Page:Imperialdictiona02eadi Brandeis.pdf/354

FAN FANTONI,, an eminent lyric poet, was born at Fivizzano in Grafugnana on the 27th of November, 1755. He passed his earlier years in the Benedictine convent at Subiano, but after taking the vows, resolved to embrace the profession of law. Through the protection of Francis III. of Modena, he became secretary of state; but even this elevated position did not satisfy him, and leaving Modena on a sudden, he took military service under Piedmont. His principal occupation, even at the expense of his duty, was the study of Horace—almost all of whose odes and satires he has translated into Italian verse. It was from the Venusian poet he took the verve and sarcasm which characterize his odes. As a lyric poet Fantoni stands next in merit to Filicaja. Ugo Foscolo, an excellent judge in such matters, has written notes on Fantoni's works, which betray great admiration of the poet. At the breaking out of the French revolution, Fantoni offered his services to Napoleon I.; suffered imprisonment for opposing himself to the union of Piedmont to France; and, having been restored to his family through the intercession of General Joubert, was seized soon after with fever, of which he died, 1st November, 1807.—A. C. M.  FANTOSME,, author of a historical poem relating to the time of Henry II., flourished in the latter half of the twelfth century. He was spiritual chancellor of the diocese of Winchester, and a prominent actor in the events which he relates. It is supposed that he was of Italian origin. His poem embraces the occurrences of the years 1173 and 1174, the war between Henry and his sons generally, but more particularly the earl of Leicester's rebellion, and the invasion of Northumberland by the Scots. It consists of upwards of two thousand verses, and is written in a vigorous and spirited style. Two MSS. of this curious work have been preserved, one in the cathedral at Durham, the other at Lincoln. It was published, with a translation, by the Surtees Society in 1840.—J. S., G.  FANTUZZI,, an Italian engraver, born about the commencement of the sixteenth century. Vasari, in his life of Parmigiano, says that that painter retained in his service one Maestro Antonio da Trento, to engrave for him certain designs which he proposed to publish; but one morning, while Parmigiano was in bed, the ungrateful Antonio absconded with all the drawings, copperplates, and wood-blocks the master possessed. Parmigiano recovered the engravings, which Antonio had left with a friend in Bologna, but of his drawings he never got back one; and as for Antonio himself, he must have gone straight to the devil, for he was never once heard of again. Later inquirers, however, believe that they have discovered the runaway in Antonio Fantuzzi, who about this time, or soon after, practised as an engraver in France, being especially associated with Primaticcio, from whose designs most of his engravings are made. Bartsch (Peintre Graveur, tom. xii. 15), Nagler, and other of the most esteemed authorities, fully adopt this view; but Zani (Encic. Metod. delle belle Arti) and others controvert it. Antonio da Trento's engravings after Parmigiano, it should be observed, are on wood, printed from two or three blocks, in the style known as chiaroscuro, after the manner of Ugo da Carpi, whose scholar or imitator Da Trento was; while those bearing the name of Antonio Fantuzzi are etchings on copper. Lists of these will be found in Bartsch's Peintre Graveur. The latest date on an etching of Fantuzzi's is 1645. He is believed to have died in 1650.—J. T—e.  FANTUZZI,, a very meritorious Italian biographer, born at Bologna, who flourished towards the close of last century. He left an important work, under the title of "Notizie degli scrittori Bolognesi," Bologna, 1781-94, 9 vols. in folio, in which he illustrates the history and literature of that celebrated seat of learning.—A. S., O.  FANTUZZI,, Count, an antiquarian of great reputation, born at Ravenna in 1740; died at Pesaro in 1806. He devoted his life to the improvement of his native town, and the illustration of its history. His dissertation, "De Gente Honesta," Cesena, 1786, one volume in folio; and his "Monumenti Ravennati dele' secoli di mezzo per la maggior parte inediti," Venezia, 1801-4, six volumes in quarto—are invaluable documents for the history of the middle ages in Italy.—A. S., O.  