Chapter IX: Part 9

FARMER, RICHARD (1735-1797).--Shakespearian scholar, _b._ at Leicester, and _ed._ at Camb., where he ultimately became Master of Emanuel Coll. He wrote an _Essay on the Learning of Shakespeare_ (1767), in which he maintained that Shakespeare's knowledge of the classics was through translations, the errors of which he reproduced. It is a production of great ability. F. was a clergyman, and held a prebend in St. Paul's.

FARQUHAR, GEORGE (1678-1707).--Dramatist, _b._ at Londonderry, _s._ of a clergyman, and _ed._ at Trinity Coll., Dublin, on leaving which he took to the stage, but had no great success as an actor. This, together with an accident in which he wounded a fellow-actor with a sword, led to his relinquishing it, and giving himself to writing plays instead of acting them. Thereafter he joined the army. _Love and a Bottle_ (1698) was his first venture, and others were _The Constant Couple_ (1700), _Sir Harry Wildair_ (1701), _The Inconstant_ (1703), _The Recruiting Officer_ (1706), and _The Beau's Stratagem_ (1707). F.'s plays are full of wit and sparkle and, though often coarse, have not the malignant pruriency of some of his predecessors. He made an unfortunate marriage, and _d._ in poverty.

FARRAR, FREDERIC WILLIAM (1831-1903).--Theological writer, _b._ in Bombay, and _ed._ at London Univ. and Camb., was for some years a master at Harrow, and from 1871-76 Head Master of Marlborough School. He became successively Canon of Westminster and Rector of St. Margaret's, Archdeacon of Westminster and Dean of Canterbury. He was an eloquent preacher and a voluminous author, his writings including stories of school life, such as _Eric_ and _St. Winifred's_, a _Life of Christ_, which had great popularity, a _Life of St. Paul_, and two historical romances.

FAWCETT, HENRY (1833-1884).--Statesman and economist, _b._ at Salisbury, and _ed._ at Camb., where he became Fellow of Trinity Hall. In 1858 he was blinded by a shooting accident, in spite of which he continued to prosecute his studies, especially in economics, and in 1863 _pub._ his _Manual of Political Economy_, becoming in the same year Prof. of Political Economy in Camb. Having strong political views he desired to enter upon a political career, and after repeated defeats was elected M.P. for Brighton. He soon attained a recognised position, devoting himself specially to parliamentary reform and Indian questions, and was in 1880 appointed Postmaster-General, in which office he approved himself a capable administrator. His career was, however, cut short by his premature death, but not before he had made himself a recognised authority on economics, his works on which include _The Economic Position of the British Labourer_ (1871), _Labour and Wages_, etc. In 1867 he _m._ Miss Millicent Garrett, a lady highly qualified to share in all his intellectual interests, and who collaborated with him in some of his publications. There is a life of him by Sir L. Stephen.

FAWKES, FRANCIS (1721-1777).--Poet and translator, _b._ near Doncaster, and _ed._ at Camb., after which he took orders. He translated Anacreon, Sappho, and other classics, modernised parts of the poems of Gavin Douglas, and was the author of the well-known song, _The Brown Jug_, and of two poems, _Bramham Park_ and _Partridge Shooting_.

FELTHAM, OWEN (1602?-1668).--Religious writer, author of a book entitled _Resolves, Divine, Moral, and Political_ (_c._ 1620), containing 146 short essays. It had great popularity in its day. Though sometimes stiff and affected in style, it contains many sound, if not original or brilliant, reflections, and occasional felicities of expression. F. was for a time in the household of the Earl of Thomond as chaplain or sec., and _pub._ (1652), _Brief Character of the Low Countries_.

FENTON, ELIJAH (1683-1730).--Poet and translator, _ed._ at Camb., for a time acted as sec. to the Earl of Orrery in Flanders, and was then Master of Sevenoaks Grammar School. In 1707 he _pub._ a book of poems. He is best known, however, as the assistant of Pope in his translation of the _Odyssey_, of which he Englished the first, fourth, nineteenth, and twentieth books, catching the manner of his master so completely that it is hardly possible to distinguish between their work; while thus engaged he _pub._ (1723) a successful tragedy, _Marianne_. His latest contributions to literature were a _Life of Milton_, and an ed. of _Waller's Poems_ (1729).

FERGUSON, ADAM (1723-1816).--Philosopher and historian, _s._ of the parish minister of Logierait, Perthshire, studied at St. Andrews and Edin. Univ., in the latter of which he was successively Professor of Mathematics, and Moral Philosophy (1764-1785). As a young man he was chaplain to the 42nd Regiment, and was present at the Battle of Fontenoy. In 1757 he was made Keeper of the Advocates' Library. As a Prof. of Philosophy he was highly successful, his class being attended by many distinguished men no longer students at the Univ. In 1778-9 he acted as sec. to a commission sent out by Lord North to endeavour to reach an accommodation with the American colonists. F.'s principal works are _Essay on the History of Civil Society_ (1765), _Institutes of Moral Philosophy_ (1769), _History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic_ (1782), and _Principles of Moral and Political Science_ (1792), all of which have been translated into French and German. F. spent his later years at St. Andrews, where he _d._ in 1816 at the age of 92. He was an intimate friend of Sir Walter Scott. The French philosopher Cousin gave F. a place above all his predecessors in the Scottish school of philosophy.

FERGUSON, SIR SAMUEL (1810-1886).--Poet and antiquary, _b._ at Belfast, the _s._ of parents of Scottish extraction, he was _ed._ at Trinity Coll., Dublin, from which he received in 1865 the honorary degree of LL.D. He practised with success as a barrister, became Q.C. in 1859, and Deputy Keeper of the Irish Records 1867, an appointment in which he rendered valuable service, and was knighted in 1878. He was a contributor to _Blackwood's Magazine_, in which appeared his best known poem, _The Forging of the Anchor_, and was one of the chief promoters of the Gaelic revival in Irish literature. His _coll._ poems appeared under the title of _Lays of the Western Gael_ (1865), _Congal, an epic poem_ (1872), and his prose tales posthumously (1887), as _Hibernian Nights' Entertainments_. His principal antiquarian work was _Ogham Inscriptions in Ireland, Wales, and Scotland_.

