What an immeasurable space is the firmament, wherein a great number of stars are seen with our naked eye, and many more discovered with our glasses! Derham's Astro-Theology. Ye once were justly famed for bringing forth Undoubted scholarship and genuine worth; And in the firmament of fame still shines A glory, bright as that of all the signs, Of poets raised by you, and statesmen, and divines. Cowper. FIRMAMENT, in the ancient astronomy, the eighth heaven or sphere; being that wherein the fixed stars were supposed to be placed. It is called the eighth, with respect to the seven heavens or spheres of the planets which it surrounds. It was supposed to have two motions; a diurnal motion, given it by the primum mobile, from east to west, about the poles of the ecliptic; and another opposite motion from west to east ; which last it finishes, according to Tycho, in 25,412 years; according to Ptolemy, in 36,000; and according to Copernicus, in 258,000; in which time the fixed stars return to the same precise points wherein they were at the beginning. This period is commonly called Plato's year, or the great year. In various places of Scripture firmament is used for the middle region of the air. Many of the ancients allowed, with the moderns, that the firmament is a fluid matter; though they, who gave it the denomination of firmament, must have taken it for a solid sub stance. FIR'MAN, n. s. Pers. phurwana; Arab. firmaun. A mandate, license, or order of Turkish and Asiatic princes. Also written phirman. See our Life of ALI PACHA, vol. i. p. 621. The king's phirman was thus interrupted. Sir T. Herbert. FIRMICUS MATERNUS (Julius), a famous writer, who composed in Latin, about A. D. 345, an excellent work in defence of Christianity, entitled De Errore Profanarum Religionum, which is printed with the notes of John Wouver. There are also attributed to him eight books of astronomy, printed by Aldus Manutius in 1501; but this work is by some supposed to have been written by another Julius Firmicus, who lived at the same time. FIROZEABAD, or FIRUSABAD, a town of Persia, in the Province of Fars, the ruins of which extend seventeen miles: among them are the remains of a fine temple, and of a ditch seven miles in circuit, and in some places sixtyeight paces broad. The modern Firozeabad is an inconsiderable place. Seventy miles from Bushire. FIROZEH, a town of Hindostan, province of Delhi. Long. 75° 13′ E., lat. 29° 17′ N. As three of the Afghan emperors of Hindostan bore the title of Firoz (the victorious), a number of towns were called after them, of which many are now in ruins. FIROZKOH, an ancient city of the province of Ghore, in Afghaunistaun, frequently mentioned in oriental history. It was situated to the north of Ghore, and was the summer residence of the sovereigns; in its vicinity was a celebrated turquoise mine. FIRST, adj. & adv. FIRST BEGOT, adj. FIRST BEGOTTEN, FIRST BORN, n. s. FIRST CREATED, adj. FIRST FRUITS, n. s. FIRST'LING. Saxon First, forst (superlative of Fone) Swed. forst; Goth. first Foremost: the ordina of one; earliest in time' most exalted in place or dignity; excellent; great as an adverb, before any thing else; often taking at before it; earliest: firstling, as an adjective, means first brought forth or born: as a substantive, the first produce. In the six hundredth and first year, in the first month, the first day of the month, the waters were dried up from off the earth. Genesis. All the firstling males that come of thy herd, and of thy flock, thou shalt sanctify, unto the Lord thy God. Deuteronomy. Three presidents, of whom Daniel was first. My first son, Daniel. Where will you go? Take good Cominius Thy air, The flighty purpose works o'erlook, Unless the deed go with it: from this moment, The very firstlings of my heart shall be The firstlings of my hand. Id. First, metals are more durable than plants; secondly, they are more solid and hard; thirdly, they are wholly subterraneous; whereas plants are part above earth, and part under the earth. Bacon. Although the king loved to employ and advance bishops because, having rich bishopricks, they carried their reward upon themselves; yet he did use to raise them by steps, that he might not lose the profit of the first-fruits, which by that course of gradation was multiplied. Id. Henry VII. Man's first obedience. Who first, who last Roused from the slumber. Milton. Id. His first-begot, we know; and sore have felt, When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep. Id. Hail, holy light, offspring of heav'n first-born! Id. Last, with one midnight stroke, all the first-born Of Egypt must lie dead. Id. Paradise Lost. See, Father, what first-fruits on earth have sprung, From thy implanted grace in man! Milton. A shepherd next, More meek, came with the firstlings of his flock, Choicest and best. Id. Paradise Lost. First was the world as one great cymbal made, There jarring winds to infant nature played. Marcell. 