Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/653

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MIRAMON. and assumed the coiuhict of the campaign against the Liberals, led Ijy Jiiaiez. Returning to tlie capital, he was again installed as acting Presi- dent, exercising its duties until Dccemher, 1800. when his defeat by Juarez at Calpulalpam forced him to leave the country. He rea|)])eared in Mexico in 1800, after the announcement that the French army was to leave the country, and oHered his services to Jlaxiniilian. Raising an ainiy in the West, he joined the Emperor at (^ueretaro, where he was wounded during the Knal struggle with the republican forces. lie was tried and condennied to be shot with the Emperor on June 19, 1807. As they were lined up for the execution, Maximilian insisted that Miramon should take the place of honor in the centre, as a tribute to his bravery. For bibliog- raphy, see under JIaximiliajj and the general works on later Jlexican history. MIRANDA, me-raN'da. A Portuguese poet. See !Sa de -ik. d., Fr.vxcisco de. MIRAN'DA. In .Shakespeare's Tempest, Pros- pero's daughter and the lady love of Ferdinand, who was shipwrecked on the desert island on which she was brought up. MIRANDA, me-riln'da, Fraxcesco (1750?- 1810). A Spanish-American revolutionist. He was born in Venezuela, and entered the Spanish Army, rising to the rank of captain. He resigned in order to serve with the French in the United States. He was then sent to Ciba. where he engaged in illegal trade and was obliged to take refuge in Europe. There he traveled exten- sivel}'. and was well received at the Court of Rus- sia. The French Revolution called forth his enthusiastic admiration. He served in the French Republican army, and gained the rank of major- general. Although he had some skill as a com- mander, the division under him met with little success. The defeat at Xeerwinden (170,3) was attributed largely to his treachery, and the sus- picion led to his arraignment before the Revolu- tionary Tribunal. After the fall of the Girondists he fled to England, and endeavcn-ed in vain to in- duce William Pitt to aid him in an attempt to free ^■enezuela from the Spanish dominion. In 180.3 he went to New York, where he found means to fit out two vessels and some 200 volunteers, with whom he sailed for South America in 1800. He succeeded in taking possession of one or two coast towns, but the great popular demon- stration in his favor which he had expected w'as entirely lacking. In 1810 he organized another expedition, and took possession of Valentia, Puerto Cabello, and nearly the whole of New Granada. Miranda organized a revolutionary government, proclaimed a constitution, made him- self Vice-President, and entered C'arftcas in tri- umph, in April. 1812. The members of the Gov- ernment were not able to act in harmony. Mi- randa was taken prisoner by the opposition faction of revolutionists in July, and shortly afterwards fell into the hands of the Spanish authorities, by whom he was sent to Spain. He died in the dungeons of the Inquisition at Cadiz three years later. Consult Biggs. Hiator;/ of Minindii's At- tempt in !?outh .Imerlen (London. 1800). For Aliranda's career in France, consult Rojas. Mi- rniidn rliin.i hi Rrrohition frnnccixe (Carficas, ISSOK a collection of official documents. MIRANDOLA, mf-riin'do-la. A town in the Province of Modena. Italy, 10 miles by rail 581 MIRES. north-northeast of the citv of Modena (Map: Italy. F 3). The little town is regularly laid out. and has some extremely interesting buildings, of which the old ducal palace, the Cathedral, and the Church of Gesil arc the most imjiorlant. Tlie principal industries are cattle-raising and farm- ing. Population, in 1901 (comnuine), 13,731. MIRANDOLA, Giovanxi Pico della. An Italian humanist. See Pico della Mibandola. MIRANHA, me-ril'nya. See M'aranha. MIRAT, me-riit'. A city of British India. See Meerut. MIRAVAL, me'ra'val'. Raimon de (c.UOO- 1210). A Provencal poet. His poverty com- pelled him to subsist on the favor of the great lords at whose courts he seems to have passed most of his time. His chief patron was Raimon VI. of Toulouse, addressed in his poems by the name Audiart. Though living at a time when his country was in the throes of death. Raimon wrote solely of the gallantries of Court life. He died, probably, at a convent in Catalonia. Con- sult Andraud, La rir et I'ecuvre du troubadour Raimon de Miraval (Paris, 1002). MIRBACH, mer'bac, Julius, Graf von (1839 — ). A German politician, born in Sorquitten, East Prussia. He served in the army after com- pleting his legal studies in Konigsberg, Bonn, and Berlin, and in 180.5 retired to manage his estates near Sensburg. In 1874 he entered the Prussian House of Lords, and in 1878-81 and 1880-08 was a member of the Reichstag, and a prominent figure in the German Conservative Party, taking a foremost part in economic and .agrarian reforms, acting as leader of the Steuer- und Wirtsehaftsreformrr (1870 sqq.), and eagerly opposing the gold standard. He was ennobled iii 1888. MIRBEL, mcr'bel', Charles Francois Bris- SEAU (1770-1854). A French botanist, born in Paris. In 1800 he began a botanical course at the Athence. and in 1803 he was made intendant of the ilalmaison Gardens, where he had oppor- tunity to continue his researches into plant life. In 1800 he was made a councilor of State at the Dutch Court, and as director of fine arts he was charged with the mission of organizing a school in Paris for Dutch artists. He was professor of culture at the .Tardin des Plantes (1828), and taught his subject in the Normal School. His great contributions to structural botany are re- corded in his works: Traitf d'anntomie et de physioloffie vfgetales (1802); Exposition de la tlU'orie de I'orrjanisotion vccjftalc (1809); Ele- ments de hotanique et de phi/siolofjie vfqftale (1815): and Eistoire naturcUe des iH^gftaux classes par families (18 vols., 1802-20). MIRES, me'ra', Jltles (1809-71). A French financier and speculator. He was born at Bor- deaux of .Jewish parents, and connncnced opera- tions on a large scale in Paris in 1848. In company with ^toTse Mil laud, be l)eL'an to biy up the press of Paris; he purchased the Cliemins de Per, and afterwards the f'onseiller du Pcuple. the C'onstitutionnel. and Lc I'ai/s. Swaying pub- lic opinion in this manner, he organized the Paisse r/encrale des eheniins de fer. or railway bank, commenced to build railroads in Spain and elsewhere, negotiated nnuiicipnl and national loans, and acquired an iimnense fortune. During the last four years of his career his speculations