FELIBRIGE. 514 FELIX. difficult to find an instance of a more thoroughly original and independent creation in the history of letters. The only adequate history of the Felibrige is that of G. Jourdanne (Avignon, 1897). Mistral has published a large dictionary, Trisor dou Felibrige (Aix, 1879-86); and there is a Oram- maire historigue de la langue des Felibres by Koschwitz (Greifswald, 1S94). Consult also Kosehwitz. Ueber die prouencalischen Feliber (Berlin, 1894). FELICE, fa-le'cha, Fortunato Bartolommeo (1723-89). An Italian author, born in Rome, of a Neapolitan family. He studied at Rome and Naples under the Jesuits, and in 1746 became professor of physics at Naples after taking orders at Rome. He met with great success, was hailed the wisest man in Italy, and refused the offer of a bishopric. But he fell violently in love with a young Roman matron, the Countess Panzutti, whose husband had put her in a monastery; ran away with her; narrowly escaped capture at Lyons and Geneva; and was finally overtaken at Genoa. Felice was acquitted by the Italian ecclesiastical court, but felt that his career in the Church was ruined, so he went to Bern, became a Protestant, and in 1762 established a famous press at Yverdon. He published the Diziona- rio universale ragionato delli umane cognizioni, in forty-two volumes (1770-75), with a supple- mento in six volumes (1775-76); and ten volumes of Tavoli (1775-80), in which he had the collaboration of Euler. Dupuis, Lalande. Haller, and others. Among his other works are : Sul modo di form-are la mente ed il cuore dei faiiciulli (1763) ; Prinei/pii del diritto delta natura e delle genti (1709); Lezioni di logica (1770); Ele- menti del governo interiore di uno stato (1781) ; Quadro filosofieo della religione cristiana, and De Newtoniana Attractione, adversus Hambergerum (1757). FE'LICIS'SIMUS. The leader of a schism in the Church at Carthage about the middle of the third century. Bishop Cyprian having with- drawn at the outbreak of the Decian persecution, the Church was governed during his absence by the presbyters, among whom was one Novatus, who made Felicissimus his deacon. The records seem to show that Novatus ordained him, regard- less of the rule that ordination must be only at the hands of bishops. Felicissimus and his sym- pathizers objected to the episcopal board of ad- ministration, which Cyprian had appointed to visit the Carthaginian Church in his absence; they were displeased with Cyprian himself on ac- count of his retirement from the scene <>f action; and they were liberal in dealing with the lapsed (weak brethren, who hud abjured theit faith under pressure of persecution), readmitting them to the Church on easy conditions, which was con- trary In Cyprian's express commands. Felicis- simus's conduci seemed to warrant his deposi- tion, which Cyprian pronounced as early 'is A.D. 250 fter iii— return from exile Cyprian convened an important synod at Carthage (251), which excommunicated Hie offending deacon. Minis, however, had a considerable follow- Th i in matics completed their organiza- tion by ti" choice of Fortunatus as rival Bishop of i and FelicissimU8 visited Home in the hope "f winning sympathy from that impor- tant see, Ili- mis-ion was a failure, and Cyp- rian's vigorous measures of discipline in Car- thage, together with the practical agreement as to the treatment of the lapsed, soon reached by Western Christendom, left the schismatics little hope of success. Felicissimus disappears from view, and his movement soon faded out ot Some writers find in this schism an effort after presbyterial Church government, as against the episcopal system with which Cyprian's name is so prominently identified. Consult Benson, Cyprian, His Life, His Times, His Work (New York, 1897). FELICITAS, fe-lfs 'I-tas. Saixt. The name of two reputed Christian female martyrs. The first is said to have been beheaded at Rome, with her seven sons, under Antoninus Pius, about a.d. 150. The second was a slave who, with her mis- tress, Perpetua, suffered in the amphitheatre at Carthage under Septimius Severus in a.d. 202 or 203. Her day is March 7. The narrative is bet- ter attested than that of many of the early martyrdoms. Consult Harris and Gifford, The Acts of the Martyrdom of Perpetua mid Felicitas (London, 1890) ; Robinson, The Passion of Per- petua (Cambridge, 1891). FE'LID.ffi (Neo-Lat. nom. pi., from felis, cat i. The cat family, distinguished primarily by pos- sessing retractile claws. See Cat. FELISBRAVO, fe'lis-bra'vO. A Persian prince in Richard Fanshawe's translation of the Spanish drama by Mendoza, Querer por solo querer. FE'LIX. The name of four popes and an anti- pope. Felix I. (Pope, 269-274). His pontifi- cate is interesting as an early example of the re- lations of the Christian Church to the Roman Empire, and of the recognition by the State of the civil rights of Christians. In the pontificate of Felix's predecessor, Dionysius, Paul of Samo- sata, Bishop of Antioeh, had been de}>osed by a council held in that city. Paul having resisted the sentence, the matter was laid before Felix, Dionysius being now dead; and, as Paul held pos- session of the church and church buildings, the bishops were obliged to claim the interference of the Emperor Aurelian, who was passing through Antioeh on his return from Palmyra. Aurelian returned a decision to the effect that the build- ings should belong to the person "to whom they should be adjudged by the bishops of Italy and Rome." Felix is. perhaps incorrectly, said to have suffered martyrdom in the persecution of (he same Emperor, Aurelian, probably in 271. His day is May 30th. Certain letters of a biter date have been ascribed to him. — Fki.ix 11. ( Pope from 3.").") to 358) . He was chosen to occu- py the Roman See after the banishment of l.i berius. When the latter returned to Rome in 358, it is s:iiil dial the Emperor Constantius pro posed thai Liberius and Felix should exercise jurisdiction jointly ; bul the Romans rejected the proposal, and Felix had to give way. He retired to his estate on the Aurelian Way. and. according to the Liber Pontificalis, died a martyr'- death in 365. In the Roman Calendar he appears as saint and martyr, and his day is .Inly 29th.- Kinx III. (Pope from is:! I,. 192). lie was a native of Rome, ami of the family from which after wards sprang Pope Gregory the Great. Hi- pon- tificate is memorable a- presenting the tirsl com meiii i inent of the disruption of the Greel
