and to continue him his legate à latere. Archbishop Forman Forman died in 1521, and was buried at Dunfermline. ዘ Dempster says that he wrote a book against Luther, a Forming. book concerning the Stoic Philosophy, and a Collection out of the Decretals.

FORMATION, in Philosophy, an act whereby something is formed or produced. For the formation of the foetus in the womb, see ANATOMY, N° 109,

IIO.

FORMATION of Stones. See STONE.

FORMATION of Metals and Minerals. See METAL and MINERAL.

FORMATION, in Grammar, signifies the manner of forming one word from another; thus accountantship is formed from accountant, and this last from account.

FORMEDON, in Law, (breve de forma donationis), a writ that lies for a person who has a right to lands or tenements, by virtue of any entail, arising from the statute of Westm. 2. Ch. II.

This writ is of three kinds, viz. a descender, remainder, and reverter. Formedon in descender, lies where a tenant in tail infeoffs a stranger, or is disseised and dies, and the heir may bring this writ to recover the lands. Formedon in remainder, lies where a man gives lands, &c. to a person in tail, and for the default of issue of his body, the remainder to another in tail: here if the tenant in tail die without issue, and a stranger abates and enters into the land, he in remainder shall have this writ. Formedon in reverter, lies where lands are entailed on certain persons and their issue, with remainder over for want of issue; and on that remainder failing, then to revert to the donor and his heirs : in this case, if the tenant in tail dies without issue, and also he in remainder, the donor and his heirs, to whom the reversion returns, may have this writ for the recovery of the estate, though the same be alienated, &c.

Forman. bis possessing the former, he was employed as mediator betwixt Pope Julius II. and Louis XII. of France, who were at that time at variance; and he happily succeed. ed in conciliating the difference. Having taken leave of the Pope, he passed through France on his return home, where he was kindly received by the king and queen, who bestowed upon him the bishopric of Bourges in France, which annually brought him in 400 tons of wine, 10,000 francs of gold, and other smaller articles. Besides all this, he was most liberally rewarded by Pope Julius, who promoted him to the archbishopric of St Andrew's, as has been already mentioned; conferred on him the two rich abbeys of Dunfermline and Aberbrothic; and made him his legate à latere. At that time, however, there were two other candidates for the archiepiscopal see. The learned Gavin Douglas, bishop of Dunkeld, having been nominated by the queen, had actually taken possession of it; but John Hepburn, a bold and factious man, having been preferred by the monks, drove out the officers of Gavin Douglas, and placed a strong garrison in the castle. So great was the power of this man, that when Forman was nominated by the Pope, no person could be found who durst proclaim the bulls for his election. At last Lord Home, at that time the most powerful nobleman in Scotland, was induced, by large promises, besides some gifts of great consequence, among which was the donation of the abbacy of Coldingham to his youngest brother David, to undertake the task. It was executed at Edinburgh and St Andrew's; to which places Lord Home's brother went with 10,000 men; though the doing of it, contrary to Forman's inclination, proved a source of much trouble to that nobleman afterwards. The quarrel betwixt Hepburn and Forman, however, was at last terminated by the latter surrendering the bishopric of Moray, as well as some years revenue of the archbishopric itself; paying Hepburn also 3000 French crowns annually out of his ecclesiastical revenues. On the appointment of the duke of Albany to the regency, Hepburn endeavoured to undermine the primate's credit with that nobleman, by representing him as one who had in a manner collected all the money in the country, and who consequently might endanger the tranquillity of the kingdom. These insinuations, however, were but little regarded by the regent; and Forman had the good fortune afterwards to make up a difference between him and the nobility, which was likely to be attended with much bloodshed. In 1517, the archbishop was appointed by the states one of the lords of the regency, on occasion of the duke of Albany's going to France. We have already mentioned his embassy to Pope Julius II. In M'Kenzie's Lives we are informed, that in the collection of the Letters of the Scottish Kings from the year 1505 till the year 1626, in the lawyers library, there is a letter from the pope to King James IV. wherein he not only highly commends Forman, but likewise promises that at the first creation of cardinals he should be made one. This letter is dated the 6th of May 1511: but the pope died before he had an opportunity of performing his promise. In the same collection there is a letter from the duke of Albany to Leo X. Julius's successor, wherein he presses the pope to advance him to the dignity of a cardinal promised him by his predecessor,

FORMIÆ, or FORMIA, in Ancient Geography, a maritime town of the Adjected or New Latium, to the south-east of Cajeta; built by the Lacedæmonians, (Strabo); called originally Hormia, on account of its commodious harbour. An ancient municipium. Formiani, the people; who were admitted to the liberty of the city the very year in which Alexandria was built; but not to the right of suffrage till a long time after the second Punic war, (Livy). Formic at this day lies in ruins, near a place now called Mola.

