OpenLLM-France/wikimedia huggingface dataset:
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, February 20

THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
February 20th.
It has been no unkindness or any thing you can dislike that has occasioned my not writing as often as I used to do, but indeed I have not been well. I have had a fit of an ague, and been perpetually ​ill; but yet I think I could have overcome it had not my mind been much out of tone. I thank God both are much better, and that which gave me the trouble I had was the public, which, I hope in God, is in a more hopeful condition than it has been a great while; and I can now assure you, to the great joy of my heart, that our friend is most entirely out of a possibility of being wheedled any more, and he and the two commissioners have all the hopes possible. The King is the rightest one can wish him to be, and will espouse all you or any honest man can desire for the good of Christendom, which is ruined if this alliance does not go on. You know I am not very apt to hope; desponding is more my temper; but surely I was never so pert these four years. How long this will last I can't tell till 777 has been here some time; though they all tell me I need not fear, they shall be too hard for him. If that prove so, I hope in God we may see a little comfort again.
We are in daily expectation of the Duke. The storms have been so great, that the yacht came not to Scotland till Saturday last, and he meant to go abroad on Monday, but the wind has been so contrary, that 'tis believed he did not. You shall now be sure to hear from me every post, and as sure ​you may be I will ever follow all your advice, and never leave employing all my skill to keep our friend steady to that which can only render him a happy man, and make us all so; indeed he needs no pressing in this case, and you will find he is a sure honest Englishman. Don't think me very impertinent for writing all this. I think you like it, and that's a great temptation to me, for I am more sincerely yours than you can imagine. God send us a happy meeting.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess Dowager of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, February 27

THE COUNTESS DOWAGER OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
February 27.
That you should be so good as to write when you have a great deal of business, and not well, to the poor old dolt in the corner is thankfully received.
Our marriage is all fully agreed; and now our good-natured sister and Lucy, who has some of her easiness from a good cause, with a few compliments, forgets what they have done.
You know in some play it is, "Now you are King, who says you are not?" All is as well as can be. They shall not be put in mind of their thoughts by me. He will be a great deal richer than he has given in as sure to him. He has sent down the writings to my brother Pelham ​yestrday, drawn by Sir W. Jones's directions; to whom I hear our two loving brothers here are willing to refer their whole business. My Lord Sunderland and I say that our Ambassador will not refuse peace: who has ever been more inclined to it than either of them! God send it, I say.
I have but little time, and am not well. I must not forget my business which is for Mr. Pierpoint; he has in Holland some pictures, of considerable value he thinks them, and he says they are prohibited goods; most of them are popish pictures, but not a crucifix amongst them. If you can, without inconvenience to yourself, get them over for him, you will do him a great favour, and I will let you know where they are as soon as I hear from you. There is no change of any thing yet that I hear of since his Royal Highness came. There shall never be any in me to you. I will ever love you, and soon tell you so again.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Sir William Temple to Mr. Sidney, February 6

SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE TO MR. SIDNEY.
February 6th.
I had yours of the date with this about two days since, with one enclosed from the Prince, which I defer to answer for some reasons till next post. I have, however, communicated it to my Lord Sunderland, Mr. Hyde, and Mr. Godolphin, whom I found together the night I received it. They all seemed to think that it would in time come to measures with Spain; but that it could not go the pace his Highness desires. I am afraid their heads are too full to think so deep as he does of this affair, and wish our business will bear much thinking at all, for I never yet knew the time. If they cannot afford it, I know not who else can to any purpose, for they are certainly all the ministry that is among us, and I see nobody else that has any more mind to be in it than perhaps they have that anybody should.
​My Lord Halifax is stolen down from Sir William Coventry's to Bufford, and none of his friends pretend to know whether he will come up any more. You hear a change is made in the Council, which happened while I was at Sheen. The enclosed will give you, I suppose, an account of it from one that is mightily concerned in the Prince's opinion upon it, and a great deal in yours. I doubt whether you will make your court well in allowing it here, for my Lord Sunderland rails at him, beyond all the rest of the four; and, indeed, I think against all the rest of mankind. And yet, I do verily believe, he meant no worse to the King in what he did, but could not break company so easily as you know others do. And the rest of them it seems were resolved upon it, with some others who shrank, ever since the King's speech to the Houses; and nothing could persuade them into the truth and sincereness of your business in Holland, because they thought it of so different a piece with all the rest. 'Tis to no purpose to tell you particulars, and perhaps the less you know the better; and if you knew nothing beyond instructions, 'twere not the worst. I had written you a long letter from Sheen, by Bridges, when he was to go away by frigate this day se'nnight; but when ​that failed, I sent to him to burn it. All his business is to dispose of my plate, which I doubt is all I am ever like to get of six thousand pounds the King owed me before he gave me this in part. The Duke is expected as soon as the winds will give him leave, for they say he has left the thoughts of coming by land, and they are very weary of Scotland; and, as I fear, with reason.
I am ever and truly yours.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/Sir William Temple to Mr. Sidney, March 2

