147 
FAB 
ion, Fabian “ is equally attentive to the mayors of Lon¬ 
don and the monarchs of England, and feems to have 
thought the dinners at Guildhall, and the pageantries of 
the city companies, more interefting tranfadtions than our 
victories in France, and our druggies for public liberty 
at home.” He died in 1512. His Chronicle was fir ft 
printed in 1516, folio, and feveral fubfequent editions 
were made of it. . f: 
l'ABIA'NE, a river of Louifiana, in North America, 
which runs fouth-eaftward into the Midillippi, in lat. 39. 
30. N. (ixteen miles above Jaftioni river, and fifty below 
the Iowa town and rapids. 
FA'BII, a noble and powerful family at Rome, who 
derived their name from faba , a bean, becaufe fome of 
their ancedors cultivated this pulfe. They were once fo 
numerous that they took upon themfelves to wage a war 
againft the Veientes. They came to a general engagement 
near the Cremera, in which all the family, confiding of 
306 men, were totally (lain, B.C.477. There only re¬ 
mained one whole tender age had detained him at Rome, 
and from him arofe the noble Fabiiinthe following ages. 
The family was divided into fix different branches, the 
Ambijii , the Maximi , the Vibulani , the Buteones, the Dor- 
Jones, and the PiBores, the three firltof which are frequently 
mentioned in the Roman hiftory, but the others feldom. 
Livy. Virgil. 
FA'BHJS MAXIMUS, furnamed Rullunus, 
mader of the horfe to the Roman diftator Papirius Cur- 
for, before Chrid 324. Papirius, in a campaign againft 
the Samnites, returning to Rome on account of Tome reli¬ 
gious ceremony, left orders with Fabitis not to fight in his 
abfence. Notwithdanding this prohibition, he made life 
of a favourable occadon, and gave the enemy a fignal de¬ 
feat. Confcious ofhaving deferved the didtator’s refent- 
ment, he burnt all the fpoils that they might not grace his 
triumph, communicated to the fenate, and not to him, 
the news of his fuccefs, and by a fpirited harangue en¬ 
gaged the foldiers to proteft him. When Papirius arrived, 
he commanded his lidtorsto feize the mader of the horfe, 
and proceed to his execution. Fabitis took refuge among 
the legions, and a tumult arofe, which continued till the 
night. On (he next day he made his efcape to Rome, 
whither the dictator followed him, refolved upon his pu- 
nilhment. His father appealed for him to the people, 
and endeavoured to gain over the adembly by contrading 
the feverity -of Papirius, with the glory of his Con’s fer- 
vices. The didtator fupported the caufeof difcipline and 
the laws with fo much energy, that the people, though 
inclined to favour Fabius, were thrown into perplexity. 
At length they joined in interceffion with the dictator for 
pardon of an acknowledged criminal. Satisfied witli hav- 
ingthusedablifhed thedorce of hisauthority, he confented 
to forgive the offence; and Fabius was redored amid the 
acclamations of the whole Roman people. It Is unpleaf- 
ing to relate that after this event Fabius was the perpe¬ 
tual foe of Papirius. At the next eledtion he was cjiofen 
one of the confuls, and with his colleague obtained a great 
victory overtire Samnites. The Samnite war continuing 
with dubious fuccefs, Fabius was created didtator, before 
Chrid 313. He was a fecond time conful, before Chrift 
30S, when he had the management of the war againft the 
Etrufcans, who had laid liege to Sutrhim. He defeated 
them, and afterwardspenetraied into their country through 
the Ciminian fereft, which had been deemed impalpable. 
