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prince shewed so strong an inclination to literature and music asto incur his father’s displeasure. The sevcie treatinent he re-ceived, led him, in 1750, to attempt an escape trom Prussia, butthe scheme being discovered, the prince was confined in the castleof Cuslrin, anil his young companion Katte executed before bisface. After a confineiiieiit of some months he obtained bis par-don, and in 1 733 married the princess of Brunswick Wolfenbuttle,in obedience to his father’s command, but be never cohabited with ]her. In 1740 lie succeeded to.the throne, and taking advantage Iof the defenceless stale of Maria-Tberesa, ijueen of Hungary , tiemarched into Silesia, which was added to his dominions by thetreatv of Breslav.. In 1744 the war was tenewed against the queenof Hungary, and the same year Frederick took Prague , whichhowever he was forced to quit by the approach of a Saxon armyunder the prince of Lorraine. In 174.5 be defeated that prince,at Friedburgli, and then marched into Bohemia , where he de-feated an Austrian armv which was superior to his own. Shortlyafter be look Dresden and laid it under heavy exactions. A treatyof peace was concluded at the end of this year by the. mediationof the English minister ; and the interval of tranquillity was em-ployed by Frederick in regulating his dominions, forming a bodyof laws, ami in composing some literary works. In 1730 Voltaire visited Prussia, and was received with the most flattering marks ofattention by the king; bqt the friendship at last ended in a violentquarrel, and the French philosopher quitted Prussia abruptly, andin disgrace. In 173tia treaty w,sconcluded between England andPrussia, which produced another between France, Austria , andRussia . The seven years war, as it is called, began by the.marchof Frederick into Saxony and taking the camp of Pirna. '1 he fol-lowing year he gained the battle of Prague over the Austrians, onwhich lie laid siege to that city: but after reducing it to great sti aits,lie was compelled to retreat by marshal Daun, and retire into Saxony .Frederick was now surrounded by enemies, the French enteredHanover, the Russians and Sw edes advanced towards Prussia, andthe Imperialists pursued him into Saxony . Still undaunted, heattacked arid defeated the French and Austrians at Rosebach; thenmarching into Silesia, lie beat another army at Lissa. The llus-sians and Swedes retreated precipitately from Prussia; and theHanoverians took the field under the prince of Brunsw ick. In1758 he received a large subsidy from England ; and the same yearhe entered Moravia, where he laid siege to Olmutz , which wasrelieved by marshal Daun. lie then marched against the llus-sians, who had laid siege to Custrin, and defeated them alterabloody battle at Zoriitloff. But not long after lie w as surprizedand beat bv Daun, at llockkivchen. The next year the king wasdefeated alter a very obstinate and doubtful engagement, at Cun-nersdoff, by the Russians ; and in 1761, the confederates enteredBrandenburg, and took Berlin. Frederick , however, by defeatingDaun at Torgau , gave a turn to his affairs, and the llussians andSwedes quitted his territories. - In 1762 peace was restored be-tween him and Russia and Sweden , and in 1763 a treaty much inhis favour was concluded with the empress queen, by which Sile-sia was confirmed to Prussia. Still intent upon aggrandisement, heplanned the partition of Poland in 1772, and obtained for his shareWestern Prussia , in 1778 he opposed the design of the emperorJoseph to dismember Bavaria , and marched in person against thatmonarch, who was assisted by the famous general Laudohn. Butno action took place, and by the treaty of Tesclien, in 1779, theAustrian court renounced tne design. After a long and activelife, Frederick died in 1786. He was courteous in his manners,lively in conversation, an acute politician, and in general fond ofjustice and humanity. But he was an avowed infidel, and actu-ated by no better principle than pleasure and self-interest. lienever had any issue. His works published in his lifetime are infour vols. 8vu. ; and since his death fifteen more have been printed.The principal are, tin* Memoirs of the House of Brandenburg: apoem on the Art of War: the History of his own Time: and theHistory of the Seven Years War .

Frederick V. king of Denmark , reigned 20 years, and on hisdeathbed, expressed his satisfaction to his son Christian VII. ina circumstance, w hic h few liionarchs can boast who have reignedso long. “It is a great consolation to me my son, (said lie) inmy last moments, that 1 have not injured any person, and that un-hands are not stained with one drop of blood.”