FERGUSSON, JAMES (1808-1886).--Writer on architecture, _b._ at Ayr, was engaged in commercial pursuits in India, where he became interested in the architecture of the country, and _pub._ his first work, _Picturesque Illustrations of Ancient Architecture in Hindustan_ (1840), which was followed by _An Historical Inquiry into the True Principles of Beauty in Art_ (1849), and _A History of Architecture in all Countries from the Earliest Times to the Present Day_ (1865-67). He also wrote _Fire and Serpent Worship_, etc., and a book on the use of earthworks in fortification.

FERGUSSON, ROBERT (1750-1774).--Scottish poet, _s._ of a bank clerk, was _ed._ at the Univ. of St. Andrews. His _f._ dying, he became a copying clerk in an Edin. lawyer's office. Early displaying a talent for humorous descriptive verse, he contributed to _Ruddiman's Weekly Magazine_, then the principal Scottish receptacle for fugitive poetry. His verses, however, attracted attention by their merit, and he _pub._ some of them in a _coll._ form. Unfortunately he fell into dissipated habits, under which his delicate constitution gave way, and he _d._ insane in his 24th year. His poems influenced Burns, who greatly admired them.

FERRIER, JAMES FREDERICK (1808-1864).--Metaphysician, _b._ in Edin., and _ed._ there and at Oxf., he was called to the Scottish Bar in 1832, but devoted himself to literature and philosophy. In 1842 he was appointed Prof. of History in Edin., and in 1845 translated to the Chair of Moral Philosophy and Political Economy at St. Andrews. He _pub._ in 1854 _Institutes of Metaphysics_, and ed. the _coll._ works of his father-in-law, Prof. Wilson ("Christopher North.")

FERRIER, SUSAN EDMONSTOUNE (1782-1854).--Novelist, _dau._ of James F., one of the principal clerks of the Court of Session, in which office he was the colleague of Sir Walter Scott. Miss F. wrote three excellent novels, _Marriage_ (1818), _The Inheritance_ (1824), and _Destiny_ (1831), all characterised by racy humour and acute character-painting. Her cheerful and tactful friendship helped to soothe the last days of Sir W. Scott.

FIELD, NATHANIEL (1587-1633).--Dramatist and actor, was one of "the children of the Queen's Revels," who performed in Ben Jonson's _Cynthia's Revels_ in 1600. He wrote _A Woman's a Weathercock_ (1612), _Amends for Ladies_ (1618), and (with Massinger) _The Fatal Dowry_ (1632).

FIELDING, HENRY (1707-1754).--Novelist, was _b._ at Sharpham Park, near Glastonbury. His father was General Edmund F., descended from the Earls of Denbigh and Desmond, and his mother was the _dau._ of Sir Henry Gould of Sharpham Park. His childhood was spent at East Stour, Dorset, and his education was received at first from a tutor, after which he was sent to Eton. Following a love affair with a young heiress at Lyme Regis he was sent to Leyden to study law, where he remained until his _f._, who had entered into a second marriage, and who was an extravagant man, ceased to send his allowance. Thrown upon his own resources, he came to London and began to write light comedies and farces, of which during the next few years he threw off nearly a score. The drama, however, was not his true vein, and none of his pieces in this kind have survived, unless _Tom Thumb_, a burlesque upon his contemporary playwrights, be excepted. About 1735 he _m._ Miss Charlotte Cradock, a beautiful and amiable girl to whom, though he gave her sufficient cause for forbearance, he was devotedly attached. She is the prototype of his "Amelia" and "Sophia." She brought him £1500, and the young couple retired to East Stour, where he had a small house inherited from his mother. The little fortune was, however, soon dissipated; and in a year he was back in London, where he formed a company of comedians, and managed a small theatre in the Haymarket. Here he produced successfully _Pasquin, a Dramatic Satire on the Times_, and _The Historical Register for 1736_, in which Walpole was satirised. This enterprise was brought to an end by the passing of the Licensing Act, 1737, making the _imprimatur_ of the Lord Chamberlain necessary to the production of any play. F. thereupon read law at the Middle Temple, was called to the Bar in 1740, and went the Western Circuit. The same year saw the publication of Richardson's _Pamela_, which inspired F. with the idea of a parody, thus giving rise to his first novel, _Joseph Andrews_. As, however, the characters, especially Parson Adams, developed in his hands, the original idea was laid aside, and the work assumed the form of a regular novel. It was _pub._ in 1742, and though sharing largely in the same qualities as its great successor, _Tom Jones_, its reception, though encouraging, was not phenomenally cordial. Immediately after this a heavy blow fell on F. in the death of his wife. The next few years were occupied with writing his _Miscellanies_, which contained, along with some essays and poems, two important works, _A Journey from this World to the Next_, and _The History of Jonathan Wild the Great_, a grave satire; and he also conducted two papers in support of the Government, _The True Patriot_ and _The Jacobite Journal_, in consideration of which he was appointed Justice of the Peace for Middlesex and Westminster, and had a pension conferred upon him. In 1746 he set convention at defiance by marrying Mary MacDaniel, who had been his first wife's maid, and the nurse of his children, and who proved a faithful and affectionate companion. F. showed himself an upright, diligent, and efficient magistrate, and his _Inquiry into the Increase of Robbers_ (1751), with suggested remedies, led to beneficial results. By this time, however, the publication of his great masterpiece, _The History of Tom Jones, a Foundling_ (1749), had given him a place among the immortals. All critics are agreed that this book contains passages offensive to delicacy, and some say to morality. This is often excused on the plea of the coarser manners of the age; but a much stronger defence is advanced on the ground that, while other novelists of the time made immorality an incentive to merriment, F.'s treatment of such subjects, as Lowell has said, "shocks rather than corrupts," and that in his pages evil is evil. On the other hand, there is universal agreement as to the permanent interest of the types of character presented, the profound knowledge of life and insight into human nature, the genial humour, the wide humanity, the wisdom, and the noble and masculine English of the book. His only other novel, _Amelia_, which some, but these a small minority, have regarded as his best, was _pub._ in 1751. His health was now thoroughly broken, and in 1753, as a forlorn hope, he went in search of restoration to Lisbon, where he _d._ on October 8, and was buried in the English cemetery. His last work was a _Journal_ of his voyage. Though with many weaknesses and serious faults, F. was fundamentally a man of honest and masculine character, and though improvident and reckless in his habits, especially in earlier life, he was affectionate in his domestic relations, and faithful and efficient in the performance of such public duties as he was called to discharge. Thackeray thus describes his appearance, "His figure was tall and stalwart, his face handsome, manly, and noble-looking; to the last days of his life he retained a grandeur of air and, though worn down by disease, his aspect and presence imposed respect upon people round about him."

