Gosse, Eighteenth-Century Literature, p

115. 2. An oratorio by Handel, composed in 1741 (first produced at Dublin in 1742). The words are by Charles Jennens from the Scriptures. Mozart composed additional accompaniments to it in 1789. Probably no musical composition has created such lasting and deep enthusiasm. Me ias (The Me iah). An epic poem by Klopstock, in 20 cantos. The first 3 cantos were published in 1748 in the "Bremer Beiträge," but he did not finish it till 1773. The model before him was Milton's "Paradise Lost," but he did not profit sufficiently by his example. The poem suffers from exce of sentiment, and the lyric quality is more nearly related to the religious oratorios than to a genuine epic. Me idor (mes-si-dôr'). [F., from L. me is , harvest, and Gr. δῶρον , a gift.] The name adopted in 1793 by the National Convention of the first French republic for the tenth month of the year. It consisted of 30 days, beginning in the years 1 to 7 with June 19, and in 8 to 13 with June 20. Me in, Pays (pā-ē' me-san'). An ancient district of eastern France, whose chief town was Metz. With Verdunois it formed one of the small governments of France prior to 1790. Me ina (mes-sēʼnä). 1. A province in Sicily, Italy. Area, 1,246 square miles. Population (1891), 505, 159.-2. The capital of the province of Me ina, a seaport, situated on the Strait of Me in a in lat. 38° 12′ N., long. 15° 34′ E.: the ancient Me an a, and earlier Zancle. It has an excel lent harbor and a fine situation; is the second commercial place in Sicily; and exports fruit, olive-oil, wine, silk, etc. It has a cathedral and a university. It was founded by Chalcid i ans and others, and received a colony of Me enians; was destroyed by the Cart hag in i ans and rebuilt by Dionysius; came under the rule of the Mamertines in 282 B. C.; gave rise to the first Punicwar and was annexed by Rome; pa ed succe ively to the Saracens, Normans, Me ina Hohenstaufen, and Spaniards; suffered from the strife between the French and Spaniards in 1672-78, from the plague in 1743, and from an earthquake in 1783; was bombarded in 1848; and was the last Sicilian stronghold of the Neapolitans against Garibaldi in 1860-61. Population (1901), commune, 149,778. Me ina, Strait of. A strait in the Mediterranean, separating Sicily from the mainland of Italy: the ancient Fretum Siculum. Width in narrowest part, 24 miles. Me kirch (mes'kirch), or Mö kirch (mės'kirch). A small town in Baden, 24 miles north of Con stance. Near it, May 5, 1800, the French under Moreau defeated the Austrians under Kray. Meston (mes'ton), William. Born in Aberdeen shire about 1688: died at Aberdeen, 1745. A Scottish burlesque poet. He was educated at Marischal College, Aberdeen, of which he became a regent in 1715. His poems are mostly imitations of Butler's "Hudibras." Among them are “The Knight of the Kirk" (1723), "Mob contra Mob" (1731), Old Mother Grim's Tales (1737), etc. IMG:content-0771.png:[ocr errors] Mestre (mes'tre). A town in the province of Venice, Italy, 6 miles northwest of Venice. Mesurado (mes-ö-rä'dō), Cape. A headland on the coast of Liberia, Africa, situated in lat. 6° 19′ N., long. 10° 50′ W. Mészáros (mā'sä-rosh), Lázár. Born at Baja, Hungary, Feb. 20, 1796: died at Eywood, Here ford shire, England, Nov. 16, 1858. A Hungarian revolutionary general and politician. He was minister of war 1848-49, and succeeded Gör gey as commander-in-chief in 1849. Meta (ma'tä). A small town in the province of Naples, Italy, east of Sorrento. Meta. A river in Colombia and Venezuela, which joins the Orinoco about lat. 6° 15′ N., long. 67° 45′ W. Length, about 750 miles; navigable for about 400 miles. Metamneh (me-täm'nā), or Metemneh (metem'nā). A place in Nubia, on the Nile, opposite Shendy, about lat. 16° 41′ N. It was the objective point of Stewart's division of Wolseley's relief expedition in 1885. Metamorphoses (met-a-môr'fo-sez). A poetical work by Ovid, based on the principal cla i cal legends. Metaphysical School of Poets, The. A naine wrongly given by Dr. Johnson to Donne, Cowley, and other poets of the 17th century, who were noted for fantastic language and strained style. Metaphysics (met-a-fiz'iks) of Aristotle. [From the Greek title τῶν μετὰ τὰ φυσικά Α-Ν, The (Books) after the Physics, 1-50,' probably