700 



MARSUTIALS MARTHA. 



celebrated for the battle between the royal forces 

 miller prince Rupert and the troops of the parliament 

 under Fairfax and Cromwell (1644), in which the 

 hitter were victorious. See Charles I. and Cromwell. 



.MARSUPIALS, in zoology; a singular family of 

 the order carnivora, in the class mammalia, so called 

 from a pouch (marsujtium ) , in which the young re- 

 main immediately after birth, and into which they 

 retreat in case of danger, when older. See Kan- 

 garoo, Opossum. 



MARSYAS ; a son of Olympus, Oagrus or Hyag- 

 nis. Fable relates that, after Minerva had thrown 

 away the flute which she had invented, displeased 

 because it disfigured the countenance in playing, and 

 liad pronounced the severest maledictions against any 

 one who should take it up, Marsyas accidentally found 

 this instrument, on which he soon acquired such skill, 

 that he dared to challenge Apollo to a contest. The 

 Muses were invited to be the umpires. At first, the 

 stronger music of the flute drowned the softer tones 

 of the lyre, on which the god played ; and Marsyas 

 was on the point of winning the victory, when Apollo 

 accompanied his instrument with his voice. Marsyas 

 was unable to do the same with his flute. The 

 Muses decided in favour of Apollo, who put to death 

 his rash competitor by flaying him alive. In this 

 way was the curse of Minerva accomplished. This 

 fable is emblematic of the preference given by the 

 inventors of the fable to the art of singing to the lyre 

 above that of performing on the flute. Many ancient 

 and modern artists have represented the contest, as 

 well as the punishment of Marsyas. 



MART, or MARQUE, LETTER OF. See Letter 

 of Mart or Marque. 



MARTELLO TOWERS, so called, by corrup- 

 tion, from Mortella, in Corsica, where a strong tower 

 maintained a determined resistance to a superior 

 English force in 1794. In consequence of the great 

 strength exhibited by this fort, the British govern- 

 ment erected twenty-seven similar towers on the 

 Kentish coast, at intervals of about a quarter of a 

 mile, as a defence against the threatened invasion 

 from France. They are circular, with walls of great 

 thickness, and roofs bomb-proof. One traversing gun 

 is mounted upon each, in working which the men are 

 secured by a lofty parapet. They are surrounded by 

 a deep dry fosse: the entrance is by a door several feet 

 from the ground, approach to which is then cut off 

 by drawing up the ladder. The ordinary guard con- 

 sists of from six to twelve men. 



MARTEN (mustela). The- term marten is some- 

 times applied to the whole weasel tribe. The Euro- 

 pean marten (M. foina) inhabits most parts of Europe. 

 It is a most elegant and lively animal, exceedingly 

 agile and graceful in its motions. The female breeds 

 in hollow trees, and produces from three to seven 

 young at a time, which, in winter, have sometimes 

 been found sheltered in magpies' nests. These 

 animals are very destructive to poultry, eggs, &c., 

 and also feed on rats, mice, and moles; they are also 

 very fond of honey, and will sometimes eat seeds and 

 grain. They have a musky smell. They are capa- 

 ble of being tamed, but generally require to be kept 

 chained. The pine marten (M. martis), is an 

 inhabitant of the woody districts in the northern 

 parts of America, from the Atlantic to the Pacific. 

 This species is also found in Northern Asia and 

 Europe. It very closely resembles the marten of 

 Europe, but may be distinguished by its smaller size, 

 longer legs, finer, thicker, and more glossy fur, and 

 from the throat being marked by a broad yellow spot, 

 whilst thame part in the European marten is white. 

 The pine marten preys on mice, rabbits, and par- 

 tridges, &c. A partridge's head, with the feathers, 

 is the best bait for the log traps in which this animal 



is taken. When this animal is pursued, and its 

 retreat cut off, it shows its teeth, erects its hair, 

 arches its back, and hisses like a cat. It will seize a 

 dog by the nose, and bite so hard, that unless the 

 ktter is accustomed to hunt them, it suffers the little 

 animal to escape. It is easily, but never thoroughly 

 tamed. It burrows in the ground, carries its young 

 about six weeks, and brings forth from four to seven 

 in a litter, about the latter end of April. The fur is 

 fine, and much used for trimmings. Upwards oi 

 100,000 are collected annually in the fur countri: >. 

 Pennant's marten, commonly called the fisher (M. 

 canadensis), is also a native of the northern parts of 

 America. It is a larger and stronger animal than the 

 last mentioned species; climbs with facility, and 

 preys principally on mice. It lives in the woods, 

 preferring damp places in the vicinity of water. It 

 inhabits a wide extent of country, from Pennsylvania 

 to the Great Slave lake. It brings forth once a year, 

 from two to four young. It is sought for its skin, 

 of which considerable numbers are every year ex- 

 ported by the fur traders. 



MARTENS, GEORGE FREDERIC VON; professor at 

 Gottingen, and Hanoverian aulic counsellor, one of 

 the most eminent writers and lecturers on the law of 

 nations. His earliest work, which has become a 

 standard book on the subject, was published at Got-, 

 tingen, in 1789, and has been translated by Cobbett. 

 It bears the title of a Compendium of the Law of 

 Nations, founded on the Treaties, and Customs of 

 the Modern Nations of Europe. He afterwards pub- 

 lished a Course of Diplomacy (in 3 vols., 8vo); a 

 Collection of the principal Treaties of Peace and 

 Alliance since 1761 (14 vols., 8vo); and several other 

 works. The merit of these works caused the services 

 of the author to be sought for by the German sove- 

 reigns. In 1807, Jerome Bonaparte appointed him 

 a counsellor of state, in the financial department; 

 and he was retained in it after the fall of Jerome. 

 In 1814, he was employed, at the congress of Vienna, 

 to draw up the reports of the conferences between 

 the ministers, and was afterwards sent on a mission 

 to prince Christian, in Norway. In 1816, he was 

 nominated minister from Hanover to the diet at 

 Frankfort, where he died in 1821. 



MARTHA, SISTER, was long deservedly admired 

 for her active and impartial humanity. Anne Biget, 

 known by the name of Sister Martha, was, before the 

 French revolution, what is called a touriere in a con- 

 vent; that is, a nun who has the care of the turning 

 box fixed on pivots in the wall, by means of which mes- 

 sages and articles are conveyed to and from the con- 

 vent, without any of the nuns being seen. When 

 the dissolution of the convents compelled her to 

 return into society, she dedicated her time and her 

 means to the consoling of the poor, and particularly 

 of prisoners. Though her pecuniary resources were 

 small, her kindness was unbounded. In 1809, when 

 she was between sixty and seventy years of age, six 

 hundred Spanish prisoners arrived at Besangon, the 

 place where she resided. She hastened to their 

 assistance, did her utmost to supply their wants, and 

 watched over those who were sick. She was often 

 employed by them to solicit the governor of Besan- 

 gon, when they had any thing to request ; Jind one 

 day, when she was visiting him on this kind of errand, 

 he said, "Sister Martha, you will be much grieved 

 to hear that your good friends the Spaniards are 

 going to leave Besangon." " Yes," replied she, 

 " but the English are coming, and all the unfortunate 

 are my friends." Her impartial benevolence was, 

 indeed, extended to all ; and, in 1814, its utmost 

 powers were called forth to comfort and assist the 

 wounded French and allied soldiers. "It was on 

 the field of battle/' said the duke of Reggio to her, 



