J. A. Schweighart of Nürnberg. According to De Boni (Biog. degli Artisti, Venice, 1840), it was again issued, but under another title, by Theodor Viero, Venice, 1786. Although there is a painter-like facility of handling about many of the plates, it seems to be generally admitted, that taken as a whole they must be regarded as but feeble representations of their great originals.—J. T—e.
* FECHNER, Gustav Theodor, a distinguished German physicist, born at Gross-Särchen, near Muskau, on the 19th of April, 1801. He studied successively at Sorau, Dresden, and Leipzig, and in 1834 obtained the chair of physics in the latter university. His attention was early directed to the subject of galvanism, the study of which he prosecuted with much success. He was the first who established experimentally the truth of Ohm's theory of the galvanic circuit. His writings, which are numerous and valuable, relate to a variety of topics in natural philosophy and anthropology.—J. S., G.
FECHT, Johann, a German theologian, was born at Saltzburg in 1636, and died in 1716. He became pastor of Langendenzlingen in 1666, and two years afterwards court-preacher at Dourlach. Subsequently he taught theology at Rostock, where he died. He was an opponent of the Pietists, and wrote a number of learned works in Latin and German.—R. M., A.
FECKENHAM, John de, the last abbot of Westminster, was the son of a humble cottager of the name of Howman. His historical name was taken from his birthplace, Feckenhamfoot, in Worcestershire. In his eighteenth year Feckenham, after having undergone some training in the Benedictine monastery of Evesham, was sent to Gloucester college, Oxford. When the abbey was dissolved in 1536, he received an annual pension of one hundred florins, and resumed his studies at Oxford, where he gained the degree of B.D. in 1539. He became chaplain to Dr. John Bell, bishop of Worcester, and afterwards to Dr. Edmund Bonner, bishop of London. When the bishop was denuded by the reformers, Feckenham was sent to the Tower of London, whence he was "borrowed" to discuss the leading topics in the papal controversy. He had four lengthened controversies with Bishop Hooper, and was sent back to the Tower, where he remained until the accession of Queen Mary in 1553. The queen appointed him a royal chaplain. Early in 1554, he was collated to the prebend of Kentish town in St. Paul's cathedral; made dean of that church in the place of Dr. William May, who had been ejected; and raised to the rectories of Finchley and of Greenford Magna in Middlesex. The queen sent him to Lady Jane Grey, two days before her execution, to secure her adhesion to the queen's religion. He was one of the disputants against Archbishop Cranmer, and Bishops Ridley and Latimer; but he said little or nothing against them. Throughout his career he delighted in rendering good offices to the persecuted protestants. In May, 1556, the university of Oxford bestowed upon him the title of D.D., without an exercise. In the following September he was appointed abbot of Westminster abbey. Upon the death of Queen Mary in 1558, Elizabeth, whose enlargement from prison he had often demanded from her predecessor, sent for Dr. Feckenham prior to her coronation, and offered him the archbishopric of Canterbury, which he declined. He sat in the first parliament as the last mitred abbot in the house of peers. He sternly opposed all the bills on the side of the Reformation, and was re-committed to the Tower, where he remained from 1560 to 1563, when he was placed under the charge of Bishop Robert Horne of Winchester. Through the influence of friends he was removed to the Marshalsea, and afterwards to a private house in Holborn. In 1571 he ministered to Dr. John Storey, before his execution. He was again in custody in 1574, and was afterwards under the surveillance of Bishop Richard Cox of Ely, whom the queen had appointed to secure his acknowledgment of the royal supremacy, and his admission to the church. He at length acknowledged the queen's supremacy, but would not conform to the church. Whilst a prisoner in Wisbeach castle in the island of Ely, he built a cross, which still survives; and passed the evening of his life in devotion and beneficence. He died in 1585, and was buried in Wisbeach church. He was a man of middle size, plump form, pleasing visage, and winning address. His published works are—"A conference dialogue-wise, held between the Lady Jane Dudley and Mr. John Feckenham;" "A Speech in the House of Lords;" "Two Homilies on the first three articles of the Creed;" "A funeral oration on the Duchess of Parma;" "A sermon on the funeral of Queen Mary."—J. L. A.
