M E Q 



*53 



M E R 



MENTZ, or MAYCXCE, anciently Mogunliiim, i* a 

 city of Germany, in the Grand Duchy of HeMC. It 

 is built nearly in the form of a semi-circle on the left 

 bank of the Rhine, below iU junction with the Maine. 

 Menu ii one of the strongest cities in Germany. The 

 works are numerous and ttrong, and of such an extent 

 as to require a garrison of about 30,000. 



The treets of Menu are narrow and long, and the 

 house* by no meant handsome. The principal edifices 

 are the electoral palace, which has been used as a mi. 

 litary hospital sine* 1793, the house of the Teutonic 

 Knights, and the arsenal. The principal churches are 

 the Cathedral and its towers, the church of Ignatius, 

 the ruins of the church of Notre Dame, the church of 

 the Augustine*, the church of St. Peter, and the ancient 

 church of St. Stephen. There is an university at 

 Menu, founded in 800, and established in 1 482 by the 

 Archbishop of Diether, beside* some other literary esta- 

 blishments. The public library contains 80,000 vo- 

 lumes, and cabinet* of medal*, natural history, phi- 

 instruments, Roman monument*, and pic- 



The trade of Menu i* chiefly in French and Rhenish 

 wine* ; and its chief manufactures are those of cotton 

 and coffee of chicory. The population is about 80,000, 

 E*tLoag.8 < 1 V, and North Lat +9 58*. A very full 

 and interesting account of Menti, such a* it was in 

 will be found in the Voyage nr U Mm dtpvu 

 Mmyt*ctj*uma DweUorf. Ncuwied, 1791, 2 vols. 



/, or M.VHSA-. the princ.|..il city in 

 the province of Fea, and the northern capital of the em- 

 pire of Morocco, i* situated in Si* 1*' North Latitude, 

 and about 5* 3V West Longitude, ft stands in a beau- 

 tiful valley, about 60 mile* eastward from Salee, sur- 

 rounded by gentle eminetu*nd highly cultivated vales. 

 It is an ancient town, founded about the end of the 

 tenth century, by a tribe of the Tenet** called Mequi- 



na, who had revolted from the ruler of Fea ; but it owe* 

 its present extent and importance to Sultan Muley I- 

 mael. After having subdued the petty kingdoms, which 

 now form the empire of Morocco, he resolved to esta- 

 blish two imperial cities, in order to keep hi* subject* 

 under more complete authority ; and made Mequinez 

 the capital of the north, a* Morocco wa* of the south. 

 He greatly enlarged the city toward* the west, and 

 erected a beautiful palace, with many other public 

 ingt. On the north-west, be enclosed a large space for 

 the families of hi* black troop*, called th< 

 ter, and which nearly equalled the city in extent 



of this black town nothing now remain* except the wall*. 

 Adjoining to thi* place M the Millah, or that part of the 

 city inhabited by the Jews, which is walled round and 

 in a good state of repair. On the side of the ci 

 ward* the Atlas mountain*, i* a wall of c'rcumvallation 

 about six feet in height, which was built a* a defence 

 against the impetuous but momentary attacks of the 

 Berebber*. The palace stand* at the south end of the 

 city ; and is a very extensive square, containing several 

 well watered garden*. The building* are all of one 

 storey, and the rooms though narrow are long and lorty, 

 being about 12 feet wide, 25 long, and 18 high. The 

 wall* are inlaid with glaxed tile* of bright colour 

 the light i* communicated by means of large folding 

 doors. Between the different suites of apartment* are 

 court* paved with marble, some of which have a fom. 

 tain in the centre ; and in different parts of the patoce 

 art separate buildings called Kobbahi, which contain a 



spacious square room with a pyramidal roof, curiously 

 carved and ornamented in the inside. In the centre of 

 the whole is the harem or seraglio, within which is a 

 spacious garden planted with tall cypress trees ; a gallery 

 supported by columns runs round the insideof the square, 

 and communicate* with the adjoining apartments, 

 which terminate in a common hall, or large chamlier, 

 where the females look through the iron-latticed win- 

 dows, to take the fresh and perfumed air of the gar- 

 dens. A hospitium, or convent of Spanish monks, 

 wa* established in Mequine* by the king of Spain, 

 about the beginning of the 18th century, for the relief 

 and spiritual comfort of Catholic captives and Christ- 

 ian travellers ; and was much respected by the inha- 

 bitants, on account of the exemplary lives of the fathers, 

 and the great service which they rendered to the poor 

 by the gratuitous distribution of medicines ; but the 

 place wa* dmrtid previous to the accession of Soliman, 

 the present emperor. 



The bouses of Mequinei, like those of other Maho- 

 metan towns, have no windows towards the street, ex- 

 cept a few small holes, and open into the inner court, 

 which are surrounded with galleries or pillars. The 

 street* are narrow, and without any pavement ; so that 

 the mud in winter i* accumulated to a degree which 

 render* them almost impassable on foot. The inhabi- 

 tant* are milder in their manners than in any other 

 part of the empire ; and are extremely hospitable to 

 strangers. The women of this town are particularly 

 and almost universally distinguished for their beauty ; 

 so that the term Mequinasia hat become a proverbial 

 epithet for a beautiful woman. Their eye* are large, 

 black, and sparkling, their teeth white, and their com- 

 plexion of a healthy red and white, forming a striking 

 contrast to the women of Fei, within a day's journey 

 of them, who are generally of a sallow or pale complex - 

 ion. They have also elrgant forms, and possess a mo- 

 desty and suavity of manner* rarely met with in other 

 place*, even among the roost polished nations of Eu- 

 rope. The population is estimated by Jackson at 

 1 10,000. See Chenier's Prrtemt Slate of Ike Empire of 

 Morocco i Jackson's Account of Morocco, (q) 



MERCATOR, NICHOLA*. See Ftt'xioHs, Vol. l\. 

 p. 883, and MATHEMATICS, Vol. XIII. p. ' 



MI See ASTHOSOMV, Vol. II. p. (i2o anil 



65*. and CHEMISTRY, Vol. VI. p. 19. 



MERIDA, ikt Aug*ila Emtrtta of the Romans, an 

 ancient town of Spain, in the province of Estremadura. 

 is situated on an eminence near the River Guadiana, 

 which i* cros d by a large and good bridge. This 

 town, which ha* now dwindled into ininmficance, it 

 principally celebrated for the remains which it still 

 exhibit* of Roman magnificence. The pavement* of 

 the street*, of the houses and the churches, are so 

 many vestiges of their work*, and the wells and the 

 cellars are filled with them. Numerous inscription*, 

 rained columns, vases, capitals, frieze*, statues, and bas- 

 relief* are everywhere seen. Two Roman aqueducts 

 are still seen in ruins, and also the vestige* of a fortress. 

 The ancient baths are in an excellent sUte of preser- 

 vation. Betide* tihese, there are two large reservoir* 

 of water like lakes, called Albufera and Albuera, which 

 appear to have been used for combats on the water. 

 One of them, which ii a league from Merida, is <JH 

 lone, and 51 deep. It is surrounded with thick wall* 

 and adorned with two beautiful towers, a very fine 

 flight of step* leading to the bottom. The other re- 



