28:3 
F E A 
tilts and tournaments were previoufly introduced, and 
the ladies of the court were entertained wit!) dexterous 
teats of chivalry. See the article Chivalry, vol. iv. 
p. 505.—William the Conqueror introduced thefe fplen- 
tlid feafts into England, and fent agents into different 
countries to collect the mod rare and admired diflies for 
liis table. But the coronation fead of Edward III. ex¬ 
ceeded every thing in this country that had gone before 
it. This magnificent entertainment coft 2S35I. 18s. 2d. 
equivalent to about 40,0001. of our money. At the in- 
dallation of Ralph abbot of St. Auguftine, Canterbury, 
A.D. 1309, fix thoufand gueffs were entertained with a 
dinner, confiding of three thoufand didies, which cod 
2S7I. 5s. equal to 4300I. in our times. “ It would require 
a long treatife (fays Matthew Paris) to defcribe the ado- 
nidving fplendor and fedivity with which the nuptials of 
Richard earl of Cornwall, and Cincia daughter of Rei- 
mund earl of Provence, were celebrated at London, in 
1243. To give the reader fome idea of it in few words, 
above 30,000 difiies were ferved up at the marriage din¬ 
ner.” The nuptials of Alexander III. of Scotland, and 
the princefs Margaret of England, were folemnized at 
York, in 1251, with dill greater pomp and probation. 
The archbidiop of York made the king of England a pre¬ 
sent of fixty fat oxen, which made only one article of pro- 
vifion for the marriage-fead, and were all confumed at 
that entertainment. But the indallation fead of George 
Neville, archbidiop of York and chancellor of England, 
exceeded all others in fplendor and expence. The reader 
may form fome idea of this plenteous fead, from the fol¬ 
lowing record of the provifions prepared for it. In wheat, 
quarters, 300; in ale, tuns,.300 ; in wine, tuns, too; in 
ipocraffe, pipes, 1; in oxen, 104; in wild bulls, 6; in 
muttons, 1000; in veals, 304; in porkes, 304 ; in fwanns, 
400; in geefe, 2000; in cappons, 1000; in pigs, 2000; 
in plovers, 400 ; in quailes, 1200; in fowls called rees, 
2400; in peacocks, 104; in mallards and teales, 4000; 
in cranes, 204; in kidds, 204; in chickens, 2000; in pi¬ 
geons, 2000 j in Connies, 4000 ; in bittors, 204 ; in heron- 
fhaws, 400; in pheafants, 200; in partridges, 500; in 
woodcocks, 400 ; in curliews, 100 ; in egrits, 1000; in 
ftaggs, bucks, and roes, 500 and more; in pad'ies of ve- 
nifon,.cold, 4000; in parted didies of jellies, 1000 ; in 
plain didies of jellies, 3000; in cold tarts, baked, 4000 ; 
in cold cudards, baked, 3000; in hot padies of venifon, 
1500; in hot cudards, 2000 ; in pikes and breams, 30S ; 
in porpoifes and feals, 12 ; fpices, fugared delicates, and 
wafers, plenty. No turkeys are mentioned in this enor¬ 
mous bill of fare, becaufe they were not then known in 
England,—We hear nothing of this profufion in modern 
times. Are the propenfities of mankind for gluttony 
abated ; or do we owe to the prefent weight of taxation 
the great virtue of temperance ? 
“ Better at the end of a Feast, than at the beginning 
of a fray.”—The French fay, II vaut mieux venir fur la 
fin d'un fefiin, qu'au commencement d'un combat. The Ita¬ 
lians, E meglio venire alia fine d'un jefiino , ch* al principeo 
d'una zujfa. The doCtrine intended to be inculcated by 
this proverb, is extremely obvious, and well explained by 
another:. “ Better is a morfel of bread with content, than 
a houfe full of facrifice, and firife therewith.” 
FEA'STER, f. One that fares delicioufiy.—Thefe 
feafiers could fpeak of great and many excellencies in 
manna. Taylor .—One that entertains magnificently. 
