F I R 
FIRM'LESS, adj. Detached from fubftance.—-Does 
paflion (till the firmlefis mind controul. Pope. 
FIRM'LY, adv. Strongly; impenetrably; immove- 
ably.—How very hard particles, which touch only in a 
few points, can flick together fo firmly , without fomething 
which caufes them to bt* attra&ed towards one another, 
is difficult to conceive. Newton. —Steadily; conflantly : 
Himfelf to be the man the fates require ; 
1 firmly judge, and what I judge delire. Dryden. 
FIRM'NESS, f. Hardnefs; compadtnefs; folidity.— 
It would become, by degrees, of greater confiflency and 
firmnefs, fo as to relemble an habitable earth. Burnet .— 
Durability ; liability.—Both the eafinefs and firmnefs of 
union might be conjectured, for that both people are of 
the fame language. Hayward. —Certainty; foundnefs.— 
In perfons already poffeffed with notions of religion, the 
underftanding cannot be brought to change them, but by 
great examination of the truth and firmnefs of the one, 
and the flaws and weaknefs of the other. South. —Steadi- 
nefs ; conftancy; refolution.—This armed Job withyfm- 
nefs and fortitude. Attcrbury. 
Nor can th’ Egyptian patriarch blame my mufe 
Which for his firmnefs does his heat excufe. Rofcommon. 
FIR'MUM, now Fermo, a town of Picenum, on the 
Adriatic, the port of which was called Cafiellum Firmanum. 
Pliny. 
FIR'MY, a town of France, in the department of the 
Aveiron : one league eaft-north-eaft of Albin, and five 
and a half north-wefl of Rhodez. 
FIROUZABA'DI (Ibrahim Abou Ifhak, furnamed 
Skirazi), a Perfian dodtor of high repute, who fiourifhed 
in the eleventh century of the Chriftian era. He was born 
at Firouzabad, a town near Shiraz, and after fludying 
fome time in the latter city, he went to Baflora, where he 
attended the ledtures of the famous A 1 Gioudi. From 
Baflora he repaired to Bagdat, where he was invited by 
the illuftrious Nezam Molk, grand-vizier of Malec Schah, 
to undertake the diredlion of the college which had juft 
been eredted at his expence. At firft he declined that 
honourable ftation ; but was afterwards prevailed upon 
to accept of if, and difeharged its duties with eminent 
reputation until his death, which took place in the year 
of the Hegira 476, or 1083 of the Chriftian era, when he 
was in the eighty-fecond year of his age. His difciples 
went into general mourning for his death, and the college 
over which he had prefided was ordered to be (but up for 
a whole year, in teftimony of the public forrow for the 
lofs of fo great a man. He was the author of a work 
highly efteemed by the Mahometans, entitled, Al Tanbih, 
or, General Information ; in which he treats of the prin¬ 
cipal rites and obfervances of the muffulman law. Abul- 
fadl Ahmed has written a commentary upon it, entitled, 
Sc/iarh al Tanbih. 
FIROUZABA'DI (Magdeddin Abou Thaler Moham¬ 
med Ben Jacob), a learned oriental lexicographer, native 
of Firouzabad, born in the year of the 'Hegira 729, or 1328 
of the Chriftian computation. He was highly efteemed 
for his erudition by the greateft kings and princes of his 
time, particularly by Ben Abbas prince of Yemen, the 
mighty Tamerlane, and Bajazet firft emperor of the Turks, 
who at different times made him many valuable prefents. 
He was the author of a celebrated and' excellent dictionary 
of the Arabic language, entitled Camus, or The Ocean ; 
of which many learned moderns have greatly availed them- 
felves, particularly Bocharf, in compoling his Hierozoicon. 
Magdeddin was alfo the author of a work entitled Ahafian 
al Latkaifi a collection of pleafantries and witty fayings; 
and of another work entitled AJfaad bel AJfdad ala deregiat 
al egtehad, or The Means of being happy as far as it is 
poflible to be fo. He died in the 817th year of the Hegira, 
or 1414th of the Chriftian era. 
