queen on 5th November, 1853, he assumed the regency, and conducted the affairs of the kingdom without making any change in the ministry, until the 16th September, 1855, when he resigned the regal authority into the hands of his son.—F. M. W.
Ferdinand I., Duke of Braganza, son of Don Alfonso, first of that title, born in 1403, was named admiral of the Portuguese fleet in 1437, and captain-general of Ceuta in 1445. He succeeded his father in the title of Duke of Braganza in 1461, and in 1471 followed Alfonso V. into Africa, with a large force maintained at his own cost. The king conferred on him the title of Fronteiro Mor (Viceroy) of all the possessions of the house of Braganza. He died at Villa Viçosa in 1478.—F. M. W.
Ferdinand II., Duke of Braganza, son of Ferdinand I. of that title, born in 1430; married at the age of seventeen to Eleanor de Menezes, and again, in 1470, to Doña Isabel, niece of the king of Portugal. In 1458 he followed the king, Alfonso V., into Africa, at the head of a little army of his own, and in 1462 was named Fronteiro Mor, or chief warden, of the province of Entre Minho e Douro. On the death of his father in 1478, Ferdinand found himself virtually an independent prince, with an army and a revenue which made him a formidable subject of John II., with whom he was involved in a long series of disputes respecting the homage to be rendered for his possessions. The king resolved to rid himself of Ferdinand, although the latter was supported by most of the nobles, and was supposed to be in alliance with the court of Castile. A court, presided over by the king, found Ferdinand guilty of high treason, and he suffered death on the scaffold, 21st July, 1483. His son, James I., was reinstated in the paternal possessions in 1496.—F. M. W.
FERDINAND de Cordova, a Spanish writer and warrior, born about 1420 at Cordova, of a good family; died about 1480. He served under John II. against the Moors, and is recorded to have performed prodigies of valour and strength. He, however, devoted himself to literary pursuits, and the extent of his knowledge was so marvellous as to draw down upon him the accusation of sorcery. He was sent on several important missions to Paris and Rome by Ferdinand V., and was received with honour by Pope Alexander VI. Of his works, the most important are—commentaries on the Apocalypse, and various small works on parts of the Bible; a preface to Albertus Magnus, De Animalibus, Rome, 1478; and some ecclesiastical writings.—F. M. W.
FERDINAND de Jesus, a Spanish carmelite monk, born in 1571; died in 1644. He entered the order in 1588, being already distinguished for his learning. His fame, however, soon became greater as a preacher, and he received the appellation of the Spanish Chrysostom. His works are forty-eight in number, including commentaries on Aristotle, and on several of the prophets; treatises on logic and physical science; theological and historical essays; and Greek and Hebrew grammars.—F. M. W.
FERDINAND de Talavera, Archbishop of Granada, born in 1445; died in 1507; was confessor to Queen Isabella, and a counsellor of Ferdinand V. He was extremely zealous in urging on the sovereigns the prosecution of the wars against the Moors, and was the first archbishop appointed to the see of Granada after it was recovered by the christians. His works are numerous, relating chiefly to matters of doctrine and ritual.—F. M. W.
FERDINANDI, Epifanio, an Italian physician, born at Messagna in 1569, and died in 1638. After making himself a proficient in the knowledge of the ancient languages, he went to Naples, where he graduated in philosophy and medicine, and whence he returned to practice the latter in his native town. In 1616 he became physician to Giulia Farnese, with whom he visited Rome and other cities, in which he refused tempting offers to take up his residence. He wrote, "Theoremata Medica et Philosophica," Venice, 1611; "De Vita Proroganda, seu juventute conservanda et senectute retardanda," Naples, 1613; "Centum Historiæ, sen observationes et casus medici," Venice, 1621. The last has been frequently reprinted.—R. M., A.
FERDUSI. See Firdusi.
