Firouzabad, a town near Shiraz, and after studying some time in the latter city, under a celebrated doctor called Al Beidahovi, went to Bassora, where he attended the lectures of another famous doctor called Al Gioudi. From Bassora he repaired to Bagdat, at that time the imperial city and residence of the caliphs, where he placed himself under the instructions of the learned Abou Thib al Thabari. Having ably profited by the lessons of those celebrated masters, he professed himself a disciple of the sect of Schafei, and was invited by the illustrious Nezam Molk, grand-vizier of Malec Schah, to undertake the direction of the since famous college which had just been erected at his expence. At first he declined that honourable station; but was afterwards prevailed upon to accept of it, and discharged its duties with eminent reputation until his death, which took place in the year of the Hegira 476, or 1083 of the christian era, when he was in the eighty-second year of his age. His disciples went into general mourning for his death, and the college over which he had presided was ordered to be shut up for a whole year, in testimony of the public sorrow for the loss of so great a man. He was the author of a work which is highly esteemed by the Mahometans, entitled, "Al Tanbih," or, " General Information," in which he treats of the principal rites and observances of the mussulman law. Abulfadl Abmed has written a commentary upon it, entitled, "Scharh al Tanbih." D'Herbelot's

Bibl. Orient.-M.

FIROUZABADI, MAGDEDDIN ABOU THALER MOHAMMED BEN JACOB, who, like the preceding, is sometimes surnamed SHIRAZI, a learned Oriental lexicographer, was also a native of Firouzabad, where he was born in the year of the Hegira 729, or 1328 according to the christian computation. He was highly esteemed for his erudition by the greatest kings and princes of his time, particularly by Ben Abbas, prince of Yemen, the mighty Tamerlane, and Bajazet, first emperor of the Turks, who at different times made him many valuable presents. He was the author of a celebrated and excellent dictionary of the Arabic language, entitled "Camus," or, "The Ocean;" of which many learned moderns have greatly availed themselves, particularly Bochart, in composing his "Hierozoicon." The author drew up his work, at first, in no less than sixty volumes; but alarmed at its magnitude, by omitting the immense number of authorities and quotations which he had amassed, he reduced it within the compass

of two volumes. For an account of the lexicographers who have made additions to it, &c. we must refer to D'Herbelot. Magdeddin was also the author of a work entitled "Ahassan al Lathaif," which is a collection of pleasantries and witty sayings; and of another work entitled "Assaad bel Assâad âla deregiat al egtehád," or, "The Means of being Happy as far as it is possible to be so." He died in the 817th year of the Hegira, or 1414th of the christian æra. D'Herbelot's Bibl. Orient. Moreri.-M.

FISEN, BARTHOLOMEW, a Jesuit, was born in the city of Liege, in the year 1591. He was successively rector of the colleges belonging to his order at Hesdin, Dinant, Lisle, and other places, and died in the last-mentioned city, in the year 1649. He was intimately conversant in ecclesiastical antiquities, and published some works abounding in learned and curious researches. Among others, he was the author of "De Prima Origine Festi Corporis Christi, &c." 1628, octavo; "Paradoxum Christianum, Neminem lædi nisi a Seipso," 1640, octavo; "Historia Ecclesiæ Leodiensis," 1696, folio; "Vita Sancti Trudonis, Hasbaniæ Apostoli ;" "Flores Ecclesiæ Leodensis, &c." 1647, folio; Moreri.-M.

FISHER, JOHN, a learned and worthy English catholic prelate in the sixteenth century, who fell a martyr to his zeal for popery, was born at Beverly in Yorkshire, in the year 1459. His father dying when he was very young, he was placed by his mother under the instructions of a priest of the collegiate church in his native town, from whom he received that knowledge of grammar-learning which qualified him for the university. In the year 1414 he was entered at Michael-house, now incorporated into Trinity-college, in the university of Cambridge, where he took his degrees in arts in the years 1488 and 1491. After being elected a fellow of his house, he was appointed one of the proctors of the university in the year 1495. In the same year he was chosen master of Michael-house, and entered into holy orders. As a divine, he soon acquired distinguished reputation; and, on account of his learning and eminent worth, he was in a short time made vice-chancellor of the university. That office he held for two years, when the fame of his great learning, piety, and virtue, having reached the ears of Margaret countess of Richmond, the king's mother, she chose him for her chaplain and confessor. His conduct. and behaviour in that situation so entirely gained him the approbation, confidence, and esteem of the pious countess, that she commit

