Farce, a subdivision of comedy, characterized chiefly by exaggeration and lack of rational character drawing. Farce stands in the same relationship to comedy as melodrama does to tragedy. Many farces commence with an impossible postulate, such as The Comedy of Errors. Jonson's Silent Woman is one of the best English farces. Gilbert's Engaged and Foggerty's Fairy are notable modern examples.
Farcy, a disease to which horses are liable, intimately connected with glanders, the two diseases generally running into each other. It is supposed to be a disease of the absorbents of the skin, and its first indication is generally the appearance of little tumours called farcy buds on the face, neck, or inside of the thigh. By an order in Council animals affected with farcy must be destroyed.
Fardel-bound, a term applied to cattle and sheep affected with a disease caused by the retention of food in the maniplies or third stomach, between the numerous plaits of which it is firmly impacted. Over-ripe clover, vetches, or rye-grass are liable to produce the disease.
Fareham, a town of England, in Hampshire, at the north-west extremity of Portsmouth harbour, giving name to a parliamentary division of the county. It has building-yards, potteries, and brickworks, and a considerable trade. Pop. 10,066.
Farel, Guillaume, one of the earliest and most active of the Swiss reformers, was born in 1489 in Dauphiny, died in 1565. At an early period he was led by his intercourse with the Waldenses to adopt similar views. After preaching in various parts of Switzerland, he came to Geneva, where he was so successful at the religious conferences of 1534 and 1535 that the Council formally embraced the Reformation. He was instrumental, also, in persuading Calvin to take up his residence in Geneva. At attempt on the part of the two reformers to enforce too severe ecclesiastical discipline was the cause of their having to leave the city in 1538. Farel took up his residence at Neufchâtel, where he died.
Fargo, a town of N. Dakota, United States, on the Red River of the North and the N. Pacific Railroad. Pop. 14,330.
Faria y Sousa, Manuel de, Portuguese historian and poet, born 1590, of an ancient and illustrious family, died about 1649. Among his writings are: Discursos Morales y Politicos, Epitome de las Historias Portuguesas; Comentarios sobre la Lusiada; and a collection of poems.
Faribault, a town of Minnesota, United States, 53 miles south of St. Paul's. Here are the State asylum for the deaf, dumb, and blind, and an episcopal divinity college. Pop. 9000.
Faridpur (fa-rēd-pör´), a district of India, in Eastern Bengal; area, 2267 sq. miles; pop. 1,937,650. Chief town, Faridpur, on the Mará Padmá. Pop. 11,000.
Fari´na, a term given to a soft, tasteless, and commonly white powder, obtained by trituration of the seeds of cereal and leguminous plants, and of some roots, as the potato. It consists of gluten, starch, and mucilage.