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Laftly, when the ftiffnefs of the joint refills thefc means, 

 ihe efficacy of hydro-fulphurated waters may be tried. 



In fcrofulous fubjefts, fprains may be followed by the 

 moit fevere confequences, as already related, and may be- 

 come the exiftmg caufe of an inveterate difeafe of the joint. 

 The confideration of the treatment of the diforder here al- 

 luded to, will be found in a future article of this publica- 

 tion. (See White-swelling.) Boyer Traitc des Maladies 

 Chirurgicalcs, torn. iv. ch. i. 



Sprain, among horfes, and other forts of live-ftock, a 

 violent extenfion of fome tendinous part, by which fuddcn 

 !amenefs is not unfrequently produced. It is moltly ca- 

 pable of being removed by faturnine, fpirituous, or acid 

 wafhes, with proper elaftic bandages, and a little reft. It 

 often happens in the legs of horfes, and fome other 

 animals. 



Sprain, in Agrkulturt, a term applied to the fowing of 

 feeds by hand, fignifying to throw them into their places 

 with a fingle motion of the hand, at a certain diitance from 

 one another. It is particularly apphed to beans, and fome 

 other kinds of feed. Spraining in crops is not unfrequently 

 praftifed in particular places where labour is cheap. 



SPRAINTS, among Sport/men, a term ufed for the 

 dung of the otter. 



SPRANGENBERG, in Geography, a town of the 

 principahty of Heffe Callel ; 6 miles S. of Lichtenau. 



SPRANGER, Bartholomew, in Biography, was the 

 fon of Joachim Spranger, a merchant of eminence at Ant- 

 werp, and was born there in 1546. As he exhibited an 

 inclination for painting, he was placed as a difciple with 

 John Madyn, a painter of fome reputation at Haerlem, 

 and afterwards with Francis Moftaert. He then went to 

 Italy through France, and refided fome years at Parma as 

 a ftudent, under Bernardino Gatti, who had been a difciple 

 of Correggio. He thence went to Rome, where the cardinal 

 Farnefe favoOred him with his patronage, and engaged him 

 to paint, in the Villa Caprarola, feveral landfcapes in frefco. 

 By the cardinal he was introduced to the pope, Pius V., 

 who appointed him his painter, and gave him apartments in 

 the Palazzo Belvidere. His firft work for his holinefs was 

 a pifture of the Lall Judgment, a compofition of five 

 hundred figures, painted upon a copper-plate fix feet high. 

 This pifturc is faid to have taken him three years to com- 

 plete, and to have been, of courfe, finifhed with great care ; 

 and in confequence of its being highly efteemed by the 

 pope, it was placed upon his tomb, after his deceafe. The 

 fame kind patron commifiioned him to paint twelve piftures 

 of the paffion of our Saviour, but did not live to witnefs 

 their completion. 



The renown of Spranger now reached the court of 

 Vienna, to which he was invited by the emperor Maxi- 

 milian II. in 1575, and appointed his principal painter. 

 On that emperor's death in the following year, his fuccelior, 

 Rodolphus II., continued to fhcw the fame favour to 

 Spranger, and engaged him in feveral works of importance 

 both at Vienna and at Prague ; refpedling him liighly, not 

 only for his abilities as a painter, but alfo for his literary 

 acquirements, and other accomplifhments. In 1588 he was 

 ennobled by his imperial majclly, who honoured him by 

 placing round his neck, wi' li his own hands, a chain of gold, 

 with a medal attached to 1: Spranger died at Prague, in 

 162^ aged 77. 



The Kyle of this painter i^ that which was built upon the 

 «Jefefts of Michael Angclo, or rather in the pcrverfion of 

 his ftyle, by a crude and indigeftcd adoption of its mod 

 prominent charafter, without the judicious talle and feeling 

 in which it originated. It was confequently extravagaat 



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and bombaftic, prefenting inflated mufcles, and knobby ex- 

 crefccnccs for bones, redeemed only in fome eyes by a lively 

 fancy, an agreeable facility of execution, and a pleafing 

 colour. 