Frederick., a county of Maryland , bounded on the N. by

1

Pennsylvania, E. by Baltimore, S. VY. by the Potomac , and W,by Washington.

Frederick, a counts - of Virginia , bounded on tin* N. byBerkley, E. and S. by the Slianandoali, and VY. by Hampshire .Winchester is the chief town.

Frederick , a town of New Brunswick, on the N: side of St,John’s river. Lon. 66. 4.3. VV. Lat. 46.3. N.

FREDERICKSBURG, a Danish fort on the Gold coast ofGuinea, in Africa , near Cape Tltreepoinls, 62 miles from CapeCoast Castle. Lon. 1. 5. VV. Lat. 4. 30. N.

Fredericksburg, a town of Virginia , in Spotsylvania county,50 miles S. >. VV. of Alexandria . 1-on. 77. 26. W. Lat. 38. 22. N.

FREDERICKSHALL, a town of Norway in the province ofAggerimj s, on the frontiers of Sweden , and on the extremity ofthe Swinesimd, 31 miles S. E. of Christiania , and 50 N. ofUd-devnlla, Lon. 10. 59. E. Lat. 59. 2. N.

FR EDF.RK KSODE, a town of Denmark, in Jutland , 59miles N. of Sleswick.

FRED ERIGKS-SUND, a sea-port of Denmark , in the isle ofZealand, 10 miles N. VV. of Copenhagen . Lon. 12. 13. E. Lat. 55.50. N.

FUEDERICKSTADT, a town of Denmark , J7miles W. S.VV. of Sleswick.

Frederickstadt, a town of Norway , in the province of Ag-gerhuvs, 26 miles VV'. of Frederickslu-.lI.

FREDERICKS'TOWN, a nourishing town of Maryland , 47miles VV. by N. of Baltimore .

FREE, or IMPERIAL CITIES in the late German constitu-tion, are those not subject to any particular prince ; but governed,like republics, by their own magistrates.

Free-Bench, signifies that estate in copyhold which the wife,being espoused a virgin, has alter the decease of her husband forher dower, according to the custom of the manor. In regard tothis frec-bench, different manors have diflercnt customs. In themanor of E. and VV. Enbourne in Berkshire , and other parts ofEngland, there is a custom, that when a copyhold tenant dies, thewidow shall have her free-liench in all the deceased husband’slands, dum sola & casta fuerit, “ whilst she lives single andchaste;” but if she shall be guilty of incontinency, he shall forfeither estate. Nevertheless, upon her coming into the court of themanor riding backwards on a black ram, with his tail in her hand,rehearsing a ridiculous and indelicate form of words in doggerelrhymes, characteristic of the times in which they were composed,the steward is bound by the custom to restore her to her free-bendi.

FREEBOOTER, or FILIBUSTER, was originally a namegiven to the pirates who scoured the American Beas, and madewar against the Spaniards.

FREF. D-MAN. See Libertus.

FREEDOM. See Liberty.

Freedom of Conscience . See Toleration.

Freedom of the Will, that power or faculty of the mind,whereby it is capable of acting or not acting, choosing or rejectingwhatever it judges proper or improper. Of this every man mustbe sensible, who finds in himself a power to begin or forbear, con-tinue or end, several actions, barely by a thought or preference ofthe mind. See Metaphysics.

l'REE-IIOLD, signifies lands or tenements which a personholds in fee-simple, fee-tail, or for term of life. Freehold is dis-tinguished into freehold in deed, and freehold in law : the lirst oiwhich signifies the real possession of lands, &c. in tec, or for life ;the other is the right that a person lias to such lands or tenement’before his entry.

Frkf.-hoi.d is also extended to such offices as a man holds infee, or during life. A freehold, by the common law, cannot com-mence in futuro, hut it must take effect pr< sently, either in posses-sion or reversion, or remainder; and where a person pleads liberumtenementum, or freehold, generally the law intends he has a 11estate in fee, and not barely for life. Whatever is part of lb efreehold, goes to the ln-ir; and things fixed thereto, mav not b*taken as a distress for rent, or in execution, &c. Nomansba"be disseised of his freehold by stat. Magna Cliarta, tap. 29, btdby judgement of his peers,'or according to laws of the land : U° rshall ^iny distrain freeholders to answer for their freehold, in ai'7thing concerning the same, without the king’s’writ. Freel'°‘“

estate