a greater kind of market, granted to a town, by privilege, for the more speedy and commodious providing of such things as the place stands in need of.
The word fair, is formed from the French foire, which signifies the same thing; and foire is by some derived from the Latin forum, "market;" by others from the Latin feria, because anciently fairs were always held in the places where the wakes, or feasts of the dedications of churches, called feriae, were held. See Feriae.
It is incident to a fair, that persons should be free from being arrested in it for any other debt or contract than what was contracted in the same; or, at least, promised to be paid there. These fairs are generally kept once or twice a-year; and, by statute, they shall not be held longer than they ought by the lords thereof, on pain of their being seized into the king's hands, &c. All proclamation is to be made, how long they are to continue; and no person shall sell any goods after the time of the fair is ended, on forfeiture of double the value, one-fourth to the prosecutor and the rest to the king. There is a toll usually paid in fairs on the sale of things, and for stallage, pieage, &c.
Fairs abroad are either free, or charged with toll and impost. The privileges of free fairs consist chiefly, first, in that all traders, &c., whether natives or foreigners, are allowed to enter the kingdom, and are under the royal protection, exempt from duties, impositions, tolls, &c. Secondly, that merchants, in going or returning, cannot be molested or arrested, or their goods stopped. They are established by letters-patent from the prince. Fairs, particularly free fairs, make a very considerable article in the commerce of Europe, especially that of the Mediterranean, and inland parts of Germany, &c.
The most celebrated fairs in Europe are those, 1. Of Francfort, held twice a-year, in spring and autumn: the first commencing the Sunday before Palm-Sunday, and the other on the Sunday before the eighth of September. Each lasts 14 days, or two weeks; the first of which is called the week of acceptance, Fairs, and the second the week of payment. They are famous for the sale of all kinds of commodities; but particularly for the immense quantity of curious books nowhere else to be found, and whence the book-sellers throughout all Europe used to furnish themselves. Before each fair, there is a catalogue of all the books to be sold thereat, printed and dispersed, to call together purchasers; though the learned complain of divers unfair practices therein; as fictitious titles, names of books purely imaginary, &c., beside great faults in the names of the authors, and the titles of the real books.
2. The fairs of Leipzig, which are held thrice a year; one beginning on the first of January; another three weeks after Easter; and a third after Michaelmas. They hold 12 days a-piece; and are at least as considerable as those of Frankfort.
3. The fairs of Novi, a little city in the Milanese, under the dominion of the republic of Genoa. There are four in the year, commencing on the second of February, the second of May, the first of August, and second of September. Though the commodities bought and sold here be very considerable; yet, what chiefly contributes to render them so famous, is the vast concourse of the most considerable merchants and negotiants of the neighbouring kingdoms, for the transacting of affairs and settling accounts.
4. The fairs of Riga, whereof there are two in the year; one in May, and the other in September. They are much frequented by the English, Dutch, and French ships, as also from all parts of the Baltic. The best time for the sale of goods at Riga is during the fairs. Since the building of the famous city of Peterburgh, these fairs have suffered some diminution.
5. Fair of Archangel, during which all the trade foreigners have with that city is managed. It holds a month, or six weeks at most, commencing from the middle of August. The Muscovite merchants attend here from all parts of that vast empire; and the English, Dutch, French, Swedish, Danish, and other ships in the port of that city, on this occasion, ordinarily amount to 300. But this is no free fair as the rest are: The duties of exportation and importation are very strictly paid, and on a very high footing.
6. The fair of St Germain, one of the suburbs of Paris, commencing on the third of February, and holding till Easter; though it is only free for the first 15 days. The fairs of Lyons, which Mons. du Chevre, in his antiquity of cities, would infallibly, from a pallage in Strabo, were established by the Romans; though it is certain, the fairs as they now stand, are of a much later date. There are three in the year, each lasting 20 days, and free for ever. They begin on Easter Monday, the 26th of July, and the first of December.
8. Fair of Guibray, a suburb of the city of Falaise, in the Lower Normandy. It is said to have been established by our William the Conqueror, in consideration of his being born at Falaise. It commences on the 16th of August; and holds 15 days free by charter, and longer by custom.
9. Fair of Beaucaire, held partly in a city of that name, in Languedoc, and partly in the open country, under tents, &c. It commences on the 23rd of July, and only holds for three days; yet it is the greatest and most celebrated of all the fairs in that part of Europe, both for the concourse of strangers from all parts of the world, and for the traffic of all kinds of goods: the money returned in these three days amounting sometimes to above six millions of livres.
The fairs of Porto-Bello, Vera Cruz, and the Hannah, are the most considerable of all those in America. The two first last as long as the flota and galleons continue in those ports; and the last is opened as soon as the flota or galleons arrive there upon their return for Spain; this being the place where the two fleets join. See Flota and Galleons.
The principal British fairs are, 1. Sturbridge fair, near Cambridge, by far the greatest in Britain, and perhaps in the world. 2. Bristol has two fairs, very near as great as that of Sturbridge. 3. Exeter. 4. West Chester. 5. Edinburgh. 6. Whitchurch; and 7. Burford fair; both for sheep. 8. Panoras fair, in Staffordshire, for saddle-horses. 9. Bartholomew fair, at London, for lean and Welsh black cattle. 10. St Faith's, in Norfolk, for Scotch runts. 11. Yarmouth fishing fair for herrings; the only fishing fair in Great Britain. 12. Ipswich butter fair. 13. Woodborough-hill, in Dorsetshire, for west country manufactures, as kerseys, druggets, &c. 14. Two cheese fairs at Chipping Norton: with innumerable other fairs, besides weekly markets, for all sorts of goods, as well our own as of foreign growth.
sea-language, is used for the disposition of the wind, when it is favourable to a ship's course, in opposition to that which is contrary or foul. The term fair is more comprehensive than large, and includes about 16 or 18 points of the compass; whereas large is confined to the beam or quarter, that is, to a wind which crosses the keel at right angles, or obliquely from the stern, but never to one right aft-tern.