MASTER OF ARTS 



MASTIFF 



87 



punishing by imprisonment the servant who left the 

 service without just cause. This law, roinplaineil 

 of by workmen as one-sided, was modified l>y 

 statutes, the regulations of which are now em- 

 bodied in the Employers and Workmen Act, 1875, 

 and the Conspiracy and Protection of Property 

 Act, 1875. These acts give the county courts 

 special powers with regard to the settlement of 

 disputes between employers and workmen, and 

 provide that a combination of two or more persons 

 cannot be indicted for conspiracy to do what would 

 not lie criminal if done by one only. Workmen 

 employed by gas and water companies are liable 

 on breach of their contract to line or imprison- 

 ment. The law of the United States does not 

 recognise a distinction between domestic and other 

 servants. 



In Scotland the law as to master and servant 

 differs from the above in several particulars, of 

 which the following are the most important. With 

 regard to domestic servants, in towns, if nothing is 

 xaiil, then the hiring is for half a year, and cannot 

 IM> put an end to without forty days' warning l>efore 

 the end of the half year ; and if the servant is dis- 

 missed without just cause, he or she can claim not 

 only wages but board-wages till the end of the 

 term. In case of the ma-ter's death the servant 

 can claim wages for the whole of the current term, 

 but is liound in that case to serve the executors, or 

 look out for another situation. In case of the 

 master's bankruptcy the servant is a privileged 

 debtor for the wages of the current term. In most 

 other respects the law as to servant* is the same 

 as in England. See C. M. Smith's Law of Master 



,,,i,l S,-,;;i,lt (4th ed. 1- 



Master Of Arts (abbreviated M. A., and some- 

 times, particularly in America, A.M.) is a degree 

 conferred by universities and some colleges. In 

 the universities of England this title follows that 

 of Bachelor (f|.v.). The dignity of Master i Mmjister 

 iii-liii in lilteraliiim) was held in high esteem in the 

 middle ages. In Germany it is now obsolete, hav- 

 ing been superseded by that of doctor. A Master 

 has tin; right to vote in congregation or convoca- 

 tion at Oxford, and in the s'ii:it' at Cambridge, 

 and consequently enjoys the university franchise ; 

 in the Scottish universities all Masters are member* 

 of the General Council, and as such elect the 

 parliamentary representatives for the university. 

 See I)K<;REES (UNIVERSITY). 



Master <>f Ceremonies, of the Rolls, 

 &c. See CEREMONIES, KOLLS, &c. 



Mastorwort (Pencedanum Ostrntliinm), a 

 perennial herb of the natural order Umheluferee, 

 It is a native of the north of Euro|>e and the north 

 of America, and is found in moist pastures in some 

 parts of Britain, but apparently naturalised rather 

 than indigenous, its root having formerly been 

 much cultivated as a potherb, and lidd in great 

 repute as a stomachic, sudorific, diuretic, &c. The 

 root has a pungent taste, causes a How of saliva 

 and a sensation of warmth in the mouth, and often 

 allords relief in toothache. A-iii'mitin iinijur, a 

 herb IxOongirig to the same natural order and hav- 

 ing similar pro|'i -ties, is also named Masterwort. 



Mastic, a species of gum -resin yielded by the 

 Mastic or Lentisk tree (Piltacia lentixrnx, natural 

 order Terebinthaceje). It oozes from cuts made in 

 the bark, and hardens on the stem in small round 

 tear-like lumps of a light straw colour, or, if not 

 collected in time, it falls i>n the ground ; in the 

 latter state it acquires some impurities, and is con- 

 fwijiiently IMSS valuable. The chief use of this gum- 

 n-in is in making the almost colourless varnish for 

 varnishing prints, maps, drawings, &c. It is also 

 ns>'d l,v dentists for stopping hollow teeth, and was 

 formerly employed in medicine. It is imported in 



small quantities, chiefly from the Morocco coast, 

 but some is brought from the south of Europe and 

 the yEgean. The name of mastic is also given to 

 oleaginous cements, composed of about 7 parts of 

 litharge and 93 of burned clay, reduced to line 

 powder, made into a paste with linseed-oil. 



Mastiff. The characteristics of the mastiff 

 group of dogs are very marked and constant. 

 One variety of the breed has been known from 

 ancient times as the English, another as the 

 Bordeaux or mastiff of Gaul. These may be 

 classed as the European, while another kind is 

 the Asiatic, of which the Tilietan is perhaps the 

 most typical. No group of domestic dogs has 

 more appearance of lieing an original and distinct 

 species, although the English mastiff has been - 

 crossed and reerossed from time to time, principally 

 with the object of increasing the size ; and, while 

 the blood of the Asiatic variety was very probably 

 introduced at air early date, subsequently crosses 

 with the Alpine mastiff, the St Bernard, the boar- 

 hound, and the bulldog have undoubtedly been 

 introduced, and the modern English mastiff must 

 be regarded as a composite breed. 



The English mastiff is thick-set and powerful, 

 with a large head and broad, short, truncated 

 muzzle, large, thick, pendulous lips, ears formerly 

 often semi-erect, now hanging and of moderate si/.c, 

 smooth-coated, with frequently a full but not bushy 

 tail. This variety formerly averaged from 25 to 28 



English Mastiff ( ' Beaufort,' 1887). 



inches at shoulder, but during the last half of the 

 19th century, owing to repeated crossing and 

 selection, an average of from 30 to 32 inches 

 at shoulder has lieen obtained, perhaps somewhat 

 to the loss of muscular power and activity. The 

 colours are all shades of fawn, tan, and black, 

 with and without mixture of white. Formerly 

 red and brindle were the commonest colours, but 

 owing to selection fawn in all shades is now the 

 most prevalent, with the muzzle, ears, and other 

 extremities shaded with black or darker markings. 



The mastiff was formerly very courageous, and 

 would readily attack the lion or bear ; now 

 it is chietly valued for exhibition purposes, and 

 70 is not an outside price for a really typical 

 specimen. As a companion or watch-dog no other 

 variety equals it, for, while faithfully protecting 

 the property entrusted to it (at times w-ith niar- 

 vcllous sagacity and discrimination), it has the 

 additional merit of generally refraining from the 

 infliction of personal injury on the invader, unless 

 aggravatingly provoked. It becomes ardently 

 and instinctively attached to its master, although 

 not demonstratively affectionate. It has an excel- 

 lent nose, but is of little or no use for sporting 

 purposes, and dull at learning any kind of tricks. 



The mastiff of Tibet was larger than the' old 

 English, but is smaller than the modern English 



