tars. It was compofed of fal, vinegar, blood, &e. which, in our times, would be efteemed a very unfavoury foup. If they were moderate in their eating, they were fo in their drinking alfo; thirit was the fole meafure thereof; and no Lace demonian ever thought of drinking for pleafure: as for drunkennefs, it was both infamous and feverely punked, and, that young men might perceive the reafon, flaves were compelled to drink to excess, that the beastliness of the vice might appear. When they retired from the public meal, they were not allowed any torches or lights, because it was expected, that men who were perfectly fober thould be able to find their way in the dark: and, befides, it gave them a facility of marching without light; a thing wonderfully ufe

ful to them in time of war.

(17.) SPARTA, LAWS OF, AS TO EXERCISES. In thefe all the Greeks were extremely careful, but the Lacedemonians in a degree beyond the reft; for if a youth, by his corpulence, or any oTher means, became unfit for thefe exercides, he underwent public contempt at least, if not banithment.-Hunting was the ufual divertion of their children; nay, it was made a part of their educasion, because it had a tendency to strengthen their limbs, and to render thofe who practifed it fupple and fleet: they likewife bred up dogs for hunting with great care. They had a kind of public dan ces, in which they exceedingly delighted, and which were common alike to virgins and young men: indeed, in all their sports, girls were allows ed to divert themfelves with the youths; infomuch that, at darting, throwing the quoit, pitch ing the bar, and fuch-like robuft diversions, the women were as dexterous as the men. For the manifeft oddity of this proceeding, Lycurgus af figned no other reafon, than that he fought to render women, as well as men, ftrong and healthy, that the children they brought forth might be fo too. Violent exercifes, and a laborious kind of life, were only enjoined the youth; for when they were grown up to men's eftate, that is, were up wards of 30 years old, they were exempted from all kinds of labour, and employed themfelves wholly either in affairs of ftate or in war. They had a method of whipping, at a certain time, young men in the temple of Diana, and about her altar; which, however palliated, was certainly unatural and cruel. It was efteemed a great honour to fuftain these flagellations without weeping, groaning, or fhowing any fenfe of pain; and the thirft of glory was fo ftrong in thefe young minds, that they very frequently fuffered death without fhedding a tear or breathing a figh. A defire of overcoming all the weakneffes of human nature, and thereby rendering his Spartans not only fuperior to their neighbours, but to their fpecies, runs through many of the inftitutions of Lycurgus; which principle, if well attended to, thoroughly explains them, and without attending to which, it is impoflible to form any juft idea of

them.

(18.) SPARTA, LAWS OF, AS TO LEARNING. The plainnefs of their manners, and their being fo very much addicted to war, made the Lacedemonians lefs fond of the fciences than the reft of the Greeks. A foldier was the only reputable

profeffion in Sparta; a mechanic or hufbardman was thought a low fellow. The reafon of this was, that they imagined profeffions which requir ed much labour, fome conftant pofture, being continually in the houfe, or always about a fire, weakened the body and depreffed the mind: whereas a man brought up hardily, was equally fit to attend the fervice of the republic in time of peace, and to fight its battles when engaged in war. Such occupations as were neceffary to be followed for the benefit of the whole, as husbandry, agriculture, and the like, were left to their flaves the Helotes; but for curious arts, and fuch as ferved only to luxury, they would not fo much as fuffer them to be introduced into their city; in confequence of which, rhetoricians, augurs, bankers, and dealers in money, were fhut out. The Spartans admitted not any of the theatrical diversions among them; they would not bear the reprefentation of evil even to produce good; but other kinds of poetry were admitted, provided the magiftrates had the perufal of pieces before they were handed to the public. Above all things, they affected brevity of fpeech, and accustomed their children, from their very infancy, never to exprefs themfelves in more words than were ftrictly neceflary; whence a concife fentiment expreffed in few words is to this day ftyled Laconic. in writing they used the fame concifenefs; of which we have a fignal instance in a letter of Archidamus to the Eleans, when he understood that they had fome thoughts of affifting the Arcadians. It Fan thus: "Archidamus to the Eleans: It is good to be quiet." And therefore Epaminondas thought that he had reafon to glory in having forced the Spartans to abandon their monofyllables, and to lengthen their difcourfes. The greateft part of their education confifted in giving their youth right ideas of men and things: the fren or mater propofed queftions, and either commended the anfwers that were made him, or reproved fuch as answered weakly. In these questions, all matters, either of a trivial or abftruse nature, were equally avoided; and they were confined to fuch points as were of the highest importance in civil life fuch as, Who was the beft man in the city? Wherein lay the merit of fuch an action? and, Whether this or that hero's fame was well-founded? Harmless raillery was greatly encouraged; and this, joined to their fhort manner of speaking, rendered laconic replies univerfally admired. Mufic was much encouraged; but in this, as in other things, they adhered to that which had been in favour with their ancestors; nay, they were fo ftrict therein, that they would not permit their flaves to learn either the tune or the words of their moft admired odes; or, which is all one, they would not permit them to fing them if they had learned them. Though the youth of the male fex were much cherifhed and beloved, as thofe that were to build up and continue the future glory of the ftate, yet in Sparta it was a virtuous and modeft affection, untinged with that fenfuality which was fo fcandalous at Athens. The good effects of this part of Lycurgus's inftitutions were feen in the union that reigned among his citizens; and which was fo extraordinary, that even in cafes of competition, it was hardly known that rivals

