SPA 



the angular point of its right fide, or cutting wing. In 

 .the beam part of this implement, and preceding a (harp 

 comb, which is welded on to the coulter-margin of the 

 (hare, is a fliding-foot, fixed in fuch a manner as to regulate 

 the exaft thicknefs of the flice which is meant to be pared 

 off, with great precifion. And the fliare and comb of the 

 tool being kept very (harp by frequent grinding, enable it 

 to perform the paring of the grafiy, or other furface, in a 

 very perfeft manner. This implement is held in an 

 horizontal manner when at work, fo as to cut a fmooth 

 and even furrow at the bottom part ; whereas the tool 

 ufually made ufe of is held in an oblique direftion, fo as 

 to cut the fpine or green fward to a feather-edge on the 

 furrow fide, the whole of which is to be gradually lifted up, 

 and turned, with its green fide, perfectly underneath. The 

 work is performed, in thefe cafes, by what is commonly 

 called fplitting or dividing. See Splitting. 



SPADIX, in Botany and Vegetable Phyfiol'jgy, a flower- 

 (lalk, whether fimple or branched, included within a Spaiha, 

 or Sheath. Such occurs in the natural order of Palma, 

 which tribe Liiinsus principally had in view in the technical 

 ufe of this term. Indeed the word, which is Greek, T~xh^, 

 palmes of the Latins, is almoil exclufively applied by the 

 aiicients to the very fame thing, the branchtd fruit-ftalk 

 of the date-palm. Linnasus, however, extends it to the 

 Arum family, by a very fair analogy, though in that tribe 

 it is unbranched ; and by a further itretch of analogy, to 

 Acorus. In fome of the L'll'iacee, compofing his Spathaccae, 

 though he ufes the term Sputha, he does not employ that of 

 Spadix. Jufiieu and his followers have perhaps done well 

 in excluding the Spaiha itfelf from making a part of the 

 generic charafter, in the natural family laft-mentioned, 

 though they retain it, as well as Spadix, in the Palina. 

 The Spadix, like other flower-Ilalks, is folely dellined to 

 bear the flowers and fruit, and when the latter is perfedled, 

 the part in queftion withers and falls off. See Fkucti- 

 FicATioN, Caly.x, PalmjE, and Spatha. 



SPADO, among the Romans, differed from an eunuch 

 only in this, that the latter was deprived both of the penis 

 and teftes, but the fpado of the teftes only. 



SPAFFORD, in Geography, a town(hip of America, in 

 New York, fituated in the S.W. extremity of Onondaga 

 county, 13 nules S. of Onondaga; bounded N. by Mar- 

 cellus and Otifco, E. by TuUy, S. by Preble ni Cortlandt 

 county, W. by the Skeneateles lake, or the county of 

 Cayuga. It was ercfted in 1811, from the N.W. quarter 

 of the military townfhip of TuUy, and its population is in- 

 cluded in that of Tully. Its area is about five miles (quare ; 

 the central part has an extenfive valley of fine land, extending 

 N. and S., the eallern and wellern extremes being hilly. 

 The foil is chiefly a ftrong and produftive loam ; the 

 limber, maple, beech, bafs or tilia, butter-nut, and a variety 

 of other kinds. It is well watered by fpriiigs and brooks, 

 and has lome fmall dreams for mills, the largeil of which 

 is the inlet of Otifco lake. The firll fettlements were 

 made about the year 1806, and the inhabitants are tarmers 

 from the eaftern ftates. Here are two or three mills, and 

 as many fchool-houfes, in which are alfo held the meetings 

 for worihip. Spafford comprifes as much of the military 

 townfhip of Sempronius as lies E. of Skeneateles lake. 



SPAGIRIC, an epithet given to cliemillry ; which is 

 called the fpagirk art, or medicina fpagir'ica ; and to che- 

 mical phyficians, who are alfo called_y^af!n/?j-. 