given by Andronicus of Rhodes, in the 1st century B. c., to a group of Aristo tel i an books not designed as a connected treatise.] A celebrated work by Aristotle. It consists of 13 books, more or le disconnected and imperfect, dealing with the doctrines of his predece ors and with various metaphysical topics. Metapontum (met-a-pon'tum), or Metapontium (met-a-pon's hi-um). [Gr. Μεταπόντιον.] In ancient geography, a city in southern Italy, situated on the Gulf of Tarentum 25 miles southwest of Tarentum. It was one of the flourishing cities of Magna Græcia. Pythagoras died here. Near the modern Torremare are the ruins of a temple of Apollo, Greek Doric of the 5th century в. с., hexastyle, peripteral, with sculptured metopes; and of a temple called the Tavola dei Paladin i, Greek Doric of about 600 B. c., hexastyle, with 12 columns on the flanks. Metastasio (mā-täs-tä'ze-ō): the a umed name of Pietro Antonio Domenico Bonaventura Trapa i. Born at Rome, Jan. 13, 1698: died at Vienna, April 12, 1782. A noted Italian poet, court poet at Vienna 1730-82. He was the author of numerous lyric dramas (various composers supplying the music for each): "Didone abb and on at a" (1724), "Catone in Utica," "Ezio," "Semiramide," "A le andro nell' Indie," "Artaserse," "Demetrio," "Adriano in Siria," "Olimpiade," "Demofoonte," "La clemenza di Tito" (1734), "Achille in Sciro," "Anti gone," "Il trionfo di Clelia, Partenope," etc. He also wrote poems for cantatas, oratorios, etc. Burney wrote his memoirs (1796). Metauro (ma-tou'rō). A small river in Italy, which flows into the Adriatic 28 miles northwest of Ancona: the ancient Metaurus. The battle of the Metaurus was a victory gained at the river, south of Rimini, in 207 B. c., by the Romans under the consuls Livius and Nero over the Cart hag in i ans under Hasdrubal. Nero had eluded Hannibal in southern Italy, and made a forced march of 250 miles with 7,000 men. Hasdrubal was slain, and his army nearly annihilated. This victory is ranked as one of the decisive battles of the world. Metcalfe (met'käf), Charles Theophilus, Baron Metcalfe. Born in Calcutta, Jan. 30,1785: died near Basing stoke, Hampshire, Sept. 5, 1846. A British administrator. He was provisional gover nor-general of British India 1835-36; lieutenant-governor of the Northwest Provinces 1836-38; governor of Jamaica 1839-42; and governor-general of Canada 1843-45. Metcalfe, Frederick. Born 1815: died Aug. 24, 1885. An English Scand in avian scholar. He IMG:content-0772.png:[blocks in formation] Meulen middle of the 5th century B. C., and display consummate knowledge of the human form. They are earlier in style than the Par the non marbles. Metopes from Temple Cat Selinus. Three metopes in the Museo Nazionale, Palermo, Sicily. They are a quadriga with three personages (Helios and Hours?), Perseus slaying Medusa, and bearing off the Cercopes. The style is highly archaic. These metopes are a igned to the end of the 7th century B. C., and as early Dorian sculpture are artistically important. Metropolitan Museum of Art. An ins titup on tan tion organized in 1870, and afterward incorporated, having for its object the collection of works of art and the promotion of art culture in New York city. It is situated in Central Park, opposite East 82d street. The building was inaugurated in 1880. Near it stands the Egyptian obelisk known as Cleopatra's Needle. Jugurtha in Numidia 109 and 108 в. с. Me tell us, Quintus Cæcilius, surnamed Pius. Metsu. See Metzu . Died about 64 в. с. A Roman general, son of Metsys. See Ma ys . Me tell us Numidicus. He was commander under Sulla in the civil wars; was consul in and commanded Metternich-Winneburg (met'ter-nich-vin'ne- later in Spain against Sertorius. Me tell us, Quintus Cæcilius, surnamed Cretic us ('the Cretan'). Died probably about 56 B.C. A Roman general. He was consul in 69, and subdued Crete 68-67. Me tell us Celer (sē'ler), Quintus Cæcilius. Died 59 в. с. A Roman statesman. He was pretor in 63; opposed the conspiracy of Cat i line; and was consul in 60. Me tell us Nepos (ne pos), Quintus Cæcilius. Died about 55 в. с. A partizan of Pompey, tribune in 62, and consul in 57. Me tell us Pius Scipio (pi'us sip'i-ō), Quintus Cæcilius. Committed suicide 46 в. с. A son of Scipio Nasica, and adopted son of Me tell