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FLETCHER FLEURUS 269 of entrances in 1869 was 2,211. Flensburg was a wealthy town as early as the 12th century, but it afterward suffered much' from wars and conflagrations. FLETCHER, Andrew (commonly called Fletcher of Saltoun), a Scottish author, born in Saltoun, East Lothian, in 1653, died in London in 1716. He was educated under the care of Gilbert Burnet, then minister of the parish of Saltoun, and spent several years in travel on the conti- nent. In 1681 he obtained a seat in the Scot- tish parliament for his native county, and dis- tinguished himself by his inflexible opposition to the tyrannical tendencies of the English government. He soon found it necessary to withdraw to Holland, was then summoned be- fore the privy council at Edinburgh, and failing to appear was outlawed, and his estate con- fiscated. He accompanied the expedition of the duke of Monmouth to England in 1685, but immediately went abroad again in consequence of shooting the mayor of Lyme-Regis in a scuf- fle. In Spain, on the application of the British ambassador, he was imprisoned, but escaped by the aid of an unknown friend; and in Hungary he gained distinction as a volunteer in the army against the Turks. At the Hague he was prominent in forwarding the scheme of the revolution of 1688, which restored him to his country. He soon recovered his estate and resumed his seat in the Scottish parlia- ment, but became as vehement an opponent of the government of William as he had been of that of his two predecessors. He exerted himself to the last against the union of the two kingdoms, and because the 12 "limitations" which he proposed failed to be adopted he re- tired from public life. He possessed fine schol- arly accomplishments, and his writings some- times display a high degree of literary excel- lence. The principal of them are : a " Dis- course of Government with Relation to Mili- tias" (Edinburgh, 1698); two "Discourses concerning the Affairs of Scotland" (Edin- burgh, 1698): Discorso delle cose di Spagna, (Naples, 1698); "Speeches," &c. (Edinburgh, 1703) ; and an " Account of a Conversation concerning a Right Regulation of Governments for the Common Good of Mankind" (Edin- burgh, 1704). His collected writings were published at London in 1 vol. 8vo in 1737, and an essay on his life and writings, by the earl of Buchan, appeared in 1797. FLETCHER. I. Giles, an English poet, cousin of Fletcher the dramatist, born about 1580, died at Alderton, Suffolk, in 1623. He was educated at Trinity college, Cambridge, and became rector of Alderton, where his life passed with little variety of incident. The single poem which he left, entitled " Christ's Victory and Triumph" (Cambridge, 1610), has peculiar and original beauties, with many of Spenser's characteristics. II. Phineas, a poet and clergyman, brother of the preceding, born about 1584, died at Hilgay, Norfolk, about 1650. After being educated at Eton and Cambridge, he was presented in 1621 to the living of Hil- gay, which he retained till his death. He wrote "Piscatory Eclogues" and a drama called "Sicelides," but his chief work is a poem entitled "The Purple Island" (Cam- bridge, 1633), an anatomical and allegorical description of the human body and mind. The poem is given entire in Southey's "Early English Poets. ' ' These brothers were disciples of Spenser, and influenced the style of Milton. FLETCHER, John. See BEAUMONT AND FLETCHER. FLETCHER, John William (originally FLE- CHIERE, JEAN GUILLAUME DE LA), a clergyman of the church of England, born at Nyon, Switz- erland, Sept. 12, 1729, died at Madeley, Eng- land, Aug. 14, 1785. Of a noble Savoyard family, he was educated at the university of Geneva. Through inability conscientiously to conform to the Calvinistic doctrines of the Re- formed church, he was diverted from the cler- ical profession, and entered the military service of Portugal. Receiving a captain's commission for Brazil, but accidentally failing to sail at the tune appointed, he accepted a commission in the Dutch army and set out for Flanders. Peace having been declared meantime, he went to England and became a tutor. About 1755 he joined the Methodist society. In 1757 he took orders in the church of England, and three years later was presented with the living of Dun- ham, which he declined, since " it afforded too much money for too little work," and the poor parish of Madeley became his field of labor. In this region of mines and manufactories, among a most debased and neglected people, he continued his labors of charity and devotion* in the midst of opposition and persecutions. In 1769 Fletcher visited France, Switzerland, and Italy. Soon after his return, in addition to his parish labors, frequent preaching, and visits to London, Bristol, Bath, Wales, and York- shire, he assumed the presidency of the theo- logical school founded by Lady Huntingdon at Trevecca, Wales ; but his defence and advo- cacy of Arminianism soon resulted 'in sunder- ing his connection with it. He afterward de- voted his life to the elevation of his parishion- ers, to missionary journeys throughout the kingdom in company with Wesley, Whitefield, and their coadjutors, and to the preparation of those controversial writings in which the peculiar doctrines and policy of Wesley were defended against the works of Toplady, Row- land Hill, and others. His works have passed through several editions in England and also in America ; the last being issued by the New York Methodist book concern, in 4 vols. 8vo. FLEURUS, a town of Hainaut, Belgium, near the left bank of the Sambre, 7 m. N". E. of Charleroi; pop. in 1866, 4,093. It has been the scene of four great battles. The first took place Aug. 29, 1622, between the Spaniards under Gonzales of Cordova and the army of the Protestant union under Christian of Bruns- wick and Count Mansfeld, the victory being