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MARTYR is one who lays down his life, or who suffers death, for the sake of his religion. The word is Greek, μa%∏)ζ, and properly signifies a witness. It is applied, by way of eminence, to those who suffered in witness of the truth of the gospel. The Christian church has abounded in martyrs, and history is filled with accounts of their singular constancy and fortitude under the most cruel torments which human nature was capable of suffering. The primitive Christians were accused by their enemies of paying a sort of divine worship to the martyrs. Of this we have an instance in the answer of the church of Smyrna to the suggestion of the Jews, who, on the martyrdom of St Polycarp, desired the heathen judge not to suffer the Christians to carry off his body, lest they should leave their crucified master, and worship him in his stead. To this, however, they answered, “We can neither forsake Christ, nor worship any other; for we worship him as the Son of God; but we love the martyrs as the disciples and followers of the Lord, for the great affection they have shown to their King and Master.” The primitive Christians believed that the martyrs enjoyed singular privileges; that upon their death they were immediately admitted to enjoy the beatific vision, whilst other souls waited for the completion of their happiness till the day of judgment; and that God would grant chiefly to their prayers the hastening of his kingdom, and the shortening of the times of persecution. The churches built over the graves of the martyrs, and called by their names, in order to preserve the memory of their sufferings, were distinguished by the title martyrum confessio, or memoria. The festivals of the martyrs are of very ancient date in the Christian church, and may be carried back at least to the time of St Polycarp, who suffered martyrdom about the year of Christ 168. On these days the Christians met at the graves of the martyrs, and offered up prayers and thanksgivings to God for the examples afforded them; they also celebrated the eucharist, and gave alms to the poor, which, together with a panegyrical oration or sermon, and reading the acts of the martyrs, formed the spiritual exercises of these anniversaries.
MARTYROLOGY, a catalogue or list of martyrs, including the history of their lives and sufferings for the sake of religion. The term is formed of, ωαgrug, witness, and aoyog, discourse.

The Martyrology of Eusebius of Caesarea was the most celebrated in the ancient church. It was translated into Latin by St Jerome, but it is not now extant. That attributed to Beda, in the eighth century, is of very doubtful authority, there being found in it the names of several saints who did not live till after the time of Beda. The ninth century was very fertile in martyrologies; for then appeared that of Florus, subdeacon of the church at Lyons, who, however, only filled up the chasms in Beda. This was published about the year 830, and was followed by that of Waldenburtus, monk of the diocese of Trèves, written in verse about the year 844; and this again by that of Usuard, a French monk, which was written by the command of Charles the Bald in 875, and is the martyrology now ordinarily used in the Roman Catholic church. That of Rabanus Maurus, written about the year 845, is an improvement on Beda and Florus; that of Notker, monk of St Gal, was written about the year 894. The martyrology of Addo, monk of Ferrières, in the diocese of Trèves, afterwards archbishop of Vienne, is, if we may so express it, a descendant of the Roman. According to Du Sollier, the martyrology of St Jerome is the great Roman martyrology; from this was made the little Roman one printed by Rosweyd; and of this little Roman martyrology was formed that of Beda, afterwards augmented by Florus. Addo compiled his in the year 858. The martyrology of Nevelon, monk of Corbie, written about the year 1089, is little more than an abridgment of that of Addo. Father Kircher also makes mention of a Coptic martyrology preserved by the Maronites at Rome. We have likewise [7:14:267]several Protestant martyrologies, containing accounts of the sufferings of the reformed.
MARVEJOLS, an arrondissement of the department of the Lozère, in France, 728 square miles in extent. It is divided into ten cantons and seventy-six communes, and contains 57,100 inhabitants. The capital is a city of the same name situated in a beautiful valley on the river Coulanges; it is well built, and contains 660 houses, with 3750 inhabitants, whose chief occupationis making hats, serges, and other inferior kinds of woollen goods. Long. 3. 14. E. Lat. 44. 25. N.
MARWAR, an extensive district of Hindustan, in the province of Ajmeer, situated principally between the twenty-sixth and twenty-eighth degrees of north latitude. It has been possessed from time immemorial by the Rajpoot rajah of Joudpore.