FEDELE, Cassandra, born at Venice in 1465. Her family, being partisans of the Viscontis, were driven out of Milan. The superior talents she displayed from her earliest youth induced her father to have her instructed in classics, and such were her poetical powers that Poliziano, in answer to a letter addressed to him, declares his astonishment at her masterly style. Her correspondence with Leo X., Louis XII., and several other sovereigns, affords ample proof of her abilities. It seems, however, that she excelled most in eloquence, and many of her orations have been published at Venice. Tomasini relates that Cassandra, having lost her husband in 1521, retired from the world, and was elected superior of the convent of St. Dominic, where she died at the age of ninety-three years, on the 26th of March, 1558.—A. C. M.
FEDER, Johann Georg Heinrich, a German philosophical writer, was born near Baireuth, May 15, 1740. He was successively professor at the gymnasium of Coburg and in the university of Göttingen, whence he was called to the head-mastership of the Georgianum at Hanover. Here he died in 1821. Among his writings the best known are his "Untersuchungen über den menschlichen Willen," 4 vols., directed against Kant; and his autobiography.—K. E.
FEDERICI, Camillo, a comic writer, was born of a noble family at Cartesio in Piedmont, on the 9th of April, 1749. His family name was Viassolo, and his christian name Giovanni Battista. Either at the instigation of some companion, or to indulge a vagrant disposition, the youthful Viassolo fled from his father's house, and went in search of adventures. Passionately fond of theatrical representations, he visited all the places of amusement wherever he went, and thus contracting a decided taste for the drama, became an actor. Like Molière and Shakspeare, he did not disdain the character of actor in his own plays after he had assumed that of dramatist. His first play was entitled "Camillo Federici," from which he took the name by which he is known, and which he transmitted to his posterity. In a letter to his son Carlo, in which he gives a biographical sketch of his life, he adduces as the reason for changing his name, that he did not wish to dishonour his father's name by his ill success. In 1787 Federici was engaged by the famous comic company of Pellandi, and soon after by that of Antonio Goldoni, to write a series of plays for the stage; in which kind of composition he undoubtedly excels all modern writers except Goldoni. His language is always correct, his intrigues well conducted, the subject well chosen, and the aim always moral. His prolific genius brought forth a great number of plays, the best of which are—"I falsi galantuomini;" "L'avviso ai mariti;" "Lo scultoroe ed il Cieco;" "Il cappello parlanté;" and although the number of comic writers was then very great, Federici was esteemed and beloved by all, particularly by Girand, Albergatti, and Sografi. He wrote some tragedies also, which, however, did not outlive their author. His modesty and noble pride often prevented his real wants being known, even to his friends; and had he not been sincerely loved by a Venetian nobleman, Francesco Barisan, who provided with a most liberal hand for all his wants, his privations and sorrows would have been extreme. His gratitude towards his friend was boundless, and he delighted in telling every one the many favours he had received from his generous Mæcenas. The grief felt by Federici at the selling of his manuscripts by Pellandi to Mairese, a publisher, contrary to his agreements, accelerated his death, which happened at Padua on the 23rd of December, 1802.—A. C. M.
FEDERICI, Cesare, a Venetian merchant of the sixteenth century, who set out for the East in 1563, visited India, and spent eighteen years in commercial pursuits and travels on the southern coasts and islands of Asia. He thence returned by Bagdad, Aleppo, and the Holy Land, to Europe, and landed again at Venice in November, 1581. On his return he wrote in Italian an account of his voyages, which may even now be read with interest as being both ingenious and trustworthy. It was published at Venice in 1587. See an English translation of it in the Asiatic Miscellanies, vol. i.—A. S., O.
FEDERMANN, Nicolaus, a brave German navigator and explorer, born at Ulm; died about 1550. He was commissioned to the New World by the rich bankers Welser, who had received large grants of land in that quarter from Charles V. The governor of Venezuela having died in the absence of Federmann,
