16 M U L M U L library, <fec. The houses are let on a system by which the occupant becomes the owner after the payment of a certain number of monthly instalments. Besides this more pro minent effort, which has been the model for similar at tempts in many other towns, a " Society Industrielle " for the encouragement of original discovery and invention among the workmen has existed since 1825, and there are various benevolent societies, including a large institu tion with 250 beds for the reception of aged workmen. Miilhausen also carries on an active trade in grain, wine, colonial produce, and timber, which is much facilitated by its fine river harbour. After the annexation of Alsace to Germany in 1871 the French sympathies of the inhabitants were shown by the extraordinary decrease in the number of its inhabitants. The population has now, however, re gained its full proportions, amounting in 1880 to 63,629, of whom 47,395 were Roman Catholics. Mentioned as early as 717, Miilhausen was raised to the rank of a free town of the empire in 1198, and received very extensive privileges from Rudolph of Hapsburg in 1273. It suffered con siderably in the various wars of the Middle Ages, _ but generally managed to maintain its independence. In 1446 it expelled its nobles and formed an alliance with Switzerland, and this became a permanent union in 1515. By the peace of Westphalia (1648) it was recognized as an independent ally of the Swiss League. In 1798 it sought incorporation with France from motives of com mercial policy, and in 1871 it passed to Germany. Compare Metzger, La Republique de Mulhouse 717-1798 (1876); and Schall, Das Arbeiterquartier von Miilhausen (1876). MULHEIM-AM-RHEIN, the chief town of a circle in the district of Cologne, Prussia, lies on the right bank of the Rhine, 2 miles below Cologne. It is a pretty and well-built town, with important manufactures of silk, velvet, ribbons, sail-cloth, belting for machinery, leather articles, yarn, and chemicals. It also contains a rolling- mill, boiler -works, telegraph -works, malt manufactories, several breweries, and a shipbuilding yard. Mulheim carries on a brisk trade by rail and river, serving as an outlet for the manufactures of Bensberg and Gladbach, and for the wines of the upper Rhine, Nahe, and Moselle. Its educational institutions include a flourishing weaving school and a " real school " of the first class. The most striking building is the modern Gothic church. Though of ancient foundation, Mulheim did not receive a muni cipal charter till 1587. Its industrial prosperity is in great part due to the influx of Protestants expelled from Cologne at the beginning of the 17th century. The popu lation in 1880 was 20,420. MULHEIM-AN-DER-RUHR, the chief town of a circle in the district of Diisseldorf, Prussia, is situated on the Ruhr, an affluent of the Rhine, about 7 miles from Essen and at the intersection of several railways. Like most of the towns in this district, Mulheim finds its chief industry in iron -working, and contains numerous blast-furnaces, rolling-mills, foundries, and engine- works ; it also carries on manufactures of leather, wool, cotton, calico, tobacco, paper, and other miscellaneous goods. About 6,000,000 tons of the Ruhr coal are annually forwarded by river and rail from Mulheim, which also carries on a consider able trade in timber and colonial produce. In the neigh bourhood are important sandstone quarries, a large zinc foundry, glass-works, and a carpet manufactory. Mul heim, which possesses a church of the 12th century, was formerly included in the duchy of Berg, and became a town in 1508. In 1880 it contained 22,146 inhabitants, about two-thirds of whom were Protestants. MULL, an island of Scotland, county of Argyll, and the largest of the Inner Hebrides, is bounded W. by the Atlantic, N. by Loch Sunart, N.E. by the Sound of Mull, and S.E. by the Firth of Lorn. Its area comprises about 235,000 acres, of which only about 13,000 are arable. It is triangular in shape, its greatest length being about 24 miles, and its greatest breadth about 30 miles. Lochs Na-Keal and Scridain form deep indentations on its western coast, and there are a large number of smaller inlets. The coast-line is rocky, and especially on the west there are numerous caverns and horizontal terraces of basalt. The prevailing rock is Old Red Sandstone, but the valleys are filled up with Miocene rocks, consisting chiefly of lava flows and ashes of great terrestrial volcanoes. There is an intrusion of granite towards the south, and also a narrow belt of limestone. The surface is for the most part rugged and mountainous, Ben More rising to the height of 3185 feet. Sheep and black cattle are kept, and barley, oats, and potatoes are grown. Herring fishing is prosecuted at Tobermory, where is one of the best and safest of the western harbours of Scotland. There are several ancient castles, the principal being those of Duart and Aros. The population of the island in 1881 was only 5229. MULLER, JOHANN (1436-1476). See REGIOMONTANUS. MULLER, JOHANN VON (1752-1809), an eminent Swiss historian, was born oh 3d January 1752 at Schaffhausen, where his father was a clergyman and rector of the gymna sium. In 1769 he went to the university of Gottingen in order to study theology ; but, under the influence of Schlozer, he devoted himself chiefly to historical research. Having passed his theological examination, he was made professor of Greek at the Schaffhausen gymnasium in 1772 ; and in the same year he published his first work, Bellum Cimbricum. By the advice of Bonstetten, his most intimate friend, he went in 1774 to Geneva, where he acted for some time as a tutor in the house of a councillor of state. At Schaffhausen he had begun to study care fully the sources of Swiss history, and at Geneva he con tinued his investigations with increasing ardour. Lectures on universal history which he delivered during this period formed the basis of his Vierundzwanzig JSiicher allgemeiner Geschichten, one of his most brilliant writings. In 1780 appeared the first volume of his Geschichte der Schweizer, a work which placed him immediately in the front rank of the historical writers of his day. During a visit to Berlin he had an interview with Frederick the Great, from whom he hoped to receive an appointment worthy of his genius and reputation. Disappointed in this expectation, he accepted the professorship of the science of statistics at Cassel, Avhere he wrote his Reisen der Papste. In 1786, having spent two years partly at Bonstetten s country seat and partly in Bern, he entered the service of the elector of Mainz, by whom he was rapidly promoted to important offices in the state. He was also ennobled and made a knight of the empire (Reichsritter). At Mainz he issued several books, besides the second volume of his History of the Swiss Confederation. When Mainz was occupied by the French in 1792 Mliller settled in Vienna, where he re mained for twelve years, being connected with the imperial library from 1800. Failing to receive the promotion to which he thought he was entitled, and being forbidden after the appearance of the third volume of his Swiss History to continue the publication of the work, he went in 1804 to Berlin, where he became historiographer and a councillor of war. In Berlin he finished the fourth volume of his Geschichte der Schweizer, edited the works of Herder, and wrote various treatises for the Academy, in cluding one Uber die Geschichte Friedrich s II. Up to this time Miiller had been an enthusiastic advocate of free institutions, but he now modified his convictions ; and in 1807 he accepted from Napoleon the office of secretary of state in the kingdom of Westphalia. Early in 1808 he was transferred at his own request to the office of director- general of public instruction. On 29th May 1809 he died at Cassel. The value of Miiller s contributions to history is marred by the
