noted New York politician, who was business, and he received the honor of originally a baker in his native state of knighthood for his services. He d. in Rhode Island, but afterwards a printer 1641, leaving many valuable works, at Albany, N. Y., where he published among which his "Glossarium Archæthe " Albany Register," the leading ologicum" and "Villare Anglicanum" democratic paper of the state. He took are still highly esteemed.-Sir JOHN, his an active part in the anti-mason excite- son, inherited his father's taste for arment, and was once a candidate for chæological inquiries, and was the augovernor. His writings have not sur-thor of a "Life of Alfred the Great.” vived him. D. 1839. SOUZA, JOHN DE, a Portuguese historian, b. at Damascus, in Syria, about 1730, and d. at Lisbon, in 1812. SPALLANZANI, LAZARUS, an eminent naturalist, was b. at Scandiano, in Italy, in 1729. He studied at Modena, | and next at Bologna, where his cousin, Laura Bassi, was at that time one of the most distinguished professors in Italy. After having held professorships at Reggio and Modena, he became professor of natural history, and director of the museum at Pavia, where he devoted himself to experimental researches into nature, and published many valuable works on physiology. He travelled over a great part of Europe and Asia, and was enrolled among the associates of numerous societies. D. 1798. principal works are, "Experiments on the Reproduction of Animals," an "Essay upon Animalcula in Fluids,"`" Microscopical Experiments," "Travels in the Two Sicilies and the Appenines," and an elaborate "Correspondence" with the most celebrated naturalists of the age. His SPARROW, ANTHONY, bishop of Norwich, in the time of Charles II., was a prelate distinguished for his learning, piety, and benevolence; and is known as a writer by his "Rationale of the Book of Common Prayer." D. 1685. SPARTACUS, a Thracian general, who had been taken by the Romans, and made a gladiator; but escaping with a few of his companions from his tyrants, he rallied round his standard a formidable army, and repeatedly defeated the Roman forces. He was at length slain, 71 B.C. SPEED, JOHN, a well-known English chronologist, historian, and antiquary, b. 1555. He is the author of "The Theatre of the Empire of Great Britain," "A Cloud of Witnesses," and "The History of Great Britain, from Julius Cæsar to James I." D. 1629. SPELMAN, Sir HENRY, an eminent English historian and antiquary, was b. at Congham, in Norfolk, in 1561. James I. frequently employed him on public He was knighted by Charles I., and d. at Oxford, in 1648. SPENCE, JOSEPH, a divine and critic, was b. 1698, and received his education at Oxford, where he obtained a fellowship, and was elected professor of poetry. try. He afterwards held the living of Great Horwood, and a prebend in Durham cathedral. He wrote an "Essay on Pope's Odyssey," but his principal work is entitled "Polymetis; or, an Inquiry into the Agreement between the Works of the Roman Poets and the Remains of Ancient Artists." The "Anecdotes collected by him, concerning eminent Literary Characters," have been published. His death, which happened in 1768, was occasioned by his having accidentally fallen into a pond. SPENCER, JOHN, an ingenious and learned English divine and critic, was b. in 1680, at Boughton, in Kent; became master of Corpus Christi college, archdeacon of Sudbury, and dean of Ely; and d. in 1695. His principal and most erudite work is, "De Legibus Hebræorum Ritualibus et earum Rationibus."-JOHN CHARLES, Earl (better known as Viscount ALTHORP), was b. in 1782, and was educated at Harrow, and Trinity college, Cambridge. He first entered the house of commons as member for Northampton; but from the year 1806 to 1884, when he succeeded to the peerage, he represented the county of Northampton, generally supporting all the important measures advocated by the Whig party. Shortly after the accession of William IV., he was made chancellor of the exchequer. D. 1845.