MESSAI.INA. 



METASTASIO, P1KTKO. 



,-with extraordinary neeee*." Me. 

 the Tirtoe* of UM magnet, availed 



Meaner, who had hia own 



_ himself of hi* friend's 



teal plates to employ the magnet to hia own peculiar views. Wonder- 

 rol TrmVwt lieu Us. on tbe communication of which to Father Hell, 

 pabUthed an account of them; but in thi* account he 

 _ all the cure* to the form of the plate*, and spoke of 

 aa a physician whom he bad employed to make hia experi- 

 M*emer, expmaing great indignation at thi. representation, 

 Hell of treachery, and of endeavouring to turn to hia own 

 a discovery with which he bad been entrusted in the con- 

 friendship. Hereupon arose a violent controversy which 

 gajgj in the total defeat of Mesmer, who, a* if deriving freah energy 

 from discomfiture, went on working greater cures than before, and 

 making incomparably greater noise about them, having now dia- 

 m-J that the same effects could be produced without the use of 

 the magnet, and this new power he designated animal magnetism. 

 Nereftbelem, being J merlon by all men of science, who universally 

 regarded him a* an impostor, he was obliged to quit Vienna. After 

 travelling some time in different parts of Germany and Switzerland, 

 continuing everywhere to work wonderful cures, at last in a lucky 

 boor be act out for Paris, where he arrived in the year 1778. His 

 first care, on reaching this new and favourable theatre for hia exploits, 

 was to procure public apartment* for the treatment of patients. And 

 thither speedily flocked peer and peasant in such numbers that his 

 apartment* were crowded, and hundred* were ready to attest the 

 wonderful cure* wrought upon their own persons by tbe great mag- 

 'dr. In tbe general excitement it would havo been wonderful if 

 regular member of the medical faculty had become a convert 



Kramer found a highly useful one in a certain M. d'Kslon, who openly 

 aiufseasil his conversion to the system, and who practised it with BO 

 much tivftrr** that he is aaid to have received in fees from his patients 

 go {CM a sum t***" lOO.OUOf. The diaciple in this proceeded further 

 tlian was altogether satisfactory to the master. 11 esmer complained 

 uturly that he WB> betrayed and ruined ; and that tho fruit of long 

 tody and Ine-Jaeant watching*, which it had been the labour of his 

 life to bring to perfection, was suatchcd from him by another. He 

 now applied to tbe government, and succeeded in obtaining the 

 patronage of the queen. " A chateau and its lands, where he might 

 be enabled to continue his treatments at leisure and independently of 

 pereMuUon," wai what he asked. A life-rent of twenty thousand 

 fruics per annum, and in lieu of the chAteau and it* lands another sum 

 uf ten thousand francs a year to enable him to aelect a proper situation 

 for tbe treatment of his patients, were actually offered him. The 

 ofler however waa coupled with one condition, namely, that 



Cions nominated by the government should witness and report upon 

 proceeding*. Nevertheless it was stipulated that, even if the 

 report of tlieee persona should prove unfavourable, the sums promised 

 him should not be forfeited, while, if favourable, he might look for 

 the moat splendid reward*. The commission, consisting of nine 

 penon* of scientific eminence, was nominated in 1784. But Mesmer 

 was aharp-eighted enough to foresee that tho report would not be 

 favourable, and that the reward would not be continued if undeserved. 

 II* therefore suddenly quitted France and repaired to Spa. Thither 

 he was followed by several patient* of rank and fortune, who, on oou 

 dition that be would communicate to them hia doctrine and practice, 

 bound thrmeelvea to find one hundred persons who would pay him 

 each 2400 franc* for bis instructions. The sum actually raised by 

 thi* subscription amounted to 340,000 francs, nearly equal to 14,OUu7. 

