The big fishes and little were quick to seize that golden opportunity of their captors' careless handling of the net-and escaped, down to every jack sprat of them.
"The Rainbow Book Tales of Fun & Fancy"
Mabel Henriette Spielmann
It would then be known why it is that Archbishop Tillotson and Bishop sprat are both esteem'd Masters of the English Language; why Sir William Temple, and Sir Roger L'Estrange, the Tatler, and the Spectator, are generally spoken of as fine Writers; though their Manner is as different as their Faces.
"An Essay on Criticism"
John Oldmixon
"Jack sprat," she said, "and The Fat!"
"Aurora the Magnificent"
Gertrude Hall