FES 
And warns tlie fliepherd with his flocks retreat 
To leafy thadows from the threaten’d heat. Waller. 
Heat of mind ; zeal: 
Haply defpair hath feiz’d her; 
Or, wing'd with fervour of her love, file’s flown 
To her defir’d Pofthumus. Shakefpeare. 
Ardour of piety.—There will be at Loretto, in a few ages 
more, jewels of the greateft value in Europe, if the devo¬ 
tion of its princes continues in its prefent fervour. Addifcn. 
FE'RUS (John), a learned German catholic divine, 
who flourifhed in the fifteenth century. His name in 
German was Wild, which was latinized into Ferus. He 
was a native of Mentz, where Ire took the habit among 
the Francifcans, and became warden of the order. For 
twenty-fortr years he preached in that city with very great 
reputation, and died there in 1554, in the fixtieth year of 
his age. Befides fermons, tracts, and other pieces, he 
was the author of Commentaries, written in the Latin 
language, on the Pentateuch, Job, Ecclefiafles, the La¬ 
mentations, Jonah, St. Matthew, St. John, the Afts of 
the Apoftles, the Epiftle to the" Romans, and the fir ft 
Epiftle of St. John, which have been printed at Mentz, 
Louvain, Antwerp, Lyons, and other places, and contain 
an ingenious compendium of the labours both of ancient 
and modern expofitors. Ferus’s work had the honour of 
being inferted in the Index Expurgatorius. From feveral 
paflages in his writings, he appears to have nearly con¬ 
curred in the opinion held by the firft anabaptifls in Ger¬ 
many, and fince their time by the quakers, and many 
good men of different perfuafions, that “ all war is re¬ 
pugnant to the diftinguifiling principle of Chriftianity, 
which is univerfal benevolence.” 
FES'CAMP. See Fecamt. 
FESCEN'NIA, Fesce’nniorum, or Tescennium, a 
town of Etruria, now Galefe , where the Fefcennine verfes 
were firft invented. Thefe verfes, the name of which con¬ 
veys an idea of vulgar obfeenity, were a fort of ruflic dia¬ 
logue fpoken extempore, in which the adtors expofed 
before their audience the failings and vices of their ad- 
verfaries, and by afatirical humour and merriment endea¬ 
voured to raife the laughter of the company. They were 
often repeated at nuptials, and many lafeivious expref- 
ftons were ufed for the general diverfion, as alfo at harveft- 
home, when geftures were made adapted to the fenfe of 
the unpolifhed verfes that were ufed. They were pro- 
feribed by Auguftus, as of immoral tendency. Pliny. 
FES'CENNINE, adj. [from Fefcennium, in old Italy, 
where licentious fongs came firft in vogue.] Licentious.— 
Their fefcennine and atellan way of wit was in early days 
prohibited- Slaj'tejbury. 
Such a race 
We pray may grace 
Your fruitful fpreading vine, 
But dare not aft; our vvifti in language fefcennine. B.Jonfon. 
FES'CENNINE, f. [the adjedtive by ellipfis.J A 
nuptial fong: 
Mr. Hearfay 
Told us, that Mr. Meanwell was new married, 
And thought it good, that we ftiould gratify him, 
And (hew ourfelves to him in a fefcennine. Cartwrights 
FES'CUE,y. \veefe, Dut.fefu, Fr,] A fmall wire, by 
which thofe who teach to read point out the letters: 
Teach them how manly paftions ought to move.; 
For fuch as cannot think can never love ; 
And fince they needs will judge' the poet’s art, 
Paint them with fefcucs to each fhining part. Dryden. 
FES'CUE-GRASS, f. in botany. See Festuca. 
FES'ELAW, a town of-Germany, in the archduchy of 
Auftria : two miles fouth of Baden. 
FE'SELS, f. A kind of bafe grain : 
Difdain not fefels or poor vech to fow, 
Or care to make Egyptian lentils thrive. May, 
Vol. VII. No. 431, 
FES 337 
FESHN, a town of Egypt: eighteen miles north of 
A.bu-Girge. 