ted herself and family to his government and direction. By his advice she was induced to establish divinity professorships at Oxford and Cambridge, and to found Christ's and St. John's colleges in the latter university. In the year 1501 Fisher was admitted to the degree of doctor in divinity, after having gone through his public exercises for that purpose with great applause. In the following year he was appointed, by charter, the lady Margaret's first divinity professor in Cambridge; and in the year 1504 was unexpectedly raised to the see of Rochester, chiefly in consequence of the favourable idea which the king had been led to entertain of his character, from the frequent recommendation and honourable mention made of him by Dr. Fox, bishop of Winchester. Afterwards he was offered to be translated to more valuable bishoprics, particularly those of Lincoln and Ely; but he declined the exchange upon the most disinterested and noble principles. For he used to call his church his wife, and would sometimes say, in the latter part of his life, that he would not change his little old wife, to whom he had been so long wedded, for a wealthier. "Though others," said he," have larger revenues, I have fewer souls under my care; so that when I shall have to give an account of both, which must be very soon, I would not desire my condition to have been better than it is." In the same year in which Dr. Fisher was advanced to the episcopal dignity, he was chosen chancellor of the university of Cambridge, and retained that high office for many years, during which he was a zealous promoter of discipline and good morals among the students, and a liberal encourager of literature and learned men. At the time when the last-mentioned honour was conferred upon him, he was at Cambridge, superintending the building and foundation of Christ'scollege; and, as he was not provided with a convenient lodging, he was in the year 1505 elected to the vacant presidentship of Queen's college, which he thankfully accepted, and kept for about three years. In the year 1506 he had completed the foundation of Christ's-college, and was appointed in the statutes visitor for life, after the death of the magnificent found ress. His attention was in the next place paid to the establishment of St. John's-college; but the countess of Richmond dying before that institution was in a state of forwardness, the care of completing it devolved on her executors, of whom the bishop was the most active, and indeed the principal agent. In 1512 he was appointed to attend the council of Lateran,

at Rome; but though he made preparations for his journey, circumstances took place, with which we are not made acquainted, that prevented him from undertaking it. St. John'scollege being finished in 1516, he went to Cambridge, and opened it with due solemnity, and was also commissioned to draw up a body of statutes for it. Afterwards he proved a considerable benefactor to that seminary. While bishop Fisher retained his headship of Queen's-college, he invited Erasmus to Cambridge, and was the means of the appointment of that illustrious character to lady Margaret's professorship of divinity, and afterwards to the Greek professor's chair. Through his persuasion and entreaty, likewise, Dr. Richard Croke came and settled at Cambridge, where he was the first Greek professor after Erasmus. When Luther commenced his manly opposition to the corruptions and errors of popery, bishop Fisher was one of the first who in this country entered the lists against him. He not only endeavoured to prevent the propagation of lutheranism in his own diocese, and in the university of Cambridge, but also preached and wrote with great zeal and earnestness against the daring reformer. By some he has been thought to have had a principal hand in composing the treatise which Henry VIII. published in his own name, in defence of the Seven Sacraments, against Luther, which procured for that monarch the title of "Defender of the Faith." There is no evidence, however, for that opinion, but conjecture; which may, probably, have originated in the active part that our prelate took to vindicate king Henry's book against the answer of Luther, by publishing" A Defence of the King of England's assertion of the Catholic Faith against Mr. Luther's Book of the Captivity of Babylon," his "Defence of the Holy Order of Priesthood against Martin Luther," and some other pieces in the same controversy. Bishop Fisher was so zealous against lutheranism, that he had formed a design of going to Rome, to concert measures with the pope for opposing its progress, and made the necessary preparations for his journey; but he was diverted from his design, by cardinal Wolsey's convocation of a synod of the whole clergy of England, for the same purpose. In that synod, notwithstanding his bigotted attachment to the papal see, with great integrity and plainness he delivered his sentiments on the necessity of reformation in the manners of the clergy, and was not sparing in his indirect reflections on the unbecoming pride and stateliness which

