Page:Encyclopædia Britannica, Ninth Edition, v. 9.djvu/502

 470 F S F S was of an old Staffordshire family, no individual of which ever attained to any particular eminence. It had long been the custom in this family that one of the sons should enter the church, and the dying wish of the father in this case was that his son should take holy orders. Going to St Paul s school at nine years of age, Fosbroke took in 1785 a Tesdale scholarship at Pembroke College, Oxford, and graduated as M.A. in 1792. In that year he took also deacon s orders and settled in the curacy of Horsley in Gloucestershire, where he remained till 1810, taking priest s orders in 1794. In 1810 Fosbroke removed to &quot;Walford in Herefordshire, and passed there the remainder of his life, as curate till 1830, and afterwards as vicar of the parish. In 1796 he published the Economy of Monastic Life, which is, according to his own account, &quot; a poem in Spenserian measure and style, written upon Darwin s doctrine of using only precise ideas of pic turesque effect, chiefly founded on the sense of vision.&quot; Whatever all that may mean the poem is entirely unread able, although &quot; the reviews were favourable.&quot; This with other poetical attempts of Fosbroke s was reprinted at the end of the third edition (1843) of his next book, the Ilritish Monachism, 2 vols. 8vo, 1802, a compilation from manuscripts in the British Museum and Bodleian libraries, v.ith subordinate use of printed authorities, of facts relating to the manners and customs of the monks and nuns of England, which was very favourably received. In the second and third editions this work was much enlarged. In 1799 Fosbroke had been elected fellow of the Society of Antiquaries, and resolved to devote himself to the study of archeology. British Monachism, the first result of his studies, was always his favourite work. In 1807 was published by subscription his Abstracts and Records of Manuscripts respecting the County of Gloucester, after which he entered into an engagement with Sir Richard Philips for several important works, including an encyclopaedia of antiquities ; but owing to the commercial failure of that enterprising gentleman in 1810, these plans fell through. In 1814 he published an Abridgment of Whitby s Com mentary on the Neio Testament; in 1819 a History of the City of Gloucester, from new materials; in 1818 The Wye Tour; and in 1821 its companion, Ariconensia, or Archaeo logical Sketches of Ross and Archenfeld, illustrative of the Campaigns of Caractacus and the Station Ariconium. In 1821 also was issued his edition of the Berkeley Manu scripts, with a history of the castle and town of Berkeley and a life of Jenner. The work for which Fosbroke is best remembered, the Encyclopaedia of Antiquities, was first published in 1824, 2 vols. 4to ; a second enlarged edition appeared in 1840. This work, though perhaps open to objection on account of a certain incoherence and disproportion, embodies the results of a large amount of reading among manuscript and other obscure sources. A sequel to this, called Foreign Topography, was published in 1828. His other works are A Picturesque and Topo- f/raphical Account of CheltenJiam and its Vicinity (1826); The Tourist s Grammar, or Rules relating to the Scenery and Antiquities incident to Travellers (1826) ; &quot; A Treatise on the Arts, &c., of the Greeks and Romans&quot; (1833), for Lardner s Cabinet Cyclopaedia; &quot;Extracts from Manuscripts relating to English History,&quot; and &quot; Illustrations of the Constitution of our Ancient Parliaments,&quot; contributed to the Transactions of the Royal Society of Literature, of which body Fosbroke was elected honorary associate in 1827. He also made extensive researches into the pedigree and history of the Clinton family at the desire of the duke of Newcastle, in the possession of whom three large folio volumes of his MSS, now remain. Fosbroke was in the early part of this century a regular contributor to the Gentleman s Magazine of both original articles and reviews. Although without pretension to style as an author or judgment as a critic of antiquities, he was a student and writer of good aims ; and despite a recurring tendency to whine at his fate in prefaces, his works can be read with some pleasure and profit. He died at Wal ford on the 1st January 1842. FOSCARI, FRANCESCO (d. 1457), doge of Venice, was born probably about 1372. He was of a patrician family, early displayed an ambitious temper, and rose to high honours in the state. He was already a member of the great council, when in 1412 he was named one of the guardians of the young marquis of Mantua ; and by his wise administration he won the gratitude both of his ward and of the people. In 1421, being then one of the pro- curatori of St Mark, he zealously advocated war on behalf of Florence against the powerful duke of Milan. The reigning doge, Tommaso Mocenigo, was opposed to this policy ; and when dying two years later, he warned his countrymen against electing Foscari as his successor, on the ground that he would plunge Venice into a disastrous war. The warning, however, was ineffectual ; for after six da&quot;ys deliberations, with nine scrutinies, Foscari was elected doge. His success was ensured by bribery on a large scale. In proclaiming his election, a significant omission was made from the customary formula, the words which recognized the popular share in the appointment being entirely dropped. The ancient formula was never again used. Florence continued to press for an alliance with Venice against Milan, and the negotiations were still going on when, in 1425, the famous Carmagnola, who had for eight years commanded the Milanese armies and made many conquests for his master, the duke Filippo Maria, arrived at Venice, a fugitive in disgrace. His influence gave the decisive impulse to the hesitating Venetians ; and in January 1426 a league was formed and war was declared against Milan, Carmagnola being appointed captain- general of the army of Venice. Brescia and Cremona were conquered for Venice, and the war was carried on with alternation of success and failure and intervals of peace till 1433, when Foscari consented to treat, and peace was signed at Ferrara. The doge then offered his abdication, but the senate refused to accept it. After another troublous period of nine years he renewed his proposal, when the senate not only refused as before, but exacted from him an oath that he would retain his sovereignty for life. To the toils and harassments of office and of war were added, during his remaining years, great family sorrows. He had four sons, three of whom were already dead. The fourth, Giacopo, connected himself by marriage in 1441 with the noble house of Contarini. Within four years of this event, Giacopo was. denounced to the council of ten as having received presents from several foreign princes, one of the highest offences a noble could be guilty of. He was tortured in the presence of his father, and, having made a confession, was condemned to perpetual banishment to Napoli di Romania. The aged doge was compelled to pronounce the sentence on his sou. Five years later (1450), the assassination of Hermolas Donati, one of the ten, took place at Venice, and suspicion fastened on the banished Giacopo, one of whose servants was seen at Venice at the time. The servant was arrested and repeatedly tortured, but no confession was wrung from him. Giacopo was then recalled from his place of exile, was again put on the rack in his father s presence, and although not a particle of evidence was to be had against him, he was condemned and banished to the isle of Candia. The real assassin was afterwards discovered, but the sentence against Giacopo was unrevoked. He was forbidden all communication with his wife and family, and life became an intolerable burden. In 1456 he wrote a request to the