us Pius. He was consul with Pompey in 52 B. C., and Pompeian commander in Syria and Egypt. Metemneh. See Metamneh . Meteor a (me-tā'ō-rä). [From Gr. μετέωρος , IMG:content-0773.png:[ocr errors] kala, The aly. Method i us (me-thō'di-us). Died 885. Brother of Cyril, and co-laborer with him as mi ionary among the Slavic peoples in the Danube basin: called "the Apostle of the Slavs." Methow (met-hou'). A tribe of North Ameri- can Indians which occupied the drainage-area of Lake Chelan and that of the Methow and Enteeatook rivers, in what is now Okanogan County, Washington. See Salishan . Methuen (me-thu'en). A town in E ex County, Ma achusetts, 27 miles north by west of Bos- ton. Population (1900), 7,512. Methuen Treaty. A commercial treaty be- tween England and Portugal, negotiated in 1703 by Paul Methuen. Portuguese wines imported into England were admitted for one third le duty than French wines. Methusael (me-thū'sā-el). [Heb., 'man of God.'] One of the patriarchs of the race of Cain, fa- ther of Lamech. Me thu selah (me-thu'se-lä). [Heb., 'man of the dart'(?).] According to the account in Genesis, the son of Enoch. He died at the age of 969 years, the oldest man mentioned in the Bible. Methymna (me-thim'nä). [Gr. Μήθυμνα .] In ancient geography, a city in Lesbos. Metidja (ma-tejä). A fertile plain in Algeria, south and southwest of Algiers. Metis (me'tis). [Gr. Μήτις .] 1. In Greek mythol- ogy, a godde personifying prudence, daughter of Ocean us and Tethys, and first wife of Zeus. -2. The ninth of the planetoids in the order of discovery, first observed by Graham at Mark- ree, Ireland, in April, 1848. Metkovič (met'kō-vich). A town on the fron- tier of Dalmatia and Herzegovina, 37 miles north of Ragusa. Population (1890), commune, 4,198. börg), Prince Clemens Wenzel Nepomuk Lothar von. Born at Coblenz, Pru ia, May 15, 1773: died at Vienna, June 11, 1859. An Austrian statesman and diplomatist. He became minister at Dresden in 1801, at Berlin in 1803, and at Paris in 1806; appointed minister of foreign affairs in 1809, and chancellor in 1821; and was chief minister 1809 1848. He was the leader of the reactionary party in Europe 1815-48; was prominent at the Congre of Vienna 1814-15; and was overthrown by the disturbances of 1848. His memoirs (8 vols.) were published 1880-84. Prince Richard Metternich-Winneburg, Clemens Lothar Hermann von. Born Jan. 7,1829: died at Vienna, March 1, 1895. An Austrian diplomatist, son of C. W. N. L. von Metter nich. He was amba ador at Paris 1859-71. Mettmann (met man). A town in the Rhine Province, Pru ia, 22 miles north of Cologne. Population (1890), commune, 7,829. Mettray (met-ra'). An agricultural penitentiary establishment for juvenile criminals, 6 miles north of Tours, France, on the Choisille: founded by Demetz in 1840. Metz (mets). The capital of Lorraine, Alsace Lorraine, Germany, situated at the junction of the Seille with the Moselle, in lat. 49° 7′ N., long. 6° 11′ E.: the ancient Mediomatrica and Roman Divodurum. It is one of the strongest fortre es in Europe, with a large garrison, and is of great strategic importance. Its commerce is considerable. The cathedral is a beautiful light Pointed structure of the 14th century, with two towers of openwork flanking the nave, one of them crowned with a slender spire. The interior is 370 feet long and 141 high. There are practically no walls: the architecture constitutes merely frames for the splendid windows. The town has a museum, and is the seat of several learned societies. A large colony of Germans has recently settled there. Metz was an important Gallic town and Roman fortre ; was plundered by the Vandals and Huns; was the capital of Austrasia; and later was a free imperial city. The latter part of the "Golden Bull" was i ued there in 1356. It was seized by France in 1552 and annexed; was defended against Charles V. 1552-53; was formally ceded to France in 1648; and figured very prominently in the Franco-German war 1870-71. (See Metz , Siege of .) Population (1890), 60,186. Metz, Bishopric of. A medieval bishopric, around Metz. It was taken by France in 1552, and formally ceded to France in 1648. Metz, Siege of. 1. A noted siege by Charles V. which occurred 1552-53, when the city was succe fully defended by the French under the Duke of Guise.