FOX, in Zoology. See CANIS, MAMMALIA Index. The fox is a great nuisance to the husbandman, by taking away and destroying his lambs, geese, poultry, &c. The common way to catch him is by gins; which being baited, and a train made by drawing raw flesh across his usual paths or haunts to the gin, it proves an inducement to bring him to the place of destruction.
The fox is also a beast of chase, and is taken with greyhounds, terriers, &c. See HUNTING.
Fox, John, the martyrologist, was born at Boston in Lincolnshire in the year 1517. At the age of 16 he was entered a student of Brazen-Nose college in Oxford; and in 1543 he proceeded master of arts, and was chosen fellow of Magdalen college. He discovered an early genius for poetry, and wrote several Latin comedies, the subjects taken from Scripture, which his son assures us were written in an elegant style. Forfeiting the muses, he now applied himself with uncommon assiduity to the study of divinity, particularly church-history; and, discovering a premature propensity to the doctrine of reformation, he was expelled the college as an heretic. His distress on this occasion was very great; but it was not long before he found an asylum in the house of Sir Thomas Lucy of Warwickshire, who employed him as a tutor to his children. Here he married the daughter of a citizen of Coventry. Sir Thomas's children being now grown up, after residing a short time with his wife's father, he came to London; where finding no immediate means of subsistence, he was reduced to the utmost degree of want; but was at length
Fox, length (as his son relates) miraculously relieved in the
Fox-glove. following manner: As he was one day sitting in St
Paul's church, emaciated with hunger, a stranger ac-
costed him familiarly, and, bidding him be of good
cheer, put a sum of money into his hand; telling him
at the same time, that in a few days new hopes were
at hand. He was soon after taken into the family of
the duchess of Richmond, as tutor to the earl of Sur-
rey's children, who, when their father was sent to the
Tower, were committed to her care. In this family he
lived, at Ryegate in Surrey, during the latter part
of the reign of Henry VIII. the entire reign of Ed-
ward VI. and part of that of Queen Mary: but at
length, persecuted by his implacable enemy Bishop
Gardiner, he was obliged to seek refuge abroad. Basil
in Switzerland was the place of his retreat, where he
subsisted by correcting for the press. On the death of
Queen Mary he returned to England; where he was
graciously received by his former pupil the duke of
Norfolk, who retained him in his family as long as
he lived, and bequeathed him a pension at his death.
Mr Secretary Cecil also obtained for him the rectory
of Shipton near Salisbury; and we are assured that he
might have had considerable church preferment, had
it not been for his unwillingness to subscribe to the
canons. He died in the year 1587, in the 70th year
of his age; and was buried in the chancel of St Giles's,
Cripplegate. He was a man of great industry, and
considerable learning; a zealous, but not a violent re-
former; a nonconformist, but not an enemy to the
church of England. He left two sons; one of whom
was bred a divine, the other a physician. He wrote
many pieces; but his principal work is, the Acts and
Monuments of the Church, &c. commonly called
Fox's Book of Martyrs. His facts are not always to
be depended on, and he often loses his temper; which,
considering the subject, is not much to be wondered
at.
Fox, George, the founder of the sect of English
Quakers, was a shoemaker in Nottingham. The ac-
counts of those times tell us, that as he wrought at
his trade, he used to meditate much on the Scriptures;
which, with his solitary course of life, improving his
natural melancholy, he began at length to fancy him-
self inspired; and in consequence thereof set up for a
preacher.
He proposed but few articles of faith; insisting
chiefly on moral virtue, mutual charity, the love of
God, and a deep attention to the inward motions and
secret operations of the Spirit; he required a plain
simple worship, and a religion without ceremonies,
making it a principal point to wait in profound silence
the directions of the Holy Spirit. Fox met with much
rough treatment for his zeal, was often imprisoned, and
several times in danger of being knocked on the head.
But all discouragements notwithstanding, his sect pre-
vailed much, and many considerable men were drawn
over to them; among whom were BARCLAY and PENN.
He died in 1681. His followers were called Quakers,
in derision of some unusual shakings and convulsions
with which they were seized at their first meetings.
See QUAKERS.
Fox-Glove. See DIGITALIS, BOTANY and MATE-
RIA MEDICA Index.
Fox-Islands, the name of a group of islands, 16 in Fox-Islands
number, situated between the eastern coast of Kamt-
schatka and the western coast of the continent of
America. Each island has a particular name; but the
general name Fox-Islands is given to the whole group,
on account of the great number of black, gray, and red
foxes with which they abound. The dress of the in-
habitants consists of a cap, and a fur coat which reaches
down to the knee. Some of them wear common caps
of a party-coloured bird skin, upon which they leave
part of the wings and tail. On the fore part of their
hunting and fishing caps, they place a small board like
a screen, adorned with the jaw bones of sea bears, and
ornamented with glass beads, which they receive in
barter from the Russians. At their festivals and danc-
ing parties they use a much more showy sort of caps.
They feed upon the flesh of all sorts of sea animals,
and generally eat it raw. But if at any time they
choose to dress their victuals, they make use of a
hollow stone; having placed the fish or flesh therein,
they cover it with another, and close the interstices
with lime or clay. They then lay it horizontally
upon two stones, and light a fire under it. The
provision intended for keeping is dried without salt
in the open air. Their weapons consist of bows, ar-
rows, and darts; and for defence they use wooden
shields. The most perfect equality reigns among
these islanders. They have neither chiefs nor superi-
ors, neither laws nor punishments. They live to-
gether in families, and societies of several families united,
which form what they call a race, who, in case of an
attack or defence, mutually help and support each
other. The inhabitants of the same island always
pretend to be of the same race; and every person
looks upon his island as a possession, the property of
which is common to all the individuals of the same
society. Feasts are very common among them, and
more particularly when the inhabitants of one island
are visited by those of the others. The men of the
village meet their guests beating drums, and preceded
by the women, who sing and dance. At the conclu-
sion of the dance, the hosts serve up their best provi-
sions, and invite their guests to partake of the feast.
They feed their children when very young with the
coarsest flesh, and for the most part raw. If an infant
cries, the mother immediately carries it to the sea-
side, and whether it be summer or winter, holds it
naked in the water until it is quiet. This custom is
so far from doing the children any harm, that it
hardens them against the cold, and they accordingly
go barefooted through the winter without the least
inconvenience. They seldom heat their dwellings;
but when they are desirous of warming themselves,
they light a bundle of hay, and stand over it; or else
they set fire to train-oil, which they pour into a hollow
stone. They have a good share of plain natural sense,
but are rather slow of understanding. They seem
cold and indifferent in most of their actions; but let
an injury, or even a suspicion only, rouse them from
this phlegmatic state, and they become inflexible and
furious, taking the most violent revenge without any
regard to the consequences. The least affliction
prompts them to suicide; the apprehension of even
an uncertain evil often leads them to despair; and
they
Fracastor they put an end to their days with great apparent insensibility.