FRANCISCAN 198 FBANKAU of Chablais, and bring back, if possible, to the Catholic Church the followers of Calvin. He had a large measure of suc- cess. His conferences with Theodore de Beze, Calvin's successor, at Geneva, were, however, without result. He went to Paris in 1602, preached there with great success. The same year he was appointed Bishop of Geneva and applied himself zealously to the reform of the diocese and its monasteries. He declined the offer of a cardinal's hat. In 1610 he founded the Order of the Visitation, of which the first directress was his friend, Madame de Chantal. He was sent again to Paris in 1618. His best known works are the "Introduction to a Devout Life" and "A Treatise on the Love of God." He died in Lyons, France, in 1622; was canonizpi by Pope Alexander VII. in 1665. FRANCISCAN, the followers of St. Francis (g. v.). Hearing accidentally in 1208, in a church the words of the Saviour (Matt, x: 9, 10), he considered that the essence of the Gospel was ab- solute poverty, and founded an order on this basis, which ultimately became one of the two great fraternities of mendicant friars. To manifest his humility he would not allow his followers to be called brethren (in Lat. fratres), but only little brothers, a designation which they still retain. Pope Innocent III., in 1210, and a council of Lateran, in 1215, approved of his rules for the government of his order, which enjoined poverty, chastity, and obedience, and in 1223 Pope Honorius III. issued a bull in his favor. He died in Assisi, in 1226, and in 1230 was canonized by Pope Gregory IX., the anniversary of his death, Oct. 4, being fixed as his festival. In 1224, Franciscans went over to England. From 1228 till 1259 they contended with the Dominicans about precedency. At the suppression of the monasteries in England under Henry VIII., 1536-1538, the Franciscans had 66 abbeys or other religious houses. Their dress was a loose garment of gray color, reach- ing to their ankles, and a gray cowl, covered when they went into the streets, with a cloak. They were called Gray- friars. The order, in the course of its history, split into various branches. FRANCONIA, a name which was originally applied to the German coun- try on both sides of the Main, which was colonized by Frankish settlers under Thierry I., eldest son of Clovis I., who succeeded to his father's German pos- sessions in 511. Conrad, Duke or Count of Franconia, was elected King of Ger- many Nov. 8, 911, and princes of the same house occupied the throne from 1024 till 1250. The Emperor Wences- laus, in 1387, divided the empire into four circles, of which Franconia and Thuringia constituted one; and Max- imilian I., in 1512, erected Fran- conia into a distinct circle. In 1806 it was divided among Wiirttemberg, Baden, Hesse-Cassel, the Saxon duchies, and Bavaria, but since 1814 the greater part has belonged to Bavaria, where the dis- tricts or circles of Upper, Middle, and Lower Franconia were established in 1837. Upper Franconia includes the N. E. portion of Bavaria. It is watered by numerous rivers, as the Main, Raab, Saale, etc., and it is intersected by the Fichtelgebirge and by the hilly ravines of the Bohmer-, Franken-, and Steiger- Wald. The valleys produce good crops and fruit, and the district is rich in min- erals. Middle Franconia, which abuts upon Wiirttemberg, is intersected by branches of the Franconian Jura chain, but has few rivers of importance besides the Regrnitz and Altmiihl, which are con- nected by the great Ludwig canal. It produces good wine, but is principally celebrated for its hop-gardens. Lower Franconia, which occupies the N. W. part of Bavaria, is traversed by the Spessart, the Rhongebirge, and the Stei- ger-Wald, and watered by the Main and Saale. It is the richest and best cul- tivated of the Franconian circles, and is celebrated for the excellence of its wines, the Steiner and Leisten. The district is noted for its mineral springs at Kissin- gen, Briickenau, Orb, and Wipfeld. See Bavaria. FRANK, ROYAL THAXTER, an ^ American military officer; born in Gray, Me., May 6, 1836; was graduated at the United States Military Academy in 1864. During the Civil War he was brevetted major and lieutenant-colonel for bravery at Fredericksburg, Dec. 13, 1862. Later was promoted colonel of the 1st United States Artillery and was in command of the Artillery School at Fort Monroe in 1888-1898. He was promoted Brigadier- General in 1898. He died March 18, 1908. FRANKAIT, GILBERT. A British novelist. He was born in 1884 and was educated at Eton. He entered his father's business on leaving school and did not commence writing till 1910. In 1912 he produced his first book, "One of Us," and during the next two years traveled around the world. He fought in the World War at Loos, Ypres, and on the Somme, became Staff Captain in 1916, and was invalided from service in 1918. In 1914 he wrote "Tid'apa,"
