Friar’s Tale (The), by Chaucer, in The Canterbury Tales (1388). An archdeacon employed a sumpnor as his secret spy to find out offenders, with the view of exacting fines from them. In order to accomplish this more effectually, the sumpnor entered into a compact with the devil, disguised as a yeoman. Those who imprecated the devil were to be dealt with by the yeoman-devil, and those who imprecated God were to be the sumpnor’s share. They came in time to an old woman “of whom they knew no wrong,” and demanded twelve pence “for cursing.” She pleaded poverty, when the sumpnor exclaimed, “The foul fiend fetch me if I excuse thee!” and immediately the foul fiend at his side did seize him, and made off with him, too.
Fribble, a contemptible molly-coddle, troubled with weak nerves. He “speaks like a lady for all the world, and never swears.... He wears nice white gloves, and tells his lady-love what ribbons become her complexion, where to stick her patches, who is the best milliner, where they sell the best tea, what is the best wash for the face, and the best paste for the hands. He is always playing with his lady’s fan, and showing his teeth.” He says when he is married:
“All the domestic business will be taken from my wife’s hands. I shall make the tea, comb the dogs, and dress the children myself.”—D. Garrick, Miss in Her Teens, ii. (1753).
Friday (My man), a young Indian, whom Robinson Crusoe saved from death on a Friday, and kept as his servant and companion on the desert island.—Defoe, Robinson Crusoe (1709).
Friend (The Poor Man’s), Nell Gwynne (1642-1691).
Friend of Man (The), the Marquis de ÈMirabeau; so called from one of his books, entitled L’Ami des Hommes (1715-1789).
Friends.
Frenchmen: Montaigne and Etienne de la Boëtie.
Germans: Goethe and Schiller.
Greeks: Achillês and Patroc´les; Diomēdês and Sthen´alos; Epaminondas and Pelop´idas; Harmo´dius and Aristogi´ton; Herculês and Iola´os; Idomeneus (4 syl.) and Merĭon; Pyl´adês and Ores´tês; Septim´ios and Alcander; Theseus (2 syl.) and Pirith´oös.