a square bar of wood or iron passed through the hole in the heel or lower part of a topmast, and resting by its ends on the trestle-trees of the mast below; thus serving to support the topmast. Fid also denotes a pin of wood or iron tapered to a point, for opening the strands of a rope in splicing, &c.

FIDDLES, RICHARD, a laborious English writer, born at Hunmanby near Scarborough, in 1671. Having received his grammatical education at a private school in the neighbourhood, he was admitted first of Corpus Christi, and then of University College, Oxford; but, after taking the degree of bachelor of arts, in 1693, he returned to his relations, and married the same year a lady of good family and fortune. In 1694 he was ordained priest, and not long afterwards presented to the rectory of Halsham; but was compelled by bad health to remove to Wickham, where he continued for some time. Being thus unable to display his talents as a preacher, he resolved to devote himself to literature, and with this view proceeded to London in 1712, where, by the favour of Swift, he was introduced to the Earl of Oxford, who made him one of his chaplains, and procured for him a similar appointment from the queen. But the change of ministry in 1714 overturned all Fiddes' hopes of preferment, and forced him to apply to writing with greater assiduity than ever. In 1718 he was honoured with the degree of doctor by the university of Oxford. He died in 1725. Dr Fiddes was an ingenious but not very learned man; he possessed a retentive memory, and was capable of the most intense application; his publications were more numerous than interesting; his style as a writer is tedious and prolix, and, though commonly judicious, he almost never rises above mediocrity. His misfortunes, towards the close of his life, were chiefly owing to his connection with that party in the state to which, through Swift, he had been led to attach himself upon his arrival in London.