-WILLIAM ROBERT, the best writer of vers de société in his time, was the younger son of Lord Charles Spencer, and was b. in 1770. He was educated at Harrow and Oxford; and in 1796 published a translation of Burger's "Lenore," beautifully illustrated by Lady Diana Beauclerc. In proof of his astonishing power of memory, it is gravely asserted that he undertook, for a wager, to get the whole contents of a newspaper by rote, which he won, by repeating it without the omission of a single word. He held the situation of a commissioner of stamps. D. 1834. AMBROSE, late chief justice of the state of New York, was b. 1765, in Salisbury, Conn. He devoted himself to the law. In 1786 he was appointed clerk of Hudson, and in 1793 he was elected a member of the assembly of the state from Columbia county. In 1795 he was elected to the senate for three years, and in 1798 was re-elected for four years. In 1796 he was appointed assistant attorney-general for the counties of Columbia and Rensselaer. In February, In February, 1802, he was appointed attorney-general of the state; and in 1804 he received the appointment of a justice of the supreme court, of which he was made chief justice in 1819. For many years Judge Spencer exercised a very powerful influence in the affairs of the state of New York. In 1812 he united heartily with Daniel D. Tompkins, then governor, in the memorable struggle that preceded the declaration of war against Britain, to prevent the charter of the six-million bank. In 1828 Judge Spencer retired from the bench, and resumed for a while the practice of his profession, and was subsequently employed in various public duties, particularly that of mayor of the city of Albany, and for one term, that of representative in congress. D. 1848. SPENSER, EDMUND, one of the most illustrious among our early poets, was b. in London, about 1553; was educated at Pembroke hall, Cambridge, and, on leaving the university, took up his residence with some relations in the north of England, probably as a tutor. In 1580 he accompanied Lord Grey de Wilton, viceroy of Ireland, as his secretary, and procured a grant of 3028 acres in the county of Cork, out of the forfeited lands of the earl of Desmond; on which, however, by the terms of the gift, he was obliged to become resident. He accordingly fixed his residence at Kilcolman, in the county of Cork, where he was visited by Sir Walter Raleigh, who became his patron in lieu of Sir Philip Sidney, then deceased, and whom he celebrates under the title of the "Shepherd of the Ocean." Sir Walter persuaded him to write the "Faerie Queen," the first edition of which was printed in 1590, and presented to Elizabeth, who granted the poet a pension of £50 per annum. In 1595 le published his pastoral of "Colin Clout's come home again" and, the year following, the second part of his "Faerie Queen" but the poem, according to the original plan, was never completed. About this time Spenser presented to the queen his "View of the State of Ireland," being the clerk of the council of the province of Munster." In 1597 he returned to Ireland; but when the rebellion of Tyrone broke out, he was obliged to fly with such precipitancy, as to leave behind his infant child, whom the merciless cruelty of the insurgents burnt with the house. The unfortunate poet carne to England with a heart broken by these misfortunes, and d. at Westminster, Jan. 16, 1598-9. His remains were interred at the expense of the earl of Essex, in WestminSter abbey, where the countess of Dorset raised a monument to his memory. SPINOLA, AMBROSE, Marquis, a celebrated Spanish general, was b. in 1569. He commanded an army in Flanders, and in 1604 he took Ostend, for which he was made general of all the Spanish troops in the Low Countries, where he was opposed by Maurice of Nassau. In the war occasioned by the disputed succession to the duchy of Cleves and Juliers, Spinola took Aix-la-Chapelle, Wesel, and Breda. He was subsequently employed. in Italy, where he made himself master of the city of Casal; but not being able to subdue the citadel, owing to the imprudent orders sent to him from Madrid, he exclaimed, "They have robbed me of my honor," and fell a prey to chagrin, in 1630. SPINOZA, BENEDICT, one of the most profound thinkers of the 17th century, and the founder of modern pantheism, was b. at Amsterdam, in 1633. His His parents were Portuguese Jews, who gave him the name of Baruch, which, on renouncing his religion, he altered to Benedict. He resided chiefly at the Hague; and strenuously refused to accept of any of the numerous proposals he received to enter upon a career that might have led to his worldly advancement. He was for some time a Calvinist, and afterwards a Mennonist, but at last adopted the views, religious and political, with which his name is now connected, and in support of which he published numerous works. His "Tractatus-theologico-politicus" was reprinted