bore,

Mourning was limited to 11 days; on the 12th the mourner facrificed to Ceres, and threw afide his weeds. In favour of fuch as were flain in the wars, however, and of women who devoted themfelves to a religious life, there was an exception allowed as to the rules before-mentioned; for fuch had a fhort and decent inscription on their tombs. When a number of Spartans fell in battle, at a distance from their country, many of them were buried together under one common tomb; but if they fell on the frontiers of their own ftate, then their bodies were carefully carried back to Sparta, and interred in their family-fepulchres.

Sparta to the old men the youth refe up when ever they came into any public place; they gave way to them when they met them in the freets, and were filent whenever their elders spoke. As all children were looked upon as the children of the ftate, so all the old men had the authority of parents: they reprehended whatever they faw a mifs, not only in their own, but in other people's children; and by this method Lycurgus provided, that as youth are everywhere apt to offend, they might be nowhere without a monitor. The laws went ftill further: if an old man was prefent where a young one committed a fault, and did not reprove him, he was punished equally with the delinquent. Amongst the youths there was one of their own body, or at moft two years older than the reft, who was styled iren: he had authority to question all their actions, to look ftrictly to their behaviour, and to punish them if they did amifs; neither were their punishments light, but, on the contrary, very fevere; where by the youth were made hardy, and accuftomed to bear ftripes and rough ufage. Silence was a thing highly commended at Sparta, where modefty was held to be a most becoming virtue in young people; nor was it reftrained only to their words and actions, but to their very looks and geftures; Lycurgus having particularly directed, that they thould look forward, or on the ground, and that they fhould always keep their hands within their robes. A ftupid inconfiderate person, one who would not liften to inftruction, but was careless of whatever the world might say of him, the Lacedemonians treated as a fcandal to human nature; with fuch an one they would not converfe, but threw him off as a rotten branch and worth lefs member of fociety.

(22.) SPARTA, LAWS OF, AS TO RELIGION, AND FUNERALS. The ftatues of all the gods and goddefles were reprefented in armour, even to Venus herself; the reafon of which was that the people might conceive a military life the most roble and honourable, and not attribute, as other nations did, floth and luxury to the gods. As to facrifices, they confifted of things of very fmail value; for which Lycurgus himfelf gave this reafon, That want might never hinder them from worshipping the gods. They were forbidden to make long or rafh prayers to the heavenly powers, and were injoined to aik no more than that they might live honeftly and difcharge their duty. Graves were permitted to be made within the bounds of the city, contrary to the custom of most of the Greek nations; nay, they buried clofe by their temples, that all degrees of people might be made familiar with death, and not conceive it fuch a dreadful thing as it was generally esteemed elsewhere: on the fame account, the touching of dead bodies, or affifting at funerals, made one unclean, but were held to be as innocent and honourable duties as any other. There was nothing thrown into the grave with the dead body; magnificent fepulchres were forbidden; neither was there fo much as an infeription, wever plain or modeft, permitted. Tears, figno, outcries, were not allowed in public, because they were thought difhonourable in Spartans, whom their law giver would have to bear all things with equanimity.

(23.) SPARTA, REMARKS ON THE LAWS OF Many authors, both ancieut and modern, have celebrated the conftitution and government of Sparta, as superior to those of all other nations. Upon this fubject we need only quote the fenti ments of the rev. and ingenious Mr David Williams, who in his Claims of Literature, p. 33. itates the comparative merits of the conftitution of Spar ta and Athens in few words:-"How different (fays he) the state of fociety in ATHENS and LACEDEMON! branches of a common stock, and in habiting the same climate! In the one, the admiration of genius, and the love of literature, heightened into delirium; in the other, all talents but thofe of war, checked and extinguithed. In ATHENS, the lives of men of genius were thofe of GODS; in LACEDEMON, glory and fame could be obtaired only in blood."

