712.. F E L • 
For the solution of this question, proceed as 
follows: A’s stock 560/. x 8 its time = 4iS0 ; 
R’s stock 279/. x 10 its time = 2790; C’s 
stock 735/. x 6 its time = 4410. Then 4480 
-f- 2790 + 4410 == 11680, 
Now, 1 . To find A’s share of the profit, 
state thus: If 11680/. : 1000/. :: 4480/. which 
being worked by the rule of three, the an- 
swer will be 383/. 11*’. 2 \d. for A’s share of 
the gain. 
2. For finding B’s share state, thus: If 
11680/. : 1000/. :: 2790/. and working as be- 
fore directed, the answer will be 238/. 1/7? • 
•d| ,d. 
3. To find C’s proportion of the gain, say, 
if 11680/. : 1000/. :: 4410/. then working it 
by the rule of three,' the true amount of his 
share w ill appear to be 377/. 1 Is. 4|. 
FELO DE SE, a felon of himself, is a per- 
son who, being of sound mind, and of the age 
of discretion, voluntarily kills himself: for if 
a person is insane at the time, it is qo crime. 
Rut this ought not to be extended so far as 
the coroner’s juries sometimes carry it, who 
•suppose that the' very act of self-murder is an 
evidence of insanity ; as if every man who 
acts contrary to reason had no reason at all; 
for the same argument w.ould prove every 
other criminal non compos, as well as the self- 
murderer. 3 Inst. 54. 
All inquisitions of tiie offence, being in the 
nature of indictments, ought particularly and 
certainly to set forth the circumstances of the 
fact; as the particular manner of the wound, 
and that it was mortal, & c. and in conclusion 
add, that the party in such manner murdered 
.himself. 1 Salk. 377. 
A felo . de se forfeits all chattels real and 
personal, which he has in his own right ; and 
.also all such chattels real whereof he is pos- 
sessed, either jointly w ith his wife, or in her 
right ; and also all bonds and other personal 
things in action, belonging solely to himself; 
and also all personal things in action, and en- 
tire chattels in possession, to which he was 
entitled jointly with another, on any account, 
except that of merchandize; but it is said 
that he shall forfeit a moiety only of such 
joint chattels as may be severed, and nothing 
At all of what he was possessed of as execu- 
•tor or administrator. Stamdf. P. C. 188, 
139. Plow. 243, 262. 3 Inst. 55. 
FELONY, in the general acceptation of 
law, comprises every species of crime which 
occasioned at -common law the forfeiture of 
lands or goods. This most frequently hap- 
pens in those for which a capital punishment 
either was or is liable to be inflicted ; for 
those felonies which are called clergyble, or 
to which the benefit of clergy extends, were 
antiently punished with death in lay or un- . 
learned offenders ; though now, by the sta- 
tute law, that punishment is for the first of- 
fence universally reniitted. 
Felony is always accompanied with an evil 
intention, and therefore shall not be imputed 
to a mere mistake or misanimadversion ; as 
where persons break open a door to execute 
a warrant, which will not justify such a pro- 
ceeding. But the bare intention to commit 
a felony is so very criminal, that at the com- 
mon law it was punishable as felony, where 
it missed its effect through some accident, 
■which no way lessened the guilt of the of- 
fender ; but it seems agreed at this clay, that, 
felony shall not be imputed to a bare interi- 
F E N 
tion to commit it, yet it is certain that the 1 
party may be very severely fined for such an 
intention. 1 Ilaw. 65. 
The punishment of a person for felony, by 
our antient books, is, 1st, to lose his life; 
2diy, to lose his. blood, as to his ancestry, 
and so to have neither heir nor posterity ; 
3dly, to lose his goods; 4thly, to lose his 
lands, and the king shall have year, day, and 
waste, to the intent that his wife and children 
be cast out of the house, his house pulled 
down, and all that lie had.for his comfort and 
delight destroyed. 4 Rep. 124. A felony 
by statute incidentally implies/ that the of- 
fender shall be subject to the like attainder 
and forfeiture, &c. as is incident to a felon at 
common law.. 3 Inst. 47. See Burgtvary, 
Forgery, Homicide, Petit Treason, 
Rape, Robbery, &c. 
. Felon’s goods are not- forfeited till it is 
found by indictment that he fled for the fe- 
lony, and therefore they cannot be claimed 
by prescription. See Estrays, and Waifs. 
F F. lo ny under colour of law: such is com- 
ing into a house by colour of writ of execu- 
tion, and carrying away the goods. A spe- 
cial trust prevents the felony, until such spe- 
cial trust is determined. 8 Mod. 76. 
FELT, in commerce, a sort of stuff, de- 
riving all its consistence merely from being 
fulled or, wrought with lees and'size, without 
either spinning or weaving. Felt is made 
either of wool alone, or of wool and hair. 
FELSPA R. See Le pi oolite. 
