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long; having an inch or (.wo of the two years wood at their base, !the tops left entire; and plant them six or eight inches deep, in abed or border of good earth, in rows two feet asunder. Whenplanted in autumn, it will be eligible to protect their tops in limeof hard fro;t, the first winter, with any kind of long loose litter.The capril'rieation of the lig-tree, which for many ages was so enig-matical, is particularly w orthy of attention, not only as a singularphxnnmrnon in itself, but as it furnishes one or the most convinc-ing proofs of the reality of the sexes of plants. The flowers of thetig-tree are situated within a pulpy receptacle, which we call tin*tig. Of these receptacles, in the w ild lig-lree, some, as the capri-tuuis, have male (lowers only ; and others, as the erinosyce, havemale and female, both distinct, though placed in the same recep-tacle; but in the cultivated tig, these contain only female dowel's ;which are fecundated by means of a kind of gnat bred in the fruitof the wild tig-trees, which pierces that of the cultivated, to de-posit its eggs within ; at the same time diffusing within the recep-.tacle the farina of the male (lowers. Without this operationthe fruit may ripen, but no effective seeds are produced. Hencethe garden fig can only be propagated by layers and cuttings, inthose countries where the wild tig is not known. The process ofthus ripening the fruit, in the oriental countries, is not left to nature,but is managed w ith great art, and different degrees of dexterity,so as to rew ard the skilful husbandman with a much larger increaseof fruit than would otherwise he produced. A tree of the samesize, which, in the S. of France , where caprification is not practised,may produce about 25 pounds of fruit, will, by that art, in theGrecian islands, bring ten times that quantity.
2. Ficus Caprificus, the wild tig-tree, lias male flowers only ;the farina of which is used to impregnate the female flowers of thecommon fig-tree.
3. Ficus Frinosyce, another species of wild fig-tree which, hasmale and female flowers distinct.
4. Ficus Religiosa, the Banian Tree, or Indian Fig , is anative of several parts of the East-Indies. It hath a woody stem,branching to a great height and vast extent, with heart-shaped en-tire leaves ending in acute points. Of this tree Milton has givena description equally beautiful and just, in his Par. Lost. B. ix.1 . 1100 .
FID, [ fitla , Italian,] a pointed iron with which seamen untwisttheir cords.
Fids or Fidds, are likewise used at sea to splice or fasten ropestogether. There are also Adds of wood, made tapering at oneend, but much larger than the iron ones. The pin in the heel ofthe topmast, which bears it upon the chess-tree, is likewise calleda field.
FIDA, a kingdom of Africa. See Whidah.
FiDD-HAMMER, a hammer the handle of which is a field,or made tapering into that form.
FIDE1 COMMISSUM, in Roman antiquity, an estate left intrust with any person, for the use of another.
Fide-Jussor, in the civil law, is a surety, or one that obligeshimself in the same contract with a principal, for the greater se-curity of the creditor or stipulator.
FIDES, Faith or Fidelity , one of the virtues deified bv theRomans, bad a temple near the Capitol, founded by Nutria Pom-pdiu->, but no animals were offered, or blood spilt, in her sacri-fices. During the performance of her rites, her priests appearedin white vestments, with their heads and hands covered with linen,to 'hew that fidelity ought to be sacred.
FID I US, in Pagan worship, a god w ho presided over alliancesand promises. This deitv, whom the Romans borrowed from theSabines, was also called Sauctus, Semon, and Semi pater.
FI DR IE, an island of Scotland , in the Frith of Forth.
FI ECU TAG II, a town of Germany in Bavaria ; six miles N.of Betz.
FIEF: See Fee, Feod , and Feodal System. It has beenan object of enquiry among the learned, in what nation of barba-rians tiefs had their origin. It is probable, that they took placein the different nations of Europe , nearly about the same time,on the same principles, and were continued by similarity of man-n ‘rs, conquests, &c. so that we cannot ascrilje the prevalence o(th m to im tation. In France , we find fiefs mentioned as early asthe age of Ciuiucbirt 1. They were introduced into Italy by the
Lombards ; among whom the customs and laws relating to fiefsseem very early to have made rapid advances. Giannone llist.ot Naples, b. iv. They were introduced into Spain before theinvasion of the Moors, A. D. 710.
