Fairy Ring, or Circle

A ring occasionally observed in pastures, and which was usually attributed by the peasantry of western Europe to the dancing of the fairies. They are seldom of a perfect form, but are usually more or le irregular, sometimes forming a series of arcs of circles. They were ascribed by scientific men to various causes; but they are now known to be occasioned by the growth of certain kinds of fungi, which, proceeding outwards from a centre, render the soil for a time unfitted for the nourishment of gra . Faisans, (Ile des,) ( fais'a ,) a small island formed by the Bid as so a, near Irun, on the borders of France and Spain. In 1659, the treaty of the Pyrenees was here concluded between Spain and France. Fai's on's Depot, in North Carolina , a post-village of Duplin co., abt. 63 m. N. of Wilmington. Faith, n. [Lat. fides , from fido , to trust, put confidence in; Fr. foi , faith; Gr. peitho , to persuade, prithomai, to believe or trust in.] That a ent or credence which we give to the declaration or promise of another, on the authority of the person who makes it. The greater part of our knowledge is derived from the information of others, and depends upon the credence which we give to their testimony; hence, to believe and to Inow are sometimes used indiscriminately. Faith is the means by which we obtain a knowledge of things which do not come under our own observation, - things not seen; and in this way faith is distinguished from sight . Faith is also distinct from reason , in so far as it deals with matters which we cannot comprehend by our reason; but, at the same time, while we exercise faith, we must also exercise reason; for it is impo ible to exercise an acceptable faith without reason for so exercising it. Henry Rogers represents "reason and faith as twin- | born; the one, in form and features, the image of manly beauty, the other of feminine grace and gentlene , but to each of whom, alas! is allotted a sad privation. While the bright eyes of Reason are full of piercing and restle intelligence, his ear is closed to sound; and while Faith has an ear of exquisite delicacy, on her sightle orbs, as she lifts them toward heaven, the sunbeam plays in vain. Hand-in-hand the brother and sister, in all mutual love, pursue their way through a world on which, like ours, day breaks and night falls alternate; by day the eyes of Reason are the guide of Faith, and by night the ear of Faith is the guide of Reason." (E ay on Reason and Faith .) (Theol.) The a ent of the mind to the truth of what has been revealed to us in the Holy Scriptures; more particularly that living reception of truth by the heart by which we see our sinfulne in the sight of God, and are led to flee to Christ for salvation. (Myth.) Fides was deified by the Romans, and had a temple dedicated to her as early as the time of Numa Pompilius. No sacrifice in which blood was shed was allowed to be offered to her. Horace ( Carm . Lib. 1, Dd. 24) beautifully describes her as the "sister of Justice." She is at times represented on medals, either with a basket of fruit in one hand and ears of corn in the other, or as holding a turtle-dove; but her usual symbol is two hands clasped together.