-2. The investment by the German army, as a result of the battles of Cour celles, Vionville, and Grave lotte, Aug. 14-18, 1870, of Bazaine's army in Metz. On Oct. 27 Bazaine surrendered the fortre and 173,000 men to Prince Frederick Charles. See Bazaine . Metzingen (met's ing-en). A town in the Black Forest circle, Würtemberg, situated on the Erms 17 miles south-southeast of Stuttgart. Population (1890), 5,311. Metzu (met'zü), or Metsu (met'sü), Gabriel. Born at Leyden about 1630: died at Amsterdam, Oct. 22, 1667. A noted Dutch genre and 5th century B. C., the discoverer of the Metonic cycle. See the extract. Meton's cycle was corrected a hundred years later (330 B. c.) by Calippus, who discovered the error of it by ob- serving an eclipse of the moon six years before the death of Alexander. In this corrected period, four cycles of 19 years were taken, and a day left out at the end of the 76 years, in order to make allowance for the hours by which, as already observed, 6,940 days are greater than 19 years and than 235 lunations: and this Calippic period is used in Ptolemy's Almagest in stating observations of eclipses. Metopes from the Temple of Hera at Selinus. Four metopes in the Museo Nazionale, Palermo, Sicily, representing Hercules fighting an Ama- zon, Zeus and Hera, Actæon and Artemis, and Athene and Enceladus. They date from about the was by him. In 1650 he settled in Amsterdam, and received the freedom of the city in 1659. Among his works are "Music Le on" (National Gallery), "Gentleman playing Violoncello" (Bucking ham Palace), "Sleeping Huntsman," "Corset Bleu," "Corset Rouge," etc., all owned in London. There are also specimens of his work in all the famous galleries on the Continent. Meudon (mė-don'). A town in the department of Seine-et-Oise, France, 5 miles west-southwest of Paris. Its castle, long a royal residence, was destroyed in the siege of 1870-71. Population (1891), commune, 8,005. Meulebeke (mėʻle-bā-ke). A town in the province of West Flanders, Belgium, 20 miles west southwest of Ghent. Population (1890), 9,035. Meulen (mė'len), Antoine François van der. Born at Bru els, Jan. 11, 1632: died at Paris, Oct. 15, 1690. A French battle-painter. The Century Cyclopedia of Names Meung-sur-Loire Meung-sur-Loire (mun'sür-lwär'). A town in the department of Loiret, France, on the Loire 11 miles west-southwest of Orléans. Population (1891), commune, 3,373. Meursius (mer'sē-ös), Johannes, surnamed "The Elder": Latinized from Jan de Meurs. Born at Loosduinen, near The Hague, Feb. 9, 1579: died at Soröe, Denmark, Sept. 20, 1639. A Dutch cla ical philologist and antiquarian. Meurthe (mert). 1. A river in eastern France which joins the Moselle at Frouard, northwest ofans Length 100 miles IMG:content-0775.png:[ocr errors] department of northeastern France. Part was ceded to Germany in 1871: the remainder forms part of the department of Meurthe-et-Moselle. Meurthe-et-Moselle (mèrt'ā-mo-zel'). A de part ment of northeastern France. Capital, the north, German Lorraine on the northeast and east, Vosges on the south, and Meuse on the west. It belongs to the Moselle basin; is an important manufacturing department; and is the leading department in the production Nancy. It is bounded Belgium and Luxemburg on of iron and salt. The department consists of territory comprised formerly in Lorraine and the bishoprics of Metz, Toul, and Verdun. It was formed in 1871 from parts of the former departments of Meurthe and Moselle. Area, 2,025 square miles. Population (1891), 444,150. Meuse (mūz; F. pron. mėz), D. Maas (mäs). A river in France, Belgium, and the Netherlands: the Roman Mosa. It rises in the plateau of Langres, department of Haute-Marne; unites with the Waal; divides at Dordrecht into two arms; and flows into the North Sea. Its chief tributaries are the Chiers, Semoy, Sambre, Our the, Namur, Liège, Maestricht, Roermond, Venloo, Gorkum, Dordrecht, and Rotter dam. Length, 500 miles; navigable from Verdun. Meuse. A department of northeastern France, formed from parts of the ancient Lorraine. Capital, Bar-le-Duc. It is bounded by Ardennes and Luxemburg on the north, Meurthe-et-Moselle on the east, Vosges and Haute-Marne on the south, and Marne and Ardennes on the west. It is traversed by the river Meuse, and contains ranges of the Ardennes and Argonnes. It has considerable mineral wealth, and flourishing manufacrearing live stock is an important tures and the ring of Mewar. See Udaipur . 