(II.) SPARTA, the daughter of Eurotas, and wife of LACEDAMON, who gave their names to Sparta, See § 1, 2.

(III.) SPARTA, in modern geography, a post town of New Jerfey, in Suflex county: 117 miles from Philadelphia.

SPARTACUS, a Thracian fhepherd, who com menced gladiator, and was one of thofe kept in the houfe of Lentulus, at Capua, who, it would feem, had been flaves: for having escaped with 30 of his affociates, they foon increased to 10,000 men, and raised a formidable rebellion against the Romans. Emboldened by increasing numbers they not only plundered the country of Campania, but attacked the Roman army, under the two confuls, and defeated them. At laft Craffus was fent against them with dubious hopes, and after a very bloody battle defeated them; Spartacus being killed in battle upon heaps of Romans whom he had flain, A. A. C. 31. with his own hard. (See Romɛ, § 31.) In this battle no fewer than 40.000 of the rebels were flain.

SPARTÆ, or SPARTI, in the mythology, the men who fprang from the Dragon's teeth which Cadmus fowed. See CADMUS, N° 1.

(1.) SPARTAN, adj. of or belonging to SPARTA. (2.) SPARTANS, n.f. the ancient citizens of Lacedæmon, Sparta, or Laconia. See SPARTA, § I, 12.

SPARTANBURGH, a town and county of S. Carolina, in Pinckney diftrict, containing, in 1795, 7934 citizens, and 866 flaves; in all 8805. The county fends two reprefentatives and one fenator to the state legiflature. It is well named Spartanburgh, as the citizens keep up the HELOT trade.

SPARTEL, CAPE, a promontory of Africa on the coaft of Barbary, at the entrance of the Straits of Gibraltar. Lon. 5. 50. W. Lat. 35. 50. N.

SPAR

SPARTI. See SPARTA.

SPARTIANUS, Ælius, a Latin hiftorian, who flourished about A. D. 290, and wrote the lives of all the Roman emperors, from Julius Cæfar to Dioclefian. He was a relation of Dioclefian, and dedicated his work to him. Of thefe lives only 6 are extant; viz. those of Adrian, Verus, D. Julianus, Septimius Severus, Caracalla, and Geta; which are published among the Scriptores hiftoria Augufs.

SPARTIVENTO, CAPE, a promontory of Naples, at the extremity of Calabria Ultra. Lon. 16. 40. E. Lat. 37. 50. N.

SPARTIUM, BROOM, in botany, a genus of plants belonging to the clafs of diadelphia, and order of decandria; and in the natural fyftem arranged under the 32d order, Papilionacea. The ftig. ma is longitudinal and woolly above: the filaments adhere to the germen. The calyx is produced downwards. There are 16 fpecies: viż. (1.-16.) I. SPARTIUM ANGULATUM: 2. APHYLLUM; 3. COMPLICATUM; 4. CONTAMINATUM; 5. CYTISOIDES; 6. JUNCEUM; 7. MONOSPERMUM; 8. PATENS; 9. PURGANS; IO. RAD1ATUM; II. SCOPARIUM; 12. SCORPIUS; 13. SEPIARIUM; 14. SPHÆROCARPON; 15. SPINOSUM; and 16. SUPRANULIUM. All these are exotics, chiefly from Spain, Portugal, Italy, &c. except the SCOPARIUM. See N° 2.

1. SPARTIUM JUNCEUM, Spanish broom, grows naturally in the fouthern provinces of France, as well as other parts of the fouth of Europe. It grows in the pooreft foils, on the steepest declivis ties of the hills, in a ftony foil, where hardly any other plant could vegetate. In a few years it makes a vigorous fhrub; infinuating its roots be tween the interftices of the ftones, it binds the foil, and retains the fmall portion of vegetable earth fcattered over thefe hills, which the autumnal rains would otherwife wash away. It is moft eafily raised from feed, which is ufually fown in January, after the ground has received a flight dreffing. This fhrub ferves two ufeful purpofes. Its branches yield a thread of which linen is made, and in winter fupport fheep and goats. In manufacturing thread from broom, the youngest plants are cut in Auguft, or after harveft, and gathered together in bundles, which at first are laid in the fun to dry: they are then beaten with a piece of wood, washed in a river, and left to fteep in the water for 4 hours. The bundles thus prepared are taken to a little diftance from the water, and laid in a hollow place made for them, where they are covered with fern or ftraw, and remain thus to fteep for eight or nine days; during which time, all that is neceffary, is to throw a little wa ter once a-day on the heap, without uncovering the broom. After this, the bundles are well wathed, the green rind of the plant in epidermis comes off, and the fibrous part remains; each bundle is then beaten with a wooden hammer upon a ftone, to detach all the threads, which are at the fame time carefully drawn to the extremity of the branches. After this operation, the faggots are untied, and spread upon ftones till they are dry. The twigs muft not be peeled till they are perfectly dry; they are then dreffed with the comb, and the threads are separated according to their fineVOL. XXI. PART 1.