SUMMARY.--_B._ 1707, _ed._ Eton, studied law at Leyden, came to London and wrote dramas, called to Bar 1740, _pub._ _Joseph Andrews_ 1742, became journalist, appointed a magistrate for Middlesex, etc., and _pub._ _Inquiry into Increase of Robbers_ 1751, _pub._ _Tom Jones_ 1749, _Amelia_ 1751, _d._ at Lisbon 1754.

His works are included in Ballantyne's Novelists' Library with a biography by Scott (1821). An ed. in 10 vols. with a study by L. Stephen was _pub._ by Smith, Elder and Co. (1882); another in 12 vols. by Prof. Saintsbury, Dent and Co. (1893), and various others. There are various Lives by Watson (1807). Lawrence (1855), and A. Dobson (Men of Letters, 1883).

FIELDING, SARAH (1710-1768).--Novelist, was the sister of the above, who had a high opinion of her talents. She wrote several novels, including _David Simple_ (1744), _The Governess_, and _The Countess_ of _Dellwyn_. She also translated Xenophon's _Memorabilia_ and _Apologia_ (1762).

FILMER, SIR ROBERT (_d._ 1653?).--Political writer, _s._ of Sir Edward F., of East Sutton, Kent, was _ed._ at Camb. He was an enthusiastic Royalist, was knighted by Charles I. and, in 1671, was imprisoned in Leeds Castle, Kent. He is notable as the defender, in its most extreme form, of the doctrine of the divine right of kings, which he expounded in a succession of works, of which the latest and best known, _Patriarcha_, appeared in 1679. His theory is founded on the idea that the government of a family by the father is the original and method of all government. His doctrines were afterwards attacked by Locke in his _Treatise on Government_. He was opposed to the persecution of old women for supposed witchcraft.

FINLAY, GEORGE (1799-1875).--Historian, of Scottish descent, was _b._ at Faversham, Kent, where his _f._, an officer in the army, was inspector of government powder mills. Intended for the law, he was _ed._ at Glasgow, Göttingen, and Edin., but becoming an enthusiast in the cause of Greece, he joined Byron in the war of independence, and thereafter bought a property near Athens, where he settled and busied himself with schemes for the improvement of the country, which had little success. His _History of Greece_, produced in sections between 1843 and 1861, did not at first receive the recognition which its merits deserved, but it has since been given by students in all countries, and specially in Germany, a place among works of permanent value, alike for its literary style and the depth and insight of its historical views. It was re-issued in 1877 as _A History of Greece from the Roman Conquest to the Present Time_ (146 B.C. _to_ 1864).

FISHER, JOHN (_c._ 1469-1535).--Controversialist and scholar, _b._ at Beverley, and _ed._ at Camb., entered the Church, and became in 1504 Bishop of Rochester. He wrote in Latin against the doctrines of the Reformation, but was a supporter of the New Learning, and endeavoured to get Erasmus to teach Greek at Camb. Through his influence the Lady Margaret Professorship of Divinity were founded at both the Univ. by Margaret Countess of Richmond, and in 1502 he became first prof. at Camb., where he was also (1505-8) Head of Queen's Coll. He was also instrumental in founding Christ's and St. John's Coll. For opposing the divorce proceedings of Henry VIII. he was burned. Made a cardinal in 1535, he was beatified in 1886.

FISKE, JOHN (1842-1901).--Miscellaneous writer, was _b._ at Hartford, Connecticut. The family name was Green; but this he dropped, and adopted that of his mother's family. After being at Harvard he studied for, and was admitted to, the Bar, but did not practise. He wrote on a variety of subjects, including mythology, history, and evolution. Among his books on these subjects are, _Myths and Mythmakers_ (1872), _Cosmic Philosophy_, _Darwinism_, _The Idea of God_, _Origin of Evil_. He was also the author of many works on America. These include _Old Virginia_, _New France and New England_, _The American Revolution_, and _Discovery of America_ (1892).

FITZGERALD, EDWARD (1809-1883).--Translator and letter-writer, was _b._ near Woodbridge, Suffolk, _s._ of John Purcell, who took his wife's surname on the death of her _f._. in 1818. He was _ed._ at Bury St. Edmunds and Camb. Thereafter he lived in retirement and study with his parents until 1838, when he took a neighbouring cottage. In 1856 he _m._ a _dau._ of Bernard Barton, the poet, from whom, however, he soon separated. Afterwards he lived at various places in the East of England, continuing his studies, with yachting for his chief recreation. By this time, however, he had become an author, having written a life of his father-in-law prefixed to his _coll._ poems (1849), _Euphranor_, a dialogue on youth (1851), and _Polonius, a Collection of Wise Saws and Modern Instances_ (1852). Becoming interested in Spanish literature, he _pub._ translations of _Six Dramas of Calderon_. Thereafter turning his attention to Persian, he produced (1859), anonymously, his famous translation of the _Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyám_. He also _pub._ translations of the _Agamemnon_ of Æschylus, and the _Oedipus Tyrannus_ and _Oedipus Coloneus_ of Sophocles. In his translations F. aimed not so much at a mere literal reproduction of the sense of the original, as at reproducing its effect on the reader, and in this he was extraordinarily successful. In the department of letter-writing also he attained an excellence perhaps unequalled in his day.

FITZSTEPHEN, WILLIAM (_d._ 1190).--Was a servant of Thomas à Becket, witnessed his murder, and wrote his biography, which contains an interesting account of London in the 12th century.

FLAVEL, JOHN (1627-1691).--Divine, _b._ at Bromsgrove, studied at Oxf., was a Presbyterian, and was settled at Dartmouth, but ejected from his living in 1662, continuing, however, to preach there secretly. He was a voluminous and popular author. Among his works are _Husbandry Spiritualised_ and _Navigation Spiritualised_, titles which suggest some of his characteristics as an expositor.