FORMICA, the ANT, a genus of insects belonging to the order of hymenoptera. See ENTOMOLOGY Inder.

The insects called white ants, which abound in Africa and the East Indies, belong to the genus termes, which see in ENTOMOLOGY Index.

FORMICA Leo, the Ant lion, so called from its devouring great numbers of ants. It is the caterpillar or worm of a fly much resembling the libellæ or dragon flies; and feeds chiefly upon ants.

FORMING is used for the act of giving being or birth to any thing.

The word is also simply used for giving the figure to any thing. The potter forms his vessels as he pleases. Geometry teaches how to form all kinds of figures.

It is likewise used for the producing of a thing: thus, the lineaments of the face began to be formed. FORMING

Forming,
FORMING of a Siege, is the making lines of circum-
Formosa vallation to fortify the camp, and disposing things for
the attack of a place in form.

They also say, to form a squadron or battalion; meaning to range the soldiers in form of a squadron, &c.

FORMING the Line, is drawing up infantry, cavalry, and artillery, into line of battle. See LINE.

FORMING is also used in grammar, in speaking of certain tenses of verbs, which are made from others by a change of certain letters. The present tense is formed from the infinitive. Compound and derivative words also, and even all that have any etymology, are said to be formed.

FORMOSA, an island in the Pacific ocean, between 119° and 122° of E. Long. and 22° and 25 N. Lat. about 100 miles east of Canton in China. It is subject to the Chinese; who, however, notwithstanding its vicinity, did not know of its existence until the year 1430. It is about 85 leagues in length, and 25 in breadth. A long chain of mountains, which runs. from north to south, divides it into two parts, the eastern and western. The Dutch formed an establishment in the western part in 1634, and built the fort of Zealand, which secured to them the principal port of the island; but they were driven from thence in 1659 or 1661 by a celebrated Chinese pirate, who made himself master of all the western part, which afterwards submitted in 1682 to the authority of Kang-he emperor of China.

This western part of Formosa is divided into three distinct governments, all subordinate to the governor of TAI-OUAN, the capital of the island, who is himself subject to the viceroy of the province of FOKIEN.

This island presents extensive and fertile plains, watered by a great number of rivulets that fall from the eastern mountains. Its air is pure and wholesome; and the earth produces in abundance, corn, rice, and the greater part of other grains. Most of the Indian fruits are found here, such as oranges, bananas, pine-apples, guavas, papaws, cocoa nuts; and part of those of Europe, particularly peaches, apricots, figs, raisins, chesnuts, pomegranates, water inelons, &c. Tobacco, sugar, pepper, camphire, and cinnamon, are also common. Horses, sheep, and goats, are very rare in this island: there are even few hogs, although these animals abound in China. Domestic poultry, such as fowls, geese, and ducks, are exceedingly plenty; pheasants also are sometimes seen; and monkeys and stags have multiplied so much, that they wander through the country in large flocks.

The inhabitants of Formosa rear a great number of oxen, which they use for riding, from a want of horses and mules. They accustom them early to this kind of service, and by daily exercise train them to go as well and as expeditiously as the best horses. These oxen were furnished with a bridle, saddle, and crupper. A Chinese looks as big and proud when mounted in this manner, as if he were carried by the finest Barbary

courser.

Wholesome water fit for drinking is the only thing wanting in the island of Formosa. It is very extraordinary, that every kind of water in it is a deadly poison to strangers, for which no remedy has hitherto been found. "One of the governor's servants," says

Father de Mailla, "whom I had in my train (a strong Formosa. and robust man), trusting too much to the force of his constitution, would not believe what had been told him concerning this water he drank some of it; and died in less than five days, after every medicine and antidote had been administered without success. There is none but the water of the capital which can be drunk the mandarins of the place therefore always took care to transport a sufficiency of it in carts for our use." Our author adds, that at the bottom of a mountain a league distant from Fong-kan-hien there is a spring that produces a stream, the water of which is of a whitish blue colour, and so noxious, that no one cau approach it.