​ ​This is most of it the same letter I had writ last post.
SIR WILLIAM TEMPLE TO MR. SIDNEY.
March 2d.
I am mightily sorry to hear that you have any illness fallen upon your eyes, which was an affliction I met with in my employments abroad, and so am the more sensible of it upon your occasion. You must spare them from reading and writing whilst it lasts, and by no means tamper with them. I never found any thing do mine so much good as putting a leaf of tobacco into each nostril as soon as you wake, and keep it for an hour either sitting up in your bed or dressing yourself. It will make you a little sick, perhaps, at first, but when it does, pull it out, and 'tis presently past; then you may put new in, and 'twill grow easier with custom. You should not be cold when you use it.
Sir Robert Southwell may be with you as soon as this, having resolved to embark this afternoon. I hope he may acquit himself well of his commission, setting aside a little formality, which may pass in Germany. He has positive injunctions to communicate every thing to the Prince and you, ​and to stay for an answer to our despatch at the Hague, in case the Prince judges any thing amiss or necessary in his instructions for Berlin.
I know not what to say for my Lord Bodmin, but that he is my Lord President's son, and has had, it seems, a long promise of this commission, but that and twenty other things would not have passed with me, and therefore I take myself to be better at Sheen than in the Secretary's place, though my Lord Sunderland pressed me upon it again so late as Saturday last ; but you know, I suppose, that I am fixed, because you know several of the reasons I have for it. The Prince will be pleased, I hope, with the resolutions he finds when here in all the foreign matters, which are so exactly upon his own plan ; and my Lord Sunderland and his friends answer to you that they will last.
I will repeat nothing that I write in the enclosed to the Prince, but relieve your eyes as soon as I can by telling you that I am ever and perfectly yours,
William Temple.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney

THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
February 27.
I hope you will be very well satisfied with us all here; I assure you they deserve it, for your friend does wonders; and the King and Duke are as right ​as it is possible, and we are less splenetick than we have been this many a day. God continue it! and, what is more hopeful, the Duchess of Portsmouth does not meddle in this affair, and will be governed well enough, though she were more a jade than she is, which I think can hardly be. Having said so much, which you may rely on, from knowing that I am not of an humour to hope upon slight grounds, I shall now proceed to what Mr. Gilbert Spencer recommended to me in your concerns, which will ever be most sincerely mine. A thing called a steward he says you want, and truly they are a sort of cattle hard enough to be found good at present. I know of none, but there is a man who did serve my father, and since served the Duke of Monmouth in place of clerk of the kitchen, and who is now discharged from the place, but upon no dislike, and sent into Holland to buy horses for him. Durville is his name, and, indeed, I think he may be a tolerable servant to you; honest he was, and had many good qualites when he lived with my father, if he has not been since spoiled. He will take any pains. However, you may talk to him about it. I am for ever yours. My head aches, and I can say no more.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, January 13

THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
January 13th.
I may return you most truly the same expressions you made me in your last of the 15th by the Express, that every line or rather word in your letter gave me abundant satisfaction, for sincerely kind I am to you—I care not who knows it; and being so, I pass my time very well, I assure you; for your praise is up to a great height, your health drank with great ceremony in the City, and every body that's good for any thing talks of you as of their guardian angel almost.
It would make you ample amends for all the pains taken, the reputation you have gained—I will not say any thing to persuade you of my joy for it. You are the unjustest creature in the world if you are not sure of it; but I can't forbear telling you, that when your Memorials were read at Counsel, every body was so satisfied with your behaviour, that at night, when my Lord came home, he was so full of it, he really wept for joy; and in talking of you to some of our friends, who told him the City were much pleased with him in this affair, he cried out loud, "Let them but know how poor Harry Sidney has behaved himself; I don't care a pin for myself."
​I think I ought to let you know this in justice to you both; and indeed 'tis a great comfort to me to see him so truly kind to you, because I think you are both in your kinds fit to be friends to one another and the best men in the world. Now, for goodness sake, don't laugh at my silly stuff, for 'tis from the abundance of my heart. But now as to another point which nearly concerns us. You must know the Duchess of Portsmouth and my Lord have had a great, or rather many quarrels about this matter, for when you first sent word of the fine letter of Barillon, that abominable Jade would have had the King see Barillon privately; and she directed him what to say, upon which our friend behaved himself like a nightingale, as you perceive; but for which, I am sure, she will never forgive him; and, therefore, my dear Mr. Sidney, by all the ways you can, endeavour to engage him in what may be irreconcilable with that Jade, that would sell all, and does daily grow so odious, that being in any of her affairs were enough to ruin one. I could give you a thousand instances of this, but 'tis not necessary, you being enough of my mind in this matter.
Don't be peevish at my writing all this silly ​stuff in cipher, for I had rather, if I knew any State affairs, venture their being seen than my own concerns; neither be angry if I have mistaken any figure. I wish you here every minute, but not if you are necessary where you are. Pray God bless and succeed all your undertakings, for I'm confident you'll never be engaged in any that are not honest.
I must needs say one silly thing more, and then I have done. My Lord Spenser is in town, and the prettiest boy in all kinds in it. Pray take care of Fitz Patrick, for I hear they are not exactly to be depended upon; not that I know it of my own knowledge, but the contrary. They were born in the States, with the repute that I have heard of them.
# Diary of the times of Charles II/Volume 1/The Countess of Sunderland to Mr. Sidney, January 2

THE COUNTESS OF SUNDERLAND TO MR. SIDNEY.
January 2nd.
By the express that went to you last night, you'd find, I hope, some relief to the desponding temper you were in when you writ to me. My Lord ran about and behaved himself wonderfully, as he gave you an account, and writes again to-night. Barillon, I believe, will be ready to hang himself for his lying and odious tricks; for my Lord is resolved to make the King use him like a dog, and has began it very well, I'll assure you. I suppose what my Lord said to the Dutch Ambassador from the King, will satisfy you and the Dutchmen very well. I am certain our friend will leave nothing in his power undone to break this ​business of France: and so an end to politicks, for my head aches; but I am in great pain about your colick. Pray take care of yourself, for you cannot do a kinder thing to me, who shall ever be a sincere hearty friend to you, unalterable indeed. You cannot imagine how truly concerned my Lord is to you and for you in every particular. Pray make haste to know it from me, for I want you mightily, and now is the time to wind up the bottom. God send you a merry new year, and that we may pass many together.
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Mecon

​MECON (MT]/fwi'), i.e. a poppy, is said to have been the name of an Athenian whom Demeter loved, and who was metamorphosed into a poppy plant. (Serv. ad Virg. Georg. i. 212; Callim. Hymn, in Cer. 45; Theocrit. vii. in fin.)
[L. S.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Medeius

​MEDEIUS (Μήδειος), another form for Medus, the son of Medeia, from whom the Medes in Asia were believed to have derived their name. (Hes. Theog. 1001; Cic. De Off. i. 31.)
[L. S.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Menalippus 2.

​MENALIPPUS. [Melanippus.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Menalippus 1.

