402 
F I R 
F I II 
FTR'MED, adj. in falconry, well fledged, having the 
feathers of the wings entire. 
ITR'MICUS MATERNUS (Julius), an ecclefiaftical 
writer, who flourifhed about the middle of the fourth 
century. Baronius is of opinion that he was the fame 
perfon with Julius, who is faid to have been bifliop of 
Milan, and to have prefided in a fynod at Rome in the 
y ear 337- Firmicus was the author of a treatife, De Er- 
rore Profanarum Religionum, which he addrefled to the em¬ 
perors Conftantius and Conftans. Witli refpeft to the 
date of this work, it can only be affirmed with certainty, 
that it muff have been written fome time between the 
year 340, when the younger Conftantine was dead, and 
the year 350, in which Conftans was killed by Magnen- 
tms. It is a learned, able, and well-written, performance, 
and powerfully contrafrs the reafonablenefs and excellence 
@t the Chriftian fyftem with the abfurd and immoral tenets 
of the gentile creed. This work was firlt publilhed fepa- 
rately at Sjrafburg, 1562, gvo. afterwards at Heidelberg, 
1559, 8vo. and at Paris in 1575, 1589, and 1610, 8vo. In 
the year 1603 it was printed at Bafil by Frobenius, toge¬ 
ther with Minutius Felix, in a quarto volume, and illuf- 
trated with the notes of the learned Wowerius ; which 
edition w'as followed in impreflionsat Amfterdam in 1645, 
at Leyden in 1652, and again at the fame place in 1609, 
with corrections and additional illuftrations by J. F. Gro- 
novius. In 1666 it was publilhed at Paris, at the end of 
Cyprian’s works, in folio, revifed by Philip Priorius; and 
it is inferted in the fourth volume of the Bibliotheca Patrum. 
To the fame author the majority of critics concur in attri¬ 
buting a mathematical treatife, entitled, AJlronomicoruvi , 
feu de Matheji, Lib. VIII. This work, which treats of the 
power and influence of the fiars, according to the dodfrine 
of the Egyptians and Babylonians, contains a curious 
mixture of mathematical fcience with tire reveries of ju¬ 
dicial aftrology. It was firfl publiflied at Venice, 1497, 
folio, from a copy brought by Pefcennius Niger from 
Conftantinople ; afterwards by Aldus, 1499, folio ; and 
at Bafil, in 1533, folio. 
FIRMI'LIAN, an eminent Chriftian prelate in the 
third century, ordained biftiop of Caefarea in 233. He 
was prefent at the council of Iconium, held in 235; at 
the council of Antioch, in 252, convened on the fubjedl 
of Novatian’s fchifm ; and he prefided at the council held 
at the fame place in the year 264 or 265, to examine into 
the opinions of Paul of Snmofata. He was alfo invited 
to the council which was held at Antioch, in the year 
270, by which Paul was condemned and depofed ; but 
died at Tarfus, on his journey thither, towards the latter 
end of the year 269, at a very advanced age. Theodoret 
gives him the character of “an iiktftrious perfon, equally 
mailer of divine and human knowledge.” 
FIR'MIN (Thomas), an Englifti tradefmati, who for 
his uncommon virtues, and unwearied benevolence, de- 
ierves to have the particulars of his life recorded, as a 
juft'tribute of refpedl to his eminent worth, and as afford¬ 
ing an admirable pattern for the imitation of pofterity. 