There are few mulberry trees in Formosa, consequently little silk is made in the country. Numerous manufactures, however, would soon be introduced into it, were the Chinese permitted indiscriminately to transport themselves thither, and to form establishments in the island. Those who go to it must be protected by passports from the Chinese mandarins, and these passports are sold at a dear rate; securities are besides required. This is not all: when they arrive, money must be given to the mandarins who are appointed to examine those who enter or quit the island, and who generally discharge this duty with the most rigid severity. If they give no present, or offer only a trifle, they meet with little mercy and are sure to be sent back, whatever passport they may have. The Chinese, through policy, connive at these exactions, to prevent too great a number of people from emigrating to this island, which is rendered a place of great importance by its proximity to China. They fear, and with great reason (especially since Tartar emperors have been on the throne), that if any revolt should happen in Formosa, its influence might spread and occasion great disturbance in the whole empire. On this account, the Tartars keep a garrison there of 10,000 men which they take care to change every three years, or even oftener if they judge it necessary.

:

Besides the capital, the Chinese have also two other cities, and some villages, where they inhabit alone; for they do not permit the Indians, who are their subjects, to live among them; they suffer none to remain but those who are either their slaves or domestics.These Indians are united into 45 villages; 36 of which lie to the north, and 9 towards the south. The northern villages are very populous, and the houses are built almost after the Chinese manner. The babitations of the southern islanders are only heaps of huts or cottages of earth. In these huts they have neither chairs, benches, tables, beds, nor any piece of furniture; the middle part is occupied by a kind of hearth or chimney, raised two feet high, and constructed of earth, upon which they dress their victuals. Their ordinary food is rice, other small grain, and the game which they catch by coursing or kill with their arms. These islanders run with such surprising swiftnes, that they can almost outstrip the fleetest greyhound. The Chinese attribute this agility to the precaution they take of confining their knees and reins by a close bandage until the age of 14 or 15. Their favourite arms are lances, which they dart to the distance of 60 or 80 feet with the greatest dexterity and precision. They use bows and arrows, and can kill a pheasant on wing with

as much certainty as an European sportsman could with a fusee. These people are very dirty in their manner of eating. They have neither plates, dishes, nor spoons, nor even the small sticks used in China. Whatever they dress is placed on a plain board or mat, and they make use of their fingers for conveying it to their mouths. They eat flesh half raw; and provided it has been only presented to the fire, it appears to them excellent. Their beds are formed of fresh gathered leaves. They go almost naked, and wear only a piece of cloth which hangs from their girdle to their knees. Those among them, who, according to the judgment of the chiefs of the village, have borne away the prize for agility in running, or dexterity in the chase, obtain the honourable privilege of making on their skin, by a very painful operation, several fantastical figures of flowers, trees, and animals. All have the right of blackening their teeth, and of wearing ornaments of bracelets and crowns made of shells and crystal.

The islanders who inhabit the northern part, where the climate is somewhat colder, clothe themselves with the skins of the stags which they kill in hunting. They make a kind of dress of them without sleeves, that pretty much resembles a dalmatic, or vestment worn at the altar by the Roman clergy. They wear on their heads caps in the form of a cylinder, made of palm leaves, and ornamented with several crowns placed one above another, on the top of which they fix plumes composed of the feathers of a cock or pheasant.

The marriage ceremonies of the inhabitants of Formosa approach near to the simple laws of nature. They neither purchase, as in China, the women whom they espouse, nor does interest ever preside over their uni ons. Fathers and mothers are scarcely ever consulted. If a young man has a mind to marry, and has fixed his affection on a young girl, he appears for several days following near the place where she lives with a musical instrument in his hand. If the young woman is satisfied with the figure of her gallant, she comes forth and joins him: they then agree and settle the marriage contract. After this, they give notice to their parents who prepare a wedding dinner, which is always given in the house where the young woman resides, and where the bridegroom remains without returning again to his father. The young man afterwards considers the house of his father-in-law as his own. He becomes the whole support of it, and he has no farther connection with that of his father; like married women in Europe, who generally quit their paternal home in order to live with their husbands. These islanders therefore seldom offer up vows for obtaining male children they prefer daughters, because they procure them sons-in-law, who become their supports in old age.