FLECKNOE, RICHARD (_d._ 1678).--Poet, said to have been an Irish priest. He wrote several plays, now forgotten, also miscellaneous poems, some of them sacred, and a book of travels. His name has been preserved in Dryden's satire, _MacFlecknoe_, as "throughout the realms of nonsense absolute;" but according to some authorities his slighter pieces were not wanting in grace and fancy.

FLETCHER, ANDREW (1655-1716).--Scottish statesman and political writer, _s._ of Sir Robert F. of Saltoun, East Lothian, to which estate he succeeded at an early age. He was _ed._ under the care of Bishop Burnet, who was then minister of Saltoun. Being firmly opposed to the arbitrary measures of the Duke of York, afterwards James II., he went to Holland, where he joined Monmouth, whom he accompanied on his ill-starred expedition. Happening to kill, in a quarrel, one Dare, another of the Duke's followers, he fled to the Continent, travelled in Spain and Hungary, and fought against the Turks. After the Revolution he returned to Scotland, and took an active part in political affairs. He opposed the Union, fearing the loss of Scottish independence, and advocated federation rather than incorporation. He introduced various improvements in agriculture. His principal writings are _Discourse of Government_ (1698), _Two Discourses concerning the Affairs of Scotland_ (1698), _Conversation concerning a right Regulation of Government for the Common Good of Mankind_ (1703), in which occurs his well-known saying, "Give me the making of the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws."

FLETCHER, GILES, AND PHINEAS (1588?-1623) (1582-1650).--Poets, were the sons of Giles F., himself a minor poet, and Envoy to Russia. Phineas, the elder, was _ed._ at Eton and Camb., and entered the Church, becoming Rector of Hilgay, Norfolk. He wrote _The Purple Island_ (1633), a poem in 10 books, giving an elaborate allegorical description of the body and mind of man, which, though tedious and fanciful, contains some fine passages, recalling the harmonious sweetness of Spenser, whose disciple the poet was. He was also the author of _Piscatory Dialogues_. GILES, the younger, was also _ed._ at Camb., and, like his brother, became a country parson, being Rector of Alderton. His poem, _Christ's Victory and Triumph_ (1610), which, though it contains passages rising to sublimity, is now almost unknown except to students of English literature, is said to have influenced Milton.

Both brothers, but especially Giles, had a genuine poetic gift, but alike in the allegorical treatment of their subjects and the metre they adopted, they followed a style which was passing away, and thus missed popularity. They were cousins of John F., the dramatist.

FLORENCE of WORCESTER (_d._ 1118).--Chronicler, was a monk of Worcester. His work is founded upon that of Marianus, an Irish chronicler, supplemented by additions taken from the _Anglo-Saxon Chronicle_, Bede's _Lives of the Saints_, and Asser's _Life of Alfred_. After his death it was brought down to 1295.

FLORIO, JOHN (1553?-1625).--Translator, _s._ of an Italian preacher, exiled for his Protestantism, but who appears to have lost credit owing to misconduct, _b._ in London, was, about 1576, a private tutor of languages at Oxf. In 1581 he was admitted a member of Magdalen Coll., and teacher of French and Italian. Patronised by various noblemen, he became in 1603 reader in Italian to Anne of Denmark, Queen of James I. He _pub._ _First Fruites_ (1578). _Second Fruites_ (1591), consisting of Italian and English Dialogues, and his great Italian dictionary entitled _A World of Wonder_, in 1598. His chief contribution to pure literature is his famous translation of _The Essays of Montaigne_, in stately if somewhat stiff Elizabethan English.

FONBLANQUE, ALBANY WILLIAM (1793-1872).--Journalist and political writer, was of Huguenot descent, the _s._ of a Commissioner in Bankruptcy. He was bred to the law, but deserted it for journalism, in which he took a high place. He wrote much for _The Times_, and _Westminster Review_, and subsequently became ed. and proprietor of the _Examiner_. His best articles were republished as _England under Seven Administrations_ (1837). He also wrote _How we are Governed_. In 1847 he was appointed Statistical Sec. to the Board of Trade.

FOOTE, SAMUEL (1720-1777).--Actor and dramatist, _b._ at Truro of a good family, and _ed._ at Oxf., succeeded by his extravagance and folly in running through two fortunes. To repair his finances he turned to the stage, and began with tragedy, in which he failed. He then took to comedy, and the mimetic representation of living characters, for which his extraordinary comic powers highly qualified him. He also became a prolific author of dramatic pieces. He wrote 20 plays, and claimed to have added 16 original characters to the stage. Several of his pieces, owing to the offence they gave to persons of importance, were suppressed, but were usually revived in a slightly modified form. His conversation was agreeable and entertaining in the highest degree. Among his best works are _An Auction of Pictures_, _The Liar_, and _The Mayor of Garratt_ (1763), _The Lame Lover_ (1770), _The Knights_ (1749), _Author_ (suppressed) 1757, _Devil upon Two Sticks_ (1768), _The Nabob_ (1779), _The Capuchin_ (1776).

FORBES, JAMES DAVID (1809-1868).--Natural Philosopher, _s._ of Sir William F., of Pitsligo, was _b._ and _ed._ at Edin. He studied law, and was called to the Bar, but devoted himself to science, in which he gained a great reputation both as a discoverer and teacher. He was Prof. of Natural Philosophy at Edin., 1833-1859, when he succeeded Sir D. Brewster, as Principal of the United Coll. at St. Andrews. He was one of the founders of the British Association in 1831. His scientific investigations and discoveries embraced the subjects of heat, light, polarisation, and specially glaciers. In connection with the last of these he wrote _Travels through the Alps_ (1843), _Norway and its Glaciers_ (1853), _Tour of Mont Blanc and Monte Rosa_ (1855), and _Papers on the Theory of Glaciers_.

FORD, JOHN (_c._ 1586?).--Dramatist, _b._ probably at Ilsington, Devonshire, was admitted to the Middle Temple in 1602, and appears to have practised as a lawyer. His chief plays are _The Lover's Melancholy_ (1629), _'Tis Pity_, _The Broken Heart_, and _Love's Sacrifice_ (1633), _Perkin Warbeck_ (1634), _The Lady's Trial_ (1639), and _Fancies Chaste and Noble_ (1638). He also collaborated with Dekker and Rowley in _The Witch of Edmonton_ (1624). F. has a high position as a dramatist, though rather for general intellectual power and austere beauty of thought than for strictly dramatic qualities. C. Lamb says, "F. was of the first order of poets." He had little humour; his plays, though the subjects are painful, and sometimes horrible, are full of pensive tenderness expressed in gently flowing verse. The date of his death is uncertain.

