MEIKLEJOHN 181 MELANCHTHON Robert Borden, who resigned on July 10, 1920. MEIKLEJOHN, ALEXANDER, an American educator, born in Rochdale, England, on Feb. 3, 1872. He came to America at the age of eight and was educated at Brown and Cornell Univer- sities, receiving the degree of Ph. D. from the latter institution. He also holds honorary degrees from various other institutions. After serving suc- cessively as instructor, assistant pro- fessor, associate professor of philosophy, and dean at Brown University, he be- came president of Amherst College, Mass., in 1912. MEILHAC, HENRI (ma-yak'), a French playwi'ight; born in Paris, France, Feb. 23, 1831. He was trained as an artist and published his first dra- matic work in 1855. He subsequently produced a long series of li^ht comedies — some in conjunction with Halevy. Some are well known through Offen- bach's music. His best work is "Frou- Frou" (1869). He died in Paris, July 6, 1897. MEININGEN (min'ing-en) , the capi- tal of the former German duchy of Saxe- Meiningen, in a narrow valley on the banks of the Werra, 43 miles N. W. of Coburg. The former ducal castle (1682), the most prominent building in the town, contains libraries, a picture gallery, col- lection of coins, etc. There is a fine Eng- lish garden here. The town has been in great part rebuilt since 1874, when a fire destroyed the old streets. It was an ap- pendage of the see of Wiirzburg from 1008 to 1542, and in 1583 came into the hands of the Saxon ducal family. Pop. about 17,000. MEISSEN (mi'sen), a town in the former kingdom of Saxony, on the left bank of the Elbe, 14 miles N. W. of Dres- den. Its chief building is the cathedral (1266-1479), one of the finest Gothic churches in Germany, surmounted by an exquisite spire (263 feet) of open work, and containing many fine brasses. The castle was built in 1471-1483, and in 1710 was converted into the porcelain factory over which Bottger presided. In 1863 the castle was restored, its walls being adorned with frescoes by modem paint- ers, the porcelain factory having been re- moved in 1860 to other premises; 800 men are employed. Other manufactures are iron, machinery, jute, and cigars. Here is the celebrated school of St, Afra. where Gellert and Lessing were educated. It was founded by Duke Maurice in 1543, and till 1879 occupied the former Afra monastery (built in 1205). Meissen was founded in 928 by Henry I. of Germany, as a stronghold against the Slavonians, and was long the capital of the margravi- ate and burgraviate of Meissen, which was subsequently merged in the duchy of Saxony. The town was burned down by the Swedes under Baner in 1637. Pop. about 35,000. MEISSONNIER, JEAN LOUIS ER- NEST (ma-so-nya'), a French painter; bom in Lyons, France, Feb. 21, 1815. Among his most celebrated works are: "The Cuirassiers, or 1805"; "Fried- land, or 1807"; and "French Country, 1814." All his works were painted with Flemish care and finish, but were, never- theless, thoroughly original in their treatment. His pictures, though general- ly of small size, obtained very large sums, and he stood at the head of a crowd of enthusiastic imitators. He was like- wise very successful as a designer of book illustrations. The best of these last are the sketches for "Paul and Virginia," Balzac's novels, etc. He died in Paris, Jan. 81, 1891. MEISTERSINGERS (mis-), a society of German citizens formed in the 13th century for the cultivation of poetry. It is believed to have arisen at Mayence, whence it spread to Augsburg, Nurem- berg, etc. It was incorporated by Charles IV. in 1378. Among the most famous of them were Hans Sachs. Henry of Meissen, Frauenlob, Regenbogen, Hadlaub, and Muscatblut. The meister- singers were the successors of the minne- singers. Their poems were often satiric, "Reynard the Fox" and "Tyl Owl-glass" are attributed to them. MEKHONG, or MEKONG (ma-kong'), the greatest river of the Siam peninsula usually identified with the Lan-tsan, which rises in the neighborhood of Chi- amdo in Tibet (its exact sources are not known); it pursues a generally S. direc- tion to the China Sea, which it enters by several months in Cochin-China (which country is indeed formed by its deltaic deposits); total length 2,500 miles; but not navigable higher than lat. 14° N., owing to rapids and cliffs which beset its bed in the mountainous regions. MEKRAN (mek-ran'), a maritime district of southern Asia, forming part of Persia and of Baluchistan; it is mostly arid and barren, but there are fertile tracts along the river valleys yielding ex- cellent dates. MELANCHTHON, PHILIP, (me- langk'thon), a German reformer; born in Bretten, Baden, Feb. 16, 1497. His family name was Schwarzerde, of which