292,253. Mexicans, Ancient. See Aztecas and Nahuas . Mexican War. A war between the United States and Mexico, occasioned by the annexation of Texas in 1845. War was declared in May, 1846, and General Taylor won the battles of Palo Alto May 8 and Resaca de la Palma May 9, and forced Monterey to surrender Sept. 24, 1846. On Feb. 23, 1847, he gained the victory of Buena Vista. The next month General Scott took Vera Cruz, and thence marched on Mexico. He won the battle of Cerro Gordo April 18; the battles of Contreras and Churubusco Aug. 20, Molino del Rey Sept. 8, and Chapultepec Sept. 13; and entered the city of Mexico Sept. 14, 1847. Other events were the reduction of California by Frémont and Stock ton, and the long marches of Kearny and Doniphan. The war was ended Feb. 2, 1848, by the treaty of Guadalupe-Hidalgo (which see). Mexico (mek'si-kō; Sp. pron. māʼHē-kō), F. the finest in Spanish America. It is built in the form of a square, and contains a cathedral (a large Renai ance building founded in 1573), a national library, museum, and picture-gallery, and various educational institutions and learned societies. It was founded by the Aztecs about 1325; was besieged, taken, and destroyed by the Spaniards in 1521; has been several times inundated; and has been the scene of various revolutions. Battles were fought near it between the Mexicans and Americans in 1847, and it was occupied by the Americans in 1847-48. The city was for Miani Meyerheim (mi'er-him), Fried rich Eduard. Born at Dantzic, Pru ia, Jan. 7, 1808: died at Berlin, Jan. 18, 1879. A German genre-painter. Meyerheim, Wilhelm Alexander. Born 1815: died at Berlin, Jan. 13, 1882. A German painter of battle-scenes, horses, etc.: brother of F. E. Meyerheim. cuco. Its ancient name was Tenochtitlan. Population (1885), 339,955. Mexico, Gulf of. A large gulf of the Atlantic, lying south of the United States and east of lying Mexico. It communicates with the Atlantic on the east by Florida Strait, and with the Caribbean Sea southeast by the Channel of Yucatan, and receives the Mi i ippi, Rio Meyer von Bremen. See Meyer , Johann Georg. Nördlingen, Bavaria, June 28, 1810: died at Munich, April 22,1871A German novelist, Meyrick (mi'rik), Hans. One of the principal poet, and philosophical writer. male characters in George Eliot's novel “Daniel Deronda." Grande, and other large rivers. Length (east to west), Meywar. See Udaipur . about 1,000 miles; width (north to south), about 800 miles. Mèze (maz). A town in the department of He- Mexico, Valley of. An inclosed basin of the Mexican plateau, in which the city of Mexico is situated. It is about 60 miles long by 40 miles wide, and 7,400 feet in average elevation above the sea, and shows many evidences of volcanic action. It contains 5 principal lakes; Xochimilco, Chalco, Tezcuco, Xaltocan, and Zumpango. At the time of the conquest these appear to have been much more extensive than at present and nearly confluent, entirely surrounding the city of Mexico or Tenochtitlan, which was reached by causeways. Mextli, or Mexitl, or Mecitl. See Huitzilo- pochtli . Meyer (mi'er), Ernst. [The common G. sur- name Meyer means 'steward,' 'bailiff'; = E. mayor , formerly maire , ult. from L. major .] Born at Altona, May 11, 1797: died at Rome, Feb. 1, rault, southern France, situated on the Étang de Thau 19 miles southwest of Montpellier. Population (1891), commune, 6,326. Mezen, or Mesen (mez-āny'). A river in northern Ru ia which flows into the Gulf of Mezen, a branch of the White Sea, about lat. 66° N. Length, about 375 miles. Mezentius (me-zen's hi-us). A mythical Etruscan king, noted for his cruelty, alleged to have formed an alliance with the Rutulians. Mézeray (māz-rā'), François Eudes de. Born at Ry, near Falaise, Normandy, 1610: died at Paris French historians chief work is a "His to ire de (1638-51: published as "Abrégé chronologique de l'his to ire de France," 1668). hagen Academy, and of Cornel i us at Munich. Many of his works are Italian in subject. Meyer, Felix. Born at Winterthur, Switzer- land, Feb. 6, 1653: died near Husen, 1713. A Swi landscape-painter, regarded as the head