470 FLO 
Flowers confidered as an article in the materia medica, 
claim particular regard.—With their (cent and colour 
their virtues generally go. It is alfo remarked, that the 
virtues of different flowers refide in different parts of 
them : e. jr. fajfron is a prod,ui 5 Iion v/hich rifes from the 
ftyle of the flower; it contains all the medicinal quali¬ 
ties of the plant, at 1 eaft all thofe for which faffron is 
efteerped; the aftive part of camomile flowers is in the yel¬ 
low difk ; in rofls, lilies, and feveral others, the virtues 
refide in the petals; and the flavour admired in rofemary 
flowers, lies chiefly in the calyx or cup. 
FLO WER-DELI'CE, f. [which Spenfer's notes to his 
Shepherd’s Calendar, makes a tranflation of flos delitiarum. ] 
The flower-de-luce.—And all emboft with lyons, and 
with flourdelice. Spenfler’. 
FLOW'ER-DE-LU'CE, f. in botany. See Iris. 
FLOW'ER-FENCE. See Adenanthera. 
FLOW'ER AGE, f. Store of flowers; a place where 
flowers are kept. 
FLOWER'ET, f. [ fleurct , Fr.] A flower; a fmall 
flower. The fame as Floret. 
That fame dew, which fometime on the buds 
Was wont to (well, like round and orient pearls, 
Stood now within the pretty flow’ret's eyes, 
Like tears that did their own difgrace bewail. Shakefpcare. 
FLOW'ER-GARDEN, f. A garden in which flowers 
are principally cultivated.—Obferving that this manure 
produced flowers in the field, I made my gardener try 
thofe (hells in my flower-garden, and I never favv better 
Carnations or flowers. Mortimer. 
FLOWER-GEN'TLE, f. The amaranthus.— Flower- 
gentle laft on lofty (lem did rife. Tate's Cowley. See Ama¬ 
ranthus. 
FLOW'ERINESS, f. The fiate of abounding in 
flowers. Floridnefs of fpeech. 
FLOW'ERING FERN. See Osmunda Regalis. 
FLOW'ERING RUSH. See Butomus. 
FLOWER-INWOWEN, part. adj. Stuck with flowers: 
With flower-inwoven trefles torn 
The nymphs in twilight (bade of tangled thickets mourn. 
Milton . 
FLOW'ERS,/ The menfes. 
FLOWER-SOFT, adj. Soft as a flower : 
The filken tackles 
Swell with the touches of thofe flowar-foft hands, 
That yarely frame the office. Shakefpeare. 
FLOW'ERTOWN, a town of the American States, in 
Pennfylvania, twelve miles north of Philadelphia, in 
Montgomery county. 
FLOW'ERY, adj. Full of flowers; adorned witli 
flowers real or fiflitious. — O’er his fair limbs a Jlow'ry 
veil he threw. Pope. 
Day’s harbinger 
Conies dancing from the Faff, and leads with her 
The jlow'ry May, who from her green lap throws 
The yellow cowllip and the pale primroie. Milton. 
FLOW'ERY-KIRTLED, adj. Robed in flowers.— 
Amidft the flowery-kirtled Naiades. Milton's Comus .— John- 
fon feparates this compound v.ord, to make the line an 
example of flowery, and by fuch ’eparation entirely alters 
the fenfe of the paflage. Mafon's Supplement. 
FLOW'INGLY, adv. With volubility; with abun¬ 
dance. 
FLOWK, f. [fluke, Scott ] A flounder; the name of 
a fifli.—Amongft thefe the flozuk, fide, and plaice, follow 
the tide up into the frefli waters. Carew. 
FLOWN, [participle of fly, or flee, they being con¬ 
founded; properly of fly.] Gone away : 
Where, my deluded fenfe! was reafon flown? 
Where the high majefty of David’s throne ? Prior, 
Puffed ; inflated; elate: 
F L U 
Is this a bridal or a friendly feaff ? 
