FABRIT’IO, a merry soldier, the friend of Captain Jac’omo the woman-hater.—­Beaumont and Fletcher, The Captain (1613).

FACE (1 syl.), alias “Jeremy,” house-servant of Lovewit.  During the absence of his master, Face leagues with Subtle (the alchemist) and Dol Common to turn a penny by alchemy, fortune-telling, and magic.  Subtle (a beggar who knew something about alchemy) was discovered by Face near Pye Corner.  Assuming the philosopher’s garb and wand, he called himself “doctor;” Face, arrogating the title of “captain,” touted for dupes; while Dol Common kept the house, and aided the other two in their general scheme of deception.  On the unexpected return of Lovewit, the whole thing blew up, but Face was forgiven, and continued in his place as house-servant.—­Ben Jonson, The Alchemist (1619).

FACTO’TUM (Johannes), one employed to do all sorts of work for another; one in whom another confides for all the odds and ends of his household management or business.

He is an absolute Johannes Factotum, at least in his own conceit.—­Greene, Groat’s-worth of Wit (1692).

FADDLE (William), a “fellow made up of knavery and noise, with scandal for wit and impudence for raillery.  He was so needy that the very devil might have bought him for a guinea.”  Sir Charles Raymond says to him: 

“Thy life is a disgrace to humanity.  A foolish prodigality makes thee needy; need makes thee vicious; and both make thee contemptible.  Thy wit is prostituted to slander and buffoonery; and thy judgment, if thou hast any, to meanness and villainy.  Thy betters, that laugh with thee, laugh at thee; and all the varieties of thy life are but pitiful rewards and painful abuses.”—­Ed. Moore, The Foundling, iv. 2 (1748).

FA’DHA (Ah), Mahomet’s silver cuirass.

FAD’LADEEN, the great nazir’ or chamberlain of Aurungze’be’s harem.  He criticises the tales told to Lalla Rookh by a young poet on her way to Delhi, and great was his mortification to find that the poet was the young king his master.

Fadladeen was a judge of everything, from the pencilling of a Circassian’s eyelids to the deepest questions of science and literature; from the mixture of a conserve of rose leaves to the composition of an epic poem.—­T.  Moore, Lalla Rookh (1817).

FADLADIN’IDA, wife of King Chrononhotonthologos.  While the king is alive she falls in love with the captive king of the Antip’odes, and at the death of the king, when two suitors arise, she says, “Well, gentlemen, to make matters easy, I’ll take you both.”—­H.  Cary, Chrononhotonthologos (a burlesque).

FAERY QUEEN, a metrical romance, in six books, of twelve cantos each, by Edmund Spenser (incomplete).

Book I. THE RED CROSS KNIGHT, the spirit of Christianity, or the victory of holiness over sin (1590).

II.  THE LEGEND OF SIB GUYON, the golden mean (1590).