FEAST'FUL, adj. Fedive ; joyful : 
Thou, when the bridegroom with his feofifid friend 
Fades to bl fs at the mid-hour of night, 
Had gain’d thy entiance, virgin wife and pure. Milton . 
Luxurious; riotous: 
The fuitor train 
Who crowd his palace, and with lawlefs pow’r 
His herbs and flocks in feafifiul rites devour. Pope. 
FEAST 'RITE, f. Cudomobferved in entertainments; 
F E A 
His hofpitable gate, 
Unbarr’d to all, invites a numerous train 
Of daily gueds; whofe board with plenty crown’d, 
Revives the feafirites old. Philips. 
FEAT,/ l fait, Fr.] Ad; deed; aftion ; exploit. —. 
Our foldiers are men of flrong heads for aCtiqn, and per¬ 
form fuch feats as they are not able to exprefs. Addifon.~~ 
A trick; an artful, fedive, or ludicrous, performance.— 
The joints are more fupple to all feats of activity and 
motion in youth than afterwards. Bacon. 
FEAT, adj. [fa?t, bien fait, Fr. homofadlus ad ungnem . ] 
Ready; Ikilful; ingenious: 
Never mader had 
A page fo kind, fo duteous, diligent ; 
So tender over his occalions, true, 
So feat, lo nurfe-like. Shakfpeare. 
It is now only ufed in irony and contempt.—That feat 
man at controverfy. St tiling fleet. —Nice; neat: 
Look how well my garments fit upon me, 
Much jeater than before. Shahfpcare. 
To FEAT, v. a. To fadiion : 
To the more mature 
A glafs that feated them. Shakfpeare. 
FEA'TOUS, adj, Neat; dexterous. Obfolete ... 
FEA'TEOUSLY, adv. Neatly; dextroufly. Notinvfc; 
And with fine fingers cropt full fcatovfy 
The tender dulks on high. Spcnfcr. 
FEA'THER, f. [reSeji, Sax. feder, Germ.] The 
plume of birds.—Look, as I blow this feather from my 
face. Shakefpeare. 
The brave eagle does with forrow fee 
The fored waded, and that lofty tree 
Which holds her ned, about to be o’erthrown, 
Before the feathers of her young are grown ; 
She will not leave them, ncr (he cannot day, 
But bears them boldly on her wings away. Waller. 
Kind ; nature ; fpecies : from the proverbial expreflionj, 
birds of a feather ; that is, of a fpecies : 
I am not of that feather to diake od' 
My friend, when he mod needs me. Shakefpeare. 
An ornament; an empty title. [Upon a hoffe. ] A fort 
of natural frizzling of hair, which, in fome places, 
rifes above the fmooth hair, and makes a figure refem- 
bling the tip of an ear of corn. 
“ Birds of a Feather flock together.”—Every fportf- 
man knows the truth of this proverb; but it has a fur¬ 
ther meaning than the mere aflbeiation of irrational crea¬ 
tures : it intimates that fociety has a powerful attraction ; 
but that likenefs is the lure that draws people of the fame 
mind into habitual connexion. It is generally ufed in an 
ill fenfe, and thus applied to gangs of (harpers, thieves, 
gamblers, &c. who are invariably obferved to herd toge¬ 
ther. The Latins fay, Pares cum paribus facillime congre- 
gantur. The Greeks, Vtcan tov opeoiov ayei flsCN us tov 
op-oiov. Homer. 
To FEA'THER, v. a. To drefs in feathers. To fit 
with feathers. To tread as a cock: 
Dame Partlef was the fovereign of his heart : 
Ardent in love, outrageous in his play, 
He feather’d her a hundred times a-day. Dryden. 
To enrich; to adorn ; to exalt.—They duck not to fay, 
that the king cared not to plume his nobility and people, 
to feather him (elf. Bacon. 
To FLather one's Nefl. [Alluding to birds which col¬ 
lect feathers, among other materials, for making their 
ned.] To get riches together. 
To cut a Feather, [lea plirafe,] is when a diip makes 
a fea foam before her. 
FEA'THER (Princes), / See Amaranthus. 
FEA/THER 
