dignity. When he had laid down his office of dictator, his successors, for a while, followed his plan; but the rashness of Varro, and his contempt for the operations of Fabius, occasioned the fatal battle of Cannæ. Tarentum was obliged to surrender to him after the battle of Cannæ ; and on that occasion the Carthaginians observed, that Fabius was the Hannibal of Rome. When he had made an agreement with Hannibal for the ransom of the captives, which was totally disapproved by the Roman senate, he sold all his estates to pay the money, rather than forfeit his word to the enemy. The bold proposals of young Scipio, to carry the war from Italy to Africa, were rejected by Fabius as chimerical and dangerous. He did not, however, live to see the success of the Roman arms under Scipio, and the conquest of Carthage by measures which he treated with contempt, and heard with indignation. He died in the 100th year of his age, after he had been five times consul, and twice honored with a triumph. The Romans were so sensible of his great merit and services, that the expenses of his funeral were defrayed from the public treasury. church of St. Michael, Cornhill. His Chronicle by his enemies at home, to share the dictatorial is a mere compilation, but it contains several curious particulars relative to the city of London, not elsewhere to be found. Stowe calls it 'a painful labor, to the great honor of the city and of the whole realm.' Cardinal Wolsey caused as many copies of it as he could procure to be burned, because the author had made too clear a discovery of the large revenues of the clergy. It is Fabian's general practice at the division of the books to insert metrical prologues and other pieces, in verse. The best of his metres is the complaint of King Edward the Second, who is introduced reciting his misfortunes; but this, in fact, is only a translation of an indifferent Latin poem ascribed to that monarch, and probably written by William of Worcester. In the first edition of Fabian's Chronicle (printed in 1516) he has given, as epilogues to his seven books, The Seven Joys of the Blessed Virgin, in English Rime: and under the year 1325 there is a poem to the Virgin; and another on one Badby, a Lollard, under the year 1409. These are suppressed in the later editions. In his panegyric upon London, he despairs of doing justice to his theme, 'even if he had the eloquence of Tully, the morality of Seneca, and the harmony of that faire ladie, Calliope.' Fabian's History was reprinted in 1811, 4to. FABIUS, the surname of a powerful patrician family at Rome, said to have derived their name from faba, a bean, because some of their ancestors cultivated this pulse. They were once so numerous that they took upon themselves to wage a war against the Veientes. They came to a general engagement near the Cremera, in which all the family, consisting of 306 men, were slain, A. U. C. 277. There only remained one boy, whose tender age had detained him at Rome, and from him descended the noble Fabii of the following ages. Ovid celebrates the above transaction in those lines beginning, Una domus vires et onus susceperat urbis, In FABIUS MAXIMUS (Quintus), a celebrated Roman, who from a dull and inactive childhood was raised to the highest offices of the state. his first consulship he obtained a victory over Liguria, and the fatal battle of Thrasymenes occasioned his election to the dictatorship. In this important office he began to oppose Hannibal, not by fighting him in the open field, like his predecessors, but by continually harassing his army by countermarches and ambuscades, from which he received the surname of Cunctator, or the Delayer. Hannibal sent him word, that If he was as great a captain as he would be thought, he ought to come into the plain and give him battle.' But Fabius coldly replied, "That if he (Hannibal) was as great a captain as he would be thought, he would do well to force him to battle.' Such operations in the commander of the Roman armies gave offence to several; and Fabius was even accused of cowardice. He, however, continued firm in his resolution; and patiently bore to see his master of horse raised, FABIUS MAXIMUS (Quintus), son of the preceding, showed himself worthy of his father's virtues. During his consulship he received a visit from his father on horseback in the camp. The son