FIELD, in agriculture, a piece of ground used for tillage orpasture.
Field, in heraldry, is the whole surface of the shield, or, con-tinent, so called, because it contains those atcluevcmcnts ancientlyacquired in the field of battle. It is the ground on which the co-lours, bearing, metals, furs, charges, ike. are represented. Amongdie modern heralds, field is less frequently used in blazoning thanshield or escutcheon. See Shield and Heraldry.
Field, Richard, D. D. an eminent divine of the church ofEngland, born at Hempstead in Hertfordshire , in 1561, and ad-mitted at Magdalen college, Oxford , in 1577. In 1598 he was ap-pointed chaplain to Q. Elizabeth, and on the accession of K.James I. was made chaplain to that monarch. In 1604, he wasappointed canon of Windsor, and in 1609 dean of Gloucester. liewas much esteemed by K. James, who, in his usual punning way,stiled him “ a Field for God to dwell in ;”—an exp ession im-proved by Fuller, who in quoting one of his works, silled him “aField which the Lord had blessed.” lie died Nov. 21, 1616,just whftn James was intending to appoint him bishop of Oxford ,lie wrote Five Books on the Church, and several other tracts onreligion. _
Field Book, in surveying, that wherein the angles, stations*distances, &c. are set down.
Field Colours, in war, are small flags of about afoot and ahalf square, which are carried along with the quarter-master ge-neral, for marking out the ground for the squadrons and batta-lions.
Fieldfare , in ornithology. SeeTutinus.
Field Marshal, a commander of an army in the field, an of-fice now disused in the British armies, though still of high rank inother European armies. Lord Tyrawley, appointed in 1763, wasthe last British Field Marshal.
Fieldpiece, small cannon used in battles, but not in sieges; theyare from three to 12 pounders.
Field Staff, a weapon carried by the gunners, about thelength of a halbert, with a spear at the end ; having on each sideears screwed on, like the cock of a match-lock, where the gun-ners screw in lighted matches when they are upon command ; andthen the field-staffs are said to be armed.
Field Works, in fortification, are those thrown up by an armyin besieging a fortress, or by the besieged to defend the place.Such are the fortifications of camps, highways, &c.
FIELEWEEll, an island of Norway , on the W. coast, 22 mileslong, and four broad.
FIERENZO, St. a sea-port tow n of France , in the island anddepartment of Corsica.
FIERENZUOLO, a town of Italy, in Parma , on the I.arda;12 miles S. E. of Placentia.
FIERI FACIES, in law, a judicial writ, that lies at all timeswithin the year and day, for him that has recovered in an actionof debt or damages, to the sheriff, to command him to levy thedebt, or the damages of his goods, against whom the recoverywas bad.
FIKSOLA, FIESOLI, or FIEZOLI, a town of Italy , inTuscany, between Florence and l’ratolino, anciently called Fin-sular, 3 miles N. E. of Florence .
FIFE, orFIFESHIRE, a county of Scotland , bounded oil| the W. by Clackmannan, N. by Perthshire, E. by the Germanocean, and S. by the Frith of Forth. It is above 32 miles long,and from seven to 17 broad; but along the coast, from Cruil toCtiiross, it extends about 40 miles in length. The face of thecountry is various. Towards the W. it is mountainous, havingthe Lomond hills rising to a great height; to the K. it is flat, wellcultivated, awl produces grain of all kinds in great plenty.
Fife, in music, a wind instillment consisting of a small p'pe.
Fife-Rails, in a ship, are those placed on banisters, on ear' 1side of the top of the poop, and so along with haunters or tails-I They reach down to the quarter-deck, and to the stair of the gang"; wav.
I FIFTEEN TH, an ancient tribute or tax laid upon cities, bo-] roughs. Sic. through all England, and so termed because d
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