[**My french is not what it was. I am sure I might have gotten some spacing off. the long "s"-es may have tripped my in a few places, but I did my best. -Zsinj]
ma fique; as we say, by my feckins.
Ficte. A little Shad-fish.
Fictil: m. ile: f. Earthen, or, made of earth.
Fiction: f. A fiction, inuention, lie, fib, cog; a thing imagined, fained, or foisted in. Dire sans fiction. To speake sincerely, confesse plainly, professe from the heart.
Fidei-commis: m. A Feoffement in trust.
Fideiusseur: m. A suretie, pledge, caution.
Fidele: com. Faithfull, trustie, loyall, true, sure of his word, or to his side; also, religious.
Fidelement. Faithfully, loyally, trustily; vnfainedly, truely, surely; religiously.
Fidelité: f. Fidelitie, faithfulnesse, loyaltie, trustinesse; truth, sinceritie, vnfainednesse. Serment de fidelité. Th' oath of fidelitie made by all Prelates vnto the King, at their inuesture, in acknowledgement of his Soueraignetie, and of th' obedience, and fidelitie which they owe him; This, although they hold no fiefs in right of their Prelacies; for if they doe, they also doe both homage, and fealtie for them.
Fidelium. The last Prayer thats said for the dead. Il passe plusieurs choses par vn fidelium. He huddles, or shuffles vp many things vnder one; he sleightly dispatches, runnes, or goes ouer the matters committed vnto him.
Fidicule: f. The Harpe of heauen; a companie of starres which resemble a Harpe.
Fiduciale. Part of an Astrolabe turning round about the border, or edge thereof; th' Index, or hand of an Astrolabe.
Fié: m. ée: f. Trusted, beleeued, hoped on or in; also, in-*trusted, trusted with, committed vnto the trust of.
Fiebvre: f. A feauer; Looke Fievre. Fiebvrette: f. A sleight ague.
Fiebvreux: m. euse: f. Full or sicke of, subiect vnto, a feauer; also, feauer-breeding, ague-bringing.
Fied. as Fief: ¶Bourgognois.
Fief: m. A Fief; a (Knights) fee; a Mannor, or inheritance held by homage, and fealtie; and giuen at the first, in trust, and vpon promise of assistance, or seruice in the warres: (A learned Frenchman defines it, L'heritage tenu à foy & hommage, baillé à aucun pour la fiance qu'on a euë en luy: Another; La terre concedée à cause de confiance, ou foy promise par le preneur d'icelle, d'assister son Seigneur en guerre: which both together make good my definition:) Also, a tenure, or estate in fief, or in fee. This word was first heard of after the conquest of Gallia by the Francs (or auncient French men) when their Soueraigne Princes, reseruing some land for their owne Demaines, distributed the rest (by whole countries, or large territories) among their Captaines, and principall followers, on condition, that they should hold of them, and aid them in their warres; In which distribution respect was also had of, and prouision made for, th' inferiour French souldiours (whereof the more, or fewer those Captaines had vnder them, the greater, or lesse were their portions) whereupon the Captaines, hauing (as formerly their Princes) reserued somewhat for their particular demaines, they diuided the best part of the rest among them, to be held of themselues by the same tenure, and on the same condition, that they held the whole of the King: (Hence came th' Arriere fiefs:) Th' other part they shared among the naturall inhabitants of the countrey, on much baser conditions (expressed in the word Cens:) In those times all Fiefs were determined by the death of the feoffees, and reuocable
at the will of the feoffor: But not long after they became (as the most of them are now) patrimoniall, or hereditarie.
Fief abregé. A fief abridged, restrained, or not noble; a fief that wants, and is not capable of, iurisdiction; a tenure in Censiue; or in Socage.
Fief ample. A full, or whole fief, or Knights fee; for which the Lord of whom tis held hath the tenants best horse (or if he had none 60. s. Tour.) and part of his armor, for a Heriot.
Fief de Basoche. Looke Basoche.
Fief boursal. The fief, or portion of a fief, that belongs to a younger brother.
Fief en chef; &, fief chevel. A Noble fief; an inheritance held in Capite, and hauing iurisdiction.
Fief de condition feudale. An absolute fee simple, or hereditarie fief; (for some fiefs descend not; say the Feudists.)
Fief de danger. Such a fief as is forfeited vnto the Lord of whom tis held, if it be entred into by the tenant (vnder any title other then of lineall discent) before homage and fealtie done, or at the least, offered.
Fief de dignité. A Noble fief; such a one as hath some title of dignitie (as a Countie, Vicountie, Baronnie, or or Chastellenie) annexed vnto it; a fief that dignifieth (a gentleman; for a Roturier, vnlesse he haue it by lineall discent from his grandfather, or be withall ennobled by the King, receiues no manner of dignitie by it.)
Fief dominant. A fief, or Mannor belonging to a Lo. Paramount; a fief held in chiefe, and whereof many others hold.
Fief d'Hauber, ou d'Haubert. Any fief, or inheritance, whose owner is bound to serue in the Kings wars with an Haubergeon, or coat of maile; (whereto one addes, a horse, a sword, a shield, and an helmet.)
Fief liege, ou lige, ou tenu en plein lige; as Fief ample; Held directly, and without mesne, of the Crowne.
Fief mort. An inheritance that yeelds the Lord no maner of profit other then a bare rent; and therefore may bee tearmed, a Fief sec.
Fief noble. A Noble fief, or Manor; the marks wherof be, Antiquitie, Jurisdiction, Censiue, a dependancie of diuers inferiour fiefs; and (onely in some places) a faire house with ditches, or a mote round about it; but the most certaine marke of it (for the King may at any time erect a Noble fief; and the Iurisdiction, a thing seuerall, may be diuided from it) is, that it be held either of the Crowne, or some other fief thats held immediately thereof.
Fief ouvert. Is when no vassall, or tenant presents himselfe to do the seruices, and pay the rights which be due vnto the Lord thereof; or when by the change of the tenant (by death, or otherwise) the Lord wants those rights, and seruices.
Fief Patrimonial. See Patrimonial.
Fief en Regale. A Noble fief, held immediately, and in Capite of the King; or, as Fief de Dignité.
Fief restrainct. as Fief abregé.
Fief de revenuë. A fee; a rent charge, or annuitie in fee, out of land.
Fief rural. Is (by the Customes of Nevers) a fief that wants Iurisdiction, a moted house, and all other such markes of Nobilitie, and antiquitie.
Fief servant. A mesne, or inferiour fief; a fief that holds of a fief Dominant.
Fief vif. In opposition to Fief mort; that yeelds the Lord no more profit then a bare rent.