It is chiefly rcftriftedto that fpecies of chemillry which 

 works on metals, and is employed in the fearch of the phi- 

 lofopher'e ilone. 6 



SPA 



Voflius derives the word from o-Tiv, to exiraS, and zysifin, 

 congregari, to eollefl ; which are the two principal offices of 

 chemifts. Paracelfus firfl: introduced the word. 



SPAGIRIC AL Physicians. See Physicians. 



SPAGNOLETTO, U, in Biography, the cognomen 

 of a Spanilh painter, a native of Xativa, in Valencia, whofe 

 real name was Jofef Ribera. He iludied for a (hort time 

 under Ribalta ; but, before he was fixteen, determined 

 upon vifiting Italy, to cultivate his tafte, and exercife his 

 talents in the art he had folicited for iludy, although he 

 had no other means of fupport than what he could obtain 

 by the exercife of his juvenile powers. It was in tlie lytli 

 year of his age, in 1606, that lie arrised at Naples, where 

 he was captivated by the (hiking and powerful ftyle of 

 M. A. Caravaggio, whofe favour he courted and obtained ; 

 and by whom he was encouraged and inftructed during his 

 refidence in that city. From Naples he went to Parma, to 

 fee and (tudy the works of Correggio, and thence to Rome, 

 attraftedby the reputation of Raphael and Michael Angelo ; 

 and although the influence of the ityle of Caravaggio (till 

 predominated in his productions, yet it was not without 

 confiderable refinement in feeling, obtained by contempla- 

 tion of the works of thofe great men. 



After a fhort refidence at Rome, he returned to Naples, 

 where his profpeft of employment was much more favour- 

 able, partly from the number of excellent artifts then prac- 

 tifing in the former city, and probably more from the con- 

 nexion between the court of Naples and that of his own 

 country, and its natural partiality to Spaniard?. He was 

 there taken under the protedlion of the viceroy, and em- 

 ployed in feveral confiderable works, which were fent into 

 Spain. The principal among thofe detained at Naples are, 

 the Martyrdom of St. Jannarius, in the royal chapel ; St. 

 Jerome and St. Bruno, in the church of the Trinita delle 

 Monache ; and the taking down from the Crofs, at the 

 Carthufians. 



The fubjeiEls he chofe for the employment of liis pencil 

 are generally of a fevere or gloomy nature, and his colouring 

 and execution correfpond with their charafter ; being free 

 and bold in ityle, and dirk and llrong in hue and arrange- 

 ment of light and (liade. He died in 1656, at the age of 67. 

 He fometimes indulged himfelf in engraving, and has left 

 about twenty plates of etchings, executed in very much the 

 charafter of his piftures. 



SPAHIS, from the Perfian ejpaivbee, q. d. borfeman, 

 called alfo Spaogiam, horfemen in the Ottoman army ; 

 chiefly railed m Afia. 



The great llrcngth of the grand feignior's army confids 

 in the janizaries, who are the foot, and the Ipahis, who are 

 the horfe. The aga, or commander of the fpahis, is called 

 fpahilar agafi. See Aga. 



The fpahis are the flower of the Turkiih cavalry, and 

 make a part of the grand feignior's guard. They are com- 

 pofed of young men brought up in the feraglio, of foldiers 

 taken from among the janizaries, and others who have dif- 

 tingui(hed themfelves. The fpahis are (pread over all- the 

 towns, and more particularly in the country places ; they are 

 almod all married and fettled ; they exercife different pro- 

 feffions, or fometimes apply themfelves to the culture ot the 

 land ; they receive a daily pay, have their appropriate 

 officers, and aflemble at the firll order, armed and equipped, 

 under the colours of their dillrift. Thefe are a more ancient 

 corps than the janizaries ; their pay is greater ; and they 

 are underftood to be the fons of Muffulmans in a certain 

 degree of affluence ; they fight under the fame enfigns as 

 the ziamets and timariots, and ought to fucceed them in the 



pofleffion 