Although the Formosans are entirely subjected to the Chinese, they still preserve some remains of their ancient government. Each village chooses three or four old men from among those who have the greatest reputation for probity. By this choice they become By this choice they become the rulers and judges of the rest of the hamlet. They have the power of finally determining all differences; and if any one should refuse to abide by their judgment, he would be immediately banished from the vil

lage, without hopes of ever being able to re-enter it, Formosa. and none of the inhabitants would afterwards dare to receive him.

The natives pay in grain the tribute imposed on them by the Chinese. To regulate every thing that concerns the laying on and collecting of this impost, government has established a Chinese in every village, who is obliged to learn the language and act as interpreter to the mandarins. These interpreters are most cruel extortioners to the miserable people, whom they ought rather to protect they are such insatiable leeches that they can scarcely ever be satisfied. This daily and domestic tyranny has already caused the defection of three villages in the southern part of the island, where formerly there were twelve. The inhabitants of these villages revolted, expelled their interpreters, refused to pay tribute any longer to the Chinese, and have united themselves to the independent nation in the eastern part of the island.

It was in the island of Formosa that John Struys affirms to have seen with his own eyes a man who had a tail more than a foot in length, covered with red hair, and greatly resembling that of an ox. This man with a tail said, that his deformity, if it was one, proceeded from the climate, and that all those of the southern part of the island were born with tails like his.-But John Struys is the only author who attests the existence of this extraordinary race of men; no other writer who has spoken of Formosa makes the least mention of them. Another circumstance, no less singular, and which appears to be little better authenticated, is, that in this island women are not permitted to bring forth children before they are 35, although they are at liberty to marry long before that age. Dutch Rechteren * thus expresses himself concerning this East Ind. strange custom. Company "When women are first married, they bring no chil-Voyages, dren into the world: they must, before that is permit. vol. v. p. 9. ted, have attained the age of 35 or 37. When they are big with child, their priestesses pay them a visit, and tread on their bellies with their feet, if it be neces sary, and make them miscarry, with perhaps greater pains than they would have in being brought to bed. It would be not only a shame, but an enormous crime, to bring forth a child before the time prescribed. I have seen some females who had already destroyed the fruit of their womb 15 or 16 times, and who were big for the 17th when it was lawful for them to bring forth a living child."

To our description of Formosa we shall add the following account of a dreadful disaster that befel this unhappy island. The details were conveyed by a letter from Peking, addressed to M. Bertin, and dated the 14th of July 1782.

"The waters of the occan have well nigh deprived China of one of its most valuable maritime possessions. The island of Tay-ouan, known in Europe by the name of Formosa, has been almost swallowed up by them. It has been reported here, that part of the mountain which divides the island has sunk and disappeared; that the rest has been overturned; and that the greater part of the inhabitants have perished. Such have been for some days the popular reports in this capital. Government, however, has put a stop to them, by informing the public of the real truth; such as it

has

has been announced to the emperor by the officers who have this small portion of his territories under their jurisdiction. I cannot do better than transcribe what they have written. The dispatches of the Chinese officers, addressed to the emperor, run thus:

