FETIAL, or FECIAL, feshial, one of a college of priests in ancient Rome, said to have been instituted by Numa, consisting of 20 mem bers, who presided over all the ceremonies con nected with the ratification of peace or the formal declaration of war, including the pre liminary demand for satisfaction, as well as the actual denunciation of hostilities. Their chief was termed Pater Patratus. When sent to a distance to conclude a treaty, they carried with them certain sacred herbs called verbena, or sagmina, which were gathered on the Cap itoline Hill, and which were considered indis pensable in their rites.
FliTIS, fa-tes, Francois Joseph, Belgian musical author and composer: b. Mons, Bel gium, 25 March 1784; d. Brussels, 26 March 1871. He studied at the Paris Conservatoire under Boieldieu and Pradher. In 1821 he was made professor of counterpoint and fugue at this institution and in 1827 became its librarian. In 1833 he received and accepted a call to be come director of the Brussels Conservatoire and maitre de chapelle to the king of Belgium in which position he continued until his death. He was a prolific writer of church, piano and chamber music and also composed a number of overtures, symphonies and four operas. Of the last the most popular was 'La Vielle' (1826). His chief fame, however, rests on his writings on the theory, history and literature of music. He may also be considered the father of French musical journalism, having founded the first important French musical paper, La Revue Musicale, which he edited from 1827 33. His writings include 'Manuel des Corn
positeurs, ou Traite Methodique de l'Harmonie' Paris n. d.) ; 'La Musique Mise a la Port& de Tout le Mond' (Liege 1830) ; translated into English as 'The History of Music, or How to Understand and Enjoy its Performance' (Lon don 1846), and as 'Music Explained to the World, etc) (Boston 1842) ; and into German as 'Die Musik, etc.' (Berlin 1830) ; 'Curiosites Historiques de la Musique, etc.' (Paris 1830) ; 'Biographic Universelle des Musiciens, etc.' (Brussels 1835-44) ; 'Histoire Generale de la Musique, etc.' (5 vols., Paris 1869-73; trans lated into German as 'Geschichte der Musik aller Nationen)). Of his smaller works may be mentioned 'Notice Biographique sur Nicolo Paganini, etc.> (Paris 1851, translated into Eng lish by W. Guernsey as 'Biographical Notice of Nicolo Paganini,' London n.d.) ; 'Antoine Stradivari, etc.' (Paris 1856, translated into English by J. Bishop as 'Notice of Stradivari, etc.,' London 1864). The following musical textbooks have had a wide circulation: 'Traite du Contre-point et de la Fugue, etc.' (2 vols., Paris 18241 ; (Traite du Chant en Chceur, etc.' (Paris 1837, translated by T. Helmore as 'A Treatise on Choir and Chorus Singing,' Lon don and New York 1854); Complet de la Theorie et de la Pratique de l'Harmonie, etc.' (Paris 1849) ; (Traite elementaire de la Musique) (Bruselles n.d.).