​MENALIPPUS (Μενάλιππος, an equivalent form to Μελάνιππος), an architect, probably of Athens, who, in conjunction with the Roman architects, C. and M. Stallius, was employed by Ariobarzanes II. (Philopator), king of Cappadocia, to restore the Odeum of Pericles, which had been burnt in the Mithridatic war, in Ol. 173, 3, B. C. 86–5. The exact date of the restoration is unknown; but Ariobarzanes reigned from B. C. 63 to about B. C. 51. (Böckh, Corp. Insc. vol. i. No. 357; Vitruv. v. 9. 1.)
[P. S.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Menander, Arrius

​MENANDER, A′RRIUS, a Roman jurist, who lived under Septimius Severus and Antoninus Caracalla, the son of Severus. Caracalla succeeded his ​father A. D. 211. Menander was a Consiliarius, or a member of the Consilium of Caracalla, as appears from a passage of Ulpian (Dig. 4. tit. 4. s. 11. § 2), coupled with the fact that Ulpian wrote his Libri ad Edictum, which contain the passage just cited, under the reign of Caracalla. Aemilius Macer, who wrote in the time of Alexander Severus, cites Menander. There are six excerpts in the Digest from a work of Menander, entitled "Militaria, or De Re Militari;" and Macer, who wrote on the same subject, also cites Menander as an authority.
[G. L.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Menander 1.

​MENANDER (Μένανδρος), an Athenian officer in the Syracusan expedition, was, together with Euthydemus, associated in the supreme command with Nicias, towards the end of the year B. C. 414. The operations of Menander and his colleague Euthydemus are narrated in the life of the latter. [Vol. II. p. 123, b.] (Thuc. vii. 16, 43, 69; Diod, xiii. 13; Plut. Nicias, c. 20.) It appears to have been this same Menander whom we find serving under Alcibiades in the campaign against Pharnabazus, in the winter of B. C. 409—408 (Xen. Hell. i. 2. § 16), and probably the same who was appointed, with Tydeus and Cephisodotus in B. C. 405, to share the command of the Athenian fleet with the generals who had been previously appointed—Conon, Philocles, and Adeimantus. He was therefore one of the commanders at the disastrous battle of Aegos-potami; and he and Tydeus are especially mentioned as rejecting with contempt the advice of Alcibiades before the battle. (Id. ii. 1. §§ 16, 26.)
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Medeia

​MEDEIA (Μήδεια), a daughter of Aeëtes by the Oceanid Idyia, or, according to others, by Hecate, the daughter of Perses (Apollod. i. 9 ​§23; Hes. Theog. 961; Diod. iv. 45). She was the wife of Jason, and the most famous among the mythical sorcerers. The principal parts of her story have already been given under Absyrtus, Argonautae, and Jason. After her flight from Corinth to Athens, she is said to have married king Aegeus (Pint. Thes. 12), or to have been beloved by Sisyphus. (Schol. ad Pind. Ol. xiii. 74.) Zeus himself is said to have sued for her, but in vain, because Medeia dreaded the anger of Hera; and the latter rewarded her by promising immortality to her children. Her children are, according to some accounts, Mermerus, Pheres, or Thessalus, Alcimenes and Tisander, and, according to others, she had seven sons and seven daughters, while others mention only two children, Medus (some call him Polyxemus) and Eriopis, or one son Argus. (Apollod. i. 9. §28; Diod. iv. 54 ; Ptolem. Heph. 2; Schol. ad Eurip. Med. 276.) Respecting her flight from Corinth, there are different traditions. Some say, as we remarked above, that she fled to Athens and married Aegeus, but when it was discovered that she had laid snares for Theseus, she escaped and went to Asia, the inhabitants of which were called after her Medes. (Medi, Paus. ii. 3. §7; Ov. Met. vii. 391, &c.) Others relate that first she fled from Corinth to Heracles at Thebes, who had promised her his assistance while yet in Colchis, in case of Jason being unfaithful to her. She cured Heracles, who was seized with madness, and as he could not afford her the assistance he had promised, she went to Athens. (Diod. iv. 54.) She is said to have given birth to her son Medus after her arrival in Asia, where, after her flight from Athens, she had married a king; whereas others state that her son Medus accompanied her from Athens to Colchis, where her son slew Perses, and restored her father Aeëtes to his kingdom. The restoration of Aeëtes, however, is attributed by some to Jason, who accompanied Medeia to Colchis. (Diod. iv. 54—56; Hygin. Fab. 26; Justin, xlii. 2; Tac. Ann. vi. 34.) There is also a tradition that in Thessaly Medeia entered into a contest with Thetis about her beauty, which was decided by Idomeneus in favour of Thetis (Ptolem. Heph. 5), and another that Medeia went to Italy, and there taught the Marrubians the art of fascinating and subduing serpents, whence she is said to have been called Anguitia or Angitia. (Serv. ad Aen. vii. 750; comp. Angitia.) At length Medeia is said to have become immortal, to have been honoured with divine worship, and to have married Achilles in Elysium. (Schol. ad Eurip. Med. 10, ad Apollon. Rhod. iv. 814; comp. Müller, Orchom. p. 264, 2d edit.)
[L. S.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Meleager 4.

