it is usually present, faith in the medicine man is not essential for the efficacy of the method. The same may be said of the lineal descendant of savage medicine—the magical leech-craft of European folk-lore; cures for toothache, warts, &c., act in spite of the disbelief of the sufferer; how far incredulity on the part of the healer would result in failure is an open question.
From the psychological point of view all these different kinds of faith healing, as indeed all kinds of mind cure, including those of Christian Science and hypnotism, depend on suggestion (q.v.). In faith healing proper not only are powerful direct suggestions used, but the religious atmosphere and the auto-suggestions of the patient co-operate, especially where the cures take place during a period of religious revival or at other times when large assemblies and strong emotions are found. The suggestibility of large crowds is markedly greater than that of individuals, and to this and the greater faith must be attributed the greater success of the fashionable places of pilgrimage.
See A. T. Myers and F. W. H. Myers in Proc. Soc. Psychical Research, ix. 160–209, on the miracles of Lourdes, with bibliography; A. Feilding, Faith Healing and Christian Science; O. Stoll, Suggestion und Hypnotismus in der Völkerpsychologie; article “Greatrakes” in Dict. Nat. Biog. (N. W. T.)
FAITHORNE, WILLIAM (1626 or 1627–1691), English painter
and engraver, was born in London and was apprenticed to
Robert Peake, a painter and printseller, who received the honour
of knighthood from Charles I. On the outbreak of the Civil War
he accompanied his master into the king’s service, and being
made prisoner at Basinghouse, he was confined for some time to
Aldersgate, where, however, he was permitted to follow his
profession of engraver, and among other portraits did a small
one of the first Villiers, duke of Buckingham. At the earnest
solicitation of his friends he very soon regained his liberty,
but only on condition of retiring to France. There he was so
fortunate as to receive instruction from Robert Nanteuil. He
was permitted to return to England about 1650, and took up a
shop near Temple Bar, where, besides his work as an engraver,
he carried on a large business as a printseller. In 1680 he gave
up his shop and retired to a house in Blackfriars, occupying
himself chiefly in painting portraits from the life in crayons,
although still occasionally engaged in engraving. It is said that
his life was shortened by the misfortunes, dissipation, and early
death of his son William. Faithorne is especially famous as a
portrait engraver, and among those on whom he exercised his art
were a large number of eminent persons, including Sir Henry
Spelman, Oliver Cromwell, Henry Somerset, the marquis of
Worcester, John Milton, Queen Catherine, Prince Rupert,
Cardinal Richelieu, Sir Thomas Fairfax, Thomas Hobbes, Richard
Hooker, Robert second earl of Essex, and Charles I. All his works
are remarkable for their combination of freedom and strength
with softness and delicacy, and his crayon paintings unite to
these the additional quality of clear and brilliant colouring.
He is the author of a work on engraving (1622).
His son William (1656–1686), mezzotint engraver, at an early age gave promise of attaining great excellence, but became idle and dissipated, and involved his father in money difficulties. Among persons of note whose portraits he engraved are Charles II., Mary princess of Orange, Queen Anne when princess of Denmark, and Charles XII. of Sweden.
The best account of the Faithornes is that contained in Walpole’s Anecdotes of Painting. A life of Faithorne the elder is preserved in the British Museum among the papers of Mr Bayford, librarian to Lord Oxford, and an intimate friend of Faithorne.
FAIZABAD, a town of Afghanistan, capital of the province of
Badakshan, situated on the Kokcha river. In 1821 it was
destroyed by Murad Beg of Kunduz, and the inhabitants removed
to Kunduz. But since Badakshan was annexed by Abdur
Rahman, the town has recovered its former importance, and is
now a considerable place of trade. It is the chief cantonment
for eastern Afghanistan and the Pamir region, and is protected
by a fort built in 1904.
FAJARDO, a district and town on the E. coast of Porto Rico,
belonging to the department of Humacao. Pop. (1899) of the
district, 16,782; and of the town, 3414. The district is highly
fertile and is well watered, owing in great measure to its abundant
rainfall. Sugar production is its principal industry, but some
attention is also given to the growing of oranges and pineapples.