ordered the father to dismount; and the old man cheerfully obeyed, embracing his son, and saying, 'I wished to convince myself whether you knew what it is to be consul.' He died before his father, who, with the moderation of a philosopher, delivered a funeral oration over his son's body. FABIUS MAXIMUS RULLIANUS was the first of the Fabii who obtained the surname of Maximus, for lessening the power of the populace at elections. He was master of horse, and his victory over the Samnites in that capacity nearly cost him his life, as he engaged the enemy without the command of the dictator. He was five times consul, twice dictator, and once censor. triumphed over seven different nations. FA'BLE, n. s., v. a. & v. n. FABLED, part. adj. FA'BLER, n. s. FABULOʻSITY, He Fr. fable; Ital. favola; Span. and Lat. fabula, from for, furi, to speak; ( Gr. φαω. The Hebrew an signifies vanity, and is considered, by Minsheu, as the root of the Latin. A fictitious story: fiction, generally, see below: a lie. The verb neuter (derived from the noun) signifies to feign; write, or tell falsehoods: as an active verb, to tell a thing falsely: fabled is feigned; and a fabulist is one celebrated in fables: a fabler, he who composes the specific fictions called fables, or who deals in fiction or falsehood generally. Fabulosity means abundance of fiction; fabulous invention, or faculty; in which latter sense it is synonymous with fabulousness: fabulous is ful of fables; feigned; invented. But refuse profane and old wives' fables. 1 Tim. iv, 7. There are many things fabulously delivered, and are not to be accepted as truths. Browne's Vulgar Errours. Triptolemus, so sung the nine, Strewed plenty from his cart divine; But, spite of all those fable-makers, He never sowed on Almaign acres. Dryden. The moral is the first business of the poet: this being formed, he contrives such a design or fable as may be most suitable to the moral. Id. Dufresnoy. It would look like a fable to report that this gentleman gives away a great fortune by secret methods. Addison. Id. A person terrified with the imagination of spectres, is more reasonable than one who thinks the appearance of spirits fabulous and groundless. Jotham's fable of the trees is the oldest extant, and as beautiful as any made since. Id. Spectator. The first thing to be considered in an epick poem is the fable, which is perfect or imperfect, according as the action, which it relates, is more or less so. That Saturn's sons received the three-fold reign Of heaven, of ocean, and deep hell beneath, Old poets mention, fabling. Quitting Æsop and the fabulists, he copies Boccace. Id. Prior. Contains no fabled hero's ashes, Who there could gaze denying thee! Byron. FABLE is generally esteemed the most ancient species of wit; and has continued to be highly valued, not only in times of the greatest simplicity, but in the most polite ages of the world. Nathan's fable of the poor man (2 Sam. xii. 6) is next in antiquity to Jotham's, and which, as Addison (see the foregoing extracts) observes, is the oldest extant: perhaps that of Nathan is superior to it in close painting and affecting representation. We find sop delivering fables in the most distant ages of Greece; and, in the early days of the Roman commonwealth, we read of a mutiny appeased by the timely delivery of the fable of the belly and the members. The earliest collection of fables extant is of eastern origin, and preserved in the Sanscrit language. It is called Hitopadesa, and the author Veshnoo Sarma; but they are known in Europe by The Tales and Fables of Bidpay, or Pilpay, an ancient Indian philosopher. Of this collection Sir William Jones takes the following notice ::- The Fables of Veshnoo Sarma, whom we ridiculously call Pilpay, are the most beautiful, if not the most ancient, collection of apofrom the Sanscreet, in the sixth century, by logues in the world. They were first translated Buzerchumihr, or bright as the sun, the chief physician, and afterwards the vizier of the great Anushirwan; and are extant under various names, in more than twenty languages. But their original title is Hitopadesa, or amicable instruction: and as the very existence of Esop, whom the Arabs believe to have been an Abyssinian, appears rather doubtful, I am not disinclined to suppose that the first moral fables which appeared in Europe were