'Tis little Will, the scourge of France, No godhead, but the first of men. Prior. Id. I find, quoth Mat, reproof is vain! Who first offend, will first complain. The blooming hopes of my then very young patron have been confirmed by most noble first-fruits, and his life is going on towards a plentiful harvest of all accumulated virtues. Id. Excepting fish and insects, there are very few or no creatures that can provide for themselves at first, without the assistance of parents. Bentley. The firstlings of the flock are doomed to die. Pope. Jove sent and found, far in a country scene, Truth, innocence, good-nature, look serene ; From which ingredients, first, the dextrous boy Picked the demure, the aukward, and the coy. Swift. FIRST-BORN. See PRIMOGENiture. This word is often used in Scripture in a figurative sense for that which is first, most excellent, most distinguished in any thing. The first-born of the poor' (Isa. xiv. 30.) signifies, the most miserable of all the poor; and in Job (xviii. 13) The first-born of death;' that is, the most terrible of all deaths. FIRST-FRUITS, primitiæ, among the Hebrews, were oblations of part of the fruits of the harvest, offered to God as an acknowledgment of his sovereign dominion. The first of these fruits were offered in the name of the whole nation, being either two loaves of bread, or a sheaf of barley, which was threshed in the court of the temple. Every private person was obliged to bring his first-fruits to the temple; and these consisted of wheat, barley, grapes, figs, apricots, olives, and dates. There was another sort of first-fruits which were paid to God. When bread was kneaded in a family, a portion of it was set apart, and given to the priest or Levite who dwelt in the place: if there was no priest or Levite there, it was cast into the oven, and consumed by the fire. These offerings made a considerable part of the revenues of the Hebrew priesthood. FIRST-FRUITS are frequently mentioned by ancient Christian writers as one part of the church revenue. One of the councils of Carthage enjoined, that they should consist only of grapes and corn. FIRST-FRUITS, in the church of England, are the profits of every spiritual benefice for the first year, according to the valuation thereof in the king's books. FIRST SIGHT ISLAND, one of the Solomon islands, in the South Pacific, first discovered in 1769, by M. Surville. There is a small creek on the north coast, and islets and coral banks round the island. It is uninhabited and covered with fruit trees. Parrots and many other birds were seen. Long. 149° 10′ E., lat. 7° 15' S. FISC, fiscus, from pokoç, Gr. a great basket, in the civil law, the treasury of a prince or state; or that to which all things due to the public fall. By the civil law, none but a sovereign prince has a right to have a fisc or public treasury. At Rome the goods of condemned persons, if appropriated to the use of the public, were said publicari; if to the support of the emperor, confiscari. See ÆRARIUM. FI'SCAL, n. s. & adj. Fr. fiscal, from Latin fiscus, a treasury. Exchequer; revenue; a revenue officer; relating to the public revenue. It behoveth the prince to have a vigilant eye on such fiscal ministers. Raleigh. War, as it is entertained by diet, so can it not be long maintained by the ordinary fiscal and receipt. Bacon. Don Pedro Rodriquez Compomares, fiscal of the council of Castille. Swinburne. FISCHER (John Andrew), M. D. of Erfurt, was born in 1667. He graduated at his native university, where he became professor extraordinary in physic, and also of logic, which he relinquished for the professorship of pathology, and the practice of his profession. He died in 1729, and wrote-1. Consilia Medica, 3 vols. 2. Ilias in nuce, seu Medicina Synoptica. 