nefs, and spun upon à wheel. The linen made of this thread ferves various purpofes in rural economy. The coarfeft is employed in making facks and other ftrong cloths for carrying grain or feeds. Of the fineft is made bed, table, and body linen. The pealants in feveral places ufe no other, for they are unacquainted with the culture of hemp or flax, their foil being too dry and too barren, for raifing them. The cloth made with the thread of the broom is very useful; it is as foft as that made of hemp; and it would perhaps look as well as that made of flax if it was more carefully'. fpun. It becomes white in proportion as it is steeped. The price of the finest thread is generally about a fhilling a pound. The other ufe of this broom is to feed theep and goats in winter. In the mountains of the ci devant Languedoc thefe animals have no other food from November to April, except the leaves of trees preferved. The branches of this boom therefore are a refource the more precious, that it is the only freth nourishment which at that feafon the flocks can procure, and they prefer it at all times to every other plant. In fine weather the sheep are led. out to feed on the broom where it grows; but in bad weather the fhepherds cut the branches, and bring them to the fliecp-folds. But the continued ufe of this food produces inflammation in the urinary paffages. This is eafily removed by cooling drink, or a change of food, or by mixing the broom with fomething elfe. It differs much from the broom that is common everywhere in the north of Europe, though this too, in many places is ufed for food to cattle. Both produce flowers that are very much reforted to by bees, as they contain a great quantity of honey juice. This fhould be another inducement to cultivate the Spanish broom.

2. SPARTIUM SCOPARIUM, the common broom, has ternate folitary leaves; the branches angular, and without prickles. It is used for various purpofes. It has been of great benefit in dropfical complaints. The manner in which Dr Cullen adminiftered it was this: He ordered half an ounce of freih broom tops to be boiled in a pound of water till one half of the water was evaporated. He then gave two table fpoonfuls of the decoction every hour til it operated both by ftool and urine. By repeating thefe dofes every day, or 2d day, he fays fome dropfies have been cured. Dr Mead relates, that a dropfical patient, who had taken the ufual remedies, and been tapped three times without effect, was cured by taking half a pint of the decoction of green broom tops, with a ipoonful of whole mustard feed every morning and evening. "An infufion of the feeds drunk freely (fays Mr Withering) has been known to produce fimilar happy effects; but whoever expects thefe effects to follow in every dropfical cafe, will be greatly deceived. I knew them fucceed in one cafe that was truly deplorable; but out of a great number of cafes in which the medicine had a fea trial, this proved a fringle infance." The flower buds are in fome countries pickled, and eaten as capers; and the feeds have been used as a tr fubftitute for coffee. The branches are used fo: making befoms, and tanning leather. They are alfo ufed instead of thatch to cover houfes. The Ai

old

old wood furnishes the cabinet-maker with beautiful materials for vaneering. The tender branches are in fome places mixed with hops for brewing, and the macerated bark may be manufactured into cloth.

SPARUS, in ichthyology, GILTHEAD; a genus of animals belonging to the class of pisces, and the order of thoracici. The fore-teeth and dogteeth are very strong; the grinders are obtufe and thick fet; the lips are folded over; there are five rays in the gill membrane; and the opercula are fcaly: the body is compreffed; the lateral line is crooked behind; and the pectoral fins are roundish. Gmelin enumerates 39 species, of which only 3 are found in the British feas; viz.

1. SPARUS AURATUS, the gilt bream. The head and fides of it are gilt, and there is a golden spot between the eyes fhaped like a half-moon; there is alfo a black purple spot on the gills; and it weighs from 8 lb. to ro ib. It is one of the pif ces faxatiles, or fif that haunt deep waters on bold rocky fhores. They feed chiefly on fhellfith, which they comminute with their teeth before they fwallow; the teeth of this genus in particular being adapted for that purpofe: the grinders are flat and strong, like thofe of certain quadrupeds: befides which there are certain bones in the lower part of the mouth that affift in grinding their food. They are coarfe: they were known to the Romans, who did not efteem them unless they were fed with Lucrine oysters, as Martial informs us; Lib. xiii. Ep. 90. In the account of Captain Cook's voyage published by Mr Fofter, we are informed, that the giltheads are fometimes poisonous, owing to their feeding on certain fpecies of the raja, which have an extremely acrid and ftimulating property.