FIRST, adj. [pippr, Sax.] The ordinal of one; that 
which is in order before any other.—In the fix hundred 
and firfi year, in. the firfi month, the firfi day of the 
FIR 403 
month, the waters were dried up from off the earth. Gen. 
—Earlieft in time ; oppofed to laft.—The firfi covenant 
had alfo ordinances of divine fervice. lkb. ix. 1. 
Arms and the man I fing, the firfi who bore 
His epurfe to Latium from the Trojan fliore. Dryden. 
I find, quoth Mat, reproof is vain ! 
Who firfi offend, will firfi complain. Prior. 
Higheft in dignity.—Three prefidents, of whom Daniel 
was firfi. Daniel.—Firfi w ith the dogs, and king among 
the fquires. Spectator. 
’Tis little Will, the fcourge of France, 
No godhead, but the firfi of men. Prior. 
Great; excellent: 
My firfi fon, 
Where will you go ? Take good Cominius 
With thee. Shakefpeare. 
FIRST, f [from the adj.] Theforemoft; that which 
is in order before any other. 
FIRST, adv. [from the adj. ] Before any thing elfe 5 
earlieft: 
Heav’n, fure, has kept this fpot of earth uncurft, 
To ftiew how all tilings were created firfi. Prior. 
Before any other confideration.— Firfi, metals are more 
durable than plants ; fecondly, they are more folid and 
hard; thirdly, they are wholly fubterraneous; whereas 
plants are part above earth, and part under the'earth. 
Bacon. —It has often at before it, and means at the begin¬ 
ning.—Excepting fiffi and infedts, there are very few or 
no creatures that can provide for themfelves at firfi, with¬ 
out the afliftance of parents. Bentley. 
At firfi the filent venom (lid with eafe. 
And feiz’d her cooler fenfes by degrees. Dryden. 
First or lafi. At one time or other : 
But fure a general doom on man is paft. 
And all are fools and lovers firfi or lafi. Dryden. 
FIRST-BEGOT, adj. Eldeft ; firft produced. 
FIRST-BEGOT, or First-begotten, f. [from the 
adjf\ The eldeft of children : 
Flis firfi.begot, we know ; and fore have felt, 
When his fierce thunder drove us to the deep. Milton. 
FIRST-BORN, adj. Eldeft; firft in the orderof nativity. 
FIRST-BORN, f. [from the adjfi Eldeft; the firft: 
by the order of nativity.—Hail, holy light ! offspring of 
Heaven firfi-bornl Milton. 
Laft, with one midnight-ftroke, all the firfi.born 
Of Egypt muff lie dead. Paradife Lofi. 
FIRST-FRUITS, f. What the feafon earlieft pro¬ 
duces or matures of any kind.—The blooming hopes of 
my then very young patron have been confirmed by’moft 
noble firfi fruits, and his life is going on towards a plenti¬ 
ful harveft of all accumulated virtues. Prior. 
A fweaty reaper from his tillage brought 
Firfi-firuits, the green ear, and the yellow fheaf. Milton. 
The profits of any thing which are fooneft gained.-^-Al¬ 
though the king loved to employ and advance bifhops, 
becaufe, having rich bifhoprics, they carried their reward 
upon themfelves ; yet he did ufe to raife them by fteps, 
that he might not lofe the profits of the firfi-firuits, which 
by that courfe of gradation was multiplied. Bacon.— The 
earlieft effedb of anything; ' ✓ 
See, Father, what firfi-firuits on earth are fprung, 
From thy implanted grace in man ! Milton. 
FIRST-FRUITS, f. under the fupremacy of the 
church of England, are the profits, after avoidance, of 
every fpiritual living for the firft year, according to the 
valuation thereof in the king’s books. Thefe were given 
in ancient times to the pope throughout all Chriftendom, 
and were firft claimed by him in England of fuch fo¬ 
reigners 