3. Responsa Practica. FISCHER (John Bernard), a German architect of the last century, was born at Vienna, about 1650, and went to Rome to improve his taste. He erected the famous palace of Schoenbrunn, and the emperor, Joseph I. appointed Fischer his chief architect; creating him baron d'Erlach. His works are thought to display too great a predilection for ornament. The church of St. Charles Borromeo, in the suburbs of Vienna, is his masterpiece. He died in 1724, leaving a work on Historical Architecture, or a collection of ancient buildings, with explanations in French and German, Vienna, 1721, folio. FISCHER (Emanuel baron de), son of the above, applied himself to the study of mechanics, and assisted in several of the works conducted by his father. He constructed steam-engines for the mines of the Hartz, and other hydraulic machines; and corresponded with Desaguliers and S'Gravesande. He died in 1758. FISCHER (John Christian), an eminent musician and performer on the hautbois, was born at Fribourg. After visiting several courts, he settled in England, were he was much admired for his skill in playing and composition. He died in 1800. FISCHER (John Frederic), a celebrated German scholar and editor, was born at Coburg in 1726, and studied in the gymnasium there; proceeding afterwards to the university of Leipsic His first publication was a Dissertation on the Altar of Peace. In 1751 he was chosen co-rector of the school of St. Thomas, Leipsic, of which he subsequently became rector. He died October 11th, 1799. His labors as an author and an editor were very considerable, including Remarks on the Greek Grammar of Weller; editions of the Dictionary of the New Testament by Pasor, the Lexicons of Moeris and Timæus, the works of Anacreon, Theophrastus, the Dialogues of Plato, and several other Greek and Latin authors. FISCI ADVOCATI, and FISCI PROCURATORES, officers appointed for the management of the fisc. Among the cases enumerated in the constitutions of the empire, where it was their business to plead, one is against those who have been condemned to pay a fine to the fisc on account of their litigiousness or frivolous appeals. FISH, n. s., v. n. & v. a.) FISH'ER-MAN, FISH'ER-TOWN, FISH'ERY, FISH'FUL, adj. FISH'-HOOK, N. s. FISH'IFY, v. a. FISH'LING, n. s. FISH'-KETTLE, FISH'LIKF, adj. FISH'-MFAL, 7. s. FISH'-MONGER, FISH'-POND, FISH'-SPEAK, Sax. Firc; Teut. fisch; Belg. visch; Goth. and Danish, fisk; French pêche; Ital. pesche; Latin, piscis, from Greek, π, π, to drink. Ainsworth. An animal that inhabits water; the flesh of fish. As a verb neuter, to be employed in catching fish; to lure. As an active verb, to search water for fish; to search in any way. A fisher-town, is a town inhabited chiefly by FISH'-WIFE, FISH'-WOMAN, FISH'Y, adj. fishermen and their families. To fishify is to convert into fish, or the likeness or taste of fish. A fish-meal is a diet of fish, or abstemious diet. A fish-wife and fish-woman, a woman that sells fish. Fishy, consisting or having the qualities of, or inhabited by, fish. The other compounds the extracts explain. Therfore who of you axith his fadir breed, wher he schal geue him a stoon? or if he axith fyssche, whether he schal gyue him a serpent for the fyssche? Wiclif. Luk. xi. Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons ? or his head with fish-spears? Lay thine hand upon him, remember the battle, do no more. Job xli. 7, 8. Lo in this ponde be fyshe and frogges both. Cast in your nette: but be you liefe or lothe, Hold you content as fortune lyst assyne : For it is your owne fyshyng and not myne. Sir T. More. Somer is come, for every spray now springes, The hart hath hunge his olde head on the pale, The bucke in brake his winter coate he flynges; The fishes flete with newe repayred scale. Surry. We know that town is but with fishers fraught, Where Theseus governed and where Plato taught. Sandys. Id. There also would be planted a good town, having And would have reft the fishers of their prey, How fearful Shakspeare. Upon these downs, these meads, these rocks, these mountains, And peace still slumber by these purling fountains' Which we may every year Find when we come a fishing here. Raleigh. It is walled and guarded with the ocean, most com. modious for traffick to all parts of the