of that cla . Meyer, Georg Fried rich. Born at Mannheim, 1735: died at Ermenonville, Oise, France, 1809. A genre and landscape-painter, pupil of Daniel Hien. Helived for a short time with Jean Jacques Rous seau in the park of M. de Girardin at Ermenonville. Meyer, Hans. Born at Hild burg hausen, Germany, 1858. An African explorer. He traveled in America, Asia, and Polynesia; visited South Africa in 1886; explored German East Africa in 1887; and as he was made prisoner by the Arabs, but was ransomed. cended Kilimanjaro to 5,700 meters. On a new expedition In 1889, accompanied by the Austrian alpinist Purtscheller, he scaled the summit of Kibo, the highest peak of Kilimanjaro, to the height of 6,000 meters, and discovered its crater and glacier. He wrote "Eine Weltreise" (1885), "Zum Schneedom des Kilima-Ndscharo" (1888). Meyer, He in rich August Wilhelm. Born at Gotha, Germany, Jan. 10, 1800: died June, 1873. A German exegete, author of a commentary on the New Testament (1832-47). dos Mexicanos. A republic of North America, extending from about lat. 15° to 32° 42′ N., long. 86° 40° to 117° 10' W. Capital, Mex ico. It is bounded by the United States on the north, the Gulf of Mexico and the Caribbean Sea on the east, British Honduras, Guatemala, and the Pacific Ocean on the south, and the Pacific Ocean on the west. It comprises, besides the main portion, the peninsulas of Lower California and Yucatan. The surface is generally a table-land traversed by high mountain-ranges. The leading mineral products are silver, gold, copper, and lead. The chief occupations are agriculture and the raising of live stock (in the north), the chief agricultural products being sugar, maize, coffee, tobacco, hemp, etc. It is divided into 27 states, 1 federal district, and 2 territories. The government is republican (largely modeled on that of the United States), with a presi dent as executive, and a congre (senate of 2 members from each state and the federal district, and lower house of 227 members). The inhabitants are chiefly creoles (of Spanish descent), Indians, and mixed races (including Mestizos, Zambos, etc.). The prevailing language is Spanish; the prevailing religion, Roman Catholic. The early inhabitants were Aztecs and other native races. The following are the leading historical events: invasion of Cortés 1519; conquest of the capital 1521; the country made a Spanish colony under the name of New Spain (a viceroyalty after 1535); revolution under Hidalgo begun 1810; partially suppre ed 1815; guerrilla warfare until the revolution under Iturbide in 1821; last Spanish viceroy deposed 1821; empire under Iturbide 1822-23; sece ion of Texas 1836; war with the United States 1846-48 (see Guadalupe - Hidalgo ); frequent changes of government for sometime; foreign intervention 1861; war with France commenced in 1862; empire under Maximilian (upheld by French troops) 1864-67; French troops withdrawn 1867; and restoration of the republic 1867. Area, 767,005 square miles. Pop. (1895), 12,570,195. Mexico. A state in the interior of the republic of Mexico. Capital, Toluca. The Federal District of 473 square miles, containing the City of Mexico, has been separated from it. Area, 9,247 square miles. Population (1895), 838,737. Mexico. The capital of the republic of Mexico, situated in the Federal District (473 square miles in extent) in the valley of Mexico, in lat. 19° 25′ 45′′ N., long. 99°7′18′′ W., about 7,400 feet above sea-level. It is the largest city of Mexico and men. Born at Bremen, Germany, Oct. 28, 1813: died there, Dec. 3, 1886. Anoted German genre painter. He studied at Dü eldorf with Karl Sohn and moved to Berlin in 1852, and was made profe or there in 1863. His pictures of children are among his best productions. Many of them are in the United States. Meyer, Johann He in rich. Born at Stäfa, Switzerland, March 16, 1759: died at Weimar, Germany, Oct. 14, 1832. A German writer on art, one of the editors of Winckelmann's works. He published "Geschichte der bildenden Künste bei den Griechen" (1824-36), etc. Meyer, Jürgen Bona. Born Oct. 25, 1829: died June 30, 1897. A German philosophical writer, appointed profe or of philosophy at Bonn in 1868. He wrote "Kants Philosophie" (1869), etc. Meyer, Leo. Born at Bledeln, Hannover, July 3, 1830. A German