He w r as born at Ipfwich, in Suffolk, in 1632. His parents, 
who were refpectable for their probity and piety, bound 
him as an apprentice to a tradefman in London. In this 
tituation lie was remarkable for his diligence and activity, 
as well as for his amiable obliging manners. When the 
time of his apprenticefliip was expired, he entered into 
taufinefs on his own account; and by his great induftry 
and (kill, he foon became a confiderable tradefman ; and 
as his commercial reputation increafed, he became more 
eminently known for his goodnefs of heart, his folicitude 
to promote the happinefs of others, and his kind exer¬ 
tions for alleviating the diftreffes of the poor and unfor¬ 
tunate. Front his firft engaging in bufinefs, it was his 
cuftom to obtain an acquaintance with as many perfons 
eminent for worth and integrity as he could, foreigners or 
Englifti, particularly with the clergy; among whom were 
Dr. Whichcote, Dr. Worthington, Dr. Tillotfon, and 
Dr, Wilkins. By the fire of London, in 1666, Mr. Fir- 
min’s hotife was cleftroyed ; but his noble fpirit and gene¬ 
rous w'ay of trading were now fo well known, that by the 
increafe of his bufinefs he foon repaired the lofs which 
he fuflered by that event, and might have amafied a very 
large property, if his heart had not prompted him to de¬ 
vote a great proportion of his gains to benevolent and 
humane purpofes. Obferving the number of poor chil¬ 
dren and others, who for want of employment were not 
only ufelefs but burthenfome to the community, in 1676, 
lie eredled large premifes, in which he eftabliflied a linen 
manufactory, and found conftant work for many hundreds 
who were either acquainted with the different branches 
of that bufinefs, or willing to be inftrudled in them. In 
1678 he publilhed, in quarto, Some Propofals for the em¬ 
ploying of the Poor, efpecially in and about the City of 
London, and for the Prevention of Begging, a Practice 
fo difhonourable to the Nation, and to the Chriftian Re¬ 
ligion. One of the ufeful meafures which he adopted 
was the erection of a large warehoufe near the banks of the 
Thames, in which corn and coals were depofited, to be 
fold in dear feafons to the poor at a moderate price, wliich- 
was never to exceed the prime coft. Mr. Firmin like- 
wife fignalifed his humanity by the zeal and activity 
which he difplayed in liberating poor debtors from pri- 
fon, and in providing for the more comfortable fubfift- 
ence of others whom he was unable to redeem. In per¬ 
forming thefe truly philanthropic fervices, he carefully 
examined the prifoners concerning the ufage which they 
met with from their keepers, and fometimes profecuted 
jailers for extorting unlawful fees, or other unjuft and 
oppreftive practices. Mr. Firmin was one of the gover¬ 
nors of St. Thomas’s hofpital, in Southwark, and ex¬ 
tremely aCtive in his endeavours to render it as beneficial 
as pollible ; and during the laft twenty years of bis life, 
lie was alfo a governor of Chrift-church hofpital, in Lon¬ 
don, of which he proved himfelf a great benefaCtor and 
conftant fuperintendant. When, in the years 1681 and 
1682, great numbers of French proteftants fied into Eng¬ 
land to efcape the perfecution of Louis XIV. Mr. Fir¬ 
min haftened to provide for the relief of thofe fufferers 
for confcience fake, and on that occafion, as well as after 
the revocation of the edict of Nantes, in 3685, many thou- 
fand pounds were entrufted to his management on account 
of the refugees. I11 1689, when vaft crowds of the Irilh 
nation, of ail ranks, fled to England from the perfecutions 
and proferiptions of James 11. another opportunity offered 
for the difplay of Mr, Firm in’s aCtive and indefatigable 
benevolence. He was particularly afliduous in promoting 
briefs and fubferiptions for their relief, and had the plea- 
fure to fee them produce more than fifty-fix thoufand 
pounds, to the diftribution of which he attended with 
fuch diligence, faithfnlnefs, and impartiality, that the 
archbifliop of Tuam and feven other Irifii biftiops united 
in fending him a letter, in which they exnreffed their 
grateful fenfe of his kindnefs and exertions on behalf of 
their countrymen. Mr. Firmin was a zealous friend to 
the civil and religious privileges of his countrymen. If 
any man was unjuftly or illegally opprelfed, he was ready 
to defend him as far as he was able ; and thofe who fiif- 
fered for Handing up for the rights of EngHIhmen, were 
hire of his friendftiip and alii fiance. By the diftribution 
of publications written in defence of public freedom, he 
endeavoured to aroufe the people to a juft oppofition to 
the tyrannical meafures of James II. and, as far as his 
fituation would permit, was a zealous promoter of the 
revolution. This excellent man died in 1697, in the fixty- 
fixth year of his age. The belt eulogium on his charaCter 
is the record of the tranfaCtions of his life. His piety was 
rational and fervent; and his life a continued difplay .of 
the virtues inculcated by Chriftianity. 
FIR'MIN, a town of’France, in the department of the 
Rhone and Loire, and chief place ot a canton, in the' 
dirtriet of St. Etienne: five miles weft of St. Etienne. 
FIR'M1T£, a town of Bohemia, in the circle of Leit- 
ineritz : eight miles north-weft of Leitmeritz. 
1 FIRM'LESSj . 
