l’ersian Historical Texts). See Sir Gore Ouseley, Biographical Notices
of Persian Poets (1846), p. 236; Von Hammer Purgstall, Geschichte
der schönen Redekünste Persiens (Vienna, 1818), p. 140; the Oriental
Collections, ii. (London, 1798), pp. 84, 124, containing translations
of part of the Pandnāma; E. H. Palmer, Oriental Mysticism (1867);
E. G. Browne, Literary History of Persia (1906).
FARINA, SALVATORE (1846– ), Italian novelist, was
born in Sardinia, and after studying law at Turin and Pavia
devoted himself to a literary life at Milan. Farina has often
been compared as a sentimental humorist with Dickens, and his
style of writing has given him a special place in modern Italian
fiction. His masterpiece is Il Signor Io (1880), a delightful
portrait of an egoist; Don Chisciottino, Amore bendato, Capelli
biondi, Oro nascosto, Il Tesoro di Donnina, Amore a cent’ occhi,
Mio figlio, Il numero 13, are some of his other volumes.
FARINATO, PAOLO (1522–1606), Italian painter and architect,
was a native of Verona. He is sometimes named Farinato
degli Uberti, as he came from the ancient Florentine stock to
which the Ghibelline leader Farinata degli Uberti, celebrated in
Dante’s Commedia, belonged. He flourished at the same time
that the art of Verona obtained its greatest lustre in the works
of Paolo Cagliari (Paul Veronese), succeeded by other members
of the Cagliari family, of whom most or all were outlived by
Farinato. He was instructed by Niccolò Giolfino, and probably
by Antonio Badile and Domenico del Riccio (Brusasorci).
Proceeding to Venice, he formed his style partly on Titian and
Giorgione, though he was never conspicuous as a colourist, and
in form he learned more from the works of Giulio Romano. His
nude figures show knowledge of the antique; he affected a
bronzed tone in the complexions, harmonizing with the general
gravity of his colour, which is more laudable in fresco than in
oil-painting. Vasari praised his thronged compositions and
merit of draughtsmanship. His works are to be found not only
in Venice and principally in Verona, but also in Mantua, Padua
and other towns belonging or adjacent to the Venetian territory.
He was a prosperous and light-hearted man, and continually
progressed in his art, passing from a comparatively dry manner
into a larger and bolder one, with much attraction of drapery
and of landscape. The “Miracle of the Loaves and Fishes,”
painted in the church of S. Giorgio in Verona, is accounted his
masterpiece; it was executed at the advanced age of seventy-nine,
and is of course replete with figures, comprising those of
the painter’s own family. A saloon was painted by him in
S. Maria in Organo, in the same city, with the subjects of
“Michael expelling Lucifer” and the “Massacre of the Innocents”;
in Piacenza is a “St Sixtus”; in Berlin a “Presentation
in the Temple”; and in the communal gallery of Verona one
of his prime works, the “Marriage of St Catherine.” Farinato
executed some sculptures, and various etchings of sacred and
mythologic subjects; his works of all kinds were much in
request, including the wax models which he wrought as studies
for his painted figures. He is said to have died at the same hour
as his wife. His son Orazio was also a painter of merit.
