f Lincoln, in
the heart of the Fens; is a very ancient place; has a trade in
agricultural produce, and is a railway centre.

SPALLANZANI, LAZARO, a noted Italian scientist, born at Scandiano,
in Modena; held chairs of Philosophy and Greek in the Universities of
Reggio and Modena, but more attracted to natural science he in 1768
became professor of Natural History at Pavia; wrote elaborate accounts of
expeditions to Sicily and elsewhere; overturned Button's theory of
spontaneous generation, and in important works made some valuable
contributions to physiological science (1729-1799).

SPANDAU (45), an important town and fortress of Prussia, in
Brandenburg, at the confluence of the Spree and Havel, 8 m. W. by N. of
Berlin; fortifications are of the strongest and most modern kind, and in
the "Julius Tower" of the powerful citadel the German war-chest of
L6,000,000 is preserved; there is an arsenal and large Government
cannon-foundries, powder-factories, etc.

SPANHEIM, FRIEDRICH, a theological professor at Geneva (1631), and
afterwards at Leyden (1641); author of the work on "Universal Grace"
(1600-1648). His son, EZECHIEL SPANHEIM (1629-1710) became professor
of Eloquence in his native town, Geneva, and after acting as tutor to
the sons of the Elector Palatine was employed on several important
diplomatic missions to Italy, England, and France; meanwhile devoted his
leisure to ancient law and numismatics, publishing learned works on these
subjects. FRIEDRICH SPANHEIM, brother of preceding, was a learned
Calvinistic professor of Theology at Heidelberg (1685), and afterwards at
Leyden (1632-1701).

SPANISH MAIN (i. e. mainland), a name given at one time to the
Central American provinces of Spain bordering on the Caribbean Sea, and
also to the Caribbean Sea itself.

SPARKS, JAMES, president of Harvard University, born in Connecticut;
bred a carpenter, took to study, attended Harvard, where he graduated,
studied theology, and became Unitarian, becoming a minister in that body,
but retired from the ministry and settled in Boston; edited the _North
American Review_; wrote and edited biographies of eminent Americans, and
edited the writings of Benjamin Franklin and George Washington
(1789-1866).

SPARTA or LACEDEMON, the capital of ancient Laconia, in the
Peloponnesus, on the right bank of the Eurotas, 20 m. from the sea; was 6
m. in circumference, consisted of several distinct quarters, originally
separate vil