SELIM I. emperor of the Turks, was the second son of Bajazet II. He made war upon his father, and though defeated in 1511, at last dethroned him and took him prisoner, and immediately dispatched him by poison, together with his elder brother Achmet, and his younger Korkud, an amiable and enlightened prince. Having established his throne by these crimes, he marched against Campion-Gaury sovereign of Egypt, gained a great victory at Aleppo, and slew their general. But though the sultan perished in that battle, the Mameluks determined to oppose the emperor. Selim entering their country at the head of his army, defeated the Egyptians in two battles, and ordered Toumonbai, the new elected sultan, who had fallen into his hands, to be hung on a gibbet. He then took Cairo and Alexandria, and in a short time reduced all Egypt to subjection. Thus ended the dominion of the Mameluks in Egypt, which had continued for more than 260 years. He confirmed the ancient privileges of the Venetians in Egypt and Syria, by which they carried on their commerce with India, and formed a league with them to destroy the power of the Portuguese in that country. (See India, no 37). Selim had before this gained a great victory over the Persians, and stripped them of Tauris and Keman. He was preparing to attack Christendom when he was seized with an ulcerous sore in the back. Thinking that the air of Adrianople would restore his health, he ordered himself to be conducted thither; but he died at Clari in Thrace on his road to that city, in the year 1520, in the very spot where he had poisoned his father. He reigned 8 years, and lived 54. He was a prince of great courage, fidelity, and liberality: he was fond of history, and wrote some verses. But these good qualities were obscured by the most abominable crimes that ever disgraced human nature: he made his way to the throne by shedding the blood of his father, and secured it by murdering his brothers and eight nephews, and every bashaw who had been faithful to his duty.

SELINUM, in botany: A genus of the digynia order, belonging to the pentandria clas of plants; and in the natural method ranking under the 45th order, Umbellatae. The fruit is oval, oblong, compressed, plane, and striated in the middle: the involucrum is reflexed; the petals cordate and equal. There are seven species, the fylletre, palutre, cultriacum, carvifolia, chabraci, femineri, monneri.