FORD, PAUL LEICESTER (1865-1902).--Novelist and biographer, was _b._ in Brooklyn. He wrote Lives of Washington, Franklin, and others, ed. the works of Jefferson, and wrote a number of novels, which had considerable success, including _Peter Sterling_ (1894), _Story of an Untold Love_, _Janice Meredith_, _Wanted a Matchmaker_, and _Wanted a Chaperone_. He _d._ by his own hand.

FORD, RICHARD (1796-1858).--Writer on art and travel, _ed._ at Winchester and Camb., and travelled for several years in Spain, becoming intimately acquainted with the country and people. He wrote a _Handbook for Travellers in Spain_ (1845), which is much more than a mere guide-book, and _Gatherings from Spain_ (1846). An accomplished artist and art critic, he was the first to make the great Spanish painter, Velasquez, generally known in England.

FORDUN, JOHN (_d._ 1384?).--Chronicler, said to have been a chantry priest and Canon of Aberdeen. He began the _Scotichronicon_, for which he prepared himself, it is said, by travelling on foot through Britain and Ireland in search of materials. He also compiled _Gesta Annalia_, a continuation. He brought the history down to 1153, leaving, however, material to the time of his own death, which was subsequently worked up by Walter Bower (_q.v._).

FORSTER, JOHN (1812-1876).--Historian and biographer, _b._ at Newcastle, _ed._ at the Grammar School there, and at Univ. Coll., London, became a barrister of the Inner Temple, but soon relinquished law for literature. In 1834 he accepted the post of assistant ed. of the _Examiner_, and was ed. 1847-55. In this position F. exercised a marked influence on public opinion. He also ed. the _Foreign Quarterly Review_ 1842-3, the _Daily News_ in 1846, and was Sec. to the Lunacy Commission and a Commissioner 1861-72. His historical writings were chiefly biographies, among which are _Statesmen of the Commonwealth of England_ (1836-9), _Life of Goldsmith_ (1854), _Biographical and Historical Essays_ (1859), _Sir John Eliot_ (1864), _Lives of Walter S. Landor_ (1868), and _Charles Dickens_ (1871-4). He also left the first vol. of a Life of Swift. F., who was a man of great decision and force of character, concealed an unusually tender heart under a somewhat overbearing manner.

FORTESCUE, SIR JOHN (1394?-1476?).--Political writer, was descended from a Devonshire family. He was an eminent lawyer, and held the office of Lord Chief Justice of the King's Bench (1442). During the Wars of the Roses he was a staunch Lancastrian. On the triumph of Edward IV. at Towton he was attainted, and followed the fortunes of the fallen Lancastrians, accompanying Queen Margaret to Scotland and Flanders. He fought at Tewkesbury, was captured, but pardoned on condition of writing in support of the Yorkish claims, which he did, considering that his own party appeared to be hopelessly ruined. He is said to have been at one time Lord Chancellor; but it is probable that this was only a titular appointment given him by the exiled family. His works are various defences of the Lancastrian title to the crown, and two treatises, _De Laudibus Legum Angliæ_ (1537) (in praise of the laws of England), and _On the Governance of the Kingdom of England_, not printed till 1714, the former for the instruction of Edward, Prince of Wales.

FORSTER, JOHN (1770-1843).--Essayist, was _b._ at Halifax, and _ed._ at Bristol for the Baptist ministry. Though a man of powerful and original mind he did not prove popular as a preacher, and devoted himself mainly to literature, his chief contribution to which is his four Essays (1) _On a Man's Writing Memoirs of Himself_, (2) _On Decision of Character_, (3) _On the Epithet "Romantic_," (4) _On Evangelical Religion, etc._, all of which attracted much attention among the more thoughtful part of the community, and still hold their place. These Essays were _pub._ in 1805, and in 1819. F. added another on the _Evils of Popular Ignorance_, in which he advocated a national system of education.

FOSTER, STEPHEN COLLINS (1826-1864).--Song-writer, was _b._ in Pittsburgh. He wrote over 100 songs, many of which had extraordinary popularity, among which may be mentioned _The Old Folks at Home_, _Nelly Bly_, _Old Dog Tray_, _Camp Town Races_, _Massa's in de cold, cold Ground_, and _Come where my Love lies Dreaming_. He composed the music to his songs.

FOX, CHARLES JAMES (1749-1806).--Statesman and historian, _s._ of Henry F., 1st Lord Holland, was one of the greatest orators who have ever sat in the House of Commons. His only serious literary work was a fragment of a proposed _History of the Reign of James the Second_. An introductory chapter sketching the development of the constitution from the time of Henry VII., and a few chapters conducting the history up to the execution of Monmouth are all which he completed.

FOX, GEORGE (1624-1691).--Religious enthusiast, and founder of the Society of Friends, _b._ at Drayton, Leicestershire, was in youth the subject of peculiar religious impressions and trances, and adopted a wandering life. The protests which he conceived himself bound to make against the prevailing beliefs and manners, and which sometimes took the form of interrupting Divine service, and the use of uncomplimentary forms of address to the clergy, involved him in frequent trouble. The clergy, the magistrates, and the mob alike treated him with harshness amounting to persecution. None of these things, however, moved him, and friends, many of them influential, among them Oliver Cromwell, extended favour towards him. From 1659 onwards he made various missionary journeys in Scotland, Ireland, America, and Holland. Later he was repeatedly imprisoned, again visited the Continent, and _d._ in 1691. F.'s literary works are his _Journal_, _Epistles_, and _Doctrinal Pieces_. He was not a man of strong intellect, and the defence of his doctrines was undertaken by the far more competent hand of his follower, Barclay (_q.v._). The _Journal_, however, is full of interest as a sincere transcript of the singular experiences, religious and others, of a spiritual enthusiast and mystic.

The best Life is that by Hodgkin, 1896. _Journal_ (reprint, 1885).