"Bechen, governor-general of the province of Fokien and Tche-Kyang-ya, viceroy of Fokien, and others, make known to your majesty the disaster that has lately befallen the island of Tay-ouan. Monha-hon, and other principal officers of this island, have acquainted us, that on the 21st of the fourth moon (May 22. 1782), a most furious wind, accompanied with heavy rain and a swell of the sea greater than ever remembered, had kept them under continual apprehension of being swallowed up by the waves, or buried in the bowels of the earth, from the hour of yn until the hour ouei (A). This dreadful tempest seemed to blow at the same time from the four cardinal points of the compass, and continued with equal violence during the above-mentioned time. The buildings where the tribunals were held, the public granaries, the barracks, salt warehouses, and works, have been totally destroyed, and every thing they contained is lost: warehouses and workshops, as well as private houses, for the most part, present nothing but ruins and heaps of rubbish. Of 27 ships of war which were in the barbour, 12 have disappeared; two others have been dashed to pieces, and 10 are shattered in such a manner that they are rendered entirely unfit for service; other smaller vessels of different sizes, above 100 in number, have shared the same fate; eighty have been swallowed up; five others, which had just taken in a lading of rice for Fokien, have sunk, and their cargoes, which amounted to 100,000 bushels, are wholly lost. With regard to other vessels, whether small or great, which had not entered the harbour, 10 or 12 of the largest are reckoned to have been swallowed up; those of inferior size, as well as a prodigious number of barks, boats, and other small vessels of different kinds, have disappeared, without leaving the least piece of wreck behind them. As the whole island has been covered with water, the provisions have been either swept away, or spoilt so as to render them prejudicial to the health of those who use them in their present state. The crops are entirely lost. When we shall have been informed of particulars, we shall not fail to give your majesty the earliest intelligence of them.-After having received this letter from Mon-ha-bon, and the other principal officers residing at Tay-ouan, I employed the utmost diligence to give every assistance in my power to this unfortunate island; and I ordered the travelling commissary, and Trey-ouer, general of the province, to get particular information of the number of those who have perished, of the houses destroyed, and of the quantity of salt and other provisions that has been lost: I have likewise enjoined them to rebuild with the utmost expedition the tribunals, granaries, and other public edifices; to dispatch proper persons to search for the vessels and ships that have disappeared; to repair those which are not altoge

ther unfit for service, and to send immediately to the Formosa, neighbouring countries for salt and other necessary pro- Formula. visions: but above all, to ascertain in the most accurate manner the different losses sustained by the inhabitants, and the precise number of people that have perished, in order that I may be able to give the fullest information to your majesty."

The emperor of China caused a particular detail of these losses to be published, together with the following letter:

"Tchang-yu, &c. Tchem-hoeï-Thon-Tsong-tou of Fokien, and others, have informed me of the dismal event that bath taken place in the island of Tay-ouan, which is a district of the province of Fokien. They have written to me, that on the 21st of the fourth moon-[Here the emperor repeats what is contained in the preceding letter, and continues thus]. I command Tsong-tou to get the best information he can of the different losses sustained by the inhabitants of the island, and to transmit the particulars to me, in order that I may give them every assistance to repair them. My intention is, that all the houses which have been thrown down shall be rebuilt entirely at my expence ; that those be repaired which are only damaged; and that provisions, and every thing which the people stand in immediate want of, be supplied them. I should feel much pain, were even one among them to be neglected: I therefore recommend the utmost diligence and strictest inquiry, as I am desirous that none of my subjects should entertain the least doubt of the tender affection which I have for them; and that they should know that they are all under my eyes, and that I myself will provide for their wants. With regard to my ships of war, tribunals, and public edifices, let them be restored to their former state with money taken from the public treasury, and let the general account of the whole expence be laid before

me.

The missionary who sent this account farther says, From these letters it evidently appears, that this disaster happened in consequence of an earthquake; but he adds, that the volcano which occasioned it must be at a prodigious depth below the sea. He does not pretend to give an explanation of it; he is contented with observing, that the same scene seems to have passed on the island of Formosa as at Lima and Lisbon.

FORMULA, or FORMULARY, a rule or model, or certain terms prescribed or decreed by authority, for the form and manner of an act, instrument, proceeding, or the like.

FORMULA, in Church History and Theology, signi fies a profession of faith.

FORMULA, in Medicine, imports the constitution of medicines, either simple or compound, both with respect to their prescription and consistence.

FORMULA, a theorem or general rule, or expression, for solving certain particular cases of some problem, &c.

quantity. Also dx-x, is the formula, or general value, of the ordinate to a circle, whose diameter is d, and absciss r.

FORMULARY, a writing, containing the form or formula of an oath, declaration, attestation, or abjuration, &c. to be made on certain occasions.

There are also formularies of devotion, of prayers, &c. Liturgies are formularies of the public service in most churches.

FORNACALIA, or FORNICALIA, in Roman antiquity, a festival instituted by Numa, in honour of Fornax, the goddess of ovens; wherein certain cakes were made, and offered in sacrifice before the

ovens.

FORNICATION (Fornicatio, from the fornices in Rome, where the lewd women prostituted themselves for money), is whoredom, or the act of incontinency, between single persons; for if either of the parties is married, it is adultery. Formerly court leets had power to inquire of and punish fornication and adultery; in which courts the king had a fine assessed on the offenders, as appears by the book of Domesday.

