Faw´nia, the lady beloved by Dorastus.—R. Greene, Pandosto, The Triumph of Time (1588).
⁂ Shakespeare founded his Winter’s Tale on Greene’s romance.
Fazio, a Florentine, who first tried to make a fortune by alchemy, but being present when Bartoldo died, he buried the body secretly, and stole the miser’s money-bags. Being now rich he passed his time with the Marchioness Aldabella in licentious pleasure, and his wife Bianca, out of jealousy, accused him to the duke of being privy to Bartoldo’s death. For this offence Fazio was condemned to die; and Bianca, having tried in vain to save him, went mad with grief, and died of a broken heart.—Dean Milman, Fazio (1815).
Fea (Euphane), the old house-keeper of the old udaller at Burgh-Westra. (A “udaller” is one who holds land by allodial tenure.)—Sir W. Scott, The Pirate (time, William III.).
Fear Fortress, near Saragossa. An allegorical bogie fort, conjured up by fear, which vanishes as it is courageously approached and boldly besieged.
If a child disappeared, or any cattle were carried off, the frightened peasants said: “The Lord of Fear Fortress has taken them.” If a fire broke out anywhere, it was the Lord of Fear Fortress who must have lit it. The origin of all accidents, mishaps, and disasters, was traced to the mysterious owner of this invisible castle.—L’Epine, Croquemitaine, iii. 1.
Fearless (The), Jean duc de Bourgoigne, called Sans Peur (1371-1419).
Featherhead (John), Esq., an opponent of Sir Thomas Kittlecourt, M.P.—Sir W. Scott, Guy Mannering (time, George II.).
Fedalina. Daughter of the gypsy chief and heroine of The Spanish Gypsy, by George Eliot.
Fee and Fairy. Fee is the more general term, including the latter. The Arabian Nights are not all fairy tales, but they are all fee tales or contes des fées. So again, the Ossianic tales, Campbell’s Tales of the West Highlands, the mythological tales of the Basques, Irish, Scandinavians, Germans, French, etc., may all be ranged under fee tales.