Chapter Faber to Fenton of F by Biographical Dictionary of English Literature

together with an accident in which he wounded a fellow-actor with a sword, led to his relinquishing it, and giving himself to writing plays instead of acting them. Thereafter he joined the army. Love and a Bottle (1698) was his first venture, and others were The Constant Couple (1700), Sir Harry Wildair (1701), The Inconstant (1703), The Recruiting Officer (1706), and The Beau’s Stratagem (1707). Farquhar’s plays are full of wit and sparkle and, though often coarse, have not the malignant pruriency of some of his predecessors. He made an unfortunate marriage, and died in poverty.

Farrar, Frederic William (1831-1903).—Theological writer, born in Bombay, and educated at London University and Cambridge, was for some years a master at Harrow, and from 1871-76 Head Master of Marlborough School. He became successively Canon of Westminster and Rector of St. Margaret’s, Archdeacon of Westminster and Dean of Canterbury. He was an eloquent preacher and a voluminous author, his writings including stories of school life, such as Eric and St. Winifred’s, a Life of Christ, which had great popularity, a Life of St. Paul, and two historical romances.

Fawcett, Henry (1833-1884).—Statesman and economist, born at Salisbury, and educated at Cambridge, where he became Fellow of Trinity Hall. In 1858 he was blinded by a shooting accident, in spite of which he continued to prosecute his studies, especially in economics, and in 1863 published his Manual of Political Economy, becoming in the same year Professor of Political Economy in Cambridge Having strong political views he desired to enter upon a political career, and after repeated defeats was elected M.P. for Brighton. He soon attained a recognised position, devoting himself specially to parliamentary reform and Indian questions, and was in 1880 appointed Postmaster-General, in which office he approved himself a capable administrator. His career was, however, cut short by his premature death, but not before he had made himself a recognised authority on economics, his works on which include The Economic Position of the British Labourer (1871), Labour and Wages, etc. In 1867 he married Miss Millicent Garrett, a lady highly qualified to share in all his intellectual interests, who collaborated with him in some of his publications. Mrs. Fawcett has written independently Some Eminent Women of our Times, Janet Doncaster (a novel), and Political Economy for Beginners. There is a life of Fawcett by Sir L. Stephen.

Fawkes, Francis (1721-1777).—Poet and translator, born near Doncaster, and educated at Cambridge, after which he took orders. He translated Anacreon, Sappho, and othér classics, modernised parts of the poems of Gavin Douglas, and was the author of the song, The Brown Jug, and two poems, Bramham Park and Partridge Shooting.

Feltham, Owen (1602?-1668).—Religious writer, author of a book entitled Resolves, Divine, Moral, and Political (circa 1620), containing 146 short essays. It had great popularity in its day. Though sometimes stiff and affected in style, it contains many sound, if not original or brilliant, reflections, and occasional felicities of expression. Feltham was for a time in the household of the Earl of Thomond as chaplain or sec., and published (1652), Brief Character of the Low Countries.

Fenton, Elijah (1683-1730).—Poet and translator, educated at Cambridge, for a time acted as secretrayto the Earl of Orrery in Flanders, and was then Master of Sevenoaks Grammar School. In 1707 he published a book of poems. He is best known, however, as the assistant of Pope in his translation of the Odyssey, of which he Englished the first, fourth, nineteenth, and twentieth books, catching the manner of his master so completely that it is hardly possible to distinguish between their work; while thus engaged he published (1723) a successful tragedy, Marianne. His latest contributions to literature were a Life of Milton, and an edition of Waller’s Poems (1729).