SPRAT, Thomas, bifhop of Rochefter, a writer of 

 confiderable eminence in the 17th century, was born in 1636 

 at Tallaton, in Devonfliirc, where his father was a clergy- 

 man. He received his academical education at Wadhara 

 college, Oxford, of which Dr. Wilkins was then warden, 

 under whom he acquired a proficiency in mathematical 

 knowledge. In 1657 he was eleflcd a fellow of his college ; 

 and on the death of Oliver Cromwell, he gave a fpecimen 

 of his poetical talents in an " Ode to the happy Memory 

 of the late Lord Proteaor," addrefled to Dr. Wilkins. 

 This ode was followed by one on the " Plague of Athens," 

 which, as well as the former, afforded proof of a warmth 

 and readinefs of conception. At the Reftoration, like 

 many others, he made a fliort turn, and atoned for hi« 

 former delinquency by -zealous loyalty, and was made 

 chaplain to the duke of Buckingham, who was hii zealous 

 friend and patron. He was chofen a member of the Royal 

 Society, which was then in its infancy, and which had ori- 

 ginated from the meetings of the fcientific men held at the 

 lodgings of Dr. Wilkins, in Wadham college. In 1667 

 Sprat pubhftied the hiftory of this fociety, and its found- 

 ation ; and obtained a high reputation for the elegance of the 

 ilyle and fentiment exhibited in the work. He had pub- 

 lifhed, two years previoudy to this, " Obfervations on Sor- 

 biere's Voyage to England," which were well received, 

 and confidered as a feafonable calligation of a fuperficial 

 foreigner who had vilified the country. In 1668 he was 

 editor of Cowley's Latin poems, to which he prefixed a life 

 of the author, in the fame language. This he afterwards 

 enlarged in Englifli, and annexed to the Enghfli works of 

 that poet. He had now attained a degree of reputation, 

 which, joined to his talents for converfation and fociety, 

 caufed him to be rapidly advanced in the career of prefer- 

 ment. He was fucceflively made a prebendary of Weft- 

 minfter, reftor of St. Margaret's, canon of Windfor, dean 

 of Weftminfter, and finally, in 1684, was raifed to tlie epif. 

 copal bench as bifliop of Rochefter. This lall preferment 

 was confidered as a reward for the fervice of drawing up, 

 at the command of the king, an account of the Rye-houfe 

 plot. This was firft printed in 1685, and was reprinted in 

 the following year, after James II. had fucceeded to the 

 throne. The manner in which lie had executed this tafk 

 rendered it expedient for him to publifh an apology, after 

 the Revolution. He had refleftcd on the charaAers of 

 thofe, whofe names have been long ranked among the 

 martyrs to liberty. Of lord Rullell, Sprat obiervcs, 

 •' that he was carried away into this traiterous confpiracy 

 from a vain air of popularity, and a wild lulpicion of lofing 

 a large eftate by an imaginary return of popery." His 

 favour under the new reign was manitelted by his appoint- 

 ment to the place of clerk of the clofct to the king, and his 

 nomination as one of the commidioBors for ecclefiallical 

 affairs. At the revolution he fubmitted to the new govern- 

 ment, and was allowed to remain unmolcftcd in his fee. 

 His principles, however, being well known, he was in- 

 volved, in 1692, with others, in an information laid before 

 the privy council, of a pretended confpiracy for reftoring 

 king James. He detcfted the infamy of the informers, and 

 effeftually cleared himfelf from the charge ; but he was fo 

 much affcfted by the danger he had undergone, that he ever 

 after commemorated his deliverance by annual thankfgiving. 

 He paffed the reft of his life in the praftice of prcfeflional 

 duties and virtues, by wlijch he engaged the cilcem and af- 

 4 G 2 feftiou 