FARINELLI (1705–1782), whose real name was Carlo
Broschi, one of the most extraordinary singers that ever lived,
was born on the 24th of January 1705, at Naples. He was the
nephew of Cristiano Farinelli, the composer and violinist, whose
name he took. Having been prepared for the career of a soprano,
he soon acquired, under the instruction of N. A. Porpora, a
voice of marvellous beauty, and became famous throughout
southern Italy as il ragazzo (the boy). In 1722 he made his first
appearance at Rome in his master’s Eumene, creating the
greatest enthusiasm by surpassing a popular German trumpet-player,
for whom Porpora had written an obligato to one of the
boy’s songs, in holding and swelling a note of prodigious length,
purity and power, and in the variations, roulades and trills which
he introduced into the air. In 1724 he appeared at Vienna, and
at Venice in the following year, returning to Naples shortly
afterwards. He sang at Milan in 1726, and at Bologna in 1727,
where he first met and acknowledged himself vanquished by
the singer Antonio Bernacchi (b. 1700), to whose instruction he
was much indebted. With ever-increasing success and fame
Farinelli appeared in nearly all the great cities of Italy; and
returned a third time to Vienna in 1731. He now modified his
style, it is said on the advice of Charles VI., from mere bravura
of the Porpora school to one of pathos and simplicity. He
visited London in 1734, arriving in time to lend his powerful
support to the faction which in opposition to Handel had set
up a rival opera with Porpora as composer and Senesino as
principal singer. But not even his aid could make the undertaking
successful. His first appearance at the Lincoln’s Inn
Fields theatre was in Artaserse, much of the music of which was
by his brother, Riccardo Broschi. His success was instantaneous,
and the prince of Wales and the court loaded him with favours
and presents. Having spent three years in England, Farinelli
set out for Spain, staying a few months on the way in France,
where he sang before Louis XV. In Spain, where he had only
meant to stay a few months, he ended by passing nearly twenty-five
years. His voice, employed by the queen to cure Philip V.
of his melancholy madness, acquired for him an influence with
that prince which gave him eventually the power, if not the
name, of prime minister. This power he was wise and modest
enough to use discreetly. For ten years, night after night, he
had to sing to the king the same six songs, and never anything
else. Under Ferdinand VI. he held a similar position, and was
decorated (1750) with the cross of Calatrava. He utilized his
ascendancy over this king by persuading him to establish
an Italian opera. After the accession of Charles III. Farinelli
retired with the fortune he had amassed to Bologna, and spent
the remainder of his days there in melancholy splendour, dying
on the 15th of July 1782. His voice was of large compass,
possessing seven or eight notes more than those of ordinary
singers, and was sonorous, equal and clear; he also possessed a
great knowledge of music.
FARINGDON, properly Great Faringdon, a market town
in the Abingdon parliamentary division of Berkshire, England,
17 m. W.S.W. of Oxford by road. Pop. (1901) 2900. It lies on
the slope of a low range of hills which borders the valley of the
Thames on the south. It is the terminus of a branch of the Great
Western railway from Uffington. The church of All Saints is a
large cruciform building with low central tower. Its period is
mainly Transitional Norman and Early English, and though
considerably altered by restoration it contains some good details,
with many monuments and brasses. Faringdon House, close to
the church, was built by Henry James Pye (1745–1813), poet
laureate from 1790 to 1813, who also caused to be planted the
conspicuous group of fir-trees on the hill east of the town called
Faringdon Clump, or locally (like other similar groups) the
Folly. The trade of Faringdon is agricultural.
FARINI, LUIGI CARLO (1812–1866), Italian statesman and
historian, was born at Russi, near Ravenna, on the 22nd of
October 1812. After completing a brilliant university course
at Bologna, which he interrupted to take part in the revolution
of 1831 (see Carbonari), he practised as a physician at Russi
and at Ravenna. He acquired a considerable reputation, but
in 1843 his political opinions brought him under the suspicion
of the police and caused his expulsion from the papal states.
He resided successively in Florence and Paris, and travelled
about Europe as private physician to Prince Jerome Bonaparte,
but when Pius IX. was elected to the Holy See and began his
reign with apparently Liberal and nationalist tendencies, Farini
returned to Italy and was appointed secretary-general to G.
Recchi, the minister of the interior (March 1848). But he held
office for little more than a month, since like all the other Italian
Liberals he disapproved of the pope’s change of front in refusing
to allow his troops to fight against Austria, and resigned with the
rest of the ministry on the 29th of April. Pius, wishing to
counteract the effect of this policy, sent Farini to Charles Albert,
king of Sardinia, to hand over the command of the papal contingent
to him. Elected member of parliament for Faenza, he
was again appointed secretary to the ministry of the interior in
the Mamiani cabinet, and later director-general of the public
health department. He resigned office on the proclamation of
the republic after the flight of the pope to Gaeta in 1849, resumed
it for a while when Pius returned to Rome with the protection