MARYBOROUGH, a borough, market, and post town, and the assizes town to Queen’s County, in the province of Leinster, in Ireland; so called in honour of Mary queen of England, who reduced this part of the country to shireground by act of parliament 6 and 7 Philip and Mary. It is governed by a burgomaster and bailiffs, and has a barrack for a troop of horse. There has recently been constructed an extensive and commodious lunatic asylum. It is distant from Dublin 51 miles south-west. The population amounts to 2677. It is situated in long. 7. 20. W. and lat. 53. 0. N.
MARY-LE-BONE, one of the large parishes of the metropolis, which sends two members to parliament; but the parish of Paddington, and a part of St Paneras, are united with it for this purpose. The population of this parish amounted in 1801 to 63,982, in 1811 to 75,624, in 1821 to 96,040, and in 1831 to 122,206. See London.
MARYPORT, a market-town and sea-port of the county of Cumberland, in the parish of Cross-Cannonby, Allerdale-ward, below Darwent, thirty miles south-west by west from Carlisle, and 309∣ north-west by north from London. It is situated at the foot of the river Ellen, and is irregularly built, partly on the sea-shore and partly on the cliff; but the streets are spacious and the atmosphere healthy. The export to Scotland, Ireland, and other places, of the coal, limestone, and red freestone worked in its neighbourhood, constitute the principal trade of the port; and the manufactures of the town consist chiefly of cotton and linen checks, sail-cloth, cables, coarse earthenware, leather, nails, and anchors. The population amounted in 1831 to 3877.
MARZION, a market-town of Cornwall, in the parish of St Hillary and hundred of Penwith. It is sometimes called Market Jew. Marzion is 278 miles from London, being situated on an arm of the sea known as Mounts Bay, near the Land’s End. The buildings are indifferent, and the harbour not very commodious. There is a market on Thursday. The population amounted in 1801 to 1009, in 1811 to 1022, in 1821 to 1253, and in 1831 to 1393.
MAS, Louis du, natural son of Jean Louis de Montcalm Seigneur de Candiac, and a widow of rank belonging to Rouergue, was born at Nismes in 1676. His attention was first bestowed on jurisprudence; but he afterwards occupied himself exclusively with the study of mathematics, philosophy, and languages. Father Malebranche cultivated his acquaintance, and esteemed his virtues. His appearance was severe, but his temper was tranquil, and he had a lively, fertile imagination. His mind was active, full of resources, and methodical. We are indebted to his industry for the typographical bureau. This invention is the more ingenious, as it presents the tedious parts of education, namely, reading, writing, and the elements of language, to the youthful mind as a delightful entertainment; and many people in France, both in the capital and in the provinces, have adopted it with success. After he had conceived the idea of this invention, he made the first trial of it on the young Candiac, who was remarkable for understanding, even in his earliest years. Dumas conducted his pupil to Paris and the principal cities in France, where he was universally admired. This prodigy was carried off in the year 1726, before he had attained the age of seven, and his loss nearly deprived Dumas of his reason. A dangerous illness was the consequence; and he would have died of want, if a gentleman bad not taken him from his garret and entertained him in his own house. Dumas afterwards retired with Madame de Vaujour about two leagues from Paris, and died in the year 1774, aged sixty-eight. He was a philosopher both in genius and character. His works are, 1. L’Art de transposer toutes sortes de Musiques sans être obligé de connoitre, ni le temps, ni le mode, Paris, 1711, in 4to; 2. Bibliothèque des En fans, Paris, 1733, in four parts, a treatise in which he has explained the system and economy of his typographical bureau; 3. Mémoires de l’Ecosse sous le règne de Marie Stuart, translated from the English of Crawford.
MASBATE, one of the Philippine Islands, lying due south of the island of Lucon or Luconia. It may be estimated at sixty miles in length by seventeen in average breadth. The principal produce of the island is rice. There are some mines, but they are unwrought. Long. 123. 20. E. Lat. 12. 18. N.
MASBOTHAEI, or Mesbothaei, the name of a sect, or rather of two sects. Hegesippus, cited by Eusebius, mentions two different sects of Masbothaeans. The first wa⅛ [7:14:276]one of the seven sects which rose out of Judaism, and proved very troublesome to the church; the second was one of the seven Jewish sects before the coming of Jesus Christ. The word is derived from the Hebrew rw, scha-bat, to rest or repose, and signifies idle, easy, indolent people. Eusebius speaks of them as if they had been so called from one Masbotheus their chief; but it is much more probable that their name is Hebrew, or at least Chaldaie, and signifies the same thing with Sabbatarian in our language, that is, one who makes profession of keeping Sabbath. Vale-sins cautions us not to confound the two sects; the latter being a sect of Jews before or contemporary with Christ, and the former a sect of heretics descended from them.