in London in 1765, by Hume, though without his name or that of the author. D. 1677. SPIZELIUS, THEOPHILUS, a learned German ecclesiastic, author of an elaborate "Commentary on the State of Literature among the Chinese," and other works. D. 1691. quitted Vienna in 1805, to travel; visited Paris; and lectured in England, Scotland, and Ireland, and then Spurzheim came to the United States, where he d. 1832. He was a man of rare benevolence and integrity. SPONTINI, GASPARO, a distinguished musical composer, was b. at Majolatti, near Jesi, in the Roman states, 1778. He was educated at the Conservatorio de la Pietà of Naples, and began his career when 17 years of age, as the composer of an opera, "I Puntigli delle Donne." In 1807 he was appointed music-director to the empress Josephine; and in 1808 he produced his most famous work, "La Vestale," with brilliant and decisive success. His "Fernando Cortez" appeared in 1809; and the next year witnessed his appointment to the directorship of the Italian opera in Paris, which he held for ten years. In 1820 the magnificent appointments offered by the court of Prussia tempted him to leave Paris for Berlin, in which capital his last three grand operas, "Nourmahal," (founded on "Lalla Rookh," "Alcidor," and "Ag-year she married the Baron de Staël, the nes Von Hohenstauffen," were produced with great splendor, but with little comparative success. D. 1851. SPOTSWOOD, or SPOTISWOOD, JOHN, archbishop of St. Andrew's, in Scotland, was b. in 1565, educated at Glasgow, and in 1601 went as chaplain to the duke of Lennox in his embassy to France. On the accession of James VI. to the throne of England, he accompanied him; and the same year was raised to the archbishopric of Glasgow, and made one of the privy council in Scotland. In 1615 he was translated to St. Andrew's. He crowned Charles I. at Holyrood house, in 1633; and, two years afterwards, was made chancellor of Scotland; but, on the breaking out of the rebellion, he retired to London, where he d. in 1639, and was buried in Westminster abbey. He wrote the "History of the Church of Scotland." STACKHOUSE, THOMAS, a divine, was b. in 1680, but the place of his birth is not known; became, in 1733, after many vicissitudes, vicar of Benham, in Berkshire; and d. there in 1752. Ho wrote several works, of which the most important is, "A History of the Bible." STAEL-HOLSTEIN, ANNE LOUIS GERMAINE, baroness de, a celebrated female writer, the daughter of M. Necker, the French financier, was b. in 1766, at Paris. Her talents were so early displayed that she was said never to have been a child, and the utmost care was taken to cultivate them. In her 20th Swedish ambassador. From that period she took an active part in literature, and an almost equally active one in politics. It was through her influence with Barras that Talleyrand was appointed minister of the foreign department. At the commencement of Bonaparte's career she was one of his admirers, but she afterwards became hostile to him; and, in 1801, in consequence of her attempting to thwart his government, she was ordered to quit Paris. After having visited Germany, Prussia, and Italy, she returned to France, whence, however, she was again expelled. Her peregrinations were next extended to Moscow, Stockholm, and London; nor did she again behold her favorite abode of Paris till after the restoration of the Bourbons. In 1811 she married M. de Rocca, but their union was kept secret. D. 1817. Of her works, which form seventeen volumes, the principal are, the romances of "Delphine" and "Corinne," "Considerations on the French RevoSPRAT, THOMAS, bishop of Roches-lution," "Dramatic Essays, "❝ Considter, an historian and poet, was b. in erations on Literature," "Germany," 1636, and d. in 1713. He wrote the and "Ten Years of Exile." "History of the Royal Society, "History of the Rye-house Plot," "The Life of Cowley," a volume of sermons, and a few poems. SPRANGHER, BARTHOLOMEW, an eminent painter of Antwerp, was b. in 1546, and d. in 1623. "the SPURZHEIM, GASPARD, a celebrated physiologist, was b. near Treves, in 1776, and received his medical education at Vienna, where he became acquainted with Dr. Gall, the founder of the science of phrenology. To this science Spurzheim became exceedingly partial; and he soon joined Gall in making inquiries into the anatomy of the brain. They STAHL, GEORGE ERNEST, an eminent German physician and chemist, was b. in 1660, at Anspach; studied at