Chapter Father Mathew to Fear Fortress of F by Brewer's Phrase & Fable

Father Mathew to Fear Fortress

Father Mathew (See Mathew .)

Father Neptune The ocean.

Father Norbert Pierre Parisot, the French missionary (1697-1769).

Father Paul Pietro Sarpi, father of the order of Servites in Venice, who changed his Christian name when he assumed the religious habit. (1552-1623.)

Father Prout Francis Mahoney, a humorous writer in Fraser's Magazine and the Globe newspaper. (1805-1866.)

Father Thames or Old Father Thames. The Thames, so far as it belongs to London.

"Say, Father Thames, for thou hast seen
Full many a sprightly race
Disporting on thy margent green,
The paths of pleasure trace."
Gray: Distant Prospect of Eton College.

   The epithet is not uncommonly applied to other great rivers, especially those on which cities are built. The river is the father of the city, or the reason why the site was selected by the first settlers there.

"O Tiber, Father Tiber,
To whom the Romans pray."
Macaulay: Lay of Horatius.

Father Thoughtful Nicholas Catinat, a marshal of France; so called by his soldiers for his cautious and thoughtful policy. (1637-1712.)

Father of Waters The Irawaddy, in Burmah, and the Mississippi, in North America. The Nile is so called by Dr. Johnson in his Rasselas. (See Father Thames.)

Father of his Country
   Cicero was so entitled by the Roman senate. They offered the same title to Marius, but he refused to accept it.
   Several of the Cæsars were so called - Julius, after quelling the insurrection of Spain; Augustus, etc.
   Cosmo de Medici (1389-1464).
   G. Washington, the defender and paternal counseller of the American States. (1732-1799.)
   Andrea Dorea (1468-1560). Inscribed on the base of his statue by his countrymen of Genoa.
   Andronicus Palæologus II. assumed the title (1260-1332).
   (See also 1 Chron. iv. 14.)

Father of the People
   Louis XII. of France (1462, 1498-1515). Henri IV. was also termed "the father and friend of the people" (1553, 1589-1610).
   Christian III. of Denmark (1502, 1534-1559).
   Gabriel du Pineau, the French lawyer (1573-1644).

Fathers of the Church The early advocates of Christianity, who may be thus classified: -
   (1) Five apostolic fathers, who were contemporary with the apostles - viz. Clement of Rome, Barnabas, Hermas, Ignatius, and Polycarp.
   (2) The primitive fathers. Those advocates of Christianity who lived in the first three centuries. They consisted of the five apostolic fathers (q.v.), together with the nine following: - Justin, Theophilus of Antioch, Irenæ'us, Clement of Alexandria, Cyprian of Carthage, Origen, Gregory Thaumaturgus, Dionysius of Alexandria, and Tertullian.
   (3) The fathers, or those of the fourth and fifth century, who were of two groups, those of the Greek and those of the Latin Church. (See below.)

Fathers of the Greek Church Eusebius, Athanasius, Basil the Great, Gregory Nazianzenus, Gregory of Nyssa, Cyril of Jerusalem, Chrysostom, Epiphanius, Cyril of Alexandria, and Ephraim, deacon of Edessa.

Fathers of the Latin Church Lactantius, Hilary, Ambrose of Milan, Jerome, Augustin of Hippo, and St. Bernard.
   The last of the fathers. St. Bernard (1091-1153). The schoolmen who followed treated their subjects systematically.
   Founder of the fathers of Christian doctrine. Caesar de Bus (1544-1607).

Fathom (Count). A villain in Smollet's novel so called. After robbing his benefactors, and fleecing all who trusted him, he is at last forgiven.

Fatima The last of Bluebeard's wives, who was saved from death by the timely arrival of her brother with a party of friends. Mahomet's favourite daughter was called Fatima.