Character Sketches of Romance
Chapter 130 : _Fabric'ius_, an author, whose composition was so obscure that Gil Blas could not

_Fabric'ius_, an author, whose composition was so obscure that Gil Blas could not comprehend the meaning of a single line of his writings. His poetry was verbose fustian, and his prose a maze of far-fetched expressions and perplexed phrases.

FABRIT'IO, a merry soldier, the friend of Captain Jac'omo the woman-hater.--Beaumont and Fletcher, _The Captain_ (1613).

FACE (1 _syl._), _alias_ "Jeremy," house-servant of Lovewit. During the absence of his master, Face leagues with Subtle (the alchemist) and Dol Common to turn a penny by alchemy, fortune-telling, and magic.

Subtle (a beggar who knew something about alchemy) was discovered by Face near Pye Corner. a.s.suming the philosopher's garb and wand, he called himself "doctor;" Face, arrogating the t.i.tle of "captain,"

touted for dupes; while Dol Common kept the house, and aided the other two in their general scheme of deception. On the unexpected return of Lovewit, the whole thing blew up, but Face was forgiven, and continued in his place as house-servant.--Ben Jonson, _The Alchemist_ (1619).

FACTO'TUM (_Johannes_), one employed to do all sorts of work for another; one in whom another confides for all the odds and ends of his household management or business.

He is an absolute Johannes Factotum, at least in his own conceit.--Greene, _Groat's-worth of Wit_ (1692).

FADDLE _(William)_, a "fellow made up of knavery and noise, with scandal for wit and impudence for raillery. He was so needy that the very devil might have bought him for a guinea." Sir Charles Raymond says to him:

"Thy life is a disgrace to humanity. A foolish prodigality makes thee needy; need makes thee vicious; and both make thee contemptible. Thy wit is prost.i.tuted to slander and buffoonery; and thy judgment, if thou hast any, to meanness and villainy. Thy betters, that laugh with thee, laugh at thee; and all the varieties of thy life are but pitiful rewards and painful abuses."--Ed. Moore, _The Foundling_, iv. 2 (1748).

FA'DHA _(Ah)_, Mahomet's silver cuira.s.s.

FAD'LADEEN, the great n.a.z.ir' or chamberlain of Aurungze'be's harem. He criticises the tales told to Lalla Rookh by a young poet on her way to Delhi, and great was his mortification to find that the poet was the young king his master.

Fadladeen was a judge of everything, from the pencilling of a Circa.s.sian's eyelids to the deepest questions of science and literature; from the mixture of a conserve of rose leaves to the composition of an epic poem.--T. Moore, _Lalla Rookh_ (1817).

FADLADIN'IDA, wife of King Chrononhotonthologos. While the king is alive she falls in love with the captive king of the Antip'odes, and at the death of the king, when two suitors arise, she says, "Well, gentlemen, to make matters easy, I'll take you both."--H. Cary, _Chrononhotonthologos_ (a burlesque).

FAeRY QUEEN, a metrical romance, in six books, of twelve cantos each, by Edmund Spenser _(incomplete)._

Book I. THE RED CROSS KNIGHT, _the spirit of Christianity_, or the victory of holiness over sin (1590).

II. THE LEGEND OF SIB GUYON, _the golden mean_ (1590).

III. THE LEGEND or BRITOMARTIS, _chaste love._ Britomartis is Diana or Queen Elizabeth (1590).

IV. CAMBEL AND TRIAMOND, _fidelity_ (1596).

V. THE LEGEND OF SIR AR'TEGAL, _justice_' (1596).

VI. THE LEGEND OF SIR CALIDORE, _courtesy_ (1596).

[Ill.u.s.tration] Sometimes bk. vii., called. _Mutability_, is added; but only fragments of this book exist.

FAFNIS, the dragon with which Sigurd fights.--_Sigurd the h.o.r.n.y_ (a German romance based on a Norse legend).

f.a.g, the lying servant of Captain Absolute. He "wears his master's wit, as he does his lace, at second hand."--Sheridan, _The Rivals_ (1775).

f.a.gGOT _(Nicholas)_, clerk to Matthew Foxley, the magistrate who examined Darsie Latimer _(i. e_. Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet) after he had been attacked by rioters.--Sir W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time, George III.).

f.a.gGOTS AND f.a.gGOTS _(II y a f.a.gots et f.a.gots)_, all things of the same sort are not equal in quality. In Moliere's _Le Medecin Malgre Lui_, Sganarelle wants to show that his f.a.ggots are better than those of other persons, and cries out "Ay! but those f.a.ggots are not equal to mine."

II est vrai, messieurs, que je suis le premier homme du monde pour faire des f.a.gots ...

