCLES, a celebrated Greek tragic poet, tbe son of So-philus an Athenian, horn at Colonos, in Attica, near Athens . Su-perior vigour and address in the exercises of the palestra, and skillin music, were the great accomplishments of young men in theslates of Greece. In these Sophocles excelled ; nor was he lessdistinguished by the beauty of his person. lie was, like most ofthe Athenians , zealously attached to hiscountry, which he servedin some embassies, and in high military command with Pericles .He was also remarkable for the inviolable integrity of his life. Buthis studies were early devoted to the tragic muse. The Athenians having taken the isle of Scyros, appointed an annual contest forthe best tragedy to commemorate that event. It was on this occa-sion that Sophocles first displayed his poetical talents. His per-formance gained the prize, though he had his old master among