FIS 
FIR 
and the extra expense of under-flooring, 
including all materials, was at that time only 
about nine-pence per square yard, and with 
the use of quicklime alittie more. The extra 
expense of extra-lathing is no more than six- 
pence per square yard for the timber side 
walls and partitions; but for the ceiling 
about nine-pence per square yard. But in 
most houses no extra-lathing is necessary. 
Fire, in the art of war, a word of com- 
mand to the soldiers, to discharge their 
musquets ; to the cavalry, to discharge their 
carabines or pistols ; to the grenadiers, to 
fire their grenadoes ; and to the gunners, to 
fire the guns, 
Fire, running, is when a rank of men, 
drawn up, fire one after another : or, when 
the lines of an army are drawn out to fire on 
account of a victory, each squadron or bat- 
talion takes it from another, from the right 
of the first line to the left, and from the left 
to the right of the second line. 
Fire arms are all sorts of arms charged 
with powder and ball, as cannon, musquets, 
carabines, pistols, blunderbusses, &c. See 
Cannon, Gun, &c, 
Fire ball, in the art of war, a composi- 
tion of meal- powder, sulphur, salt-petre, 
pitch, &c. about the bigness of a hand- 
grenade, coated over with flax, and primed 
with a slow composition of a fusee. This 
is to be thrown into the enemy’s works in 
the night-time to discover where they are : 
or to fire houses, galleries, or blinds of the 
besiegers ; but they are then armed with 
spikes, or hooks of iron, that they may not 
roll off, but stick or hang where they are 
designed to have any effect. 
Fire pots, in the military art, small 
earthern pots, into which is put a charged 
grenade, and over that powder enough till 
the grenade is covered ; then the pot is 
covered with a piece of parchment, and 
two pieces of match across lighted : this 
pot being thrown by a handle of match, 
where it is designed, it breaks and fires the 
powder, and burns all that is near it, and 
likewise fires the powder in the grenade, 
which ought to have no fuse, to the feud its 
operations may be the quicker. 
Fire ship, in the navy, a vessel charged 
with artificial fire-works, which, having the 
wind of an enemy’s ship, grapples her, and 
sets her on fire. 
Fire engine. See Engine. 
FIRKIN, an English measure of capacity, 
for things liquid, being the fourth part of 
the barrel : it contains nine gallons of beer. 
FIRLOT, a dry measure used in Scot- 
land. The oat-firlot contains 21} pints of 
that country ; the wheat-firlot contains 
about 2,211 cubical inches ; and the barley- 
firlot, 31 standard pints. Hence it ap- 
pears that the Scotch wheat-firlot exceeds 
the English bushel by 33 cubical inches. 
FIRMAMENT, in the Ptolemaic astro- 
nomy, the eighth heaven or sphere, with 
respect to tire seven spheres of the planets 
which it surrounds. It is supposed to have 
two motions, a diurnal motion, given to 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 
25,800 ; in which time the fixed, stars return 
to the same points in which they were at 
the beginning. This period is commonly 
called the Platonic year, or the great year. 
FIRST fruits and tenths, in law. First 
fruits are the profits of every spiritual living 
for one year; and tenths are the tenth of 
the yearly value of such living, given an- 
ciently to the Pope throughout all Christen- 
dom; but by stat. 26 Hen. VIII. c. 3. 
transferred to the King of England. By 
stat. 2 7 Hen. VIII. c. 3. no tenths are to 
be paid for the first year, as then the first 
fruits are due ; and by several statutes in 
the reign of Queen Ann, benefices under 
501. per ann. shall be discharged of the pay- 
ment of first fruits and tenths. She also 
restored the profits of this revenue to the 
church, by establishing a perpetual fund 
therefrom, vested in trustees for the aug- 
mentation of poor livings under 50 1. a year. 
This is called Queen Anne’s bounty, and is 
further regulated by subsequent statutes ; 
but as the number of livings under 50 1. was 
at the commencement of it 5,59 7 , averaged 
at 231. per ann, its operation will be very 
slow. 
FISC, in the civil law, the treasury of a 
prince. It differs from the serarium, which 
was the treasury of the public or people : 
thus, when the money arising from the sale 
of condemned persons’ goods was appro- 
priated for the use of the public, their goods 
were said publican ; but when it was des- 
tined for tiie support of the prince they 
were called confiscari. 
FISCAL, in the civil law, something 
relating to the pecuniary interest of the 
prince or people. The officers appointed 
for the management of the fisc were called 
procuratores fisd, and advocali fisci; and 
among the cases enumerated in the consti- 