Jena; became physician to the king of Prussia and d. 1784, at Berlin. Stahl invented the theory of phlogiston, which was long prevalent. His chemical and medical works are numerous. STANDISH, MILES, the first captain at Plymouth, New England, was b. in Lancashire, in 1584, and accompanied Mr. Robinson's congregation to Plymouth in 1620. mouth in 1620. His services in the STEELE, Sir RICHARD, was b. in 1671, or, according to some accounts, in 1675, at Dublin; was educated at the Charter wars with the Indians were highly useful, and many of his exploits were daring and extraordinary. D. 1656. STANHOPE, CHARLES, Earl, a politi-house and at Merton college, Oxford; and entered the military service, in which he rose to the rank of captain. The "Christian Hero," which was printed in 1701, was his first production. It was followed by the comedies. of "The Funeral," "The Tender Husband," and "The Lying Lover." In the beginning of Queen Anne's reign he obtained the cian and man of science, was b. in 1753; was educated at Eton and Geneva; was member for Wycombe till he took his seat in the house of peers, in 1786, on the death of his father; was a strenuous republican, and enemy to Mr. Pitt's administration; and d. 1816. Among his many inventions are, an improved printing-press, a monochord, an arith-office of gazetteer, and, in 1710, he was metical machine, a mode of securing buildings from fire, and a double inclined plane. He wrote several political and scientific pamphlets and papers. Lady HESTER, a very highly accomplished, but no less eccentric, English lady, niece of the celebrated' William Pitt. Soon after the death of that great statesman, with whom she was domesticated, and with whose pursuits she so much sympathized, as to act upon some occasions as his private secretary, she went to Syria, assumed the dress of a male native of that country, and devoted herself to astrology, in which vain science she was a most implicit believer. She had a large pension from the English government, and for many years was possessed of considerable influence over the Turkish pachas, which, however, when habitual carelessness in money matters had deprived her of the means of bribing them, she lost. B. 1766; d. 1839. STANSBURY, TOBIAS E:, a distinguished citizen of Maryland, who from the beginning of the revolutionary war till the time of his death, participated actively in national and state affairs, and was repeatedly speaker of the house of delegates. D. 1850. made a commissioner of stamps. The STEEN, JAN, an eminent painter, was b. at Leyden, in 1636. One of his masters was Van Goyen, whose daughter he married; but Steen proved a dissipated character, and totally neglected his family. D. 1689. STEEN WICK, HENRY, a Flemish painter, was b. 1550, and d. 1603. STEÉVENS, GEORGE, a commentator, was b. in 1786, at Stepney; was educated at King's college, Cambridge; and d. in 1800. He was a man of talent and extensive reading, but his disposition was not amiable. His first work, published in 1766, was an edition of twenty of Shakspeare's plays; the notes to which, and additions, were afterwards incorporated with those of Johnson. STARK, JOHN, a general in the army of the American revolution, was b. in Londonderry, New Hampshire, in 1728. During the French war, he was captain of a company of rangers in the provincial service, in 1755, and was with Lord Howe when that general was killed, in storming the French lines at Ticonderoga, in 1758. On receiving the report of the battle of Lexington, he was en- STEPHENS, ALEXANDER, a miscelgaged at work in his saw-mill; and, laneous writer, was b. in 1757, at Elgin; fired with indignation, seized his musket studied at Aberdeen; was designed for and immediately proceeded to Cam- the law, but gave himself up to literabridge. He was at the battles of Bun- ture; and d. in 1821. He wrote a "Hisker's hill and of Trenton, and achieved tory of the War of the French Revolua glorious victory at Bennington. He tion," and "Memoirs of John Horne rose to the rank of brigadier-general, Tooke;" and contributed to the "Monthand was distinguished throughout thely Magazine," "Public Characters," and war for enterprise and courage. D. 1822. "The Annual Obituary." STERNE, LAURENCE, a miscellaneous | other distinguished persons, for the writer, was b. in 1713, at Clonmel, in peculiar career he had marked out for Ireland; and was educated at a school his exertions. Soon after his marriage near Halifax, and