philologist, profe or at Dorpat 1865-99. Among his works is “Die gotische Sprache" (1869). Meyer beer (mi'er-bar), Giacomo (originally Jakob Meyer Beer). Born at Berlin, Sept. 5, 1791: died at Paris, May 2, 1864. A celebrated German composer of opera. He lived chiefly at Paris after 1826. He was a pupil of Lauska, who was a pupil of Clement i, and the latter also gave him le ons. When only 7 years old he played Mozart's D minor concerto in public. He early obtained fame as a pianist, but his compositions were not succe ful till he went in 1815 to Italy to study vocal composition. There he began to produce operas in the style then recently introduced by Ro ini; and "Il Croci a to in Egitto," produced in Venice in 1824, was completely succe ful, while three or four other operas were well received. From 1831 till 1849 he produced operas in a new style, the result of a study of French art. In 1849 he turned his attention to opéra comique. Among his operas are "Robert le Diable" (1831), "Les Huguenots" (1836), "Ein Feldlager in Schlesien" (1840), overture and entr'actes to "Struensee" (1846), "Le prophète" (1849), "L'Étoile du Nord" (1854), "Le pardon de Ploermel" (in Italian "Dinorah," 1859), "L'Africaine" (1865). Among his other compositions are a number of cantatas and songs, and several Fackeltänze, marches, and overtures, besides pianoforte music some of which has never been published. ment of Ardennes, France, situated on the Meuse in lat. 49° 46′ N., long. 4° 42′ E. It is an important fortre ; was succe fully defended by Bayard against the Imperialists in 1521; and was besieged and taken by the Germans in 1815 and in 1870–71. Population (1891), commune, 6,700. Mézières, Alfred Jean François. Born at Rehon, Moselle, France, Nov. 19, 1826. A French critic, member of the Academy from 1874. He took part in the repre ion of insurrection of June, 1848; served in the Franco-Pru ian war; and was elected as republican member of the legislature for the arrondi e ment of Briey in 1881, 1885, 1889. His works include "Shakespeare, ses œuvres et ses critiques" (1861), "Prédéce eurs et contempo rains de Shakespeare" (1863: this work took the prix de Montyon), "Contempo rains et succe eurs de Shakespeare" (1864), "Pétrarque" (1867), "Goethe" (1872-73), "En France, etc." (1883), "Hors de France, etc." (1883), "Vie de Mirabeau" (1891). Mező-Túr (me'zė-tör). A town in the county of Great-Kumania-Szolnok, situated on the Berettyó 80 miles east-southeast of Budapest. Population (1890), 23,757. Mezz of anti (med-zō-fän'tē), Giuseppe. Born at Bologna, Italy, Sept. 17, 1774: died at Rome, March 14, 1849. An Italian linguist. He was ordained priest in 1797; became profe or of Arabic at Bo have spoken 58 languages. logna in 1983 appointed chicker thai library in 1833; and was made cardinal in 1838. He is said Mfumbiro (mföm-be'rō). A volcano in east central Africa, west of Lake Victoria Nyanza. It falls within British East Africa. Height, 10,000-12,000 feet. Mglin (m-glēn'). A town in the government of Tchernigoff, Ru ia, situated on the Sudinka 128 miles south by east of Smolensk. Population (1885-89), 8,412. Mhow (m-hou'). A town and cantonment in Indore, India. Population, about 27,000. Miako. See Kioto . Miall (mī'âl), Edward. Born at Portsmouth, England, May 8, 1809: died at Seven oaks, Kent, April 29, 1881. An English journalist and politician. He studied for the Independent ministry. In Feb., 1831, he took charge of the congregation at Ware in Hertfordshire. In 1840 he established the "Non con for mist," and devoted his life to the advocacy of the freedom of religion from state control. In 1852 he was elected member of Parliament for Rochdale, and in 1858 served on the royal commi ion on education. Miami (mi-äm'e). A tribe of North American Indians, first known in 1675 in southern Wis cons in. After several changes they settled, about 1690, on the St. Joseph River in southern Michigan, and afterward in treaty negotiations were considered as owners of the entire Wabash country and western Ohio. There is much confusion in literature between the Miami and the Illinois. The Pott a wot tom i translated the name 'crippled,' and the northern tribes called them "walkers"- the two epithets probably referring to their not using canoes. The English called