world, and watered with pleasant fishful, and navigable rivers. Camden's Remains. Others of them, in that time, burned that fishertown Mousehole. Carew's Survey of Cornwall. Thus mean in state, and calm in sprite, My fishful pond is my delight. Carew. I fear to play the fishmonger: and yet so large a commodity may not pass in silence, Id. The surgeon left the fishmonger to determine the controversy between him and the pike. L'Estrange. There are fishes, that have wings, that are not strangers to the airy region; and there are some birds that are inhabitants of the water, whose blood is as cold as fishes; and their flesh is so like in taste, that the scrupulous are allowed them on fish-days. Locke. Fish-ponds are no small improvement of watery boggy lands. Mortimer's Husbandry. A sharp point, bended upward and backward, like a fish-hook. Grew's Museum. It is probable that the way of embalming amongst the Egyptians was by boiling the body in a long cauldron like a fish-kettle, in some kind of liquid balId. sam. Fish-ponds were made where former forests grew, And hills were levelled to extend the view. Prior. After the great value the Romans put upon fishes, it will not appear incredible that C. Hirrius should sell his fish-ponds for quadragies H. S. £32,291 13. 4d. Arbuthnot. Thin drink doth overcool their blood, and making many fish-meals, they fall into a kind of male greensickness. Sharp. FISH, in a ship, a plank or piece of timber, fastened to a ship's mast or yard, to strengthen it; which is done by nailing it on with iron spikes, and winding ropes hard about them. FISHES, in heraldry, are the emblems of silence and watchfulness; and are borne either upright, imbowed, extended, endorsed respecting each other, surmounting one another, fretted, &c. In blazoning fishes, those borne feeding, should be termed devouring; all fishes borne upright and having fins, should be blazoned hauriant; and those borne transverse the escutcheon, must be termed naiant. FISHES, in natural history, form the fourth class of animals in the Linnæan system. Their most general or popular division is into fresh and salt water ones. A few species only swim up into the rivers to deposit their spawn; but by far the greatest number keep in the sea, and would soon expire in fresh water. There are about 400 species of fishes (according to Linnæus), of which we know something; but the unknown ones are supposed to be many more; and, as they are thought to lie in great depths of the sea remote from land, it is probable that many species will remain for ever unknown. For the subdivisions, characters, and natural history of this class of animals, see ICHTHYOLOGY. Linnæus's method of preserving fish for cabinets is to expose them to the air; and, when they acquire such a degree of putrefaction that the skin loses its cohesion to the body of the fish, it may be slid off almost like a glove; the two sides of this skin may then be dried upon paper like a plant, or one of the sides may be filled with plaster of Paris to give the subject a due plumpness. A fish may be prepared, after it has acquired this degree of putrefaction, by making a longitudinal incision on the belly, and carefully dissecting the fleshy part from the skin, which is but slightly attached to it in consequence of the putrescency. The skin is then to be filled with cotton and the antiseptic powder as directed for birds; and to be sewed up where the incision was made. In the posthumous papers of Mr. Hooke, a method is described of gilding live craw-fish, carps, &c., without injuring the fish. The cement for this purpose is prepared, by putting some Burgundy pitch into a new earthen pot, and warming the vessel till it receives so much of the pitch as will stick round it; then strowing some finely powdered amber over the pitch when growing cold, adding a mixture of three pounds of linseed oil and one of oil of turpentine, covering the vessel, and boiling them for an hour over a gentle fire, and grinding the mixture, as it is wanted, with so much pumice stone in fine powder as will reduce it to the consistence of paint. The fish being wiped dry, the mixture is spread upon it; and the gold leaf being then laid on and gently pressed down, the fish may be immediately put into water again, without any danger of the gold coming off, for the matter