He was continued in the command next year, and gained 
a complete vidtory over the Umbrians, the allies of the 
Etrufcans. He afterwards, in an extremely hard-fought 
battle, overthrew an army of tire latter nation, which had 
made a vow to conquer or die. Equal fuccefs attended him 
when he was a third time conful. He ferved the impor¬ 
tant office of cenfor, before Chrid 304, when the dignified 
appellation of Maximus was conferred upon him, which 
was perpetuated in his branch of the Fabian family. On 
a renewal of the Samnite and Etrufcan war, he was a 
fourth time made conful, which honour lie accepted only 
FAB 
upon the condition of nominating a colleague, who was 
Decius Mus. He was oppofed to the Samnites, over 
whom he obtained a vidtory by means of a fkilful ftrata- 
gem. In the year following lie was elected to a fifth cOn- 
fulate along with his former colleague Decius. 1 hree 
years afterwards, lie gave a fignal proof how much the 
love of his country predominated in him over other affec¬ 
tions, by oppofing, when prince of the fenate, the promo¬ 
tion of his own fon, Fabius Gurges, to the confulate, for 
which office he thought him not qualified. Gurges was 
however ehofen, and, marching againd the Samnites, un¬ 
derwent a defeat from them. The veteran father then 
offered to ferve as lieutenant under his fon ; and proceed¬ 
ing to the army, gave battle to the elated enemy. By his 
rondudt and valour, he not only refeued his fon from im¬ 
minent danger, but entirely rouled the Samnites with great 
daughter, and took prifoner their general Pontius Heren- 
nius. Farther fuccedes were obtained by the Fabii in 
this campaign, for which the fon, as conful, was decreed 
a triumph. The joyful father followed the triumphal 
ear on horfeback, and was gratified with hearing their 
joint praifes in the acclamations of the people. This was 
the conclufion of his military exploits. He was a (econd 
time nominated dictator, before Chrid 2S7, forthepur- 
pofeof completing a reconciliation between the plebeians 
and the patricians. He foon afterdied, full of glory, and 
was honoured with a public funeral. Livy. 
FA'BIUS MAXIMUS, furnamed Verrucosus, 
and alfo Cunctator, was either the grandfon or the 
great-grandfon of the preceding. He dilplayed from his 
infancy the rudiments of that temper which ever charac- 
terifed him—gravity, patience, mildnefs, together with a 
flownefs of parts which fubjedted him to the imputation 
of dupidity, but which did not preclude his acquifition 
of found fenfe, and civil and military knowledge. He was 
conful for the fird time, before Chrid 233, when he ob¬ 
tained atriumph for a vidtory over the Ligurians. Upon 
the great alarm excited at Rome on account of the vidtory 
gained by Hannibal at the lake Thrafymenus, before 
Chrid 217, he was made a fecond time conful, and nomi¬ 
nated by the fenate pro-didtator, the laws not allowing 
him the full title of didtator. He then marched with a 
recruited army to meet the Carthaginians. It was, how¬ 
ever, his plan to hazard nothing, but to hover round the 
enemy, watching all his motions, cutting off' his con¬ 
voys, and perpetually harading him, while he himfelf with 
the main body remained in polls of f'afety. In this he dea- 
dily perfevered, notwithdanding all the provocations of 
Hannibal, who became ferioufly alarmed at a mode of 
warfare which in the end mud, he forefaw, prove his ruin. 
The Romans, however, became highly diflatisfied with 
the didtator’s condudt, imputing his exireme caution 
either to timidity or bad faith. They recalled him to 
Rome, and reftifed to ratify a convention for the mutual 
exchange and ranfom of prifoners which he had made with 
Hannibal. Fabius, who was a dried obferver of his en¬ 
gagements, finding himfelf indebted to the Carthaginians 
for fome re lea fed captives, fent orders to his fon to fell his 
lands in order to raife the money. On departing from the 
army he had left peremptory orders with Minucius not to 
fight; but that officer, as fcon as he was gone, fent out 
fome drong detachments which were fuccefsfiil in cutting 
off a number of the enemy’s foragers. Tire news of this 
advantage, indudrioufly fpre.id and magnified at Rome, 
inflamed the public difeontent againd Fabius, and one of 
the tribunes in a virulent harangue charged him with 
treachery. The dictator made no other reply than faying 
with dignity, “ Fabius cannot be fiifpedted by his coun¬ 
try ;” and he publicly declared his intention of punidling 
the mader of the horfe for his difobedience. Inorderto 
prevent this, the people palled an unprecedented order, 
confirmed by the fenate, equalling Minucius in the com¬ 
mand with Fabius. When the latter returned to the 
camp, Minucius propofed that they diould command on 
alternate days; but Fabius would not confent thus to put 
the 