The town, which was founded in 1774, is a busy commercial
centre standing 114 m. from a large and well-sheltered bay, at the
entrance to which is the cape called Cabeza de San Juan. It is
the market town for a number of small islands off the E. coast,
some of which produce cattle for export.
FAKHR UD-DĪN RĀZI (1149–1209), Arabian historian and
theologian, was the son of a preacher, himself a writer, and was
born at Rai (Rei, Rhagae), near Tehran, where he received his
earliest training. Here and at Marāgha, whither he followed his
teacher Majd ud-Dīn ul-Jilī, he studied philosophy and theology.
He was a Shafʽite in law and a follower of Ashʽarī (q.v.) in
theology, and became renowned as a defender of orthodoxy.
During a journey in Khwarizm and Mawara’l-nahr he preached
both in Persian and Arabic against the sects of Islam. After
this tour he returned to his native city, but settled later in Herat,
where he died. His dogmatic positions may be seen from his
work Kitāb ul-Muḥassal, which is analysed by Schmölders in his
Essai sur les écoles philosophiques chez les Arabes (Paris, 1842).
Extracts from his History of the Dynasties were published by
Jourdain in the Fundgruben des Orients (vol. v.), and by D. R.
Heinzius (St Petersburg, 1828). His greatest work is the
Mafātiḥ ul-Ghaib (“The Keys of Mystery”), an extensive
commentary on the Koran published at Cairo (8 vols., 1890)
and elsewhere; it is specially full in its exposition of Ashʽarite
theology and its use of early and late Mu’tazilite writings.
For an account of his life see F. Wüstenfeld’s Geschichte der arabischen Ärzte, No. 200 (Göttingen, 1840); for a list of his works cf. C. Brockelmann’s Gesch. der arabischen Literatur, vol. 1 (Weimar, 1898), pp. 506 ff. An account of his teaching is given by M. Schreiner in the Zeitschrift der deutschen morgenländischen Gesellschaft (vol. 52, pp. 505 ff.). (G. W. T.)
FAKIR (from Arabic faqīr, “poor”), a term equivalent to
Dervish (q.v.) or Mahommedan religious mendicant, but which
has come to be specially applied to the Hindu devotees and
ascetics of India. There are two classes of these Indian Fakirs,
(1) the religious orders, and (2) the nomad rogues who infest the
country. The ascetic orders resemble the Franciscans of Christianity.
The bulk lead really excellent lives in monasteries,
which are centres of education and poor-relief; while others go
out to visit the poor as Gurus or teachers. Strict celibacy is
not enforced among them. These orders are of very ancient date,
owing their establishment to the ancient Hindu rule, followed
by the Buddhists, that each “twice-born” man should lead in
the woods the life of an ascetic. The second class of Fakirs are
simply disreputable beggars who wander round extorting, under
the guise of religion, alms from the charitable and practising
on the superstitions of the villagers. As a rule they make no
real pretence of leading a religious life. They are said to number
nearly a million. Many of them are known as “Jogi,” and lay
claim to miraculous powers which they declare have become
theirs by the practice of abstinence and extreme austerities.
The tortures which some of these wretches will inflict upon
themselves are almost incredible. They will hold their arms over
their heads until the muscles atrophy, will keep their fists
clenched till the nails grow through the palms, will lie on beds
of nails, cut and stab themselves, drag, week after week, enormous
chains loaded with masses of iron, or hang themselves before a
fire near enough to scorch. Most of them are inexpressibly
filthy and verminous. Among the filthiest are the Aghoris,
who preserve the ancient cannibal ritual of the followers of Siva,
eat filth, and use a human skull as a drinking-vessel. Formerly
the fakirs were always nude and smeared with ashes; but now
they are compelled to wear some pretence of clothing. The
natives do not really respect these wandering friars, but they
dread their curses.
See John Campbell Oman, The Mystics, Ascetics and Saints of India (1903), and Indian Census Reports.
FALAISE, a town of north-western France, capital of an
arrondissement in the department of Calvados, on the right
bank of the Ante, 19 m. S. by E. of Caen by road. Pop. (1906)