at Jesus college, Cam- in 1830, he was forced by threatening bridge. He successively obtained the pulmonary symptoms to seek a tempoliving of Sutton, a prebend at York, the rary home in St. Vincent, where his rectory of Stillington, and the curacy of family held some property. He returnCoxwold. In 1760 he published the ed to Europe in 1832. D. 1844. first two volumes of "Tristram Shandy;" the remainder appeared in 1761, 1762, 1765, and 1767. Some of his latter years were spent in travelling on the Continent, and his travels gave birth to "The Sentimental Journey." D. 1768. STERNHOLD, THOMAS, a poet, was b. in Hampshire, and educated at Oxford; after which he became groom of the robes to Henry VIII. and Edward VI. He d. in 1549. Sternhold versified 51 of the psalms; the remainder were the productions of Hopkins, Norton, and others. STEPHENSON, GEORGE, whose name will be for ever identified with the great est mechanical revolution effected since STEUBEN, FREDERIC WILLIAM AUthe days of Watt-the application of GUSTUS, baron de, was a Prussian officer, steam to railroads-was b. near New-aid-de-camp to Frederic the Great, and castle, in 1781. His father was an engine-tender at a colliery; and he himself began life as a pit-engine boy at 2d. a day's wages. A lucky accident having A lucky accident having given him an opportunity of showing some skill, he was advanced to the office of engineman. He was afterwards employed in forming railway planes and engines under ground, and all his leisure time was spent in working out the great problem, which he at last so happily solved. His first attempt to carry ont his design was at Hetten; he subsequently planned the line between Stockton and Darlington: but his crowning achievement was the great Manchester and Liverpool line. Heat once took the lead in railway engineering, became an extensive locomotive manufacturer at Newcastle, a railway contractor, and a great colliery and iron-work owner; but he always retained the manly simplicity of character which had marked his early career. STERLING, Jonn, an accomplished critic and essayist, whose promising career was broken by long-continued illness, and at last prematurely closed, was b. at Kames castle, in the isle of Bute, 1805. His father, who was a distinguished political writer, had him educate chiefly at home. In 1824 he went to Trinity college, Cambridge, where he had Archdeacon Hare for his classical tutor; and a year later he entered Trinity hall with the intention of graduating in law; but he left Cambridge in 1827 without taking a degree, and during the next few years he resided chiefly in London, employing himself actively in iterature, contributing to the "Athenæum" and other literary journals, and preparing himself, in familiar intercourse with Coleridge, Wordsworth, and many lieutenant-general in the army of that distinguished commander. He arrived in America in 1777, and immediately offered his services to the continental congress. In 1778 he was appointed inspector-general, with the rank of major-general, and rendered the most efficient services in the establishment of a regular system of discipline. During the war he was exceedingly active and useful, and after the peace he retired to a farm in the vicinity of New York, where, with the assistance of books and friends, he passed his time as agreeably as a frequent want of funds would permit. The state of New York afterwards gave him a tract of 16,000 acres in the county of Oneida, and the general government made him a grant of $2,500 per annum. D. 1795. : STEWART, DUGALD, an eminent philosopher and writer, was b. in 1753, at Edinburgh, and was the son of the professor of mathematics; was educated at the high school and university of his native city and attended the lectures of Dr. Reid at Glasgow. From Glasgow he was recalled, in his 19th year, to assist his father; on whose decease, in 1785, he succeeded to the professorship. He, however, exchanged it for the chair of moral philosophy, which he had filled in 1778, during the absence of Dr. Ferguson in America. In 1780 he began to receive pupils into his house, and many young noblemen and gentlemen, who afterwards became celebrated, imbibed their knowledge under his roof. It was not till 1792 that he came forward as an author; he then published the first volume of the "Philosophy of the Human Mind." Among his works are, "Outlines of Moral Philosophy," "Philosophical Essays," "Memoirs of Adam |