quickly grows hard in water. FISH, GOLD. See CYPRINUS. FISH (Simon), a lawyer, born in Kent, and who studied at Oxford, removed in 1525 to Gray's Inn, London. Having here acted a part in a play intended to ridicule cardinal Wolsey, he incurred that minister's resentment, and fled to Germany, where he wrote The Supplication of the Beggars, a Satire upon the Romish Clergy, which was answered by Sir Thomas More's Supplication of Souls. Henry VIII., however, was so pleased with the wit of Fish, that he granted him his protection. He died in 1531. FISH RIVER (Great), a river of Southern Africa, which rises in the Sneuwberg Mountains, and falls into the Indian Sea. Long. 27° 20′ E., lat. 33° 30′ S. FISH RIVER, a river of West Florida, which runs into Mobile Bay. Long. 87° 50′ W., lat. 30° 30′ N. FISHACRE, or FIZACRE (Richard), a learned Dominican of the thirteenth century, was a native of Devonshire, and educated at Oxford. He was the intimate friend of Robert Bacon, and celebrated for his knowledge in philosophy and divinity. He died in 1248. His works were very numerous. FISHBORN CREEK, a river on the north side of the isle of Wight, which runs into the sea. Long. 1° 4' W., lat. 50° 44′ N. FISHER (John), D.D. was born at Beverly in Yorkshire, in 1459, and educated in that place. In 1484 he removed to Michael-house, Cambridge, of which college he was elected master in 1495. Having studied divinity, he took orders; and, becoming eminent as a divine, attracted the notice of Margaret, countess of Richmond, mother of Henry VII., who made him her chaplain and confessor. In 1501 he took the degree of D.D. and was elected chancellor of the university. In 1504 he was consecrated bishop of Rochester; which small bishopric he would never resign, though he was offered both Ely and Lincoln. The founding of the two colleges of Christ Church, and St. John's, in Cambridge, was entirely owing to his influence with the countess of Richmond. On the promulgation of Luther's doctrine, he exerted all his influence against it, and is supposed to have written the famous work for which Henry VIII. obtained the title of Defender of the Faith. But in 1527, opposing his divorce, and denying his supremacy, the implacable tyrant determined, and finally effected, his destruction. In 1534 the parliament found him guilty of misprision of treason, for concealing certain prophetic speeches of a fanatical impostor, called the holy maid of Kent, relative to the king's death, and condemned him, and five others, in loss of goods and imprisonment, but he was released on paying £300 for the king's use. But on the king's marriage with Anne Boleyn, having refused to take the oath of allegiance, alleging that he was not convinced that the king's first marriage was against the law of God, he was attainted by the parliament of 1534, and committed to the Tower, where he would probably Fave been suffered to close his life, had not Pope Paul III. created this zealous adherent to his cause a member of the college of cardinals. Henry on hearing that Fisher intended to accept of the dignity, exclaimed in a rage, Yea, is he so lusty? well, let the pope send him a hat when he will, he shall wear it on his shoulders, for I will leave him never a head to set it on.' In pursuance of this bloody intention the king sent Rich the solicitor-general, under pretence of consulting the bishop on a case of conscience, but really with a design to draw him into a conversation concerning the supremacy. The honest old bishop spoke his mind without reserve, and an indictment and conviction of high treason was the consequence. He was beheaded on Tower hill on the 22nd June 1535, in the seventy-seventh year of his age. He wrote several treatises against Luther, and other works, which were printed at Wurtzburgh, in 1597, in 1 vol. folio. An interesting picture of the character of this prelate and his times is presented in the following ancient narrative of his execution: About nine of the clock, the Lieutenant came againe to the bishop, and, finding him almost ready, said that he was come now for him; I will wait upon you straight,' said he, as fast as this thin body of mine will give me leave.' Then said he to his man, Reach me my furred tippet to put about my neck.' O my lord,' said the lieutenant, what need you be so careful for your health for this little time, being, as yourself knoweth, not much above an hour?' 