 ^tT lt "f On receiving thi* sum, Mesmer returned to Paris and 

 recommended hi* public treatment*. Meantime hia disciples, who 

 had paid thus liberally for his instructions, formed themselves into 

 what they termed SocitWs de 1'Uaniiouic, for the purpose of gratui- 

 tously propagating the doctrines of animal magnetism. But the 

 maetsr disputed their right to do this: the disciples, on the other 

 hand, wr-'-i~ that they had purchased the privilege ; at all event* 

 tfcey resolved to exereise it, and set about doing so ; and now Mesmer 

 wag no proepsot of making any further personal advantage by his 

 dbeuvsiy, quietly put the money in hi* pun*, quitted France, and 

 after living a abort time in England under an assumed name, ho 

 rtir.d to Urrmaoy, published iii 179V a new exposition of bin theory, 

 and died at Marburg on March 6, ISIS. 



In addition to the work On the Influence of the Planet*,' Ac., 

 mentioned above, Mramer wrote, in support of hi* profeseed system, 

 Memoir* surU UwouverUdu Maguetum* Animal,' 1779, and ' Precis 

 Uttoriqoee de* Fait* relatif aux Magnetiame Animal, j usque* en 

 Avnl, 1781.' Meamcr'a chaiiaUuerie is now universally admitted, 

 to havt been aware of a power not then generally known, 

 of far more bounty and ability than himself have 

 BiBce been tealoualy investigating. This branch of tbe subject belong! 

 to the Division of the Aim A*D SCIMCX*, where it will be fouud 

 toeated under AXIMAJ. MAUXCTUM. 



Mr-SSALI.V\. [GLaUMM VBM.1 



MKsaALLA, or, with hi* full name, MAKCUS VALERIUS 

 HBHALLA COKV1NUS, was born B.U ii'. in the aame year aa Livy. 

 It would appear from a paaeage in Cicero's letters that he went to 

 Athena in bi* fifteenth jear to study. (' K|>. Alt ,' xii. 32 ) He waa 

 miyueed in early life to the party of Antony and Octavianua (Augustus), 

 ud wae in oaejeequrnc* included in the proscription of the second 



triumvirate, n.c. 43 (Dion, xlrii. 11 ; A pp., 'Civ.,' iv. 38); but after 

 the battle of Philippi be contrived to make his peace with the con- 

 querors, and waa subsequently advanced by Augustus to offices of 

 great trust and power. He accompanied Augustus in his campaign 

 against Sextus Pompeiua, ii.c. 36, and on bis return to Home waa 

 made augur for the services he had rendered in that war. The 

 military talents of Me*salla appear to have been highly valued by 

 Augustus : in B.C. 34 he subdued the Solasai and other warlike tribe* 

 which inhabited tbe Alps, and four yean afterwards he conquered the 

 Aquitaui, to which victory Tibullus frequently alludes (i. 7 ; ii. 1, 88; 

 ii. 5, 117). In the two following years he waa sent by Augustus to 

 Egypt and various part* of Asia on important public business, and on 

 his return, B.C. 27, he obtained the honours of a triumph on account 

 of his conquest of Aquitania. He wag consul B.C. 31, and waa appointed 

 prefect of Home B.C. 26. He died about A.I). 11. 



MeeBalla was one of tbe most celebrated orators of his time ; be is 

 frequently mentioned by Quintiliau in terms of tbe highest praise 

 (' Inst. Orat,' x. 1 ; compare Uor., Sat.' i., 10, 29 ; ' Ars Poet,' 870); 

 and the author of the dialogue ' De Oratoribus ' considers him even 

 superior to Cicero in grace and elegance of expression (c. 18). Measalla 

 also appears to have paid attention to tho study of language, since 

 QuintUian informs us that he had not only written treatises on separate 

 words, but even on separate letters. ('lust Orat,' L 7 ; compare ix. 4.) 

 He was a great patron of literature in general, and appears to have 

 conferred uo email benefits on Tibullus, who frequently celebrates the 

 praises of his patron with as much subserviency as the other poets of 

 the Augustan age. 