MELEAGER, a son of Ptolemy Soter and Eurydice, daughter of Antipater, succeeded his brother Ptolemy Ceraunus on the throne of Macedonia, after the latter had fallen in battle against the Gauls (B.C. 280); but was compelled by the Macedonian troops to resign the crown, after a reign of only two months. (Euseb. Arm. pp. 156, 157; Dexippus, ap. Syncell. pp. 267, 270.) His reign is omitted by Justin.
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Memmius 1.

​ME′MMIUS. 1. C. Memmius C. f. Quirinus, was the aedile who first exhibited the Cerealia at Rome, as we learn from the annexed coin ; but the name does not occur in any ancient writer. The obverse has c. memmi . c. f. qvirinvs, with a head which may be that of Quirinus: the reverse has memmivs. aed. cerealia. preimvs. fecit, and represents Ceres sitting ; a serpent at her feet ; in her right hand, three ears of corn ; in her left, a distaff. The date of the introduction of the Cerealia at Rome (Dionys. vii. 72 ; Liv. xxii. 56 ; Ovid. Fast. iv. 397), and consequently of the aedileship of Memmius Quirinus, is unknown, though it must have been previous to b. c. 216. (Liv. l. c.)
coin of c. memmius quirinus
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Plautus, C. Rubellius

​PLAUTUS, C. RUBE′LLIUS, was the son of Rubellius Blandus [Blandus] and of Julia, the daughter of Drusus, the son of the emperor Tibe- rius. Plautus was thus the great-grandson of Tiberius, and the great- great- grand son of Augustus, in consequence of Tiberius having been adopted by Augustus. Descended thus from the founder of the Roman empire, Plautus incurred the jealousy of Nero. He was involved in the accusations which Junia Silana brought against Agrippina in a. d. 55, whom she accused of a design of marrying Plautus, and raising him to the imperial throne. Five years afterwards, A. D. 60, a comet appeared, which, according to the popular opinion, was thought to forebode a change in the empire. The people thereupon were set thinking who would be Nero's successor; and no one appeared to them so fit as Rubellius Plautus. Although the latter lived in the most quiet manner, avoiding the popular notice, and harbouring no traitorous de- signs, Nero wrote to him, recommending him to withdraw from the city to his estates in Asia. Such advice was, of course, equivalent to a com- mand; Plautus accordingly retired to Asia with his wife Antistia, the daughter of L. Antistius Vetus, and employed himself in his exile in the study of the Stoic philosophy. But even in this retreat he was not safe; for Tigellinus having again excited the fears of Nero in a. d. 62 against Plautus, he was murdered in Asia by command of the emperor. Many of his friends advised him to take up arms to resist his executioners, and his father-in-law Antistius Vetus wrote to him to the same effect; but Plautus preferred death to an uncertain struggle for the empire. (Tac. Ann. xiii. 19, xiv. 22, 57, 59; Dion Cass. lxii. 14; Juv. viii. 39.)
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Plautius Quintillus

​PLAU′TIUS QUINTILLUS. [Quintillus.]
# Dictionary of Greek and Roman Biography and Mythology/Pindarus 2.

​PI'NDARUS, the frcedman of C. Cassias Lon- ginus,put an end to his master's life at the request of the latter after the loss of the battle of Philippi. (Dion Cass, xlvii. 46 ; Appian, B. C. iv. 113; Pint. A?it. 22, Brut. 43 ; Val. Max. vi. 8. § 4.)