MASCALI, a parliamentary city of the island of Sicily, in the kingdom of Naples, in the province Demone, 140 miles from Palermo. It is situated on a river issuing from Mount Aetna, in a salubrious district, and is very ill built, but contains 14,000 inhabitants, some of whom are employed in weaving cloth, others in the fisheries, and most in cultivating rice and other corn.
MASCAT, or Muscat, a sea-port of Arabia, which has the best harbour, indeed almost the only one, on the eastern shore. This harbour is formed on the south-eastward by the Mascat Island, a ridge of rocks from 200 to 300 feet in height, which is separated from the mainland by a narrow channel capable of admitting small boats, and on the other or north-western side by a ridge of mountains projecting into the sea. The cove, from its entrance to the interior extremity, is about a mile deep; it is open to the north and west, but is sheltered from all other winds. The anchorage is good, but the entrance is difficult. The town is built upon a small sandy beach, at the bottom of the cove of Mascat. The greater part of it consists of small and ill-built houses, and huts of date-tree leaves, of the most wretched description, hardly sufficient to give shelter from the weather, all being huddled together in the greatest confusion, and pervaded by narrow and crooked alleys, winding in every direction. Frazer mentions, that when he visited this place in 1821, scarcely a building was to be seen in deeent repair; they were all falling into decay, more from bad construction than from age. The best houses are those upon the beach; that of the imaum, though built of stone and lime, is but a poor edifice. On an eminence to the north-west side of the town is a fort, consisting of several towers, and connected by a wall, including two or three batteries of guns; and on the opposite side, above the channel between the mainland and the island of Mascat, there is another consisting of two towers, connected by a curtain pierced with two tiers of embrasures. The surrounding eminences are crowned by some smaller forts, and several of the mountains have watch-towers planted on them. The town of Maseat, according to the most accurate calculations, contains from 10,000 to 12,000 inhabitants, of whom about 1000 may be Hindus from Sinde, Cutch, and Guzerat. The rest are principally Arabs and negro slaves; the latter being very numerous, and in general stout and well formed. The Hindus are chiefly employed in mercantile affairs. The surrounding country is remarkable for its sterility, the black and naked rocks being entirely void of vegetation, excepting where, in the elefts of the rocks, the inhabitants contrive by irrigation to raise a few miserable date-trees, broad-leaved almonds, and patches of grass. Comfortable refreshments are nevertheless found by vessels touching at Mascat, with excellent water, abundance of firewood, and fruits. The bazaars are well supplied with beef, and flesh both of goats and sheep; also with poultry; and in no place is there greater variety of excellent fish. Long. 59. 15. E. Lat. 23. 38. N.
MASCULINE, something belonging to the male, or the stronger of the two sexes.

Masculine is used in grammar to signify the first and worthiest of the genders of nouns. The masculine gender is that which belongs to the male kind, or something analogous to it. Most substances are ranged under the heads of masculine or feminine. In some cases this is done with a show of reason; but in others it is merely arbitrary, and is found to vary according to the languages, and even according to the words introduced from one language into another. Thus the names of trees are generally feminine in Latin and masculine in the French. Further, the genders of the same word are sometimes varied in the same language. Thus alvus, according to Priscian, was anciently masculine, but is now feminine; and navire, a ship, in French, was anciently feminine, but is now masculine.

Masculine Signs. Astrologers divide the signs into masculine and feminine, by reason of their qualities, which are either active, hot and cold, accounted masculine; or passive, dry and moist, which are feminine. Upon this principle they call the Sun, Jupiter, Saturn, and Mars, masculine; and the Moon and Venus feminine. Mercury, they suppose, partakes of both characters. Amongst the signs, Aries, Libra, Gemini, Leo, Sagittarius, and Aquarius, are masculine; Cancer, Capriconus, Taurus, Virgo, Scorpio, and Pisces, are feminine.