In the year 1650, when the ruling powers found it for their interest to put on the semblance of a very extraordinary strictness and purity of morals, not only incest and wilful adultery were made capital crimes, but also the repeated act of keeping a brothel, or committing fornication, was, upon a second conviction, made felony without benefit of clergy. But, at the Restoration, when men, from an abhorrence of the hypocrisy of the late times, fell into a contrary extreme of licentiousness, it was not thought proper to renew a law of such unfashionable rigour. And these offences have been ever since left to the feeble coercion of the spiritual court, according to the rules of the canon law; a law which has treated the offence of incontinence, nay, even adultery itself, with a great degree of tenderness and lenity; owing perhaps to the constrained celibacy of its first compilers. The temporal courts therefore take no cognizance even of the crime of adultery otherwise than as a private injury. See ADUL

TERY.

The evils of fornication, which too many wish to consider as no sin, may be judged of from the following particulars.

1. The malignity and moral quality of each crime is not to be estimated by the particular effect of one offence, or of one person's offending, but by the general tendency and consequence of crimes of the same nature. In the present case, let the libertine consider and say, what would be the consequence, if the same licentiousness in which he indulges were universal; or what should hinder its becoming universal, if it be innocent or allowable in him?

2. Fornication supposes prostitution; and by prostitution the victims of it are brought to almost certain misery. It is no small quantity of misery in the aggregate, which, between want, disease, and insult, is suffered by those outcasts of human society who infest populous cities; the whole of which is a general consequence of fornication, and to the increase and VOL. IX. Part I.

t

continuance of which every act and instance of forui- Fornicacation contributes.

3. Fornication produces habits of ungovernable lewdness, which introduce the more aggravated crimes of seduction, adultery, violation, &c. The criminal indulgences between the sexes prepare an easy admission for every sin that seeks it: they are, in low life, usually the first stage in men's progress to the most desperate villanies; and in high life, to that lamented dissoluteness of principle, which manifests itself in a profligacy of public conduct, and a contempt of the obligations of religion and moral probity.

4. Fornication perpetuates a disease, which may be accounted one of the sorest maladies of human nature, and the effects of which are said to visit the constitution of even distant generations.

The passion being natural, proves that it was intended to be gratified; but under what restrictions, or whether without any, must be collected from different considerations.

In the Scriptures, fornication is absolutely and peremptorily condemned. Out of the heart proceed evil thoughts, murders, adulteries, fornication, thefts, false witness, blasphemies; these are the things which defile a man.' These are Christ's own words; and one word from him upon the subject is final. The apostles are more full upon this topic. One well-known passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews may stand in the place of all others; because, admitting the authority by which the apostles of Christ spake and wrote, it is decisive. Marriage and the bed undefiled is honourable amongst all men, but whoremongers and adulterers God will judge;' which was a great deal to say, at a time when it was not agreed even amongst philosophers that fornication was a crime.

Upon this subject Mr Paley adds the following ob

servations.

tion.

p. 246.

* Moral "The Scriptures give no sanction to those austerities and Politiwhich have been since imposed upon the world under cal Philo. the name of Christ's religion, as the celibacy of the sophy, clergy, the praise of perpetual virginity, the prohibitio concubitus cum gravida uxore; but with a just knowledge of, and regard to the condition and interest of the human species, have provided in the marriage of one man with one woman an adequate gratification for the propensities of their nature, and have restrained them to that gratification.

"The avowed toleration, and in some countries the licensing, taxing, and regulating of public brothels, has appeared to the people an authorizing of fornication, and has contributed, with other causes, so far to vitiate the public opinion, that there is no practice of which the immorality is so little thought of or acknowledged, although there are few in which it can more plainly be made out. be made out. The legislators who have patronized receptacles of prostitution ought to have foreseen this effect, as well as considered, that whatever facilitates fornication, diminishes marriages. And as to the usual apology for this relaxed discipline, the danger of greater enormities if access to prostitutes were too strictly watched and prohibited; it will be time enough to look to that, after the laws and the magistrates have done their utmost. The greatest vigilance of both will do no more, than oppose some bounds and some difficulties to this intercourse. And after all, these pretended C fears