Friends of Ireland.
The title under which the Catholic Association was reconstituted by O’Connell in 1830. It was declared illegal, whereupon it reappeared in a new form as the Society of Irish Volunteers.
Friends of the People.
A society formed in 1792 to agitate for the removal of the existing inequalities in representation. It numbered among its members many leading Whig politicians, amongst others Russell, Sheridan, Erskine and Grey.
Frithbohr.
See Frankpledge.
Frith-guilds.
Societies formed in the towns, on conditions of mutual responsibility somewhat analogous to the Frankpledge, in the early Plantagenet times. They afterwards combined, forming the powerful merchant guilds which eventually came to control not only the conditions of labour, but the selling price of the commodities in which they dealt.
Fronde.
A revolt of the Parlement and citizens of Paris, under the leadership of the Cardinal de Retz, against the unrestrained autocracy of Louis XIV. The court was forced to leave Paris in 1648, but the first outbreak was ended during the year following by an arrangement called the Treaty of Ruel. It was finally suppressed in 1652. The contention of the Fronde was that the king’s prerogative should only be exercised within the limits of the law, and should not be above the law, as was claimed by the king.