Firouzabad, a town near Shiraz, and after studying some time in the latter city, under a celebrated doctor called Al Beidahovi, went to Bassora, where he attended the lectures of another famous doctor called Al Gioudi. From Bassora he repaired to Bagdat, at that time the imperial city and residence of the caliphs, where he placed himself under the instructions of the learned Abou Thib al Thabari. Having ably profited by the lessons of those celebrated masters, he professed himself a disciple of the sect of Schafei, and was invited by the illustrious Nezam Molk, grand-vizier of Malec Schah, to undertake the direction of the since famous college which had just been erected at his expence. At first he declined that honourable station; but was afterwards prevailed upon to accept of it, and discharged its duties with eminent reputation until his death, which took place in the year of the Hegira 476, or 1083 of the christian æra, when he was in the eighty-second year of his age. His disciples went into general mourning for his death, and the college over which he had presided was ordered to be shut up for a whole year, in testimony of the public sorrow for the loss of so great a man. He was the author of a work which is highly esteemed by the Mahometans, entitled, "Al Tanbih," or, " General Information," in which he treats of the principal rites and observances of the mussulman law. Abulfad! Abmed has written a commentary upon it, entitled, "Scharh al Tanbih." D'Herbelot's Bibl. Orient.-M.

FIROUZABADI, MAGDEDDIN ABOU THALER MOHAMMED BEN JACOB, who, like the preceding, is sometimes surnamed SHIRAZI, a learned Oriental lexicographer, was also a native of Firouzabad, where he was born in the year of the Hegira 729, or 1328 according to the christian computation. He was highly esteemed for his erudition by the greatest kings and princes of his time, particularly by Ben Abbas, prince of Yemen, the mighty Tamerlane, and Bajazet, first emperor of the Turks, who at different times made him many valuable presents. He was the author of a celebrated and excellent dictionary of the Arabic language, entitled "Camus," or, "The Ocean;" of which many learned moderns have greatly availed themselves, particularly Bochart, in composing his "Hierozoicon." The author drew up his work, at first, in no less than sixty volumics; but alarmed at its magnitude, by omitting the immense number of authorities and quotations which he had amassed, he reduced it within the compass

of two volumes. For an account of the lexicographers who have made additions to it, &c. we must refer to D'Herbelot. Magdeddin was also the author of a work entitled "Ahassan al Lathaif," which is a collection of pleasantries and witty sayings; and of another work entitled "Assaad bel Assâad âla deregiat al egtehád," or, "The Means of being Happy as far as it is possible to be so." He died in the 817th year of the Hegira, or 1414th of the christian æra. D'Herbelot's Bibl. Orient. Moreri.-M.

FISEN, BARTHOLOMEW, a Jesuit, was born in the city of Liege, in the year 1591. He was successively rector of the colleges belonging to his order at Hesdin, Dinant, Lisle, and other places, and died in the last-mentioned city, in the year 1649. He was intimately conversant in ecclesiastical antiquities, and published some works abounding in learned and curious researches. Among others, he was the author of "De Prima Origine Festi Corporis Christi, &c." 1628, octavo; "Paradoxum Christianum, Neminem lædi nisi a Seipso," 1640, octavo; "Historia Ecclesiæ Leodiensis," 1696, folio; "Vita Sancti Trudonis, Hasbaniæ Apostoli ;" "Flores Ecclesiæ Leodensis, &c." 1647, folio; Moreri.-M.

FISHER, JOHN, a learned and worthy English catholic prelate in the sixteenth century, who fell a martyr to his zeal for popery, was born at Beverly in Yorkshire, in the year 1459. His father dying when he was very young, he was placed by his mother under the instructions of a priest of the collegiate church in his native town, from whom he received that knowledge of grammar-learning which qualified him for the university. In the year 1414 he was entered at Michael-house, now incorporated into Trinity-college, in the university of Cambridge, where he took his degrees in arts in the years 1488 and 1491. After being elected a fellow of his house, he was appointed one of the proctors of the university in the year 1495. In the same year he was chosen master of Michael-house, and entered into holy orders. As a divine, he soon acquired distinguished reputation; and, on account of his learning and eminent worth, he was in a short time made vice-chancellor of the university. That office he held for two years, when the fame of his great learning, piety, and virtue, having reached the ears of Margaret countess of Richmond, the king's mother, she chose him for her chaplain and confessor. His conduct and behaviour in that situation so entirely. gained him the approbation, confidence, and esteem of the pious countess, that she commit