of Indian or Ethiopian origin.' Mr. Frazer, at the end of his History of Nadir Shah, gives us the following account of this curious work: The ancient Brahmins of India, after a good deal of time and labor, compiled a treatise (which they called Kurtuk Dumnik), in which were inserted the choicest treasures of wisdom, and the most perfect rules for governing a people. This book they presented to their rajahs, who kept it with the greatest secrecy and care. About the time of Mahomet's birth, or the latter end of the sixth century, Noishervan the Just, who then reigned in Persia, discovered a great inclination to see that book; for which purpose Burzuvia, a physician, who had a surprising talent in learning several languages, particularly Sanskerritt, was introduced to him as the most proper person to be employed to get a copy of it. He went to India, where, after some years' stay, and great trouble, he procured it. It was translated into the Pehluvi (the ancient Persian language) by him and Buzrjumehr, the vizier. Noishervan, ever after, and all his successors, the Persian kings, had this book in high esteem, and took the greatest care At last Abu Jaffer Munsour zu to keep it secret. Nikky, who was the second caliph of the Abassi reign, by great search, got a copy of it in the Pehluvi language, and ordered Ïmâm Hassán Abdal Mokaffa, who was the most learned of the age, to translate it into Arabic. This prince ever after made it his guide, not only in affairs relating to the government, but also in private life. In the year 380 of the Hegira, sultan Mahmud Ghazi put it into verse: and afterwards, in the year 515, by order of Bheram Shah ben Massaud, that which Abdal Mokaffa had translated, was re-translated into Persic by Abdul Mala Nasser Allah Mustofi; and this is that Kulila Dumna, which is now extant. As this latter had too many Arabic verses and obsolete phrases in it, Molana Ali ben Hassein Vaes, at the request of Emîr Sohèli, keeper of the seals to sultan Hossein Mirza, put it into a more modern style, and gave it the title of Anuar Sohèli. In the year 1002 the great moghul, Jalal ô Dîn Mohommed Akbar, ordered his own secretary and vizier, the learned Abul Fazl, to illustrate the obscure passages, abridge the long digressions, and put it into such a style as would be most familiar to all capacities; which he accordingly did, and gave it the name of Ayar Danish, or the Criterion of Wisdom.' Thus far Mr. Frazer, under the word Ayar Danish. In the year 1709,' says Dr. Wilkins, the Kulila Dumna, the Persian version of Abul Mala Nasser Allah Mustofi, made in the 515th year of the Hegira, was translated into French, with the title of Les Conseils et les Maximes de Pilpay, Philosophe Indien, sur les divers Etats de la Vie. This edition resembles the Hitopadesa more than any other then seen; and is evidently the immediate original of the English Instructive and entertaining Fables of Pilpay, an ancient Indian Philosopher,' which, in 1775, had gone through five editions. The Anuar Sohèli, above mentioned, about the year 1540, was rendered into the Turkish language; and the translator is said to have bestowed twenty years' labor upon it. In the year 1724 this edition M. Galland began to translate into French, and the first four chapters were then published; but, in the year 1778, M. Cardonne completed the work, in three volumes, giving it the name of Contes et Fables Indiennes de Bidpai et de Lokman; traduites d'Ali Tcheleby ben Saleh, auteur Turc: Indian Tales and Fables of Bidpay and Lockman, translated from Aly Tcheleby ben Saleh, a Turkish author.' The Fables of Lockman were published in Arabic and Latin, with notes, by Erpenius, 4to., Amstel. 1636; and by the celebrated Golius, at the end of his edition of Erpen's Arabic Grammar, Lugd. Bat. 1656, with additional Notes; and also in the edition of the same Grammar, by Albert Schultens, Lugd. Bat. 1748, 4to. They are only thirty-seven in number. Of the Hitopadesa, or Fables of Vishnoo Sarma, we have two very elegant English translations from the original Sanscrit: one by Sir William Jones, printed in his works, 4to. vol. VI, Lond. 1799; the other by the father of Sanscrit literature in Europe, Dr. Charles Wilkins, of the India House, 8vo., Bath, 1787, with a collection of very important notes. Fable, as a mode of conveying moral instruction, is