Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 12.djvu/746

From Wikisource
Jump to navigation Jump to search
This page needs to be proofread.
*
664
*

MADURA. 664 MAECENAS. of 150 feet. One clioltiy or restliousc within the inc'losurc, built by Tirumulla Nayak, is 312 feet by 125, the roof supported by 102 coluums, many oi them wriiught from a single stone. Fifty-four of these eohiiiins are 30 feet high, of two stones lifted face to face so as to look like one solid block 4io feet thick, carved on all sides with life-size ligures in full relief or in bas-relief. The granite roof in the Sahasrastamblia Mandapam, or Hall of One Thousand Pillars, is supported in reality by S>'.l7 columns, and the columns in the whole" temple luimber 10,000. A palace built by Tirumulla Nayak has been restored and is an edilice of considerable magnificence, iladura was the political and religious capital of Southern India from the earliest time. It is the Modura of Ptolemy, and in the time of Augustus its king sent ambassadors to Rome. Early in the Chris- tian Era a college was founded here for the cul- tivation of Tamil literature, and was distin- guished for the learning of its professors; the care taken to preserve the i)urity of the language is in evidence to this day. The last sovereign, C,luecn -Menukslii Anuuan, was dethroned by Chunder Sahib in 173U; from 1740 to 17(10 the city was repeatedly besieged. A Roman Catli- olic mission, established here early in the seven- teenth centuiy. flourished until the English occu- pation. In 1837 it was reestablished and is a prosperous institution. The American Protestant mission established in 1834 has also accomplished much for the people, especially through liospital work. Two colleges and three scliouls receive .State aid, and there are several literary insti- tutes. Cotton and coffee mills and cigar fac- tories are the chief industrial establishments, supplving a domestic trade. Population, in 1801, 87.428; in 1901, 105,501. MADURA. An island of the JIalay Archi- pelago, belonging to Holland, and separated by a narrow strait from the northeast coast of .lava (Map: East Indies. D 6). Its area is 1009 square miles, and, including a number of small depen- dent islands. 2057 square miles; it is mountain- ous, with a not vei-y fertile and poorly culti- vated soil. Cattle-raising is the chief occupa- tion of the inhabitants. The production of salt is an important industry, but is entirely in the hands of the (Jovernment ; petroleum is also found. The island is administered by a Dutch resident, subject to the general Government of Java. Tile cajiita! is Pamekasan. with a popula- tion (1805) of 7707. and the largest city is Sumenep (population. 18.425). The (lopulation of the island, with its minor dependencies, was in 1895 1.030,510, of whom 578 were Europeans, 4127 Chinese. 1057 other foreigners, and the rest natives professing Mohammedanism. The natives of Madura resemble closely the .Tavanese proper, with whom they are allied linguistically and somatically. The Madurese are stronger and more active than the Javanese. MADVIG, man'vlg. Johan Nikol.m (1804- 86). A Danish classical scholar, born at Svanike, in the island of Bornholm. August 7. 1804. He was educated at the University of Copenhagen, and obtained there the professorship of the Latin language and literature when he was only twenty-five years of age. Although his life was chiefly devoted to philological studies, and to the careful editing of classic works, he held very im- portant ofliicial positions in Denmark, where he was Minister of Public Worship from 1848 to ISoi, and Director of Public Instruction in 1852. He was repeatedly elected to the National Legis- lature, and was several times president of the Eolkething. He published a Glatice at the Cun- stitutions of Antiijuity ; a Latin Grammar for Schools (translated into English by Thacher, Bos- ton, 1888) ; Adversaria Critica ad Hcriptores Vra'cos et Latinos; The Creation, Development, and Life of Language; and other works. Madvig exercised great influence by his writings upon both German and American scholarship. His last works were a dissertation on The Consti- tulion of the Roman titate (1882), and an Au- tobiography which appeared in 1887, the year following his death, which occurred December 12, 1886. See Nettlcship, Lectures and Essays, Second Series (Oxford, 1895). MAD WORLD, My Master,s, A. { 1 ) A merry dialogue between two travelers by Nicholas Breton (1003). (2) A play by Middleton (1608), a vivacious comedy of a young scamp and an old grandfather. This was partly adapted by Mrs. Aphra Behn in her City Heiress (1682), and used by Charles Johnson in Country Lasses (1715). M.ffiAN'DER(Lat., from Qk.Ualai'dpos,Maian- dros, now called Menderes.) The ancient name of a river of Asia Minor, rising near Cela-njv. in Phr3'gia, and flowing in a southwest direction into the Icarian Sea at Miletus. It was famous in classic times for its nmnerous windings, and thus gave its name to the well-known and beau- tiful patterns so common in Greek ornamenta- tion. Its course is 240 miles, during which it receives many tributaries. It is a narrow and deep stream, but frequently overflows its banks, and by means of alluvial deposits has extended its channel considerably. It is navigable for small vessels only. MAECENAS, me-se'nas, Gaius Cilniu.s. A Roman statesman, celebrated for his patronage of letters. He was born between 73 and 63 before Christ. His family was of Etruscan origin and claimed royal descent. He received an excel- lent education, and was familiar with Greek and Roman literature. His first appearance in public life dates after the assassination of .lulius Ca'sar (b.c. 44), when he figures as the friend and adviser of Octavian. He had, it is clear, a talent for private diplomacy, and was em- ployed mainly in that capacity. He 'arranged' a marriage between Octavian and Scribonia. made up (temporarily) the differences between Octa- vian and Anton.v. and brought about the peace of Brundisiiim. In B.C. 30 he was in Sicily, helping Octavian, as usual. Five years later, when ithe latter was fighting the decisive battle of Actiuni with his rival Antony and Cleopatra, MfTcenas proved himself a vigilant governor of Rome by crushing a conspiracy of the younger Lepidus, and thereby preventing a second civil war. When Octavian became Emperor under the title of Augustus (a step which he is said to have taken by the advice of Mfecenas, who was profoundly impressed with the necessity of a 'strong government' to repress the anarchic ele- ments of the period), the latter was appointed administrator of all Italy. The nature and ex- tent of his official power are not very precisely understood, but it was undoubtedly great, though the influence and authority of Miccenas are to be estimated rather from his intimacy with the Em-