FEE FEITH. 



157 



ration consists merely of a union between a number 

 of states, not stricter than a treaty, defensive and 

 offensive, between two states, as, for instance, the 

 present Germanic confederation. See Government. 

 FEE, in law, or feudum, properly signifies an 

 inheritable estate in land, held of some superior, or 

 lord ; and, in this sense, it is distinguished from 

 allodium, which is the absolute property in land. It 

 is the theory of the English law that all the lands of 

 the kingdom, except the royal domains, are held in 

 fee, or by a tenure, of some superior lord, the abso- 

 lute or allodial property being only in the king, so 

 that all the tenures are strictly feudal. This was a 

 very significant practical doctrine, while the feudal 

 system flourished in Europe in all its vigour ; and the 

 remnants of it are still blended, in a greater or less 

 degree, in the land titles, but rather as a theoretical 

 doctrine, from which certain inferences are drawn, 

 than a plain, direct, practical fact ; for the property 

 of the proprietor in land held in fee-simple, in 

 England, is as absolute, to all intents and purposes, 

 as where the land titles are allodial, there being 

 no practical or theoretical doctrine of a tenure, or 

 holding under a superior. In all countries, pro- 

 perty in lands, as well as chattels, is derived through 

 the laws, and is guaranteed by the government ; and, 

 universally, the property, in both lands and chattels, 

 reverts to the government, in case of there being no 

 person who can claim it, either as an heir or pur- 

 chaser ; though, in respect to personal property, the 

 government does not always avail itself of the right, 

 but grants the property to persons who find it, in 

 certain cases. But this right to inherit, or succeed 

 to property, in the absence of all other claimants, 

 who have any right, is not what is meant by the 

 theoretical, abstract property, which the king is sup- 

 posed to have in all the lands of the kingdom, but of 

 which he cannot now avail himself, in respect to a 

 great part of them, to any practical purpose what- 

 ever. 



The amplest estate is that of a fee-simple ; and 

 such an estate can be had only in property that is 

 inheritable, and of a permanent nature ; for we speak 

 of a fee-simple in lands and franchises, but never in 

 ships or goods. Though tenements are said to be 

 possessed in fee-simple, yet this is in reference to the 

 land, whicli includes tilings attached to it ; but if one 

 puts a building upon another's land by his permission, 

 the building is his personal property, in which he 

 cannot have a fee-simple ; but, if he puts it on his 

 own land, lie then may have a fee-simple in the land 

 and tenement, considered as one subject. A fee- 

 simple is the estate out of which other lesser estates 

 are said to be carved ; as a fee-conditional, such as 

 a fee-tail (see Entails), and a base fee, which is also, in 

 effect, a conditional fee ; as, if lands be granted to cer- 

 tain persons, tenants of D, who are to have the lands 

 only as long as they continue to be tenants of D, 

 this is a base fee. A conveyance to a grantee and 

 his heirs generally, and without qualification, gives a 

 fee-simple ; but if the estate be limited to certain 

 heirs, or limited in time, or have any condition or 

 qualification which may defeat or terminate it, it is 

 something less than a fee-simple. 



FEEDER, in canal-building. In order that water 

 may not be wanting in any part of a canal, built on 

 different levels, a supply is insured at the highest 

 level, and thus gradually passes off, through the 

 locks, to the lowest. The streams which furnish the 

 water at this and other points are called feeders. 



FEEJEE ; an island in the South Pacific ocean, 

 which, as captain Cook was informed, lies three days' 

 sail from Tongataboo, in the direction of N. VV. by 

 W. It is described as a high but very fruitful 

 island, abounding with hogs, dogs, fowls, and all the 



kinds of fruit and roots that are found in any of the 

 others, and as being as much larger than Tongata- 

 boo, to the dominion of which it is not subject, as the 

 other islands of the Archipelago are. The more 

 northerly part of this numerous group reaches north 

 to lat. 15 33'. Captain Bligh tell in with the east- 

 ermost of the Feejee islands in Ion. 178 VV. The 

 southermost islimd lies in Ion. 178 E., lat. 19 50' 

 S. The stature of the Feejeeans is high, their com- 

 plexions are dark, and their hair approaches to wool. 

 They are cannibals, very ferocious, and dreaded by 

 their neighbours. 



FEELING ; one of the five external senses, by 

 which we obtain the ideas of solid, hard, soft, rough, 

 hot, cold, wet, dry, and other tangible qualities. It 

 is the most universal of all the senses. We see and 

 hear with small portions of our bodies, but we feel 

 with all. Nature has bestowed that general sensation 

 wherever there are nerves, ana they are everywhere, 

 where there is life. Were it otherwise, the parts 

 divested of it might be destroyed without our know- 

 ledge. It seems that, upon this account, nature lias 

 provided that this sensation should not require a par- 

 ticular organization. The structure of the nervous 

 papilla is not absolutely necessary to it. The lips of 

 a fresh wound, the periosteum, and the tendons, when 

 uncovered, are extremely sensible without them. 

 These nervous extremities serve only to the perfec- 

 tion of feeling, and to diversify sensation. Like 

 every other sense, feeling is capable of the greatest 

 improvement : thus we see that persons, born without 

 arms, acquire the nicest feeling in their toes ; and, 

 in blind people, this sense becomes so much developed 

 that individuals born blind, and acquiring the faculty 

 of sight in after life, for a long time depend rather 

 on their feeling than on their sight, because they 

 receive clearer ideas through the former sense. A 

 person in this condition, who could not remember the 

 difference of things if he only saw them, as soon as 

 he touched them distinguished them perfectly well. 

 Feeling is the most common of all the senses, as it 

 exists in all creatures which have any sense at all ; 

 even some plants show a sensibility to touch. Many 

 animals have no sense but that of feeling. 



FEHRBELLIN ; a small place in the Middle 

 Mark, in the government of Potsdam, in Prussia, with 

 1200 inhabitants. It is famous for the victory which 

 Frederic William, the " great elector," gained here, 

 June 18, 1675, over the Swedes, by which he saved 

 his already half conquered country, and made him- 

 self master of Pomerania. Considering the conse- 

 quences, this victory is very important, though there 

 were only about 16,000 men engaged. 



FEITH, RHYNVIS, one of the first modern poets of 

 Holland, and with Bilderdyk, the restorer of degen- 

 erated Dutch poetry, was born at Zwolle, in Over- 

 Vssel, in 1753. He was descended from a family 

 which has produced several members distinguished 

 in the state, or in literature ; e. g., Eberhard Feith, 

 author of Antiquities of Homer. He early displayed 

 the happiest talents for poetry, and, after having 

 studied law at Leyden, resided, from 1770, in his 

 native city, and pursued his favourite studies. He 

 was made burgomaster, and afterwards receiver at 

 the admiralty college, in Zwolle, but did not cease 

 to cultivate, the art of poetry, and to enrich Dutch 

 literature by excellent works. Several of his works 

 obtained prizes from the literary societies of Holland. 

 The poetical society of Leyden awarded to him the 

 two first prizes for two poems in memory of admiral 

 Ruyter. Feith, satisfied with the honour, would not 

 receive the medals. The society, therefore, sent 

 him wax impressions of them, in a silver box, or. 

 which was represented the hero whom lie had cele- 

 brated, witli the inscription, " Immortal as he. 1 ' 