FES'SAN. See Fezzan. 
FES'SE, f. in heraldry, one of the nine honourable 
ordinaries. See Heraldry.. 
F'ES'SITUDE, f. \_fcJftudo , Lat.J Wearinefs. Cole. 
FES'TAL, adj. \_Jcfalis, barb. Lat.] Feftive.—Take 
great care, that no complaifance, no good humour, no 
warmth of fefial mirth, ever make you feetn even to ac- 
quiefee. Chef erf eld. 
FES'TENBERG, a town of Silefia, in the principality 
of Otis : fourteen miles north-weft of Wartenberg, and 
twelve fouth-eaft of Militfch. 
To FES'TER, v. n. [fefle, in Bavarian, a fwelling cor¬ 
rupted, Junius.\ To rankle; to corrupt ; to grow viru¬ 
lent.—Paffion and unkindnefs may give a wound that (hall 
bleed and finart; but it is treachery that makes it fefer „ 
South. 
Inward corruption and infected fin, 
Not purg’d, and heal’d, behind remained (till, 
And fefering fore did rankle yet within. Spenfer, 
FES'TINANCE, f. [fefino, Lat. to haften.] Hafte; 
fpeed. 
FES'TINATE, adj. [ffinatus, Lat.J Hafty ; hurried. 
A word not in-ufe. —A.dvife the duke, where you are going, 
to a mod fefinate preparation ; we are bound to the like, 
Shakefpeare. 
FES'TINATELY, adv. Haftily; fpeedily; with fpeed. 
Notin ufe. —Take this key.; give enlargement to the Twain, 
and bring him fefinately hither. Shakefpeare. 
FESTINA'TION,y. [fefinatio, Lat.] Hafte; hurry. 
FES'TING-PENN Y, J. [peycnian, Sax. to faften, or 
confirm.] Earned given to fervants when hired or retained 
in fervice, fo called in the northern parts of England. 
FESTIN'ITY, y. Hafte; fpeed. 
FES'TINO, y in logic, the third mood of the fecond 
figure of the fyllogifm, the firft propolition whereof is an 
univerfal negative, the fecond a particular affirmative, 
and the third a particular negative ; as in the following 
example: 
FES No bad man can be happy. 
T 1 Some rich men are bad men. 
NO Ergo, fome rich men are not happy. 
FES'TIVAL, adj. [fefivus > 'Lz.t.'\ Pertaining to feafts; 
joyous.—He appeared at great tables, and fefival enter¬ 
tainments, that he might manifeft his divine charity to 
men. Atterbury. 
F'ES'TIVAL, y. Time of feaft ; anniverfary day of 
civil or religious joy.—The fefival of our Lord’s refur- 
reftion we have celebrated, and may now confider the 
chief confequence of his refurredtion a judgment to come. 
Atterbury. 
"So tedious is this day. 
As is the night before fome fefival, 
To an impatient child that hath new robes, 
And may not wear them. Shakefpeare. 
FES'TIVE, adj. [ fefivus , Lat.] Joyous; gay; befit- 
ting a feaft : 
The glad circle round them yield their fouls 
To fefive mirth, and wit that knows no gall. Thomfon. 
FESTI'VITY, y. \_fefivitas , Lat.] Feftival ; time of 
rejoicing.—There happening a great and folemn fefivity , 
fuch as the fheep-fhearings ufed to be, David condeicendS 
to beg of a rich man fome fmall repaft. South. —Gaiety ; 
joyfulnefs; temper or behaviour befitting a feaft.— 'I'd 
fome perfons there is no better inftrument to caufe the 
remembrance, and to endear the affection to the article, 
than the recommending it by fefivity and joy of a holy- 
day. Taylor. 
FESTOO'N,y [fefon, Fr.] An ornamental-device in 
the form of a wreath or. garland of flowers, or leaves 
twifted together, thickeft at the middle, and fufpended 
by the two extremes, whence it hangs down perpendicu- 
4 R larly. 
