of rather as a clerk in his office than in any other capacity. On Napoleon's proclaiming himself emperor, Fesch conducted the very delicate negotiations which ended in Pius VII. coming from Rome to assist at the ceremonial of the coronation. Among the honours which he received on this occasion, one was the title of Altesse Eminentissime, with an annual pension of one hundred and fifty thousand florins. Fesch founded schools through his diocese for the education of his clergy. In the contests between Napoleon and the Pope Fesch sided with Rome. In a council held in 1811 to adjust these differences, Fesch presided. In 1812 a letter of his to the pope was intercepted, and his pension stopped. Fesch assisted the recall of the jesuits. After Napoleon's first abdication, he made Rome his residence. He returned to France during the Hundred Days, and was named member of the chamber of peers, but never took his seat. After Waterloo he returned to Rome. He possessed a valuable collection of pictures, part of which he left to the city of Lyons.—J. A., D.
FESCH or FAESCH, Sebastian, was born at Basle in 1647, and died in 1712. He studied jurisprudence at Basle, and travelled in France, England, and Holland. In 1678 he went to reside in Vienna, and devoted himself to the study of numismatics. In 1681 we find him reading the Institutes with a law class, and in 1695 the Code. He left some books on heraldry and numismatics.—J. A., D.
FESSLER, Ignaz Aurelius, a distinguished German novelist and miscellaneous writer, was born at Czurendorf in Hungary in 1756, and educated by the capuchins. Joseph II., to whom he had denounced the secret misdoings of this order, appointed him professor of Eastern languages at Lemberg. Here he got embroiled with the authorities on account of his tragedy "Sidney," and fled to Breslau, where he became tutor to the prince of Carolath, and embraced the Lutheran faith. Some years later we find him at Berlin deeply engaged in freemasonry. In 1809 he was appointed professor of philosophy and Eastern languages at St. Petersburg; in 1820, superintendent and evangelical bishop at Berlin; and in 1824; ecclesiastical councillor at St. Petersburg again. Here he died, December 15, 1839. His historical novels—"Marc Aurel," "Aristides and Themistocles," "Matthias Corvinus," and "Attila"—enjoyed a deserved popularity in their day. His most elaborate work, is his "History of Hungary," 10 vols. Among his miscellaneous writings, his autobiography—"Rückblicke auf meine 70 jährige Pilgerfahrt"—is the most interesting.—K. E.
FESTA, Constantine, a celebrated composer of madrigals and motets in the sixteenth century. He was appointed a singer in the pontifical chapel in 1517, and died at Rome in 1545. One of his motets is to be found in the fourth book of Motetti della Corona, printed as early as 1519. In the third book of Arkadelt's madrigals, published at Venice in 1541, there are seven of Festa's compositions. "In these," says Burney, "more rhythm, grace, and facility appear, than in any production of his contemporaries that I have seen. Indeed, he seems to have been the most able contrapuntist of Italy during this early period, and if Palestrina and Constantius Porta be excepted, of any period anterior to the time of Carissimi. I could not resist the pleasure of scoring his whole first book of three-part madrigals from the second edition, printed at Venice in 1559; for I was astonished as well as delighted to find the composition so much more clear, regular, phrased, and unembarrassed, than I expected." A large number of Festa's inedited compositions are preserved in the Vatican, and in the library of the pontifical chapel. He was the composer of the highly popular madrigal, "Down in a flowery vale," so admirably adapted to English words by Thomas Oliphant, Esq.— E. F. R.
FESTUS, Porcius, was appointed successor to Felix Antonius in the government of Judea about the beginning of the reign of Nero. He distinguished himself by vigorously repressing the robbers (sicarii) by whom the province had been infested. The apostle Paul, who had been left in prison at Cæsarea by Felix, had a hearing before Festus (Acts xxv.); but having appealed to the emperor, he was ordered to be sent to Rome for trial. Festus died soon after. His conduct in reference to Paul shows that he was not a thoroughly corrupt judge, and this opinion is confirmed by the testimony of Josephus, whose representation of Festus is, on the whole, favourable.—J. B. J.