Or from your deeds I rightly may divine, 
Unfeemly flown with infolence or wine. Pope, 
FLOX, f. with dyers, well-cleaned wool fometimess 
ufed to abforb a colour. 
FLOYD, a townfliipof the American States, inHerke- 
mer county. 
FLUCTI'FEROUS, adj. [from fluElus , a wave, and 
fero, Lat. to bring.] Producing waves, bringing waves. 
Not much ufed. 
FLUCTI'FRAGOUS, adj. [from fluElus, a wave, and 
frango , Lat. to break.] Breaking the waves. Scott. 
FLUCTI'GEROUS, adj. [from fluElus , a wave, and 
gero, to carry.] Born by the waves. Scott. 
FLUCTUSONOUS, adj. [from fluElus, a wave, and 
flono, Lat. to found.] Sounding like waves, roaring like 
the waves of the fea. Not much ufed. 
FLUCTI'VAGOUS, adj. [from fluElus, a wave, and 
vagor, Lat. to wander.] Floating on the waves, tofled on 
the waves. 
FLUC'TUANT, adj. [fluEluans, Lat.] Wavering; un¬ 
certain.—To be longing for this thing to-day, and for that 
thing to-morrow ; to change likings for loathings, and to 
ftand wifhing and hankering at a venture, how is it pofli- 
ble for any man to be at reft in this fluEluant wandering 
humour and opinion ? VEjhange. 
To FLUCTUATE, v. n. [fluEluo, Lat.] To roll to 
and again, as water in agitation : 
The fluEluating fields of liquid air, 
With all the curious meteors hov’ring there, 
And the wide regions of the land, proclaim 
The Pow’r Divine, that rais’d the mighty frame. Blackmore. 
To float backward and forward, as with the motion of 
water.—To move with uncertain and hafty motion : 
The tempter 
New parts puts on ; and, as to paffion mov’d, 
FiuEluates difturb’d. Milton. 
To be in an uncertain ftate ; to feel hidden viciflitudes.—» 
As the greateft part of my eflate has hitherto been of an 
'unfteady and volatile nature, either toft upon feas, or 
fluEluating in funds, it is now fixed and fettled in fubftan- 
tial acres and tenements. Addifon. —To be iirefolute ; to 
be undetermined. 
FLUCTU A'TION, f. [ fluEluatio, Lat. JluEluation, Fr. 
from fluEluate.~\ The alternate motion of the water.— 
FluEluations are but motions fubfervient, which winds, 
ftorms, fhores, (hel ves, and every interjacency, irregulates. 
Brown. —Uncertainty ; indetermination.—It will not hin¬ 
der it from making a profelyte of a perfon, that loves 
JluEluation of judgment little enough to be willing to be 
eafed of it by any thing but error. Boyle. 
FLUC'TUOUS, adj, Troubled, unquiet, reftlefs like 
the waves. 
FLUDD (Robert), aphyfician and philofopher, fon of 
fir Thomas Fludd, treafurer of war to queen Elizabeth, 
born in 1574, at Milgate in Kent. He was educated in 
St. John’s college, Oxford, where he took his degree in 
arts, and afterwards fpent fix years in travelling through 
Europe. It was probably during his peregrinations that 
he acquired that attachment to the Rofycrufian philofo- 
phy which afterwards diftiriguifhed him. On returning, 
lie took the degree of doctor of phyfic, fettled in Lon¬ 
don, and became a fellow of the college of phyficians. 
His emhufiaftic piety, and the apparent profundity of his 
fcientific knowledge, veiled under a myfterious jargon, 
infpired much admiration, and raifed him to temporary 
fame. He rofe to eminence in his profeffion, and died at 
his houfe in Coleman-ftreet, in 1637. Dr. Fludd was a 
very voluminous author. Compounding into one mafs 
all the incomprehenfible dreams of the cabalifts and 
Paracelfians, he formed a new phyfical fyftem, of won¬ 
derful myfteryand abfurdity. He imagined two univerfaj 
principles, the northern or condenfing power, and the 
louthern or rarefying. Over thefe he placed innumerable 
intelli- 
