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to bis majesty, and which still passed notwithstanding their 
contradiction. Clarendon .— l'o talk for or against; to 
dispute.—A knave should have some countenance at his 
friend’s request. An honest man, sir, is able to speak for 
himself when a knave is not. Shakspeare. 
When he had no power, 
He was your enemy; still spake against 
Your liberties and charters. Shakspeare. 
To discourse; to make mention. 
Were such things here as we do speak about ? 
Or have we eaten of the insane root, 
That takes the reason prisoner ? ■ Shakspeare. 
To give sound. 
Make all your trumpets speak, give them all breath, 
Those clam’rous harbingers of blood and death. Shakspeare. 
To SPEAK with. To address; to converse with. 
Thou can’st not fear us, Pompey, with thy sails, 
We’ll speak with thee at sea. Shakspeare. 
I spake with one that came from thence, 
That freely render’d me these news for true. Shakspeare. 
To SPEAK, v. a. To utter with the mouth ; to pro¬ 
nounce. 
You, from my youth, 
Have known and try’d me, speak I more than truth? 
Sandys. 
To proclaim; to celebrate. 
It is my father’s music 
To speak your deeds, not little of his care 
To have them recompensed. Shakspeare. 
To address; to accost.—If he have need of thee, he will 
deceive thee, smile upon thee, put thee in hope, speak thee 
fair, and say, What wantest thou? Ecclus .—To exhibit; 
to make known. 
Let heaven’s wide circuit speak 
The Maker’s high magnificence. Milton. 
SPEAK, or Speke, a village of England, in Lancashire, 
situated on the Mersey, south-east of Liverpool. Population 
409- 
SPEAKABLE, adj. Possible to be spoken.—Having the 
power of speech. 
Say, 
How cam’st thou speakable of mute? Milton. 
SPEAKER, s. One that speaks.—Common speakers 
have only one set of ideas, and one set of words to clothe 
them in; and these are always ready at the mouth. Swift. 
—One that speaks in any particular manner. 
Horace’s phrase is torret jecur; 
And happy was that curious speaker. Trior. 
One that celebrates, proclaims, or mentions. 
After my death, I wish no other herald. 
No other speaker of my living actions. 
To keep mine honour from corruption. Shakspeare. 
SPEAKER of the House of Commons, a mem¬ 
ber of the house, elected by a majority of the votes, to 
act as chairman, or president, in putting questions, reading 
briefs or bills, keeping order, reprimanding the refractory, 
adjourning the house, &c. 
The first thing done by the commons upon the first meet¬ 
ing of a parliament, is to choose a speaker, who is to be 
approved of by the king; and who, upon his admission, 
begs his majesty, that the commons, during their sitting, 
may have free access to his majesty, freedom of speech in 
their own house, and security from arrests. 
SPEAKING, s. Discourse ; act of expressing in words. 
—Laying aside all malice, and all guile, and hypocrisies, 
and envies, and evil speakings. 
SPEAKING TRUMPET, s. A stentorophonic instru¬ 
ment ; a trumpet by which the voice may be propagated to 
a great distance. 
That with one blast through the whole house does bound, 
And first taught speaking-trumpet how to sound. Try den. 
SPEAR, s. [ ysper , Arm. and Welsh; deduced from 
her, veru, or par, lancea; fpeape, Saxon; spere, Teut. 
spare, old Fr., sparum, low Lat.]—A long weapon with a 
sharp point, used in thrusting or throwing; a lance. 
Those brandishers of speares. 
From many cities drawn, are they that are our hinderers. 
Chapman. 
Nor wanted in his grasp 
What seem’d both shield and spear. Milton. 
A lance generally with prongs, to kill fish. 
To SPEAR, v. a. To kill or pierce with a spear. 
To SPEAR, v. n. To shoot or sprout. This is commonly 
written spire. —Let them not lie lest they should spear, and 
the air dry and spoil the shoot. Mortimer. 
SPEAR, Cape, a cape on the east coast of Newfoundland. 
Lat. 47. 34. N. long. 52. 13. W. 
SPEAR.GRASS, s. Long stiff grass.—Tickle our noses 
with spear grass to make them bleed; and then beslubber 
our garments with it. Shakspeare. 
SPEA'RMAN, s. One who uses a lance in fight; one 
who carries a spear: formerly spearer. —A pensioner [is] a 
gentleman about his prince, alwaie redie with his speare; a 
spear er. Barret. 
The spearman's arm by thee, great God, directed, 
Sends forth a certain wound. Prior. 
SPEARMINT, in Botany. See Mentha. 
SPEARWORT, the English name of the ranunculus 
flammeus. 
SPECCHIA DI PRETI, a town of the south-east part 
of the kingdom of Naples, in the Terra d’Otranto, with a 
population of 1500. 
SPECCIA. See Spezzia. 
SPECHT, or Speight, s. [ specht, Teut.] A wood¬ 
pecker. Sherwood. 
SPE'CIAL, adj. [special, Fr., specialis, Lat.] Noting 
a sort or species.—A special idea is called by the schools a 
species. Watts. —Particular; peculiar.— Appropriate ; de¬ 
signed for a particular purpose.—O’Neal, upon his marriage 
with a daughter of Kildare, was made denizen by a special 
act of parliament. Davies. —Extraordinary; uncommon. 
He bore 
A paunch of the same bulk before; 
Which still he had a special care 
To keep well cramm’d with thrifty fare. Hudilras. 
Chief in excellence. 
The king hath drawn 
The special head of all the land together. Shakspeare. 
SPE'CIAL,.?. A particular. Unused. —Promises of long 
life annexed to some specials of his service. Hammond. 
SPECIALITY, or Spe'cialty, s. [ specialitc , French.] 
Particularity.—On these two general heads all other 
specialties are dependent. Hooker.—Speciality of rule 
hath been neglected. Shakspeare. 
To SPE'CIALIZE, v. a. To particularize; to mention 
specially.—Our Saviour specialising and nominating the 
places. Sheldon. 
SPE'CIALLY, adv. Particularly above others.—Not in 
a common way; peculiarly.—If there be matter of law that 
carries any difficulty, the jury may, to deliver themselves 
from an attaint, find it specially. Hale. 
SPE'CIES, s. [species, Latin.] A sort; a subdivision 
of a general term.—A special idea is called by the schools a 
species; it is one common nature that agrees to several 
singular individual beings: so horse is a special idea or 
species as it agrees to Bucephalus, Trot, and Snowball. 
Watts. —Class of nature; single order of beings.—He 
intendeth the care of species or common natures, but let- 
teth 