FOXE, JOHN (1516-1587).--Martyrologist, was _b._ at Boston, Lincolnshire, and _ed._ at Oxf., where he became a Fellow of Magdalen Coll. While there he gave himself to the study of the theological questions then in debate, and ended by becoming a Protestant, in consequence of which he in 1545 left his coll. He then became tutor in the family of Sir T. Lucy of Charlecote, and afterwards to the children of the recently executed Earl of Surrey. During the reign of Mary he retired to the Continent, and _pub._, at Strasburg, his _Commentarii_ (the first draft of the _Acts and Monuments_). Removing to Basel he was employed as a reader for the press by the famous printer Oporinus, who _pub._ some of his writings. On the accession of Elizabeth, F. returned to England, was received with kindness by the Duke of Norfolk, one of his former pupils, and soon afterwards (1563) _pub._ the work on which his fame rests, the English version of the _Acts and Monuments_, better known as _The Book Martyrs_. Received with great favour by the Protestants, it was, and has always been, charged by the Roman Catholics with gross and wilful perversion of facts. The truth of the matter appears to be that while Foxe was not, as in the circumstances he could hardly have been, free from party spirit or from some degree of error as to facts, he did not intentionally try to mislead; and comparison of his citations from authorities with the originals has shown him to have been careful and accurate in that matter. F., who had been ordained a priest in 1560, became Canon of Salisbury in 1563. He wrote sundry other theological works, and _d._ in 1587. There is a memoir of him attributed to his _s._, but of doubtful authenticity. Some of his papers, used by Strype (_q.v._), are now in the British Museum.

FRANCIS, SIR PHILIP (1740-1818).--Reputed author of _The Letters of Junius_, _s._ of the Rev. Philip F., a scholar of some note, was _b._ in Dublin. On the recommendation of Lord Holland he received an appointment in the office of the Sec. of State, and was thereafter private sec. to Lord Kinnoull in Portugal, and to Pitt in 1761-2. He was then transferred to the War Office, where he remained from 1762-72, during which period he contributed to the press under various pseudonyms. His next appointment was that of a member of Council of Bengal, which he held from 1773-80. While in India he was in continual conflict with the Governor-General, Warren Hastings, by whom he was wounded in a duel in 1779. He returned to England in 1780 with a large fortune, and entered Parliament as a Whig. In 1787 he was associated with Burke in the impeachment of Hastings, against whom he showed extraordinary vindictiveness. Later he was a sympathiser with the French Revolution, and a member of the association of the Friends of the People. He retired from public life in 1807, and _d._ in 1818. He was the author of about 20 political pamphlets, but the great interest attaching to him is his reputed authorship of the _Letters of Junius_. These letters which, partly on account of the boldness and implacability of their attacks and the brilliance of their literary style, and partly because of the mystery in which their author wrapped himself, created an extraordinary impression, and have ever since retained their place as masterpieces of condensed sarcasm. They appeared in _The Public Advertiser_, a paper _pub._ by Woodfall, the first on January 21, 1769, and the last on the corresponding day of 1772, and were chiefly directed against the Dukes of Grafton and Bedford, and Lord Mansfield; but even the king himself did not escape. Not only were the public actions of those attacked held up to execration, but every circumstance in their private lives which could excite odium was dragged into the light. Their authorship was attributed to many distinguished men, _e.g._ Burke, Lord Shelburne, J. Wilkes, Horne Tooke, and Barré, and recently to Gibbon; but the evidence appears to point strongly to F., and, in the opinion of Macaulay, would "support a verdict in a civil, nay, in a criminal trial." It rests upon such circumstances as the similarity of the MS. to what is known to be the disguised writing of F., the acquaintance of the writer with the working of the Sec. of State's Office and the War Office, his denunciation of the promotion of a Mr. Chamier in the War Office, which was a well-known grievance of F., his acquaintance with Pitt, and the existence of a strong tie to Lord Holland, the silence of Junius when F. was absent, and resemblances in the style and the moral character of the writer to those of F.

FRANKLIN, BENJAMIN (1706-1790).--American statesman, philosopher, and writer, was one of a numerous family. His _f._ was a soap-boiler at Boston, where F. was _b._ He was apprenticed at the age of 13 to his brother, a printer, who treated him harshly. After various changes, during which he lived in New York, London, and Philadelphia, he at last succeeded in founding a successful business as a printer. He also started a newspaper, _The Gazette_, which was highly popular, _Poor Richard's Almanac_, and the _Busybody Papers_, in imitation of the _Spectator_. After holding various minor appointments, he was made deputy Postmaster-General for the American Colonies. In 1757 he went to London on some public business in which he was so successful that various colonies appointed him their English agent. In the midst of his varied avocations he found time for scientific investigation, especially with regard to electricity. For these he became known over the civilised world, and was loaded with honours. In 1762 he returned to America, and took a prominent part in the controversies which led to the Revolutionary War and the independence of the Colonies. In 1776 he was U.S. Minister to France, and in 1782 was a signatory of the treaty which confirmed the independence of the States. He returned home in 1785, and, after holding various political offices, retired in 1788, and _d._ in 1790. His autobiography is his chief contribution to literature, and is of the highest interest.

Works (10 vols., Bigelow, 1887-9), Autobiography (1868), Lives by M'Master (1887), and Morse (1889).

FREEMAN, EDWARD AUGUSTUS (1823-1892).--Historian, _s._ of John F., was _b._ at Harborne, Staffordshire. He lost both his parents in childhood, and was brought up by his paternal grandmother. He was _ed._ at private schools, and as a private pupil of the Rev. R. Gutch, whose _dau._ he afterwards _m._ In 1841 he was elected to a scholarship at Oxf. He had inherited an income sufficient to make him independent of a profession, and a prepossession in favour of the celibacy of the clergy disinclined him to enter the Church, of which he had at one time thought. He settled ultimately at Somerleaze, near Wells, where he occupied himself in study, writing for periodicals, and with the duties of a magistrate. He was a strong Liberal, and on one occasion stood unsuccessfully as a candidate for Parliament. He was also twice unsuccessful as an applicant for professional chairs, but ultimately, in 1884, succeeded Stubbs as Prof. of Modern History at Oxf. He had always been an enthusiastic traveller, and it was when on a tour in Spain that he took ill and _d._ on May 16, 1892. F. was a voluminous author, and a keen controversialist. His first book was a _History of Architecture_ (1849), and among the very numerous publications which he issued the most important were _History of Federal Government_ (1863), _The History of the Norman Conquest_ (6 vols., 1867-79), _The Historical Geography of Europe_ (1881-2), _The Reign of William Rufus_ (1882), and an unfinished _History of Sicily_. Besides these he wrote innumerable articles in periodicals, many of which were separately _pub._ and contain much of his best work. He was laborious and honest, but the controversial cast of his mind sometimes coloured his work. His short books, such as his _William I._, and his _General Sketch of European History_, are marvels of condensation, and show him at his best. His knowledge of history was singularly wide, and he sometimes showed a great power of vivid presentation.

