Fersk 
FER 
said to be considerable ; but it has most probably.shared 
in. the dilapidations which have lately diminished the 
Yr" curiosities of Italy. - 
‘account, of 
Zhe library of the university is of more recent institu- 
tion, having been commenced by the 
of that 
of Cardinal Bentivoglio, in 1743. _The'library of the 
Fee mi subjects in natural history, and mo- 
in 4 ‘ fh ak 
Many celebrated characters owe their birth to. Fer- 
( ‘ » 11° 86’ 25”, 
and North Lat. 44° 49’ 56”. See Sardi Historie Fer- 
tarese.. Bononi De situ, aquis et aere Ferrarie. Barotti 
Memorie istoriche de letterati Ferrarese. Compendio 
istorico delle Chiese di Ferrara. Frizzi, Guida de 
Forasticri per la Citta di Ferrara. (c) 
»F , or Hierro, the name of the most westerly 
ef the Canary Isles, is about 15 miles broad, and 45 in 
circuit. The coast is Tes peaeaatowe: sn difficult of 
ascent, but the summit is level and fertile. Ferro was 
astronomical 
17° 9 45", arid. North Latitude 27° 47’ 0’. For.a full 
the history and statistics of this and the 
other islands, see Canary Istes. (/) 
_ FERROL is one of the best sea-port towns of Spain, 
in the province of Galicia. It is situated to the north- 
north-east of Corunna, and ten leagues from Cape Or- 
lage, but large town, contaming elegan blie 
buildings, ha been erected on Ayes lan The 
school for midshipmen is a magnificen 
there is eniemronrs " 
ing copper eathing vessels. There 
are hospitals, one for the inhabitants, and ano- 
ther for the navy and army. The harbour is extremely 
safe, and is on all sides protected from winds. Its 
strong, being 
309 
FEU 
on by 600 galley slaves, who compose the presidario,. 
‘The approach to the coast between Corunna and Ferrol "=" 
is defended by' two castles, viz. that of St Philip and 
Palma, No expence, indeed, has been spared by the 
Spanish government to render Ferrol one of the. most: 
complete naval.establishments in the world. There is 
here a military commandant, a governor, an intendant, 
and a numerous staff. All foreign ships are excluded 
from Ferrol, only coasting vessels and Spanish ships 
which bring articles of necessity being admitted. Sea 
and river fish are caught in abundance ; and in the vi- 
cinity of the town there are numerous fountains of ex- 
cellent water. Ferrol contains but one: manufactory, 
which is for sail-cloth. ’ 
The town contains only one parish, and a convent 
of the Seraphic order. The population is about 8000, 
excepting in time of war, when it exceeds this number 
considerably. The position of Ferrol, according to 
the most accurate sidereal observations, is in West 
Long. 8° 15’, and North Lat. 43° 29’. See Laborde’s. 
View of Spain, x 441. (x) 
_ FEU, or Fer, ( feudum or feodum, Fr. fief), a word. 
of uncertain derivation, sometimes denotes an estate 
held by feudal tenure, but is more properly used to. 
denote the right resulting to the vassal from the feu- 
dal contract. In this latter acceptation it may be de- 
fined.a gratuitous right to the. property of lands, under 
the ition of fealty and tating service to be per- 
formed to the superior, who grants the right, by the 
vassal, who obtains it. Thea interest which the one: 
rior retains to himself, or rather the law reserves for 
him, in all feudal grants, is called dominium directum, 
because it is the highest and most eminent right ; that 
which the vassal acquires goes-under the name of domi- 
nium utile, being subordinate to the other, and the most 
le of the two, since the vassal enjoys the whole 
its of the subject. : 
Although, from the nature of the feudal constitu- 
tion, feus were originally granted solely in considera- 
tion of military services, yet services of a mere civil or 
religious nature were early substituted in their room, 
at glonrrs of the superior. And in the course of 
time, the spirit of the original system was so far left 
out of view, that services of all kinds were entirel 
i with.in some feudal tenures ; but, in pie 
cases, the vassal, who is exempted from services, must 
be liable in the payment either of a yearly sum of mo- 
ney, or a quantity of grain, or something else, however 
inconsiderable, merely as an acknowledgment of the 
superior’s right. : 
Fees have been divided, with reference to the sources. 
from which they flow, into feuda ligia and non ligia. 
A liege-fee is that granted by a sovereign, to whom the 
v. owes absolute fidelity, without exception: Feu- 
da non lizia, on the other hand, are those derived from 
subjects superiors, in which a reservation is always im- 
plied with to the fealty or allegiance which is. 
due to the highest or liege lord. By the written feu. 
dal usages, feus are divided into antiqua and nova, The 
former are such as come by succession ; the latter such 
me are acquired by gift, purchase, or other singular 
title, 
. Some things are considered as essential to the con- 
stitution of a feu; ‘some are natural to it, and others 
only accidental. No feu can subsist without its essen- 
tial characters ; and, upon the least alteration made in 
these, the right must resolve into one of another kind. 
Such essential requisites are the reservation of the right 
of superiority, and the acknowledgment of this right. 
3 ‘ 
Feu 
