METTRAY 208 MEUSB ing sacrifice could not be permanent; and in 1813, after the great French disasters in Russia, war, at the instigation of Met- ternich, was again formally declared by Austria against France. In the autumn of that year the Grand Alliance was signed at Teplitz, and on the field of Leipsic Metternich was raised to the dignity of a prince of the empire. In the subsequent treaties and conferences the newly created prince took a very prom- inent part, and he signed the treaty of Paris on behalf of Austria. In 1815 he presided over the Congress of Vienna, and took a prominent part in the various congresses that were held in succession at Paris, Aix-la-Chapelle, Carlsbad, Lay- bach, and Verona; inculcating on all oc- casions, as far as in him lay. the princi- ples of the divine right of kings, and repressing every aspiration of the people after civil, political, and religious lib- erty. In 1848 he was compelled to flee from Vienna; he returned in 1851, but never again assumed office. He died in Vienna, June 11, 1859. METTRAY (met-tra'), a village of France, 5 miles N. of Tours; noted for its great agricultural and industrial re- formatory, the parent of all such insti- tutions. It dates from 1839. METZ, the strongest fortress of the former German imperial territory of Alsace-Lorraine, and the capital of the district of Lorraine; before 1871 the main bulwark of France in her N. E. frontier, and capital of the department of Moselle. In August, 1870, Bazaine was compelled to retire into Metz with his army; and after an investment of 70 days, during which no attempt was made to take the city by force. Europe was startled to hear of the capitulation of Metz, by which 180,000 men and im- mense military stores fell into German hands (Oct. 27, 1870). By the treaty of Frankfort Metz was annexed to Ger- many as part of Lorraine and by the Treaty of Versailles it was restored to France. Metz was bombarded in No- vember, 1918, and a general attack on the city was prevented only by an armistice of Nov. 11. Known to the Romans as Divodurum; it was afterward called Mettis. Pop. about 75,000. METJDON (muh-dong'), a town 5 miles S. W. of Paris, containing a chateau, rebuilt by Mansard for the Dauphin in 1695, and fitted up for Marie Louise by Napoleon in 1812, which was reduced to ruin during the bombardment of Paris in 1871, but has been restored. The Forest is a favorite holiday resort. Rabelais was cure nf Meudon and the local church contains a statue of him. The sculptor Rodin had his studio and did much of his most famous work there. Pop. about 13,000. MEUNIER, CONSTANTIN, Belgian sculptor and painter; born at Etterbeek, near Brussels, in 1831, he studied sculp- ture and painting at Brussels, accom- plishing his first notable work in the latter art in "The Burial of a Trappist." His works have taken their subjects largely from historical and industrial fields, "The Peasants' War," "The De- scent of the Miners" being typical of the subjects that interested him. After 50 he devoted himself almost entirely to sculpture. His masterpiece is the "Mon- ument to Labor" in the Brussels gallery. He died in 1905. MEURTHE-ET-MOSELLE (murt-a- mo-sel'), a department in France; formed after the treaty of 1871 with Germany out of what remained of the former departments of Moselle and Meurthe; it has four arrondissements, Briey, Luneville, Nancy, and Toul; area, 2,036 square miles; pop. (1906), 517,508; (1911) 564,730. The department belongs to the plateau of Lorraine, and is drained by the Moselle and its tributaries. It has very fertile soil, producing corn, wine, potatoes, fruit, beet-root for sugar, hops, etc.; possesses valuable iron mines; and is the first' department in France for iron and steel, and the third for glass; there are also important manufactures of pottery, woolens, cottons, chemicals, tobacco, paper, beer, artificial flowers and embroidery work, etc.; rock salt is mined in large quantities. The depart- ment was the scene of almost continuous fighting throughout the World War, parts of it being occupied by the Ger- mans. Capital, Nancy; pop. about 120,- 000. Other important towns are Lune- ville, Toul, Longwy. MEUSE, a department in France, touching Belgium in the N.; area, 2,405 square miles; pop. about 275,000. Cap ital, Bar-le-Duc. During the World War it was the scene of prolonged and heavy fighting. See Meuse-Argonne Battles. METJSE (muhz), a river of western Europe, flowing through the N. E. part of France, Belgium, and southern Hol- land; rises in the department of Haute- Mame, France, 10 miles N. E. of Langres, and after a N. _E. course of 400 miles, nearly half of which is in France, it enters the North Sea by three mouths, the Meuse on the N., the Flakkee in the middle, and the Grevelingen on the S. It is navigable three-fourths of its length, as far as Verdun, department of the Meuse.