FESTUS, Sextus Pompeius, a Roman grammarian and lexicographer, is said to have lived in the latter part of the fourth century; but it is impossible to ascertain the exact period. The work by which he is now known is entitled "De Verborum Significatione," and the high authority of Scaliger has classed it among the most important aids to the knowledge of the Latin language. It was formed upon the model of the earlier work De Significatu Verborum by Verrius Flaccus, of which it is an abbreviation, enriched with quotations from other treatises of the same distinguished grammarian, and with numerous additions in which Festus has given the results of his own learning and judgment. Flaccus was honoured by Augustus with the tuition of his adopted sons; but none of his writings are extant, and the work of Festus has come down to our times in a mutilated condition. The subsequent treatise of Paulus Diaconus, however, furnished the means of supplying in some measure the hiatus valde deflendus, and by its help Scaliger in 1565, and Ursinus in 1581, published editions which may be viewed as nearly approaching the original form of the complete work. A respectable edition had been previously given to the world by Augustinus, bishop of Tarragona; but that of Müller, Leipzig, 1839, is the most valuable. It contains a preface giving a historical account of the manuscript authorities; then the text of Festus and that of Paulus, with the conjectural supplements of Scaliger and Ursinus in a separate form, but so arranged as to be easily combined by the reader; and a selection of the most useful comments is added. Another work is known to have been written by Festus, on the obsolete words of the Latin language. It has not been preserved, and the loss of it is the more to be regretted, because the treatise above mentioned, even in its mutilated condition, attests so clearly the learning and critical acumen of its author. In addition to the light which it casts on the origin and grammatical force of many Latin words, it introduces a number of allusions which illustrate the mythology and antiquities of the Roman people.—W. B.
FETH ALI SHAH or BABA-KHAN, King of Persia, was born about 1762. He succeeded his uncle, Aghá-Mohammed, who was assassinated in 1797. He had to contend with several competitors for the throne, one of them his own brother; but in a short time they were all subdued, and the internal tranquillity of the country during his long reign was almost undisturbed. He had to struggle, however, against the ambitious designs of Russia in repeated wars, which generally terminated unsuccessfully for Persia. Georgia was for a long time an object of dispute between the two countries, but in 1800 it finally submitted to the czar. In 1803 Mingrelia was subdued, then Gunjah was taken, Dàghistan and Shirwan were overrun, and in 1805 Kàrabàg fell into the hands of the invaders. Through the interference of Great Britain the progress of Russia was arrested, and the peace of Gulistan was concluded in 1813. But the boundaries of the two kingdoms were so loosely defined, that a new dispute soon arose, and after tedious negotiations, led to another appeal to arms in July, 1826. The Persians fought with great bravery, but in the end the numbers and superior discipline of the Russians prevailed. Peace was again concluded in 1828, through the mediation of Great Britain, but very heavy sacrifices were exacted from Persia. The only other important events of the shah's reign were the subjugation of the rebellious chiefs of Khorasan, and the reduction of Yeza, Turshish, and Khabushan. Feth Ali Shah died in October, 1834.—J. T.
FETI, Domenico, sometimes called il Mantuano, was born at Rome about 1589, became the scholar of the Cavaliere Cigoli, but removed with the Cardinal Ferdinando Gonzaga, afterwards duke, to Mantua, lived at his court there, and studied the works of Giulio Romano. He subsequently visited Venice to study the school of colour there; but he led an intemperate life, and died of dissipation in 1624, in the flower of his age. Feti painted in oil with great force and facility, in the taste of Caravaggio, with very forcible light and shade, but was sometimes cold in colour. His subjects are from ordinary life, and religious; many are engraved. A figure of "Melancholy" in the Louvre is a good example of his work. There are twelve pictures by him in the Dresden gallery.—R. N. W.
* FÉTIS, François Joseph, the learned musical theorist, critic, and journalist, known also as an industrious composer, was born at Mons in Belgium in 1784. He manifested a passion and talent for music at a very early age, and had his first instruction from his father, who was organist at the cathedral, and conductor of the concerts in that city. He entered the conservatoire at Paris in the year 1800, where he became the pupil of Rey in harmony. In 1804 he studied