allied both to all other kinds of similitude and to parable: but, in the strict use of it, at least, it differs widely from both. Every subject of the inanimate creation may be employed in similitude and parable; but the grand objects in fable are borrowed from the animate and rational creation only and the best fables consist of human actions, spirit, and intelligence, attributed to brute and irrational creatures. FABRETTI (Raphael), LL. D. a learned Italian author and antiquary, born at Urbino, in 1619. He studied at Cagli, and took his degree at Urbino in his eighteenth year. Cardinal Imperiali sent him into Spain, where he continued thirteen years, and was for some time auditor general of the Nunciature. On his return to Rome he was appointed judge of appeals, and afterwards inspector of reliques. Pope Alexander VIII. appointed him Secretary of memorials, and Innocent XII made him keeper of the archives of St. Angelo. In the midst of this business, however, he found time to cultivate his favorite study of antiquities, upon which he wrote several tracts in Latin, particularly, 1. De Aquis et Aquæductibus Veteris Roma; 2. De Columna Trajana; 3. Inscriptionum Antiquarum Explicatio, &c. He was admitted a member of the academy of Assorditi at Urbino, and of the Arcadi at Rome; and died 7th January, 1700. FABRIANO (Gentile Da), a celebrated historical painter, was born at Verona, in 1332, and became a disciple of Giovanni Da Fiesole. He was employed to adorn a great number of churches and palaces at Florence, Urbino, Siena, Perusia, and Rome, but particularly the Vatican; and one picture of his, representing the Virgin and Child, attended by Joseph, which is preserved in the church of St. Maria Maggiore, was highly commended by Michael Angelo. By order of the doge and senate of Venice he painted a picture in the great council-chamber, which was considered as so extraordinary a performance that his employers granted him a pension for life, and conferred upon him the privilege of wearing the habit of a noble of Venice, the highest honor the state could bestow. He died in 1412. . FABRIANO, a town of the Papal states, at the foot of the Appennines in the Marca d'Ancona. The inhabitants trade chiefly in wool and its manufactures; also in paper. Population 4000. Thirty-three miles south-west of Ancona. FABRIC, n. s. & v. a. French, fabrique; FABRICATE, v. a. Belg. fabryke; Ital. FABRICATION, n. s. Span. and Lat. fabrica, from faber (i. e. faciber à facio, to do), workman. A building or edifice: hence any system or combination of things: the verb, formed after the noun, signifies to build, construct, or frame, as does the more common verb to fabricate: the latter is also used, figuratively, for to invent, construct, or frame a fictitious, as distinguished from a true account of any thing. Like the baseless fabric of this vision, The cloud-capped towers, the gorgeous palaces, The solemn temples, the great globe itself, Yea, all which it inherits shall dissolve; And, like this insubstantial pageant faded, Leave not a wreck behind. Shakspeare. a FABRICIA, in botany, a genus of plants of the class icosandria, and order mnonogynia: CAL. five-cleft, half superior; petals five, without claws; stigma capitate; CAPS. many-celled: SEEDS Winged. Species two; natives of New Holland. FABRICIUS (Caius), a celebrated Roman, who in his first consulship, A. U. C. 470, obtained several victories over the Samnites and Lucanians, and was honored with a triumph. The riches acquired in those battles were immense, the soldiers were liberally rewarded, and the treasury was enriched with 400 talents. Two years after Fabricius went as ambassador to Pyrrhus, and refused with contempt presents and offers, which might have corrupted the fidelity of a less virtuous citizen. Pyrrhus admired the magnanimity of Fabricius, but his astonishment was excited to the highest pitch, when the latter discovered to him the villany of his own physician, who had offered to the Roman general to poison his royal master. To this greatness of soul was added the most consummate knowledge of military affairs, and the greatest simplicity of manners. Fabricius never used plate at his table. A small salt cellar, the feet of which were of horn, was the only silver vessel which appeared in his house. This contempt of luxury he wished also to