FRE 
the worm. The ash is hurtful to corn lands, 
and therefore should be planted either in 
hedges or clumps, at about nine or ten feet 
distance. 
FRECKLES, spots of a yellowish co- 
lour, of the bigness of a lentile-seed, scat- 
tered over tlie face, neck, and hands. 
Freckles are either natural, or proceeding 
accidentally from the jaundice, or the ac- 
tion of the sun upon the part. Heat, or a 
sudden change of the weather, will often 
cause the. skin to appear of a darker co- 
lour than natural, and thereby produce 
what is called tan, sunburn, &c. which seem 
to differ only in degree, and usually disap- 
pear in winter. 
Persons' of a fine complexion, and those 
whose hair is red, are the most subject to 
freckles, especially in those parts which 
they expose to the air.- 
FREE bench, in law, is the widow’s 
share of her husband’s copyhoid, or custo- 
mary lands, in the nature of dower, which 
is variable according to the customs in dif- 
ferent places. In some manors it is one 
third, sometimes half, sometimes the whole 
during her widowhood, of all the copyhold 
or customary land which her husband died 
possessed of. In some places, by custom, 
she holds them only during her chaste 
viduity. 
FREEHOLD may be in deed or in 
law. A freehold in deed, is actual seisin of 
lands or tenements in fee-simple, fee-tail, 
or for life. A freehold in law, is a right to 
such lands or tenements before entry or sei- 
zure. So there is a seisin in deed, and 
a seisin in law ; a seisin in deed, is when a 
corporal possession is taken, an\i a seisin in 
law is where lands descend before entry, or 
where something is done which amounts in 
law to an actual seisin. Tenant in fee-sim- 
ple, or fee-tail, for life, is said to have a 
freehold, so called, because it distinguishes 
it from term of years, chattels upon cer- 
tain interests, lands in villenage, or custo- 
mary or copyhold lands. See Fee-simple. 
A freehold cannot be conveyed to pass in 
future, for then there would be want of a 
tenant against whom to bring a praecipe, 
and therefore, notwithstanding such convey- 
ance, the freehold continues in the vendor ; 
but if livery of seisin be afterwards given, 
the freehold from thence passes to the ven- 
dee. A man is said to be seised of free- 
hold, but to be possessed of other estates, 
as of copyhold lands, k ases for years, or 
goods and chattels. See Estate and Fee- 
simple. 
FRE 
FREE stone, a whitish stone, dug up in 
many parts of England, that works like ala- 
baster, but is more hard and durable ; be- 
ing of excellent use in building, &c. It is 
a kind of the grit-stone, but finer sanded, 
and a smoother stone, and is called frCe, 
from its being of such a constitution as to 
cut freely in any direction : such is the 
Portland-stone, and the free-stone of Kent. 
FREIGHT is the consideration money 
agreed to be paid for the use or hire of 
a ship, or, in a larger sense, the burthen of 
such ship. The freight is most frequently 
determined for the whole voyage, without 
respect to time ; sometimes it depends on 
time ; in the former case it is either fixed at 
a certain sum for the whole cargo, or so 
much per ton, barrel, bulk, or other w'eight 
or measure, or so much per Cent, on the va- 
lue of the cargo. If a certain sum be 
agreed on for the freight of the ship, it must 
all be paid, although the ship, when mea- 
sured, should prove smaller, unless the bur- 
then be warranted. If the ship be freighted 
for transporting cattle or slaves, at so much 
per head, and some of them die on the 
passage, freight is only due for such as are 
delivered alive; if for lading them, it is due 
for all put on board. When a whole ship 
is freighted, if ’the master suffer any goods 
besides those of the freight to be put on 
board, he is liable for damages. If the 
voyage be completed according to the 
agreement, wfithout any accident, the mas- 
ter has a right to demand the freight before 
the delivery of the goods ; but if such deli- 
very is prevented by negligence, or acci- 
dents, the parties will be reciprocally 
responsible in the following manner : If the 
merchant should not load the ship within 
the time agreed on, the master may engage 
with another, and recover damages. If 
the merchant recal the ship after she is la- 
den and sailed, he must pay the whole 
freight ; but if he unload before the ship 
has actually sailed, he will in such case oniy 
be responsible for damages. If the mer- 
chant load goods which are not lawful to 
export, and! the ship be prevented from 
proceeding on that account, he must never- 
theless pay the freight. If the master be 
not ready to proceed on the voyage at the 
time stipulated, the merchant may load the 
whole, or part of the cargo, on board ano- 
ther ship, and recover damages ; but any 
real casualties will release the master from 
all damages. If an embargo be laid on the 
ship before she sail, the charter-party is dis- 
solved, and the merchant pays the expenses 