MASINA, a kingdom of Western Africa, situated to the east and north of Bambara, and to the west of Timbuctoo, upon the northern bank of the Niger. It is inhabited by the Foulahs, who are engaged chiefly in pasturage.
MASHAM, a town of Yorkshire, in the wapentake of Hang‘East, in the north riding, 224 miles from London. It stands on the river Ure. Near to it was formerly the large Cistertian Abbey of Jervaux, founded in 1145, whose walls, which may now be traced, extended nearly two miles. There is a market, which is held on Tuesday. The population amounted in 1801 to 1012, in 1811 to 1014, in 1821 to 1171, and in 1831 to 1276.
MASQUE, or Mask, a cover for the face, contrived with apertures for the eyes and mouth, and originally worn chiefly by women of condition, either to preserve their complexion from the weather, or out of modesty to prevent their being known. Poppaea, wife of Nero, is said to have been the inventor of the masque, which she used to guard her complexion from the sun and weather, aš being the most delicate woman, in regard to her person, that had then been known.

Theatrical masques were in common use both amongst the Greeks and the Romans. Suidas and Athenaeus ascribe the invention of them to the poet Choerilus, a contemporary of Thespis, and Horace attributes them to Aeschylus; but Aristotle informs us that the real inventor, and consequently the time of their first introduction and use, were unknown. Brantome observes, that the common use of modern masques was not introduced till towards the end of the sixteenth century. Masque is also used to signify any thing used to cover the face, and prevent a person being known.

Masque, in Architecture, is applied to certain pieces of sculpture, representing forms hideous or grotesque, used to fill up and adorn vacant places in frizes, the panels of doors, the keys of arches, and the like, but particularly in grottos.
MASQUERADE, an assembly of persons masked or disguised, who meet to dance and divert themselves. This was once much in use with us, and has been long a common practice abroad, especially in carnival time. The word comes from the Italian mascarata, and that from the Arabic mascara, which signifies raillery or buffoonery. Granacci, who died in the year 1543, is said to have been the inventor of masquerades.'
MASRAKITHA, a pneumatic instrument of music amongst the ancient Hebrews, being composed of pipes of various sizes, fitted into a kind of wooden chest, open at the top, and stopped at the bottom with wood covered with a skin. Wind was conveyed to it from the lips, by means of a pipe fixed to the chest; the pipes were of lengths musically proportioned to each other; and the melody was varied at pleasure by stopping and unstopping with the fingers the apertures at the upper extremity.
MASSA, a small independent state in Italy, called a duchy, the sovereign of which is a female of the house of Este, at whose death it falls to her son the Duke of Modena. It contains about ninety square miles, with two cities, two towns, thirty-seven villages, and 27,500 inhabitants. It produces some little corn, with much oil, silk, and wine, and yields a revenue of L.20,000 yearly. The chief place is a city of the same name situated on the river Frigido; and on an elevation near it is the ducal palace. It is the seat of a bishop, and has a cathedral and several other churches, with 6550 inhabitants.
MASSAGETAE, an ancient people, about whose original seat there is as much doubt as about that of the Amazons. Tibullus and Ammianus place them near Albania, beyond the Araxes, which sometimes denotes the Oxus; and it is probable they dwelt to the east of Sogdiana. (Dionysius Periegetes, Herodotus, Arrian).
MASSALIANS, a set of enthusiasts who sprang up about the year 361, in the reign of the Emperor Constantius, and maintained that men have two souls, a celestial ιnd a diabolical, and that the latter is driven out by prayer.
MASSANIELLO. See Naples.
MASSE’S Island, an island in the South Pacific Ocean, ∙,o called by Captain Marchand, and forming one of the group called Hergest’s Islands.
MASSILIA, in Ancient Geography, a town of Gallia Narbonensis, peopled by a colony of 1 hoccans, from Pho- aca, a city of Ionia, and universally celebrated, not only or its port, commerce, and strength, but especially for the politeness and learning of its inhabitants. It is now Marseilles, a maritime city of Provence.
MASSIVE, amongst builders, an epithet given to whatever is heavy and solid. Thus a massive column is one short and thick for the order whose capital it bears; and a massive wall is one the openings or lights of which are small in proportion.
