MOLESWORTH 271 MOLLAH fore dyeing; much used for workmen's clothing. So called from its being soft, like the skin of a mole. In the United States the word is also applied to the padded breeches made of moleskin which are worn by football players. The name has also been used to describe a kind of broadcloth. MOLESWORTH, MRS. (MARY LOUISA STEWART), an English writer; born of Scotch parentage in 1842 in Holland. Her first attempts were published when she was only six- teen. Her first complete works were written under the pseudonym of "Ennis Graham," when she was about 24. They were the novels: "Lover and Husband"; "She was Young and He was Old"; "Not Without Thorns"; "Cicely"; and several years later "Hathercourt Rectory"; and "Miss Bouverie." When she was about 30 she began to write for children and was at once successful. Her children's stories included: "Tell Me a Story" (1875); "Carrots" (1876); "Tapestry Room" (1879); "Her Baby" (1881); "Rectory Children" (1890) ; "The Green Casket" (1890) ; "Children of the Castle" (1890) ; "The Magic Nuts" (1898) ; "The Grim House" (1899) ; "This and That." MOLFETTA, a city of Italy in the province of Bari delle Puglie. It has many important ancient and modern buildings, a library, a museum, and a theater. Its excellent harbor makes it an important commercial center. Pop. about 45,000. MOLIERE (mo-lyar) , the professional name of JEAN BAPTISTE POQUELIN {l)ok-ang) , a French dramatist; born in Paris, France, Jan. 15, 1622. He took the name of Moliere, out of regard to his parents, when he first became an actor. He was brought up to his father's trade, that of upholsterer; but when 14 years of age he was sent to study at the college of Clermont, where he remained several years. He studied law at Orleans, and was received advocate at Paris, and in 1646 he began acting there with a com- pany of amateurs. After obtaining great success in the provinces, he settled at Paris in 1658, having previously pro- duced his two comedies, "The Madcap" and "The Loving Spite." In the follow- ing year he increased his reputation by the comedy "The Absurd Precieuses," which had a run of about 120 nights. He excited the animosity of the medical pro- fession, by several sharp attacks on them in his comedies; and that of the priestly and priest-ridden classes, by his terrible attack on pious hypocrites in the famous "Tartuffe," which v/as withdrawn from the stage by order of the king. The order was annulled in 1668. Among the most admired plavs of Moliere are: "School for Women"; "Tartuffe"; "The Misanthrope"; "The Wise Women"; "Physician in Spite of Himself"; and "The Imaginary Invalid." His works, ft MOLlfjRE is said, have been more frequently repub- lished than those of any other French author. In 1673 he took part in the pres- entation of his last comedy, "The Im- aginary Invalid," being at the time seri- ously out of health; the effort was too much for him, and he died the same night, Feb. 17. MOLINE, a city in Rock Island cc, 111., on the Mississippi river, and on the Burlington route, the Chicago, Milwau- kee, and St. Paul, and the Chicago, Rock Island and Pacific railroads; 178 miles W. of Chicago. It contains electric light and gas plants, electric railroads, public li- brary, high school, and National banks; and has manufactories of organs, eleva- tor machinery, plows, wagons, steam engines, carriages, pumps, malleable iron, stoves, paper, screws, castings, etc. In the vicinity of Moline are highly produc- tive coal mines. Pop. (1910) 24,119; (1920) 30,734. MOLLAH (mol'a), or MULLAH, meaning "Sir" or "Lord" in Turkey and other Mohammedan countries, a title given to those holding certain judicial rank. There are three classes of Mol- lahs in Turkey, The 1st have jurisdic- tion over Pashaliks. The 2d and 3d