FANUCCI,, was born at Pisa on the 7th of March, 1756. The son of a fencing master, he followed at first his father's profession, but soon abandoned it and became a barrister, without, however, neglecting literary pursuits. In 1800, the French having taken possession of Tuscany, he was appointed professor of maritime law, but at the restoration of the ducal family was exiled. After three years' residence at Genoa, in which city he wrote the history of the three celebrated maritime populations of Venice, Genoa, and Pisa, as well as many biographical sketches, he was allowed to return to his native city, where he died on the 11th of February, 1834.—A. C. M.  FARADAY,, one of the greatest physical philosophers in Europe in the nineteenth century. He was born on the 22nd September, 1791, at Newington, Surrey, near London. His parents were in humble circumstances; and his father, who was a Yorkshireman by birth, followed the calling of a smith. His early education, which he received at different day-schools in Newington, was very elementary. At the age of thirteen he went to business with Mr. Riebau, a bookseller, bookbinder, and stationer in Blandford Street, London, to whom in the following year he was bound apprentice for seven years. Having completed his apprenticeship on the 7th day of October, 1812, he went the next day as journeyman bookbinder to a M. de la Roche, then a French emigrant in London. Whilst an apprentice, he took great interest in reading such scientific books as came into his hands; and amongst them he delighted especially in Mrs. Marcet's Conversations in Chemistry, and the treatise on electricity in the Encyclopædia Britannica. He was in the habit of making some simple experiments in chemistry. As may be supposed, both the chemicals and the apparatus were of the least costly kind, for he had to defray their expense by the few pence per week which he could spare from his earnings. He constructed an electrical machine, first with a glass phial, and afterwards with a real cylinder, as well as other simple electrical apparatus of a corresponding kind. During his apprenticeship he had the good fortune, through the kindness of Mr. Dance, who was a member of the Royal Institution, to hear four of the last course of lectures delivered in 1812 by Sir H. Davy as professor in that, institution. The dates of these lectures were respectively, 29th February, 14th March, 8th and 10th April, 1812. He took notes of these lectures, and afterwards wrote them out in a fuller form, interspersing them with such drawings as he could make. The desire to be engaged in scientific occupation even though of the humblest kind induced him, in his ignorance of the world and simplicity of his mind, to write to Sir Joseph Banks, who was then president of the Royal Society. Naturally enough, "no answer" was the reply left with the porter. At a later period, in the month of December, 1812, and under the encouragement of Mr. Dance, he wrote also to Sir Humphrey Davy, and sent in proof of his earnestness the notes which he had taken of the last four lectures already referred to. In a letter to Dr. Paris, who afterwards published it in his Life of Davy, Faraday gives an account of his introduction to Sir Humphrey, to whose goodness of heart he thinks that the circumstance bears testimony. He says—"My desire to escape from trade, which I thought vicious and selfish, and to enter into the service of science, which, I imagined, made its pursuers amiable and liberal, induced me at last to take the bold and simple step of writing to Sir Humphrey Davy, expressing my wishes, and a hope that if any opportunity came in his way he would favour my views." Davy's reply was immediate, kind, and favourable—"Sir, I am far from displeased with the proof you have given me of your confidence, and which displays great zeal, power of memory, and attention. I am obliged to go out of town, and shall not be settled in town till the end of January. I will then see you at any time you wish. It would gratify me to be of any service to you. I wish it may be in my power." After this Faraday continued to work as a bookbinder, with the exception of some days during which he was writing as an amanuensis for Sir H. Davy, at the time when the latter was wounded in the eye by an explosion of the terchloride of nitrogen. About the 1st March, 1813, Sir Humphrey Davy, acting for the managers of the Royal Institution, offered him the situation of chemical-assistant in the laboratory under himself as honorary professor, and Mr. Brande as professor of chemistry. In reference to this circumstance, Mr. Faraday himself has thus written—"At the same time that he (Sir H. Davy) thus gratified my desires as to scientific employment, he still advised me not to give up the prospects I had before me, telling me that science was a harsh mistress, and, in a pecuniary point of view, but poorly rewarding those who devoted themselves to her service. He smiled at my notion of the superior moral feelings of philosophic men, and said he would 