METASTA'SIO, PIE'TRO, was born at Borne on the 6th of January 

 1698. His father, once an opuleut citizen of Assist, afterwards a 

 soldier, then on amanuensis, and finally a small pastrycook at Rome, 

 was enabled by tbe profits of his trade to place his son at a little 

 grammar-school, where he soon displayed that talent for poetry which 

 so highly distinguished him in after-life. Before he was ton years old 

 he could, it is said, make verses on any subject ; aud it was uo unusual 

 sight to see bis father's porch surrounded in the evening, after school 

 hours, by groups listening to the poesy of a child. During one of 

 these tuneful fits the celebrated lawyer aud critic Gravina happened 

 to paes by, and was forcibly struck by the extraordinary talent dis- 

 played by the youthful improvvisatorc. lie offered the young poet 

 money, which was refused in a manner so firm, yet so polite, that 

 Qraviua's admiration of him was increased, and he instantly formed 

 the resolution of adopting him. Tho father, Felice Trapa&si, willingly 

 consented ; and the next morning Pietro was consigned to the care of 

 his patron, who changed his name to Metastasio (MrroVraw, ' mutatio,' 

 a changing), a term expressing hi.-) situation by adoption. 



Uraviua immediately determined to educate his charge for tlie 

 profession of the law, wishing rather that he should become an orator 

 than a poet, well knowing that tho former profession leads to fortune, 

 and the latter, most commonly, to empty fame. He nevertheless 

 caused him to study the oncieut poets, in which pursuit bis ardour 

 and success were so great, that at tho early age of fourteen he produced 

 his tragedy ' Giuatino,' written after the Greek models. His patron 

 now not only allowed but encouraged his devotion to the muses; aud 

 when Metastosio had reached hia eighteenth year, Uraviua accompanied 

 him to Naples, that he might meet and sing with tho most eminent 

 improvvisatori of the day. He became a universal favourit . The 

 harmony of his verse, the grace and dignity of his elocution, and the 

 expressiveness of hia countenance, were tbe topics of all conversations. 

 Still he continued to study the law ; and, to secure an opening into 

 the only other road to preferment, entered into a minor order of 

 priesthood. 



Within two years after his arrival at Naples his patron died, and 

 Metastasio mourned his loss like an affectionate son. By Uravina's will 

 he became sole possessor of all his property, consisting of 15,000 

 crowns, a fine library, aud a little estate in the kingdom of Naples ; 

 but such was the generosity, not to call it by a harsher name, of tho 

 poet's disposition, that in the short space of two years all that remained 

 to him of this property was the small lauded estate. He now applied 

 to the law, aud during a whole year was most assiduous iu hi* studies 

 under Paglietti, a mortal enemy to the muses ; but at tho cud of that 

 time he was again attracted to his poetic pursuits, aud produced an 

 'Kpithalamium'at the request of the Counters of Altliau, who likewise 

 prevailed on him to write the drama ' Endimioue.' Under the patronage 

 of the viceroy of Naples he next produced ' Uli Orti Esperidi ' (' The 

 Gardens of the Hesperide* '), and then ' Angelica,' tho plot from Ario.ito. 

 The former of the two was most successful, and especially admired 

 by Signora Bulgarini, better known aa ' The Koiuauiua.' Sue was the 

 first singer of her day, and performed the part of Venus iu the 

 favoured opera. Such were her admiration and esteem for the author, 

 that she persuaded him to renounce the law, to tako up his abode 

 under her husband's roof, and to dedicate the whole of hi* eiirigiea 

 and time to the muses and to friendship. His ' Didoue Abbaudouaia' 

 was written at tho request of bis female friend, to whom, it has hi-. 11 

 surmised, the poet is indebted for some of the finest dramatic incidents. 

 Such was tbe celebrity of this drama, that it was set by all the great 

 Italian composers of that period, and not only established tbe author's 

 fame, but brought him a large pecuniary recoui|>ense. In 1727 he 

 accompanied the Komauiiia to Rome, where he produced his ' Semi- 