encourage among the people; and during his censorship he banished from the senate Cornelius Russinus, who had been twice consul and dictator, because he kept in his house more than ten pounds weight of silver plate. Such were the manners of the conqueror of Pyrrhus, who observed that he wished rather to command those that had money than possess it himself. He lived and died in virtuous poverty: his body was buried at the public charge; and the Roman people gave a dowry to his two daughters when they had arrived to years of maturity. FABRICIUS (George), a learned German, born at Chemnitz in Misnia, in 1516. After a liberal education, he visited Italy in the character of tutor to a young nobleman; and, examining all the remains of antiquity with great accuracy, compared them with their descriptions in Latin writers. The result of these observations was his work entitled Roma, containing a description of that city. He afterwards settled at Misenum, where he conducted a great school till his death in 1571. He also wrote seven books of the Annals of Misnia, three of the Annals of Meissen, Travels, and many sacred poems in Latin. FABRICIUS (Jerome), a celebrated physician in the end of the sixteenth century (surnamed Aquapendente, from the place of his birth), was the disciple and successor of Fallopius. He chiefly applied himself to surgery and anatomy, which he professed with great reputation at Padua for forty years. The republic of Venice settled a considerable pension upon him, and honored him with a gold chain and a statue. He died in 1603; leaving behind him several works which are much esteemed. FABRICIUS (John Albert), one of the most learned and laborious theologians of his age, was born at Leipsic in 1668. He lost his parents when very young, but was carefully brought up by his guardian, who sent him to Quedlinburgh school. In 1692 he was admitted a preacher, and was chosen professor of eloquence at Hamburgh in 1697. He died at Hamburgh in 1736, after a life spent in collecting and publishing valuable remains of the ancients. His principal works are: Bibliotheca Latina, 2 vols. 4to.; Vita Procli Philosophi, 4to.; Codex Apocryphus Novi Testamenti collectus, 8vo.; Bibliotheca Græca, 14 vols. 4to. A new edition of this stupendous magazine of learning has been published by Harles. Centuria Fabriciorum Scriptis clarorum, 8vo.; Memoriæ Hambergenses, 7 vols. 8vo.; Codex Pseudepigraphus Vet. Test. 8vo. ; Bibliographia Antiquaria, 4to.; Bibliotheca Ecclesiastica, fol.; Delectus argumentorum et syllabus Scriptorum, 4to.; Conspectus Thesauri Literariæ Italiæ, 8vo.; Salutaris Lux Evangelii, 4to.; Bibliotheca mediæ et infimæ Latinitatis, 5 vols. 8vo. FABRICIUS (William), surnamed Hildanus, a famous surgeon, was born near Cologne in 1560. He became public physician at Berne, where he died in 1634. His Six Centuries of Observations and Cures were published in 1606, 4to.; besides which he wrote on Gangrene and Sphacelus; on Burns; Gun Shot Wounds; on Lithotomy, &c. The whole of his works were printed in folio, at Frankfort, in 1682. FABRICIUS (John Christian), a modern entomologist of the greatest celebrity, was born in the duchy of Sleswick in 1742. After completing his studies, he went, at the age of twenty, to Upsal to attend the lectures of Linné. Having here conceived the idea of forming an arrangement of insects according to the structure of the mouth, Linné highly approved his plan, but declined introducing it into his Systema Naturæ. See our article ENTOMOLOGY. Fabricius now adopted the profession of medicine, and took his doctor's degree. Being afterwards appointed professor of natural history at Kiel, he devoted himself entirely to his favorite science; and published, in 1775, his new System of Entomology. Two years after he pointed out the classic and generic characters of insects, in a second treatise; and in 1778 published his Philosophia Entomologica, on the model of the Philosophia Botanica of Linnæus. From that period to his death Fabricius industriously employed himself in extending his system. His knowledge of all the branches of natural history was extensive, and he wrote many useful works in the German and Danish languages. He died in 1807. FABRIC LANDS, in ecclesiastical affairs, those formerly given towards rebuilding or repairing cathedrals and other churches; for anciently