FOR 
FOR 
cument or voucher upon which money may 
bs received, or by which any one may be de- 
frauded of money by the act of imposing 
upon him such a false instrument. To enu- 
merate the several statutes upon the sub- 
ject, would here be impossible. It is gene- 
rally punished with the most rigorous seve- 
rity. We shall add a few detached points 
with respect to the cases of forgery, which 
may be useful to explain cases of frequent 
occurrence. 
Forgery may be committed by making a 
mark in the name of another person. It 
may be also committed in the name of a 
person who never had existence. Thus, 
indorsing a real bill of exchange, with a ficti- 
tious name, is forgery, although the use of a 
fictitious name was not essential to the ne- 
gotiation. 
A receipt indorsed on a bill of exchange, 
in a fictitious name, is forgery, although 
such name does not purport to be the name 
of any particular person. If a person, who 
has for many years been known by a name 
which was not his own, and afterwards as- 
sume his real name, and in that name draw 
a bill of exchange, he will not be guilty of 
forgery, although such bill were drawn for 
fraudulent purposes. 
The following statute is one of the most 
generally applicable to cases of forgery. 
If any person shall falsely make, forge, or 
counterfeit, or cause or procure to be falsely 
made, forged, or counterfeited, or willingly 
aid or assist in the false making or counter- 
feiting any deed, will, bond, writing, obli- 
gatory, bill of exchange, promissory note for 
payment of money, acquittance, or receipt, 
either for money or goods, with intent to de- 
fraud any person, or shall utter or publish 
the same as true, knowing the same to be 
false, forged, or counterfeited, he shall be 
guilty of felony without benefit of clergy ; 
but not to work corruption of blood, or 
disherison of heirs. 2 Geo. II. c. 25. From 
this, as well as other statutes, it will be seen 
that not only the counterfeiting or forging 
false instruments, but the uttering, passing, 
or putting them off knowingly, is a capital 
felony; and in order to detect counter- 
feiters or forgers of bank notes, the being 
possessed only of such forged notes, know- 
ing them to be forged, is now made by a 
late statute a transportable offence. 
FORGING, in smithery, the beating or 
hammering iron on the anvil, after having 
first made it red hot in the forge, in order 
to extend it into various forms, and fashion 
it into works. See Forge, 
Forging, or imitating stamps to defraud 
the revenue, is a capital forgery by the se- 
veral stamp acts ; and the receiving them 
knowingly is made single felony, punishable 
with seven years transportation. 12 Geo. III. 
c. 48. A person was lately executed for 
forging the ace of spades to a pack of 
cards. 
FORM denotes the external appearance 
or surface of a body, or the disposition of 
its parts, as to the length, breadth, and « 
thickness. 
Form, among mechanics, for a sort of 
mould, whereon any thing is fashioned or 
wrought : as the hatters’ form, the paper- 
makers’ form, &c. 
Form, printers’, an assemblage of letters, 
words, and lines, ranged in order, and so 
disposed into pages by the compositor; 
from which, by means of iuk and a press, 
the printed sheets are drawn. Every form 
is inclosed in an iron chase, wherein it is 
firmly locked by a number of pieces of 
wood ; some long and narrow, and others 
of the form of wedges. There are two 
forms required for every sheet, one for 
each side ; and each form consists of more 
or fewer pages, according to the size of the 
book. 
Form of a series, in algebra, that affec- 
tion of an undeterminate series, which arises 
from the different values of the indices of 
the known quantity. See Series. 
FORMA pauperis, in law, is when any 
person has cause of suit, and is so poor that 
he cannot support the usual charges of 
suing at law or in equity. Upon his making 
oath that he is not worth five pounds, his 
debts being paid, and bringing a certificate 
from some barrister, that he has just cause 
of suit, the judge admits him to sue in forma 
pauperis, that is, without paying fees to 
counsellor, attornies, or clerk ; and he shall 
have original writs and subpoenas gratis. 
And he shall, when plaintiff', be excused 
from costs, but shall suffer other punish- 
ment at the discretion of the judge. And 
it was formerly usual to give such paupers, 
it nonsuited, their election either to be 
whipped, or pay the costs ; though the prac- 
tice is now disused. 
It seems agreed, that a pauper may reco- 
ver costs, though he pay none ; for al- 
though the counsel and clerks are bound to 
give their labour to him, yet they are not 
bound to give it to his opponent. 
FORMEDON, a real action to recover 
the right by the tenant in tail, or the rever- 
sioner, and which is called formedon because 