them Twight wees , derived from their own name for themselves, which was an imitation of the crane's cry. See Algonquian . Miami (mi-äm'i). Ariver in Ohio which joins the Ohio at the southwestern corner of the State. Length, over 150 miles. Miani, or Meanee (mē-ä'nē). A village near Hyderabad, Sind, British India. Here, Feb. 17, 1843, Sir Charles J. Napier (with 2,800 men) defeated the army of Sind (30,000). IMG:content-0776.png:[merged small][ocr errors][merged small][merged small] with Uncas, sachem of the Mohegans, he was defeated and captured by the latter in 1643, and was put to death in the same year, with the approval of the English, who claimed a protectorate over both tribes. Miao-tse (myou-tzā'), or Miautse. A general name of numerous Chinese tribes dwelling in the provinces of Yunnan, Kweichow, Kwangsi, and Kwangtung. Miaulis (me-ou'lis), Andreas Vokos. Born in Negropont, 1772 (1768?): died at Athens, June 24, 1835. A Greek admiral, commander-in-chief in the war of independence. Miautse. See Miao - tse . Miava (me'o-vo). A town in the county of Neutra, Hungary, situated on the river Miava 46 miles northeast of Presburg. Population (1890), 9,997. Micah (mi'kä). (Heb., ‘who is like Jehovah?"] In Old Testament history: ( a ) An Ephraimite who stole 1,100 pieces of silver from his mother, but, alarmed by her imprecations on the thief, confe ed the deed and returned the money: she thereupon dedicated it to the Lord, and made with it a graven and a molten image (teraphim), which Micah set up in his house and then hired a Levite as a priest. ( b ) A prophet, a native of Moresheth of Gath, near Eleutheropolis, and a contemporary of Isaiah. He is reckoned as the sixth of the minor prophets (the third in the Septuagint). He prophesied near the beginning of the reign of Hezekiah. Micali (mē-käʻlē), Giuseppe. Born at Leghorn, Italy, about 1776: died at Florence, March 27, 1844. An Italian archæologist, author of "Storia degli antichi popoli d'Italia" (1832), etc. Micawber (mi-kâ'bėr), Wilkins. One of the principal characters in Dickens's “David Copper field." He is remarkable for his rapid alternations of depre ion and elevation of spirits, his "temporary embarra ments of a pecuniary nature," and his constant persuasion that "something will turn up." His wife, as far as the elasticity of her spirits goes, is quite his equal. Her devotion to "the parent of her children and the father of her twins" induces her frequent well-known exclamation, "I never will desert Mr. Micawber!" The couple appear to have been suggested more or le by Dickens's father and mother. ear Michabo. The Great Hare, in Algonquian legends. What Ioskeha was to the Iroquois, Michabo or Manibozho was to the Algonkin tribes. There has been a good deal of mystification about Michabo, or Manibozho, or Me ou, who was probably from the first a hare sans phrase, but who has been converted by philological proce es into a personification of light or dawn. It has already been seen that the wild North Pacific peoples recognise in their hero and demiurge animals of various species: dogs, ravens, muskrats, and coyotes have been found in this lofty est i mation, and the Utes believe in "Cin-au-av, the ancient of wolves." It would require some labour to derive all the succe ful ancient heroes and gods from misconceptions about the names of vast natural phenomena like light and dawn, and it is probable that Michabo or Manibozho, the Great Hare of the lonkinisisnya lapotheosised totem spread. Dr. Brinton himself (p. 153) allows that the great hare is a totem. Perhaps our earliest authority about the mythical great hare in America is William Strachey's "Travaile" into Virginia. Lang, Myth, etc., II. 54. Michael (mī'kel ormī'kā-el). [Heb., 'who is like God?' F. Michel , It. Michele , Sp. Pg. Miguel , G. Michael .] An archangel mentioned in the Bible. He is regarded as the leader of the whole host of angels, and, owing to miraculous appearances recorded in Roman Catholic legends, is considered by that church to be the representative of the church triumphant. His feast occurs on Sept. 29 in that church and in the Anglican Church also. He is spoken of five times in the Bible, always as fighting: John mentions him as fighting at the head of the angels against the dragon and his host.