cardinal Welsey affected. Bishop Fisher conunued in great favour with Henry VIII. until die business of hts divorce began to be agitated, in the year 1527. On that occasion, the king, who entertained high reverence for his integrity and learning, applied to him for his opinion on the subject of his marriage with Catherine, his brother's widow. Without suffering his mind to be influenced by any other motives than a regard to what he deemed to be the cause of truth and virtue, he honestly answered," that there was no reason at all to question the validity of the marriage, since it was good and lawful from the beginning." This opinion no considerations could ever afterwards make him renounce, and his adherence to it proved the first step towards his loss of the king's favour, and his subsequent ruin. When in the year 1529 the affair of the divorce came to be tried before the two legates, Campeggi and Wolsey, bishop Fisher was one of the queen's council, and exerted himself with great zeal on her behalf, presenting the legates at the same time with a book which he had written in defence of the marriage. When in the same year several bills were brought into parliament for the correction of clerical abuses, particularly on the subjects of exactions for the probates of wills, plurilities of benefices, and non-residence, he strenuously opposed them, as authorising unwarrantable and dangerous interferences of the laity in ecclesiastical concerns, and represented it to be their sole purpose to bring the clergy into contempt with the laity, that they might seize their patrimony. He also warmly resisted a motion which was made for suppressing the smaller monasteries, and granting them to the king. A speech which he delivered on this occasion, was received with great applause by the staunch adherents to the papal church, and with equal disapprobation by those who were advocates for reformation. The duke of Norfolk, addressing himself to him, said, "My lord of Rochester, many of these words might have been well spared; but I wis that it is often seen that the greatest clerks are not always the wisest men." But to this the bishop smartly replied, "My lord, I do not remember any fools in my time that ever proved great clerks." Some expressions which he used highly exasperated the House of Commons against him, who deputed their speaker, accompanied by thirty members, to complain to the king of the injurious reflections on the representatives of the people which his language implied. Upon this the king sent for the hishop, and after receiving from him an ex

planation that the offensive expressions were not used by him with any reference to the House of Commons, dismissed him with the advice, " to use his words more temperately." In the year 1530 he was twice in very imminent danger of his life. His first escape was from poison, which a wretch, who was acquainted with his cook, found means one day privately to throw into the gruel intended for his dinner. The bishop's abstinence on that day, however, preserved him from the effects of the mixture, which proved fatal to two persons of his household, and essentially injured the health of several others who had eaten of it. His other narrow escape was from a cannon-ball, which, being shot from the other side of the Thames, pierced through his house in Lambethmarsh, and came very near his study, where he used to spend the greatest part of his time. Whether the latter circumstance was the effect of accident, or design, does not seem ever to have been ascertained; but the bishop, considering it in the latter view, thought it prudent to remove from that situation, and retired for a time to Rochester. When, in the year 1531, the question about giving king Henry VIII. the tile of Supreme Head of the Church of England was debated in convocation, bishop Fisher opposed it with all his might, and in such a manner as to render himself very obnoxious to the court. Not long afterwards the bishop still farther exposed himself to the resentment of the king, by his weakness and credulity in being seduced to give some credit to the enthusiastic visions and impostures of Elizabeth Barton, the pretended holy maid of Kent. The intention of those who carried on the impostures of which she was the instrument, was to alienate the affections of the people from king Henry, and to excite insurrections against his government. It is but justice to bishop Fisher, however, to acknowledge, that there is no evidence of his being at all privy to their criminal designs. His attention was drawn to her in consequence of her espousing the cause of queen Catherine, to whose interests he was warmly attached, and of the representations that were made to him of her sanctity, and of the visions which she saw, and her revelation of things to come, which marked her out as an inspired prophetess. And he appears to have considered her as an instrument raised up by Heaven, by the display of whose supernatural powers the doctrines and authority of the church of Rome would prove triumphant over the principles of lutheranism, which were then rapidly spreading in England. Under