FRENEAU, PHILIP (1752-1832).--Poet, _b._ in New York, produced two vols. of verse (1786-8), the most considerable contribution to poetry made up to that date in America. He fought in the Revolutionary War, was taken prisoner, and confined in a British prison-ship, the arrangements of which he bitterly satirised in _The British Prison Ship_ (1781). He also wrote vigorous prose, of which _Advice to Authors_ is an example. Amid much commonplace and doggerel, F. produced a small amount of genuine poetry in his short pieces, such as _The Indian Burying Ground_, and _The Wild Honeysuckle_.

FRERE, JOHN HOOKHAM (1769-1846).--Diplomatist, translator, and author, eldest _s._ of John F., a distinguished antiquary, was _b._ in London, and _ed._ at Eton and Camb. He became a clerk in the Foreign Office, and subsequently entering Parliament was appointed Under Foreign Sec. In 1800 he was Envoy to Portugal, and was Ambassador to Spain 1802-4, and again 1808-9. In 1818 he retired to Malta, where he _d._ He was a contributor to the _Anti-Jacobin_, to Ellis's _Specimens of the Early English Poets_ (1801), and to Southey's _Chronicle of the Cid_. He also made some masterly translations from _Aristophanes_; but his chief original contribution to literature was a burlesque poem on _Arthur and the Round Table_, purporting to be by William and Robert Whistlecraft. All F.'s writings are characterised no less by scholarship than by wit.

FROUDE, JAMES ANTHONY (1818-1894).--Historian and essayist, 3rd _s._ of the Archdeacon of Totnes, Devonshire, near which he was _b._, and brother of Richard Hurrell. F., one of the leaders of the Tractarian party, was _ed._ at Westminster School and Oxf., where for a short time he came under the influence of Newman, and contributed to his _Lives of the English Saints_, and in 1844 he took Deacon's orders. The connection with Newman was, however, short-lived; and the publication in 1848 of _The Nemesis of Faith_ showed that in the severe mental and spiritual conflict through which he had passed, the writer had not only escaped from all Tractarian influences, but was in revolt against many of the fundamental doctrines of Christianity. One result of the book was his resignation of his Fellowship at Oxf.: another was his loss of an appointment as Head Master of the Grammar School of Hobart Town, Tasmania. In the same year began his friendship with Carlyle, and about the same time he became a contributor to the _Westminster Review_ and to _Fraser's Magazine_, of which he was ed. from 1860-74. These papers were afterwards _coll._ and _pub._ in the 4 vols. of _Short Studies on Great Subjects_. In 1856 he _pub._ the first 2 vols. of the great work of his life, _The History of England from the Fall of Cardinal Wolsey to the Spanish Armada_, which extended to 12 vols., the last of which appeared in 1870. As literature this work has a place among the greatest productions of the century; but in its treatment it is much more dramatic, ethical, and polemical than historical in the strict sense; and indeed the inaccuracy in matters of fact to which F. was liable, combined with his tendency to idealise and to colour with his own prejudices the characters who figure in his narrative, are serious deductions from the value of his work considered as history. _The English in Ireland in the Eighteenth Century_ appeared in 1872-4. On the death of Carlyle in 1881, F. found himself in the position of his sole literary executor, and in that capacity _pub._ successively the _Reminiscences_ (1881), _History of the First Forty Years of Carlyle's Life_ (1882), _Letters and Memorials of Jane Welsh Carlyle_ (1883), _History of Carlyle's Life in London_ (1884). The opinion is held by many that in the discharge of the duties entrusted to him by his old friend and master he showed neither discretion nor loyalty; and his indiscreet revelations and gross inaccuracies evoked a storm of controversy and protest. F. did not confine his labours to purely literary effort. In 1874-5 he travelled as a Government Commissioner in South Africa with the view of fostering a movement in favour of federating the various colonies there; in 1876 he served on the Scottish Univ. Commission; in 1884-5 he visited Australia, and gave the fruit of his observations to the world in _Oceana_ (1886), and in 1886-7 he was in the West Indies, and _pub._ _The English in the West Indies_ (1888). The year 1892 saw his appointment as Prof. of Modern History at Oxf., and his lectures there were _pub._ in his last books, _Life and Letters of Erasmus_ (1894), _English Seamen in the Sixteenth Century_ (1895), and _The Council of Trent_ (1896). F. was elected in 1869 Lord Rector of the Univ. of St. Andrews, and received the degree of LL.D. from Edinburgh in 1884. By his instructions no Biography was to be written.

FULLER, SARAH MARGARET (1810-1850).--Was _b._ in Massachusetts, _dau._ of a lawyer, who encouraged her in over-working herself in the acquisition of knowledge with life-long evil results to her health. On his death she supported a large family of brothers and sisters by teaching. Her early studies had made her familiar with the literature not only of England but of France, Spain, and Italy; she had become imbued with German philosophy and mysticism, and she co-operated with Theodore Parker in his revolt against the Puritan theology till then prevalent in New England, and became the conductor of the Transcendentalist organ, _The Dial_, from 1840-2. She made various translations from the German, and _pub._ _Summer on the Lakes_ (1844), and _Papers on Literature and Art_ (1846). In the same year she went to Europe, and at Rome met the Marquis Ossoli, an Italian patriot, whom she _m._ in 1847. She and her husband were in the thick of the Revolution of 1848-9, and in the latter year she was in charge of a hospital at Rome. After the suppression of the Revolution she escaped with her husband from Italy, and took ship for America. The voyage proved most disastrous: small-pox broke out on the vessel, and their infant child _d._, the ship was wrecked on Fire Island, near New York, and she and her husband were lost. Destitute of personal attractions, she was possessed of a singular power of conciliating sympathy. She was the intimate friend of Emerson, Hawthorn, Channing, and other eminent men.