'I think no otherwise,' said this blessed father; but yet in the mean time I will keep myselfe as well as I can, till the very time of my execution; for I tell you truth, though I have, I thank our Lord, a very good desire and a willing minde to die at this time, and so trust of his infinite mercy and goodnesse he will continue it, yet will I not willingly hinder my health in the mean time, one minute of an houre, but still prolong the same as long as I can, by such reasonable waies and meanes as Almighty God hath provided for me.' With that, taking a little book in his hand, which was a New Testament lying by him, he made a crosse on his forehead, and went out of his prison doore with the lieutenant, being so weak that he was scarce able to go downe staires; wherefore, at the staires foot he was taken up in a chaire between two of the lieutenant's men, and carried to the Tower gate, with a great number of weapons about him, to be delivered to the sheriffs of London for execution. And as they were come to the uttermost precinct of the liberty of the Tower, they rested there with him a space, till such time as one was sent before to know in what readinesse the sheriffs were to receive him; during which space he rose out of his chaire, and standing on his feet leaned his shoulders to the wall, and lifting up his eyes towards heaven, opened his little book in his hand, and said, Lord, this is the last time that ever I shall open this book; let some comfortable place now chance unto me, whereby I thy poore servant may glorifie thee in this my last houre;' and with that looking into the book, the first thing that came to his sight were these words, 'Hæc est autem vita æterna, ut cognoscant te, solum verum Deum, et quem misisti Jesum Christum. Ego te glorificavi super terram, opus consummavi quod dedisti mihi ut faciam et nunc clarifica tu me, Pater, apud temetipsum claritate quam habui priusquam, &c.;' and with that he shut the book together, and said, Here is even learning enough for me to my life's end.' And so the sheriffs being ready for him, he was taken up again among certain of the sheriffs' men, with a new and much greater company of weapons than was before, and carried to the scaffold on the Tower hill, otherwise called East Smithfield, himselfe praying all the way, and recording upon the words which he before had read; and when he was come to the foot of the scaffold, they that carried him offered to help him up the staires; but then said he, Nay, masters, seeing I am come so farre, let me alone, and ye shall see me shift for myself well enough;' and so went up the staires without any helpe, so lively, that it was merveile to them that knew before of his debility and weakness. But as he was mounting up the staires, the south-east sun was shining very bright in his face, whereupon he said to himselfe these words, lifting up his hands, · Accedite ad eum, et illuminamini, et facies vestra non confundetur.' By that time he was upon the scaffold it was about ten of the clock, where the executioner being ready to do his office, kneeled down to him, as the fashion is, and asked him forgivenesse: I forgive thee,' said he,' with all my heart, and I trust thou shalt see me overcome this storm lustily. Then was his gown and tippet taken from him, and he stood in his doublet and hose in sight of all the people, whereof was no small number assembled to see his execution. There was to be seen a long, lean, and slender body, having on it little other substance besides skin and bones, insomuch, as most of the beholders merveiled to see a living man so farre consumed, for he seemed a very image of death, and as it were death in a man's shape, using a man's voice; and therefore it was thought the king was something cruell to put such a man to death being so neere his end, and to kill that which was dying already, except it were for pity's sake to rid him of his pain. When the innocent and holy man was some time upon the scaffold, he spake to the people in effect as followeth :- Christian people, I am come hither to die for the faith of Christ's holy Catholique Church; and I thank God hitherto my stomack hath served me very well thereunto, so that yet I have not feared death; wherefore I desire you all to help and |