MASSUAH, a town of Egypt, situated on an island of the Red Sea, not more than three quarters of a mile in length. The houses are built chiefly of wooden poles and thatch; but a few are composed of a kind of stone, in which shells are embedded. When the commerce with India flowed through this channel, the trade of Massuah was very extensive; but it declined, and the town fell into decay, when the Turks, who had subjugated it, established there an arbitrary and barbarous government. It has since rapidly declined in importance; but its situation necessarily enables it to command some trade, by rendering it the only mart for the commodities which Abyssinia produces. Its intercourse is almost entirely with Mocha and Jidda, on the opposite coast; and from these ports it brings India cotton, wool, and piece-goods, European iron, copper, and manufactured articles, to the amount of about 400,000 dollars annually. The exports are the usual African staples, rhinoceros’horns, gold, ivory, honey, slaves, and wax. Massuah is governed by a naybe, who has now acquired an almost independent authority, and levies ten per cent, ad valorem on all goods which pass through the place.
MAST, a long round piece of timber, elevated perpendicularly upon the keel of a ship, to which are attached the yards, the sails, and the rigging. See Ship-Building.

The mast which is placed at the middle of the ship’s length is called the main-mast; that which is placed in the fore part, the fore-mast; and that which is towards the stern is termed the mizen-rnast.
MASTICATION, the action of chewing or agitating the solid parts of our food between the teeth, by the motion of the jaws, the tongue, and the lips, whereby it is broken into small pieces, impregnated with saliva, and so fitted for deglutition and a more easy digestion.
MASTICH, a kind of resin exuding from the lenticus tree, and brought from Chio, in small yellowish transparent grains or tears, of an agreeable smell, especially when heated or set on fire.
MASTICOT, Massico, or Yellow Lead, is the calx or ashes of lead, gently calcined, by which it is changed to yellow of lighter or deeper tint, according to the degree of calcination.
MASTIFF Dog, Band Dog (canis villaticus or catenarius), is a species of great size and strength, and having a very loud bark. See Mammalia.
MASTIGADOUR, or Slabbering-bit, in the manege, a snaffle of iron, all smooth, and of a piece, guarded with paternosters, and composed of three halfs of great rings, made into demi-ovals of unequal size, the lesser being enclosed within the greater, which ought to be about half a foot high.
MASULI, a large island, 160 miles long by 60 broad, formed by the Brahmaputra River. It is intersected throughout by channels of communication, by which it iš converted into a cluster of islands. It is of a very rich soil.
MASULIPATAM, or Muchilipatam, a considerable sea-port of Hindustan, in the Northern Circars, and district of Condapilly. It is defended by a fort, which is of an oblong square figure, 800 yards in length by 600 in breath, and situated in the midst of a salt morass, close to an inlet or canal, which communicates with the sea and the Krishna, so that the adjoining grounds may be inundated at pleasure; and this constitutes its principal defence. The town is situated a mile and a half to the north-west of the fort, on a plat of ground rising above the fort, and communicates with the fort by a strait causeway 2000 yards in length. It is extensive, and is bounded by another morass, which is never dry, even in the driest season. Masulipatam is situated in a fertile and well-watered territory, and has been long famous for the manufacture of chintzes, which are not, however, so handsome nor of so good a quality as European chintzes. It carries on an extensive trade with China, Pegu, Bengal, Persia, and Arabia. Masulipatam is the only port from Cape Comorin at which the sea is still, and it is capable of receiving vessels of 300 tons burden. It became at an early period a great commercial resort, and still carries on an extensive trade; but rice is yet an article of import, notwithstanding the fertility of the adjacent country. To the Maldive Islands chintz goods and snuff'are exported, and cocoa nuts brought back in return. In one year the number of vessels that left the harbour was 755, measuring 31,277 tons; and those that arrived amounted to 727 vessels, measuring 31,048 tons. The Mahommedans conquered Masulipatam in the year 1480. It afterwards came into the possession of the nizam of the Deccan, by whom it was made over to the French in 1751. From them the British took it by storm in 1759, and have ever since retained possession of it; and it is now the residence of the judge, collector, &c. of the district. It is 764 miles travelling distance from Calcutta, 1084 from Delhi, 292 from Madras, and 203 from Hyderabad. Long. 81. 10. E. Lat. 16. 10. N.
MASWEY, a town of Hindustan, in the nabob of Oude’s territories, and district of Lucknow, 16 miles north-northeast from the city of Lucknow. Long. 80. 40. E. Lat. 27.