FEN 



FEO 



this name Linnaeus denominates a flower 

 which is furnished with the pistillum, or 

 female organ of generation, biit wants 

 the stamina or male organ. Female 

 flowers may be produced apart from the 

 male, either on the same root, or on dis- 

 tinct plants. The birch and mulberry 

 are examples of the first case ; willow 

 and poplar of the second. Male and fe- 

 male flowers separated on the same plant 

 constitute the class Monoecia of Lin- 

 iixus ; separated on distinct roots, the 

 class Dioecia. 



FEN, a place overflowed with water, 

 r abounding with bogs ; the term is also 

 applied to such boggy lands as are na- 

 turally disposed to produce coarse vege- 

 tables, from the retention of water. In 

 many parts of the kingdom, since the in- 

 troduction of a laudable spirit of improve- 

 ment in agriculture, much valuable land 

 has been redeemed both in England and 

 Ireland from bogs and fens. There are, 

 however, vast tracts of land of this kind 

 still in different districts, in Lincolnshire, 

 Lancashire, Cambridgeshire, and the 

 West of England. In short, there are but 

 few counties without them, which, by 

 proper inclosing, draining, pairing and 

 burning, and the growth of suitable crops, 

 might be rendered highly valuable ; but 

 which at present afford little except 

 reeds, sedge, or rushes and coarse grass. 

 FENCE, in country affairs, a hedge, 

 wall, ditch, bank, or other inclosure, 

 made around gardens, woods, corn-fields, 

 &c. See AGRICULTURE. 



FENCING, is the manner of attacking 

 an adversary with the sword, and de- 

 fending the person from his thrusts. It 

 jis necessary in acquiring this difficult art 

 to use foils, or small thin swords, which 

 being blunted at the points, and bending 

 readily, prevents accidental wounds. The 

 gladiators, who were compelled to sacri- 

 fice their lives for the amusement of the 

 "Romans, received instructions in the use 

 f the sword, in order to lengthen the di- 

 version of their cruel masters, who were 

 fearful that sudden rage might otherwise 

 prompt an abrupt termination of the com- 

 bat. Kennet says, " Before the combat- 

 ants fell to it in earnest, they tried their 

 skill against one another with more harm- 

 less weapons, as the rudes, and the spears 

 without heads, the blunted swords, the 

 foils, and such like." To this Cicero ad- 

 mirably alludes, " If in the mortal com- 

 bats of the gladiators, where the victory 

 is decided by arms, before they actually 

 engage, there are several flourishes given, 

 more for a shew of art than a design of 



hurting ; how much more proper woulSL 

 this look in the contention of an orator." 

 Fencing was indispensable to almost all 

 ranks of people, long after armies had 

 ceased to use swords in the field of battle, 

 through the absurd fashion of Wearing 

 side-arms ; when men of turbulent dispo- 

 sitions might have immediate recourse 

 to weapons, it became necessary for the 

 peaceable citizen to learn the best mode 

 of defence, that he might not perish for 

 an offence which would end at present in 

 altercation. During the long period this 

 suppossed ornament of the person was 

 worn, numerous masters brought the art 

 of using it to great perfection : but the 

 French appear to have excelled every 

 other nation in fencing, which may be at- 

 tributed in a great measure to the physi- 

 cal properties of their bodies. Their 

 teachers and their imitators have, there- 

 fore, been loud in its praises, asserting 

 that the art should be taught in every po- 

 lite academy, that the figure may be 

 formed into complete grace by the active 

 movements of the limbs and body in 

 every possible position. 



The professors divide fencing into tw 

 parts, which they distinguish from each 

 other, by terming the first simple, and the 

 second compound ; the first they perform 

 instantaneously and actively on the same 

 line, either on the offensive or defensive. 

 The principle on which they act, in this 

 instance, is to push or make passes in 

 any direction, to strike the least guarded 

 part of the adversary, at the same time 

 endeavouring to parry his thrusts. 



Compound fencing consists of every 

 description of feint appeals, entangling of 

 foils, slashing, half thrusts, &c. contrived 

 to distract the attention of the enemy, 

 and thus suddenly and unexpectedly to 

 reach that spot, which he skilfully de- 

 fends in simple fencing; but the utmost 

 care must be used to push at the proper 

 moment when parrying. 



FEND, in the sea language, imports 

 the same as defend : thus fending the 

 boat, is saving it from being dashed to 

 pieces against the rocks, shore, ship's 

 sides. And hence, 



FENDERS are pieces of old hawsers, 

 cable-ropes, or billets of wood, hung over 

 the ship's sides, to keep other ships from 

 rubbing against and injuring her, 

 FENNEL. See A>ETHUM. 

 FEODAL, or feudal, system. This 

 system originated from an assumed right 

 obtained by conquest. When the Ro- 

 man empire began to decline, and that 

 government became too feeble to support 