FULLER, THOMAS (1608-1661).--Divine and antiquary, _s._ of a clergyman of the same name, was _b._ at Aldwinkle, Northamptonshire. Possessed of exceptional intelligence and a wonderful memory, he became a good scholar, and distinguished himself at Camb., where he was sent. Entering the Church, he obtained rapid preferment, including the lectureship at the Savoy, and a chaplaincy to Charles II. He was a voluminous author, his works dealing with theology, morals, history, and antiquities. Among the chief are _History of the Holy War_, _i.e._ the Crusades (1643), _The Holy State and the Profane State_ (1642), _A Pisgah Sight of Palestine_ (1650), _Church History of Britain_, _History of Cambridge University_ (1655), _Worthies of England_ (1662), and _Good Thoughts in Bad Times_. The outstanding characteristic of F.'s writings is shrewd observation conveyed in a style of quaint humour. Lamb says, "His conceits are oftentimes deeply steeped in human feeling and passion." But in addition there is much wisdom and a remarkable power of casting his observations into a compact, aphoristic form. The _Worthies_, though far from being a systematic work, is full of interesting biographical and antiquarian matter which, but for the pains of the author, would have been lost. Coleridge says of him, "He was incomparably the most sensible, the least prejudiced great man in an age that boasted a galaxy of great men." F., who was of a singularly amiable character, was a strong Royalist, and suffered the loss of his preferments during the Commonwealth. They were, however, given back to him at the Restoration.

Lives by Russell (1844), J.E. Bailey (1874), and M. Fuller (1886).

FULLERTON, LADY GEORGIANA (LEVESON-GOWER) (1812-1885).--Novelist, _dau._ of the 1st Earl Granville, and sister of the eminent statesman. She wrote a number of novels, some of which had considerable success. They include _Ellen Middleton_ (1844), _Grantley Manor_ (1847), and _Too Strange not to be True_ (1864). She also _pub._ two vols. of verse. She joined the Church of Rome in 1846.

GAIMAR, GEOFFREY (_fl._ 1140?).--Chronicler, translated the chronicle of Geoffrey of Monmouth into French verse for the wife of his patron, Ralph Fitz-Gilbert, and added a continuation dealing with the Saxon Kings. His work is entitled _L'Estoire des Engles_.

GALT, JOHN (1779-1839).--Novelist and miscellaneous writer, _s._ of the captain of a West Indiaman, was _b._ at Irvine, Ayrshire, but while still a young man he went to London and formed a commercial partnership, which proved unfortunate, and he then entered Lincoln's Inn to study law. A little before this he had produced his first book, a poem on the Battle of Largs, which, however, he soon suppressed. He then went to various parts of the Continent in connection with certain commercial schemes, and met Lord Byron, with whom he travelled for some time. Returning home he _pub._ _Letters from the Levant_, which had a favourable reception, and some dramas, which were less successful. He soon, however, found his true vocation in the novel of Scottish country life, and his fame rests upon the _Ayrshire Legatees_ (1820), _The Annals of the Parish_ (1821), _Sir Andrew Wylie_ (1822), _The Entail_ (1824), and _The Provost_. He was not so successful in the domain of historical romance, which he tried in _Ringan Gilbaize_, _The Spae-wife_, _The Omen_, etc., although these contain many striking passages. In addition to his novels G. produced many historical and biographical works, including a _Life of Wolsey_ (1812), _Life and Studies of Benjamin West_ (1816), _Tour of Asia_, _Life of Byron_ (1830), _Lives of the Players_, and an Autobiography (1834). In addition to this copious literary output, G. was constantly forming and carrying out commercial schemes, the most important of which was the Canada Company, which, like most of his other enterprises, though conducted with great energy and ability on his part, ended in disappointment and trouble for himself. In 1834 he returned from Canada to Greenock, broken in health and spirits, and _d._ there in 1839 of paralysis. G. was a man of immense talent and energy, but would have held a higher place in literature had he concentrated these qualities upon fewer objects. Most of his 60 books are forgotten, but some of his novels, especially perhaps _The Annals of the Parish_, have deservedly a secure place. The town of Galt in Canada is named after him.

GARDINER, SAMUEL RAWSON (1829-1902).--Historian, _b._ at Alresford, Hants, was _ed._ at Winchester and Oxf. In 1855 he _m._ Isabella, _dau._ of Edward Irving (_q.v._), the founder of the Catholic Apostolic Church, which he joined, and in which he ultimately held high office. About the time of his leaving Oxf. he had planned his great work, _The History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Restoration_, and the accomplishment of this task he made the great object of his life for more than 40 years. The first two vols. appeared in 1863 as _The History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Disgrace of Chief Justice Cooke_, and subsequent instalments appeared under the following titles: _Prince Charles and The Spanish Marriage_ (1867), _England under Buckingham and Charles I._ (1875), _Personal Government of Charles I._ (1877), _The Fall of the Government of Charles I._ (1881); these were in 1883-4 re-issued in a consolidated form entitled _History of England from the Accession of James I. to the Outbreak of the Civil War_. The second section of the work, _History of the Great Civil War_, followed in three vols. _pub._ in 1886, 1889, and 1891 respectively, and three more vols., _History of the Commonwealth and Protectorate_ in 1894, 1897, and 1901, brought the story down to 1656, when the health of the indefatigable writer gave way, and he _d._ in 1902. In addition to this monumental work G. wrote many school and college historical text-books, and contributed to the Epochs of Modern History Series, _The Thirty Years' War_ (1874), and _The First Two Stuarts_ (1876); he also wrote _Outlines of English History_, three parts (1881-3), and _Students' History of England_, three parts (1891). From 1871-85 he was Prof. of History at King's Coll., London, and lecturer on history for the London Society for the Extension of Univ. Teaching. He also ed. many of the historical documents which he unearthed in his investigations, and many of those issued by the "Camden," "Clarendon," and other societies. He was ed. of _The English Historical Review_, and contributed largely to the _Dictionary of National Biography_. The sober and unadorned style of G.'s works did little to commend them to the general reader, but their eminent learning, accuracy, impartiality, and the laborious pursuit of truth which they exhibited earned for him, from the first, the respect and admiration of scholars and serious students of history; and as his great work advanced it was recognised as a permanent contribution to historical literature. In 1882 he received a civil list pension, and was elected to Research Fellowships, first by All Souls' Coll., and subsequently by Merton. He held honorary degrees from the Univ. of Oxford, Gottingen, and Edinburgh.