FELUCCA, in, sea affairs, a little vessel' 
with six oars, frequent in the Mediterranean, 
which has this peculiarity, that its helm may 
lie applied either in tire head or stern as oc- 
casion requires. 
FEME covert, a married' woman, so 
called from being under the cover, protec- 
tion, and influence of her husband. See 
Husband and Wife. 
Feme sole, a single or unmarried woman. 
A feme sole is liable to perform parish of- 
fices, the act only requiring the person to be 
a substantial householder, without reference 
to sex. 
Feme sole trader, a married woman, 
who, by the custom of London, trades on her 
own account, independant of her husband. 
See Bankruptcy. 
FEMININE, or Fceminine, in gram- 
mar, one of the genders of nouns. 
FEMUR, vsfemons, the thigh-bone. See 
Anatomy. 
FEN, a place overflowed with water, or 
abounding with bogs. See Draining. 
Tens are either made up of a congeries 
of bogs, or consist of a multitude of pools or 
lakes with dry spots of land intermixed, like 
so many little islands. 
Several statutes have been made for the 
draining of fens, chiefly in Kent, Cambridge- 
shire, Bedfordshire, Lincolnshire ; by 1 1 Geo. 
II. commissioners shall be appointed for the 
effectually draining and preserving of the 
fens in the isle of Ely, who are authorized to 
make drains, dams, and proper works there- 
on; and they may charge the landholders 
therein with a yearly acre-tax, and in default 
of payment sell the defaulters’ lands. 
FENCE, in country affairs, a hedge, wall, 
ditch, bank, or other inclosure, made around 
gardens, woods, corn-fields, &c. See Hus- 
bandry. 
Where a hedge and ditch join together, in 
F E 0 ' 
whose ground or side the ditch is, to- the own-, 
er- of. that land belongs the. keeping of the 
same hedge or fence, . and, the ditch belong- 
ing to it on the other, side, in. repair and. 
scoured. P. Off. 188. 
An action on the case or trespass lies for 
not repairing fences, whereby cattle come 
into the ground of another, and- so damage 
it. Also it is presentable in the court-baron. 
1 Salk. 335. 
Fence month, a month wherein it is un- 
lawful to hunt in the forest, because the fe- 
male deer fawn in. that, time : ipbejqg. always, 
according to the. charter of the forest, 15 days- 
before, and ending 1.5 days After. Midsum- 
mer. .... ■ ; 
FENCING, the. art of making a proper 
use of the sword,, as well -for attacking -an’ 
enemy, as for, defending; one’s self. 
FEND, in the- sea language, imports the 
same as defend': 'thufS, fending .the boat is 
saving it from hiring' dashed to pieces against 
the rock, shorep and ship’s side. Add- hence, 
FENDERS' are pieces' of old hawsers; 
cable-ropes, or bili'eU of Wq6d, hung 1 over the 
ship’s sides, to” keep other ship's from nibbing 
against and injuring her.’ 
FBNDUE cn pal, in heraldry, a cross 
cloven down in pale, tjiai is, from lop, to bot- 
tom,, and the t\yo parts set , at Some distance 
from each other. . . 
FENESTRA, in-anatomy, a term applied 
to two openings or foramina within the ear, 
distinguished .by the names, of the oval and 
the round fenestra.. The fenestra ovalis leads- 
to the vestibule; on which stands the stapes. 
The fenestra rotunda leads to the cochlea, 
and is .closed by a membrane. 
FENNEL. .See Anethum. 
FENS. Any person convicted of mali- 
ciously cutting or destroying any bank, mill, 
engine, floodgate, or sluice for draining, fens, • 
shall be guilty of felony, without benefit of 
clergy. 27 Geo. II. c. 19. 
FEODAL system, the constitution of 
fiefs 01 - feuds. It is about twelve centuries, 
ago since this system was so universally re- 
ceived in Europe, that sir Henry Spelman 
calls it the law of nations in our western 
world. Hence it deserves our attention in 
a particular manner ; a knowledge of the diL 
ferent-feuds being indispensably requisite for 
a proper understanding either of the civil 
government of our own country, or the laws' 
by which its landed property is regulated. .. 
The military policy of the Celtic or north- 
ern nations, known by the . names of Goths, 
Vandals, Franks, Huns, and .Lombards, fur- 
nished the original constitution or system of- 
fends. These people pouring out in vast 
multitudes from theofficina gentium or store-, 
house of nations, overran all the European 
nations on the decline of the Roman empire. 
They brought the feudal system along with 
them from the countries out of which they 
emigrated; and, supposing it to be the most 
proper .method of securing their new con- 
quests, they introduced it into their, more 
southerly colonies. 
According to this system, the victorious 
general allotted considerable tracts of land to 
Ills principal officers ; while they, in like 
manner, divided their possessions among the 
inferior officers, and even those common sol- 
diers who were thought to be the most de- 
serving. Allotments of this kind were named 
