78 



MOTMOT MOUNTER. 



earth Rnd Uie sun. In motion, we must consider the 

 cause, the moving l>ody, the direction, the path 

 described, the time, the velocity, and the quantity. 

 The mass of the moving lx>dy must he tiiken into 

 consideration, since the qunntity of motion depends 

 on the quantity of matter. To move twice as much 

 matter, requires twice as much power. The direc- 

 tion of the motion of a body is the line along which a 

 moving i>oint proceeds, either for the whole or a part 

 of the way. If all the points of a body move in the 

 same direction, it is only necessary to observe the 

 motion of a single point. The line described by this 

 point is the path of the moving body. This path 

 itself, if in a straight line, represents the direction of 

 the motion ; if in a curved line, the direction at every 

 point of the curve is determined by the tangent to 

 this point ; that is, this tangent shows the direction 

 of the moving body at that point in which it would 

 continue to proceed, if it ceased changing its direc- 

 tion. I f all the points of a body do not move in the 

 same direction, the motion of each point, in particular, 

 ought to be observed ; and thus we may consider 

 every motion as the motion of a point. By the space 

 described, we understand the. distance passed through 

 by the moving point. Since we always consider the 

 motion of points, this space is represented by a line ; 

 and thus the observation of motion becomes geome- 

 trical. Time is necessary for motion, even for the 

 smallest. By the comparison of the space described, 

 and the time in which it is described, we find the 

 velocity. One body moves quicker than another, if 

 it describes in the same time a larger space, or the 

 same space in a less time. By the quantity of motion 

 we mean the velocity combined with the quantity of 

 matter. To move two pounds requires twice as much 

 power as to move one pound with the same velocity. 

 To move a body with the velocity 2, also requires 

 twice as much power as to move the same body with 

 the velocity 1. Hence it follows, that to move two 

 pounds with the velocity 3, requires six times as 

 much power as to move one pound with the velocity 

 1. Motion maybe considered under several different 

 views. With regard to change of position, by which 

 it is ascertained, it is either absolute or relative. If 

 a body passes from one place to another, this is called 

 absolute motion ; it is relative if we consider the ob- 

 jects to which we refer the motion of the observed 

 body, whether in motion or at rest, as fixed points. 

 With regard to change of position, the motion is, 

 further, either common or proper; finally, either 

 apparent or real. With regard to the powers or 

 causes which produce motion, it is either simple or 

 compound; simple, if it is produced by a single 

 power, or by several powers acting in the same 

 direction ; compound, if several motions meet, the 

 various directions of which form angles with each 

 other. With regard to the direction, the motion is 

 either in a straight or a curved line ; with regard to 

 the velocity, either uniform, or accelerated, or re- 

 tarded, and the accelerated" motion again is either 

 uniformly or variably accelerated ; and the retarded 

 motion either uniformly or variably retarded. See 

 Mechanics. 



MOTMOT (prionites.) These are beautiful birds, 

 about the size of a jay, with a long tail, the two mid- 

 dle feathers of which are destitute of vanes for about 

 an inch, at a small distance from their extremity. 

 This conformation was supposed, by some naturalists, 

 not to have been the production of nature, but to 

 have arisen from a caprice of the bird in tearing 

 away the vanes, as, in the young birds, these feathers 

 are entire : this supposition, however, is wholly erro- 

 neous. They inhabit South America, and are very 

 difficult to keep in a tame state, from their living on 

 certain kinds of insects, which are not easily procured 



They nre very shy and timid, and if taken when old, 

 invariably refuse all kinds of food. They are solitary, 

 never being si-en in flocks and but seldom even in 

 pairs. Their usual places of resort are the depths of 

 large forests, where they may be observed among 

 the lower brandies, or on the ground. They fly very 

 badly, and hence build their nests in the ground, 

 using the deserted holes of some of the smaller qua- 

 drupeds. The nest consists of a few withered blades 

 of grass, on which they deposit two eggs. The 

 principal species are the blue-headed motmot (P. mo 

 mota), and the red headed (P. dombey). 



MOTTE, ANTOINE HO^DAR DE I.A, a distinguished 

 author, was born at Paris in 1672, and studied under 

 the care of the Jesuits. His father, a halter, who 

 owned a small estate at Troyes, called la Motte, 

 destined him for the law ; but the son had a strong 

 inclination for the theatre, and, after having appeared 

 ia some of Moliere's plays at some private theatricals, 

 he brought out his first piece, Les Originaux, in 1693, 

 with so little success, that, from chagrin, he deter- 

 mined to join the Trappists. 'I he celebrated ablie 

 Bouthillier de Ranee (q. v.), learning his resolution, 

 dissuaded him and a companion, who meditated the. 

 same act of folly, from taking this step. La Motte 

 returned to Paris, and began to write for the opera 

 with more success. He brought out a great nnml.er 

 of pieces, and was soon allowed to be inferior only 

 to Quinault. He next ventured into the field of 

 comedy and tragedy. Though some of his produc- 

 tions were unsuccessful, his tragedy Ines de Castro 

 met with a most favourable reception, notwithstanding 

 its many faults. His Odes and Fables were also 

 much admired. Having undertaken a translation ot 

 the Iliad, without a competent knowledge of the 

 language, he involved himself in a dispute with 

 Madame Dacier, on account of some remarks, in his 

 introductory essay, derogatory to the merits of the 

 poet. His Reflexions sur la Critique, in reply to the 

 violent work of Madame Dacier, Des Causes de 

 la Corruption du Goilt, was written in a tone of 

 moderation : the dispute was, however, continued (by 

 La Motte in his Discours sur la Tragedie, sur /' Eloge, 

 sur I'Ode, sur la Fable, &c.) until Fe'nelon, who was 

 called in as arbitrator, decided the question ; and J. 

 B. Rousseau revenged the honour of the Grecian 

 bard, by a severe epigram on his detractor. Other 

 paradoxical opinions (for instance, his objections to 

 verse, although he had almost always written in verse, 

 and with more success than in prose) involved him 

 in numerous disputes, and drew upon him many epi- 

 grams. La Motte always kept his temper in these 

 controversies, and, although among the most admired 

 writers of his day, never indulged in an acrimonious 

 tone towards his adversaries. During the last twenty- 

 four years of his life, he was blind, and his health 

 was very feeble ; but he preserved his serenity and 

 kindness of temper, and died in 1731. 



MOTTE, COUNTESS DE LA. See Lamotte. 



MOULDINGS. See Architecture. 



MOULTRIE, FORT. See S^t/tivan's Island. 



MOUND, in heraldry (from mundus, the world); 

 a globe, having a cross on the top. Many heraldic 

 eagles, as those of Austria, Russia, Prussia, have in 

 one claw the sceptre, in the other the mound. 



MOUNIEU, JEAN JOSEPH, secretary of the pro- 

 vincial estates of Dauphine, deputy of the third estate 

 of this province to the states-general, a man of un- 

 common virtue and zeal for the general good, was 

 born in 1758, at Grenoble, where his father was a 

 merchant. He was educated by a severe pedantic 

 instructer, whose obstinacy and bad humour exposed 

 him to much suffering, and was afterwards refused 

 admission into the military service, because he was 

 not of noble birth, so that lie early imbibed a hatred 



