FICHTELGEBIRGE. 581 I FICTION OF LAW. between the northwest-southeast ranges of the Thiiringer Wald, Franken Wald, and Bohmer Waldj and the ranges of the Franconian Jura, Elstergebirge, and Erzgebirge, which have a northeast-southwest trend. The Fichtelgebirge is the eroded remnant of an old plateau, which at present has an extreme elevation of about 3400 iiit. : d occupies an area of 3S0 square miles. Schneebergj the highest peak, is 3415 feet above the sea, while Ochsenkopf, Nusshardt, and Farnleite are more than 3000 feet. The main chain is bordered on the north and south by the small groups of the Waldstein and the Weissen- stein. Geologically the Fichtelgebirge consists of granites, gneisses, and schists of Archsean and Paleozoic age. Rich deposits of copper, lead, and iron ores were the bases of an important metal- lurgical industry at one time, but they are now practically exhausted. In the more elevated por- tions the climate is raw and moist, and suited only to the cultivation of the hardier grains and to pasturage. Cut stone, lumber, and cotton and woolen manufactures are the principal products. The range forms the watershed between the Eger, the Main, and the Naab, and is thus drained by the great river systems of the Elbe, Rhine, and Danube. FICINO, fe-ehe'no, Marsilio (1433-99). An Italian philosopher of the Renaissance. He was born in Florence, the son of the principal physi- cian of Cosmo de' Medici, and to the liberality of this prince lie owed the classical culture which inspired his future career. After some years of enthusiastic study, he appeared as a public teach- er of Platonic philosophy, and was chosen by Cosmo to preside over his newly founded Pla- tonic Academy. He translated into Latin Plato's own works and those of the Neo-Platonists Plo- tinus, Iamblichus, and Proclus, with commen- taries. His most important original work was his Tkeologia Platonica de Animorum Immor- talitate, in which he tried to give a rounded anc systematic presentation of his beliefs. His whole life was devoted to the study and teaching of the Platonic philosophy, which he believed to be, while not perfectly Christian, yei the nearest to the Christian principles, and therefore calculated to win back I" the latter minds which had been led astraj bj a false philosophy. His collected works, including his translations of Plato and Plotinus, were first published at Basel (2 vols., 1561-70). FICK, Adolf Eugen (1829-1901). A German physiologist, lie was born at Cassel, and was educated ai Marburg and Berlin. He was lecturer ami professor at Zurich from 1852 to 1868, and subsequently became professor ai Wiirzburg. Mis publications include: Dii medizinische Physik I."., I cil. 1885), ami Kompendium der Physiologie (4th ed. IS!il). FICK, August (1833—). An eminent Ger- man philologist. He was hom at Petershagen, Westphalia, and studied under Benfey at G81 tingen from L852 t" 1857, and then taughl in the gymnasium there until his appointment in 1876 in i xtraordinary professorship oi com parative philology in Hie university, hi isss oi profes in at Bresla a. 1 1 is gnat is the Vergleichendes Worterbuch der 1 1 ,i gpj achi ,, i 1 1 1t ed. 1890- ) . a stupendous monument ol learning, though its valui icit impaired bj the audacitj of it- reconstruction of the primitive parent speech. Other works are: Dit gi iechischen l'< rsotn rmamt n (2d ed. 1894); Dit ehemaligi Sprucheinheii Indogermanen Europas (1875); and Die home- rische Was, in der urspriinglichen Sprachform loiedt rht rgt s/. ///. vol. i. i iss.jj . FICK'ER, Adolf (1816-80). An Austrian statistician, born at Olmiitz. He was educated at Vienna, and in 1873 was appointed president of the Central Bureau of Statistics, of which he had previously been secretary (1853-64) and di- rector (1864-73). He also rendered important services as referee for realschulen ami gym- nasia in the Ministry of Education. His princi- pal works are the following: Dit Bevblkerung dt r bsterreichischen Monarchie (1860); Die Bevblke- rung Bbhmens (1864); Vblkerstamme der bster- reichisch - ungarischen Monarchic (1869); Ge- schichte, Organisation und Statistik des bster- reichischen Unterrichtswesens (1871). He was also the founder of the Ntitlixtischc ilonatsschrift I L875) , now published by the Imperial Bureau of Statistics, Vienna. FICKER, Julius (1826-1902). A German jurist, horn at Paderborn, and educated at Bonn, Minister, and Berlin. In 1852 he became profes- sor of history and jurisprudence at Innsbruck. He became a member of the Vienna Academy of Sciences in 18(36, and retired in 1S79. His most important work is entitled Forschungen zur Reichs- und Rechtsgesohichte Italiens (1868-74). FICORONI (fe'ko-r.Vnc) CIST, The. The most celebrated of the ancient jewel-caskets found in Italy. It was discovered in 1745, by the Italian Ficoroni, and by him presented to the Museo Kircheriano at Rome. The casket is of cylin- drical form, and bears representations of scenes from the story of the Argonauts, of the finest Greek workmanship, and an inscription giving the names of the owner and of the artist. FICQUELMONT, fe'kel'mSN', Karl Ludwig, Count (1777-1857). An Austrian statesman and general, lie was born at Dieuze, Lorraine, and entered the military service of Austria in 1793. He participated in all the campaigns against France, rose to the rank of major-general, ami subsequently became Extraordinary Ambassador to Sweden ilSH). Tuscany ami Lucca (1820), Naples (1821). and Russia (1829), where he was an extremely influential agent of Metternich. In 1839 he was recalled to Vienna to assume the duties of the Foreign Olliee during the absence of Prince Metternich, After the Revolution of .March. ISIS, he was again in charge of the De- partment of Foreign Affairs, ami had become Premier pro tern,., when popular feeling against him compelled him to resign. The following arc his principal works: Aufkldrungen Uber die '/.cil vom 20 Mrs bis mm ', Mai, 1848 (2d ed. 1850), and l>ii- religiose Seite der orientalischen Frags (2d ed. 1854). FICTION. See Novel; Romance. FICTION OF LAW (Lat. fictio, a fashion- ing .' feigning, from fingere, to fashion, to feign). A legal assumption thai something is true which is known no( to be true, or which may be false. The term legal Action is used by Sir I lint Maine in a wider sense than that given to it in tic Roman law or by most English-speaking lawyers. lie employs it "to signify any assumption which conceals, or affects to conceal, the fact that a