almost every body gave more or less, by his will, to the fabric of the parish church where he dwelt. FABROT (Charles Hannibal), one of the most celebrated civilians of his time, was born at Aix in 1681; and acquired an extraordinary skill in the civil and canon law, and in the belles lettres. He published the Basilicæ, or Constitutions of the Emperors of the East, in Greek and Latin, with learned notes, in 7 vols. folio; and editions of Cedrenus, Nicetas, Anastasius, Bibliothecarius, Constantine Manasses, and Cujas, with learned and curious notes. FACADE. See FACING. Id. Give me a look, give me a face, We trepanned the state, and faced it down Milton. Hudibras. You'll find the thing will not be done Id. The mere face-painter has little in common with the poet; but, like the mere historian, copies what he sees, and minutely traces every feature, and odd mark. Shaftesbury. At the first shock, with blood and powder stained, FACCIOLATO, James, an Italian philologist, was born at Torreglia, near Padua, in 1682. The talent discovered by him when a boy, caused the cardinal Barbarigo to place him in the seminary at Padua. Here he became, in a few years, doctor in theology, professor of this science as well as of philosophy, and, finally, prefect of the seminary and director-general of studies. He devoted the greatest attention to reviving the study of ancient literature; and, for the promotion of this object, he undertook a new edition of a dictionary in seven languages, which was called the Calepin, from the name of its author, the monk Ambrosius Calepinus. His pupil, Forcellini, assisted him in the undertaking, and the work was completed in two vols. fol., between the years 1715 and 19. He now, in company with his industrious disciple, conceived the idea of a Latin lexicon, in which every word, with all its significations, should be contained, and illustrated by examples from the classical writers, after the manner of the dictionary of the Crusca. This immense undertaking occupied them both for nearly forty years, and forms the standard lexiDryden. con of the Latin language. Facciolato directed the work, which was almost entirely executed by Id. Virgil. Forcellini. With the same assistant, and some Face about, man; a soldier, and afraid of the others, he superintended a new edition of the ld. enemy? lexicon of Schrevelius, and the Lexicon CiceroniaHail and farewell they shouted thrice amain, num of Nizoli. He left also many Latin dis- Thrice facing to the left, and thence they turned again. courses, which are characterized by their Ciceronian elegance of style, but differ from their model by a precise brevity. He also completed the History of the University of Padua, which had been brought down to 1740 by Pappadopoli. He died 1669. FACE, n. s., v. n. & v. a. FACE-PAINTING, FACET, Fr. face; Span. haz; Port. faz; Ital. faccia; Lat. facies, from facio, to make, the face being the part that makes the distinction or identitye.' Minsheu. The visage or countenance; hence general appearance, presence, sight; also the surface or outward part of a thing, distortion or peculiarity; and confidence or boldness of face or character. As a verb neuter, to face, is to come with the face toward an object; to carry a false countenance or appearance: as an active verb, to meet in front, oppose or stand opposite to; cover with the outward layer or superficies; invest with any covering; oppose with boldness and impudence, or with success (as to face down, and face out): a face-cloth is linen cloth placed on the face of the dead: facepainting, portrait-painting. Facet (Fr. facette) is a diminutive of face, a small surface; applied particularly to the small superficies of precious stones. Face to face is an adverbial expression for mutual presence. Wallace. Jove cannot fear; then tell me to my face, I'll face Dryden's Iliad. This tempest, and deserve the name of king. Kicked out, we set the best face on't we could. Id. You, says the judge to the wolf, have the face to challenge that which you never lost; and you, says he to the fox, have the confidence to deny that which L'Estrange. you have stolen. Let any one, even below the skill of an astrologer, behold the turn of faces he meets as soon as he passes Cheapside Conduit, and you see a deep attention and a certain unthinking sharpness in every countenance. Tatler. |