2. SPARUS DENTATUS, toothed fea-bream," is black above, and of a filvery appearance below. The eyes and gills are very large. There are nine rows of teeth in the lower jaw, and one in the upper.

3. SPARUS PAGRUS, the fea-bream, is of a red. difh colour. The fkin forms a finus at the roots of the dorsal and anal fins. The body is broad; the back and belly ridged. There is only one dorfal fin.

SPASA, a town of Russia, in Archangel.

SPASK, 3 towns of Ruffia: 1. in Kazon on the Volga: 2. in Riazan, on the Oka: 3. in Tambov, 92 miles NNE. of Tambov. Lon. 60. 44. E. Ferro. Lat. 54. 2. N.

SPASKAIA, 2 towns of Ruffia: 1in Upha, 8 miles S. of Verchouraisk: 2. in the country of the Coffacks, on the Don; 52 miles SSW. of Arkadinskai,

SPASKOI, 5 towns of Ruffia: 1. in Kolivan: 2. in Olonetz: 3. & 4. in Tobolsk: and 5. in UCtiug, 12 miles W. of Yarenik.

(1.) * SPASM. n. S. [spasme, Fr. onarpe.] Convulfion; violent and involuntary contraction of any part.

All the maladies

(3.) SPASM was confidered by the late eminent Dr Cullen, as a very general cause of disease, to which indeed he feemed inclined to aferibe every thing that he could not otherwife account for. In this doctrine of Spafm, which was peculiarly his own, Dr Cullen's abilities and reputation pro cured him many followers. But the late Dr Brown, in his Outlines of the Old and New Systems of Medicine, ridiculed this favourite doctrine of his oid preceptor, in a ftyle rather illiberal. It is now, we hear, generally given up by phyficians, as indefenfible.

SPASMI. See MEDICINE, Index.

(1.) * SPASMODICK. adj. fpafmodique, Fr. from fpafm.] Convulfive.

(2.) SPASMODIC TERTIAN. See MEDICINE, Index.

(1.)* SPAT. The preterite of spit.-And when he had spat on the ground, he anointed his eyes. Gofpel.

(2.) SPAT. n.. The young fhell-fish.-A reticulated film fuppofed to be the remains of the veficies of the spat of fome fort of thell fish. Woodward.

SPATHACEOUS, adj. See BOTANY, Gloff. SPATHELIA, in botany; a genus of plants belonging to the cials of pentandria, and to the order of trigynia. The ca¡yx is pentaphyllous; the petals are five; the capfule is three edged and trilocular; the feeds folitary. There is only one species:

SPATHELIA SIMPLEX, a native of Jamaica, in. troduced into the botanic gardens of this coun try, in 1778, by the ingenious Dr Wright, late of Jamaica.

• To SPATIATE. v. n. [spatior, Latin.] To rove; to range; to ramble at large. A word not ufed.-An immoveable pofture of the body, cauf. ed by the fixing of the mind upon one cogitation, whereby it doth not fpatiate and tranfcur. Bacon.

Confined to a narrow chamber, he could spatiate at large through the whole universe. Bentley. SPATOLA, a town of Naples, in Calabria Ui tra, 19 miles S. of Squillace.

(1.) To SPATTER. v. a. [spat, fpit, Saxon.] 1. To fprinkle with dirt, or any thing offenfive.The pavement fwam in blood, the walls a round

Were spatter'd o'er with brains.

Addifon.

2. To throw out any thing offenfive.-His back. ward voice is to fpatter foul speeches. Shak. 3. To afperfe; to defame.

*

(2.) To SPATTER. v. n. To fpit; to spatter as at any thing naufeous taken into the mouth.Bitter afhes, which th' offended tafte With spattering noise rejected. Milton. SPATTERDASHES. n. f. [Spatter and dafh Covering for the legs by which the wet is kept off.

(1.) * SPATTLING POPPY. n. f. [papaver spu meum.] White behen. A plant which is a fpecies of campion. Miller.

(2.) The SPATTLING POPPY is a species of CuCUBALUS.

* SPATULA. 7. f. [Spatha, spathula, Lat.] A fpattle or flice-Spatula is an inftrument used by apothe