his chief recreation.  By this time, however, he had become an author, having written a life of his father-in-law prefixed to his coll. poems (1849), Euphranor, a dialogue on youth (1851), and Polonius, a Collection of Wise Saws and Modern Instances (1852).  Becoming interested in Spanish literature, he pub. translations of Six Dramas of Calderon.  Thereafter turning his attention to Persian, he produced (1859), anonymously, his famous translation of the Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam.  He also pub. translations of the Agamemnon of AEschylus, and the Oedipus Tyrannus and Oedipus Coloneus of Sophocles.  In his translations F. aimed not so much at a mere literal reproduction of the sense of the original, as at reproducing its effect on the reader, and in this he was extraordinarily successful.  In the department of letter-writing also he attained an excellence perhaps unequalled in his day.

FITZSTEPHEN, WILLIAM (d. 1190).—­Was a servant of Thomas a Becket, witnessed his murder, and wrote his biography, which contains an interesting account of London in the 12th century.

FLAVEL, JOHN (1627-1691).—­Divine, b. at Bromsgrove, studied at Oxf., was a Presbyterian, and was settled at Dartmouth, but ejected from his living in 1662, continuing, however, to preach there secretly.  He was a voluminous and popular author.  Among his works are Husbandry Spiritualised and Navigation Spiritualised, titles which suggest some of his characteristics as an expositor.

FLECKNOE, RICHARD (d. 1678).—­Poet, said to have been an Irish priest.  He wrote several plays, now forgotten, also miscellaneous poems, some of them sacred, and a book of travels.  His name has been preserved in Dryden’s satire, MacFlecknoe, as “throughout the realms of nonsense absolute;” but according to some authorities his slighter pieces were not wanting in grace and fancy.

FLETCHER, ANDREW (1655-1716).—­Scottish statesman and political writer, s. of Sir Robert F. of Saltoun, East Lothian, to which estate he succeeded at an early age.  He was ed. under the care of Bishop Burnet, who was then minister of Saltoun.  Being firmly opposed to the arbitrary measures of the Duke of York, afterwards James II., he went to Holland, where he joined Monmouth, whom he accompanied on his ill-starred expedition.  Happening to kill, in a quarrel, one Dare, another of the Duke’s followers, he fled to the Continent, travelled in Spain and Hungary, and fought against the Turks.  After the Revolution he returned to Scotland, and took an active part in political affairs.  He opposed the Union, fearing the loss of Scottish independence, and advocated federation rather than incorporation.  He introduced various improvements in agriculture.  His principal writings are Discourse of Government (1698), Two Discourses concerning the Affairs of Scotland (1698), Conversation concerning a right Regulation of Government for the Common Good of Mankind (1703), in which occurs his well-known saying, “Give me the making of the songs of a nation, and I care not who makes its laws.”