=Subtle=, the “alchemist,” an artful quack, who pretends to be on the eve of discovering the philosopher’s stone. Sir Epicure Mammon, a rich knight, is his principal dupe, but by no means his only one.--Ben Jonson, _The Alchemist_ (1610). _Subtle_, an Englishman settled in Paris. He earns a living by the follies of his countrymen who visit the gay capital. _Mrs. Subtle_, wife of Mr. Subtle, and a help-meet for him.--Foote, _The Englishman in Paris_ (1753). =Subtle Doctor= (_The_), Duns Scotus, famous for his metaphysical speculations in theology (1265-1308). =Subvolvans=, inhabitants of the moon, in everlasting strife with the Privolvans. The former live under ground in cavities, “eight miles deep and eighty round;” the latter on “the upper ground.” Every summer the under-ground lunatics come to the surface to attack the “grounders,” but at the approach of winter slink back again into their holes.--S. Butler, _The Elephant in the Moon_ (1754). =Such Things Are=, a comedy by Mrs. Inchbald (1786). The scene lies in India, and the object of the play is to represent the tyranny of the old _régime_, and the good influence of the British element, represented by Haswell, the royal physician. The main feature is an introduction to the dungeons, and the infamous neglect of the prisoners, amongst whom is Arabella, the sultan’s beloved English wife, whom he has been searching for unsuccessfully for fifteen years. Haswell receives the royal signet, and is entrusted with unlimited power by the sultan. =Suckfist= (_Lord_), defendant in the great Pantagruelian lawsuit, known as “Lord Busqueue _v._ Lord Suckfist,” in which the plaintiff and defendant pleaded in person. After hearing the case, the bench declared, “We have not understood one single circumstance of the matter on either side.” But Pantagruel gave judgment, and as both plaintiff and defendant left the court fully persuaded that the verdict was in his own favor, they were both highly satisfied, “a thing without parallel in the annals of the law.”--Rabelais, _Pantagruel_, ii. 11-13 (1533). =Suddlechop= (_Benjamin_), “the most renowned barber in all Fleet Street.” A thin, half-starved creature. _Dame Ursula Suddlechop_, the barber’s wife. “She could contrive interviews for lovers, and relieve frail fair ones of the burden of a guilty passion.” She had been a pupil of Mrs. Turner, and learnt of her the secret of making yellow starch, and two or three other prescriptions more lucrative still. The dame was scarcely 40 years of age, of full form and comely features, with a joyous, good-humored expression.