FERGUS I., one of the chiefs who headed the immigration of the Scots from Ireland into the western Highlands. He was the second son of Erc, king of Dalriada, or Ulster, and along with his brothers, Lorn and Angus, led a colony into the ancient province of the British Epidii in 503, and effected a settlement upon the promontory of Cantire, which ultimately fell to his share; while Lorn took possession of the district which still bears his name, and Angus is supposed to have colonized Ila. The Irish chroniclers affirm that these three chiefs were far advanced in years before leaving Ireland—a statement which seems to be confirmed by their early death, after they had laid the foundation of their new settlement. Fergus died in 506, and was succeeded by his son Domangart.—J. T.
FERGUS II., was the son of Aodh-fin, a powerful Scottish prince, who died in 769 after a glorious reign of thirty years. Fergus occupied the throne only three years, and died in 772. Nothing worthy of notice is recorded of him.—J. T.
FERGUSON, Adam, LL.D., philosopher and historian, was born, June 20, 1723, at Logierait in Perthshire, of which parish his father was minister. After completing his preliminary education at the parish school of his native place and the grammar-school at Perth, he entered the university of St. Andrews in 1738, where he took his M.A. degree in 1742, and soon after commenced the study of divinity. Before he had completed the curriculum of professional study, he was permitted to receive ordination, on the ground that his knowledge of Gaelic eminently fitted him for the then vacant office of chaplain to the 42nd (Highland) regiment. In this situation he continued till 1757, when he was elected keeper of the advocate's library as successor to David Hume; but this office he resigned before he had filled it for a year. After some months of a very desultory and migratory life, he was elected professor of natural philosophy in the university of Edinburgh—an office the duties of which he seems to have discharged satisfactorily, though previously to his appointment he had not devoted much attention to the study of physical science. His tastes led him to prefer ethical and political studies, and in 1764 a sphere was opened for the gratification of his tendencies in this direction, by his being appointed to the chair of moral philosophy. Entering on the duties of this chair with enthusiasm, he speedily attracted a numerous class by the interest and ability of his prelections. Like his illustrious contemporary, Adam Smith, his expositions were delivered without the use of notes; the lecturer trusting to his familiarity with his subject and to his command of language for the success of his address; and he stands among the very few in this country who have attained eminence by that difficult and hazardous, but in itself highest method of oral instruction. Shortly after closing his first session in this chair, he issued his essay on the "History of Civil Society"—a work which if not betokening much depth of thought, is full of just and ingenious observation presented in a pure, elegant, and at the same time vigorous style. It is evident from this work how much the author's mind was turned to philosophical history; and, therefore, we are not surprised to find him shortly after this engaged on his great work—"The History of the Progress and Termination of the Roman Republic." In the meantime he had married, and added agricultural pursuits to those of literature. He had also accompanied a son of Lord Chesterfield abroad, for the purpose of superintending his education, having, for this purpose obtained leave of absence from the university for the session of 1774-75. Having been appointed secretary to the commissioners sent out to quiet the disaffection of the American colonies he was again absent from his professorial duties during the session of 1778-79, when his place was supplied by Mr. Dugald Stewart. In 1780, soon after his return from America, he suffered from an attack of apoplexy so severely that he felt it necessary to write out his lectures, as he could no longer trust himself to lecture extempore. In 1783 his "History" made its appearance in 3 vols., 4to, and speedily commanded general attention. It is a work of considerable research; the narrative is fluent and perspicuous, the style correct and animated, and it is full of admirable delineations of character and philosophical analysis of conduct and synthesis of events. More recent works, superior to it in historical research, have somewhat cast it into the shade; but, for the philosophical inquirer and the politician, it still retains its value. Having in 1784 resigned his professorship to Mr. Stewart, Dr. Ferguson set himself to revise his lectures on ethics and politics for the press; they were published in 1792 under the title of "Principles of Moral and Political Science." This work, which is an extension of a work published by him in 1769 as a text-book for his students, under the title of "Institutes of Moral Philosophy," is valuable for the survey it gives of the history of opinion on moral questions, as well as for the author's own discussion of these. Having in his seventieth year paid another visit to the continent, in the course of which he visited Berlin, Vienna, Florence, Naples, and Venice, spending the winter of 1793 at Rome, he retired on his return home
