FELL, John (1625-86), bishop of Oxford, was the son of Dr Samuel Fell, dean of Christ Church, and was born at Longworth, in Berkshire, June 23, 1625. He passed from the free school of Thame to Christ Church, Oxford, at the age of eleven, took his degree of B.A. in 1640, and three years later that of M.A. He served in the royal garrison of Oxford, and attained the rank of ensign. He afterwards took holy orders; and being ejected by the parliamentary visitors from his student’s place, he lived in retirement at Oxford during the Commonwealth, privately keeping up the services of the Church of England, and administering the sacraments to many Royalists. At the Restoration he was made in rapid succession prebendary of Chichester, canon and dean of Christ Church. He had already obtained his degree of D.D., and was also chaplain to the king. In 1666 he was appointed vice-chancellor of the university, and he filled this post for several successive years. Dr Fell set himself diligently to reform his college, to clear it of all remains of what he regarded as Puritan “hypocrisy and nonsense,” to promote learning of all kinds, and to re-establish strict discipline. He did much for the improvement of the university press, therein carrying out the designs of Archbishop Laud. He zealously maintained the privileges of the university, and in so doing made himself unpopular with the townsmen. He also distinguished himself as a benefactor to the college by making and promoting many important additions to its buildings. Having shown himself a good scholar, and an earnest upholder of the Church of England, he was nominated in 1676 bishop of Oxford. He was allowed, however, still to hold his deanery of Christ Church in commendam. Fell, as a good Aristotelian, was alarmed at the ...

FELLATAHS, or Four ahs. See Africa, vol. ί p. 263. FELLENBERG, Philipp Emanuel von (1771-1844), educationist, was born 27th June 1771 at Bern, in Switzerland. His father was of patrician family, and a man of importance in his canton, and his mother was a granddaughter of the Dutch admiral Van Tromp. From his mother and from Pfeffel, the blind poet of Colmar, he received a better education than falls to the lot of most boys, while the intimacy of his father with Pestalozzi gave to his mind that bent which it afterwards followed. In 1790 he entered the university of Tübingen, where he distinguished himself by his rapid progress in legal studies. On account of his health he afterwards undertook a walking tour in Switzerland and the adjoining portions of France, Swabia, and Tyrol, visiting the hamlets and farm houses, mingling in the labours and occupations of the peasants and mechanics, and partaking of their rude fare and lodging. After the downfall of Robespierre, he went to Paris and remained there long enough to be assured of the storm impending over his native country. This he did his best to avert, but his warnings were disregarded, and Switzerland was lost before any efficient means could be taken for its safety. Fellenberg, who had hastily raised a levy en masse, was proscribed; a price was set upon his head, and he was compelled to fly into Germany. Shortly afterwards, however, he was recalled by his countrymen, and sent on a mission to Paris to remonstrate against the rapacity and cruelty of the agents of the French republic. But in this and other diplomatic offices which he held for a short time, he was witness to so much corruption and intrigue that his mind revolted from the idea of a political life, and he returned home with the intention of devoting ...

FELLER., François Xavier de (1735-1802), a Belgian author, was born at Brussels 18th August 1735. In 1752 he entered a school of the Jesuits at Rheims, where he manifested a great aptitude for mathematics and physical science. He commenced his noviciate two years afterwards, and in testimony of his admiration for the apostle of India added Xavier to his surname. On the expiry of his noviciate he became professor at Luxembourg, and afterwards at Liége. In 1764 he was appointed to the professorship of theology at Tyrnau in Hungary, but in 1771 he returned to Belgium and continued to discharge his professorial duties at Liége till the suppression of the Jesuits in 1773. The remainder of his life he devoted to study, travel, and literature. On the invasion of Belgium by the French in 1794 he went to Paderborn, and remained there two years, after which ho took up his residence at Ratisbon, where he died 23d May 1802.

Feller’s works exceed 120 volumes. In 1773 lie published, under the assumed name Flexier de Reval (an anagram of Xavier d·; Feller), his Catéchisme philosophique; and his principal work, Dictionnaire historique et littéraire (published in 1781 at Lieg·', in 8 volumes, and afterwards several times reprinted and continued down to 1848) appeared under the same name. Among his other works the most important are Cours de morale chrétienne et de littérature religieuse and his Coup (Tail sur congrès di Ems. The Journal historique et littéraire, published at Luxembourg and Liége from 1774 to 1794 in 70 volumes, was edited and in great part written by him.