Chapter Foible to Foot-breadth of F by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Foible to Foot-breadth

Foible, the intriguing lady’s-maid of lady Wishfort, and married to Waitwell (lackey of Edward Mirabell). She interlards her remarks with “says he,” “he says says he,” “she says says she,” etc.—Congreve: The Way of the World (1700).

Foigard (Father), one of a gang of thieves. He pretends to be a French priest, but “his French shows him to be English, and his English shows him to be Irish.”—Farquhar: The Beaux’ Stratagem (1705).

Foker (Henry), son of lady Foker. He marries Blanche Amory.—Thackeray: Pendennis (1850).

Folair, a pantomimist at the Portsmouth Theatre, under the management of Mr. Vincent Crummles.—Dickens: Nicholas Nickleby (1838).

Foldath, general of the Fir-bolg or Belgæ in the south of Ireland. In the epic called Temora, Cathmor is the “lo rd of Atha,” and Foldath is his general. He is a good specimen of the savage chieftain: bold and daring, but presumptuous, overbearing, and cruel. “His stride is haughty, and his red eye rolls in wrath.” Foldath looks with scorn on Hidalla, a humane and gentle officer in the same army, for his delight is strife, and he exults over the fallen. In counsel Foldath is imperious, and contemptuous to those who differ from him. Unrelenting in revenge; and even when he falls with his death-wound, dealt by Fillan the son of Fingal, he feels a sort of pleasure that his ghost would hover in the blast, and exult over the graves of his enemies. Foldath had one child, a daughter, the blue-eyed Dardu-Lena, the last of the race.—Ossian: Temora.

Folio (Tom), Thomas Rawlinson, a bibliopolist, who flourished about 1681–1725.—The Tatler.

Fondlewife, an uxorious banker.—Congreve: The Old Bachelor (1693).

When Mrs. Jefferson [1733–1776] was asked in what characters she excelled the most, she innocently replied, “In old men, like ‘Fondlewife’ and ‘sir Jealous Traffic,”—T. Davies.

(“Sir Jealous Traffic” is in The Busy Body, by Mrs. Centlivre.)

Fondlove (Sir William), a vain old baronet of 60, who fancies himself a schoolboy, capable of playing boyish games, dancing, or doing anything that young men do. “How marvellously I wear! What signs of age have I? I’m certainly a wonder for my age. I walk as well as ever. Do I stoop? Observe the hollow of my back. As now I stand, so stood I when a child, a rosy, chubby boy. My arm is firm as ’twas at 20. Oak, oak, isn’t it? Think you my leg is shrunk?—not in the calf a little? When others waste, ’tis growing-time with me. Vigour, sir, vigour, in every joint. Could run, could leap. Why shouldn’t I marry?” So thought sir William of sir William, and he married the Widow Green, a buxom dame of 40 summers.—Knowles: The Love-Chase (1837).

Fontainebleau (Decree of), an edict passed by Napoleon I., ordering all English goods wherever found to be ruthlessly burnt (October 18, 1810).

Fontarabia, now called Fuenterabia (in Latin Fons rapidus), near the gulf of Gascony. Here Charlemagne and all his chivalry fell by the sword of the “Spanish Saracens.”—Mariana.

Mezeray says that the rear of the king’s army being cut off, Charlemagne returned and obtained a brilliant revenge.

Fool (A Royal). James I. of Great Britain was called by Sully of France “The Most Learned Fool in Christendom” (1566–1625).

Fool (The), in Shakespeare’s King Lear, a wise counsellor in disguised idiotcy.

Fool (The), in the ancient morrisdance, represented the court jester. He carried in his hand a yellow bauble, and wore on his head a hood with ass’s ears, the top of the hood rising into the form of a cock’s