Je n'y epargne aucune chose, et les fais d'une facon qu'il n'y a rien a dire ... Il y a f.a.gots, et f.a.gots.--Act i. 6 (1666).

f.a.gIN, an old Jew, who employs a gang of thieves, chiefly boys. These boys he teaches to pick pockets and pilfer adroitly. f.a.gin a.s.sumes a most suave and fawning manner, but is malicious, grasping, and full of cruelty.--C. d.i.c.kens, _Oliver Twist_ (1837).

FAINALL, cousin by marriage to Sir Wilful Witwould. He married a young, wealthy, and handsome widow, but the two were cat and dog to each other. The great aim of Fainall was to get into his possession the estates of his wife (settled on herself "in trust to Edward Mirabell"), but in this he failed. In outward semblance, Fainall was plausible enough, but he was a goodly apple rotten at the core, false to his friends, faithless to his wife, overreaching, and deceitful.

_Mrs. Fainall_. Her first husband was Languish, son of Lady Wishford.

Her second husband she both despised and detested.--W. Congreve, _The Way of the World_ (1700).

FAINASO'LIS, daughter of Craca's king (_the Shetland Isles_). When Fingal was quite a young man, she fled to him for protection against Sora, but scarcely had he promised to take up her cause, when Sora landed, drew the bow, and she fell. Fingal said to Sora, "Unerring is thy hand, O Sora, but feeble was the foe." He then attacked the invader, and Sora fell.--Ossian, _Fingal_, iii.

FAINT HEART NEVER WON FAIR LADY, a line in a ballad written to the "Berks.h.i.+re Lady," a Miss Frances Kendrick, daughter of Sir William Kendrick, second baronet. Sir William's father was created baronet by Charles II. The wooer was a Mr. Child, son of a brewer at Abingdon, to whom the lady sent a challenge.

Having read this strange relation, He was in a consternation; But, advising with a friend, He persuades him to attend: "Be of courage and make ready, Faint heart never won fair lady."

_Quarterly Review_, cvi. 205-245.

_Faint Heart never Won Fair Lady_, name of a _pet.i.t comedie_ brought out by Mde. Vestris at the Olympic. Mde. Vestris herself performed the part of the "fair lady."

FAIR PENITENT (_The_) a tragedy by Rowe (1703). Calista was daughter of Lord Sciol'to (3 _syl_.), and bride of Lord Al'tamont. It was discovered on the wedding-day that she had been seduced by Lotha'rio.

This led to a duel between the bridegroom and the libertine, in which Lothario was killed; a street riot ensued, in which Sciolto receives his death-wound; and Calista, "the fair penitent," stabbed herself.

The drama is a mere _rechauffe_ of Ma.s.singer's _Fatal Dowry_.

FAIRBROTHER (_Mr_.), counsel of Effie Deans at the trial.--Sir W.

Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

FAIRFAX (_Thomas, lord_), father of the d.u.c.h.ess of Buckingham.--Sir W.

Scott, _Peveril of the Peak_ (time, Charles II.).

_Fairfax (Rutherford)._ Young man born of a line of brave men, who is conscious that early petting at home and a foreign education have developed physical cowardice. On his way home from England he falls into the hands of desperadoes who force him to fire a pistol at a bound man. The lad is almost fainting, and swoons with pain and horror when the deed is, as he thinks, done. His father believes him a coward, and the sense of this and a loving woman's trust in him, nerve him to deeds of endurance and valor that clear his record triumphantly.--Octave Thanet, _Expiation_ (1890).

FAIRFIELD, the miller, and father of Patty "the maid of the mill." An honest, straightforward man, grateful and modest.--Bickerstaff, _The Maid of the Mill_ (1647).

FAIRFORD (_Mr. Alexander_ or _Saunders_), a lawyer.

_Allan Fairford_, a young barrister, son of Saunders, and a friend of Darsie Latimer. He marries Lilias Redgauntlet, sister of Sir Arthur Darsie Redgauntlet, called "Darsie Latimer."

_Peter Fairford_, Allan's cousin.--Sir W. Scott, _Redgauntlet_ (time, George III.).

FAIRLEIGH (_Frank_), the pseudonym of F.E. Smedley, editor of Sharpe's _London Magazine_ (1848, 1849). It was in this magazine that Smedley's two novels, _Frank Fairleigh_ and _Louis Arundel_ were first published.

FAIRLIMB, sister of Bitelas, and daughter of Rukenaw the ape, in the beast-epic called _Reynard the Fox_ (1498).

FAIR MAID OF PERTH. Heroine of Scott's novel of same name.

FAIR'SCRIEVE (2 _syl_.), clerk of Mr. James Middleburgh, a magistrate of Edinburgh.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

FAIRSERVICE (_Mr._), a magistrate's clerk.--Sir W. Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

_Fairservice (Andrew)_, the humorous Scotch gardener of Sir Hildebrand Osbaldistone, of Osbaldistone Hall.--Sir W. Scott, _Rob Boy_ (time, George I.).