Law. [L. fierī-facias cause to be made, f. fierī (see prec.) + facias cause, 2nd pers. sing. pres. subj. of facĕre to do, make.] ‘A writ wherein the sheriff is commanded that he cause to be made out of the goods and chattels of the defendant, the sum for which judgement was given’ (Blackstone); the common process for executing a judgement. Often quoted as Fi. fa.
1463. Paston, Lett., II. No. 474. 135. A fieri facias is come out of the Exchequir for Hue Fen.
1544. trans. Nat. Brev., 177. He shal haue execucyon against them by the statute of acton Burnel by a fieri facias.
1685. Keble, King’s Bench Rep., I. 947. Recovery of Debt on Fi. fa. directed to the Sheriff into London.
1728. Carthew, King’s Bench. Rep. (1741), 419. There were two distinct Writs of Fi. fa. brought to the Sheriff.
1818. Cruise, Digest (ed. 2), II. 174. Nor were lands originally liable to a private person’s debts, nor any execution but by fieri or levari facias; which last, though it mentions de terris, yet means no more than the corn and other present profits of the land.
1829. Maule & Selwyn, King’s Bench Rep., VI. 110. The plaintiff claimed as a purchaser of a term, seized and sold by the sheriff under a writ of fi. fa.
† b. punningly. (Cf. FIERY a. 4 b.) Obs.
1594. Nashe, Unfort. Trav., Wks. (Grosart), V. 44. Purseuants with red noses and sargeants with precious faces…. Euen as the Salamander with his very sight blasteth apples on the trees, so a purseuant or a sargeant at this present, with the verie reflexe of his firie facias, was able to spoile a man a farre of.
1608. Pennyless Parl., in Harl. Misc. (Malh.), III. 74. They that drink too much Spanish sack shall, about July, be served with a fiery-faces.
1611. [see FACIES 1].
1667. Dryden, Wild Gallant, II. ii. I use to tell him of his Title, Fiery facias.
