MAY 



MAY 



Marcus Aurelius gave him many tokens 

 of fiis esteem, and placed himself under 

 his instruction ; but it is more probable, 

 that the preceptor of whom that prince 

 speaks, under the name of Maximus, was 

 some other philosopher, of the Stoical sect. 

 Our Maximus appears, from his writings, 

 to have adopted the principles of the Pla- 

 tonic school, with some tendency towards 

 scepticism. Forty -one of his " Disserta- 

 tions" on various philosophical topics are 

 still extant, and display the most capti- 

 vating powers of eloquence. The first 

 Latin version of them was published at 

 Basil, by Cosmo Pazzi, Archbishop of 

 Florence, in 1519, folio ; and Henry Ste- 

 vens first printed the original Greek, at 

 Paris, in 1557, Svo. to which he added 

 Pazzi's version, with numerous alterations 

 and corrections. In 1607, the learned 

 Daniel Heinsius published an edition of 

 them at Leyden, in Greek and Latin, 8vo-; 

 the version being his own, and illustrated 

 with notes. Of this edition our country- 

 man, Dr. John Davies, gave a new im- 

 pression from the Cambridge press, in 

 5703, Svo. with corrections, additional 

 notes, and two useful indexes. 



MAYER (TOBIAS), in biography, a 

 very able German astronomer and me- 

 chanic in the eighteenth century, was 

 born at Marspach, in the duchy of Wir- 

 temberg, in the year 1723. His father was 

 an ingenious civil-engineer, who particu- 

 larly excelled in hydraulics ; and young 

 Tobias, who was fond of observing him 

 while at work, displayed an early inqui- 

 sitiveness concerning such ingenious pur- 

 suits, and from the age of four years be- 

 gan to design machines with the greatest 

 dexterity and justness. The death of his 

 father, however, whom he lost when very 

 young, probably prevented him from be- 

 ing educated to that employment. Pos- 

 sessing but scanty means for obtaining as- 

 sistance in his studies, he was obliged to 

 rely on his own energies, by which he 

 made himselfa proficient in mathematical 

 learning, and became qualified to be an 

 able instructor of others. While thus oc- 

 rupied, he also assiduously cultivated an 

 acquaintance with classical and polite 

 iiterature, and learned to write the Latin 

 longue with elegance. So well establish- 

 ed was his reputation when he had at- 

 tained to his eight-and-twentieth year, 

 that the university of Gottingen nominat- 

 ed him to the chair of mathematical pro- 

 fessor ; and not long afterwards he was 

 admitted a member of the Royal Society 

 :n that town. From this time, every year 

 of his short, but glorious life, was distin- 



guished by some considerable discove- 

 ries m geometry or astronomy. He in- 

 vented several useful instruments for the 

 more commodious and exact measure- 

 ment of angles on a plane. He corrected 

 many errors in practical geometry, trac- 

 ing them to their origin, in the refrac- 

 tions occasioned by terrestrial objects. 

 Afterwards he particularly applied nim- 

 self to study the theory of trhe moon, its 

 appearances, the question of its atmo- 

 sphere, and the reciprocal actions of the 

 sun, earth, and moon, upon each other. 

 He then extended his observations to the 

 planet Mars, and the fixed stars ; deter- 

 mining with greater exactness than before 

 the places of the latter, and ascertaining 

 that, though commonly denominated fix- 

 ed, they possess a certain degree of mo- 

 tion relative to their respective systems. 

 Towards the end of his life the magnetic 

 needle engaged his attention, to which he! 

 assigned more certain laws than those be- 

 fore received. To these various inquiries 

 and observations he applied with such in- 

 defatigable assiduity, that he died, ex- 

 hausted and worn mit by his labours, in 

 1762, when only 39 years of age. His ta- 

 ble of refractions, deduced from his as- 

 tronomical observations, agrees very nice- 

 ly with that of Dr. Bradley; and his theory 

 of the moon, and astronomical tables and 

 precepts, were so well received, that they 

 were rewarded by the English Board of 

 Longitude with the premium of 3,OOCtf. 

 which sum was paid to his widow after 

 his decease. These tables and precepts 

 were published by the board in the year 

 1770. The principal works which he gave 

 himself to the public were, " A New and 

 General Method of resolving all Geome- 

 trical Problems, by means of Geometri- 

 cal Lines," 1741, Svo. in German. * A 

 Mathematical Atlas, in which all the Ma. 

 thematical Sciences are comprised in six- 

 ty Tables," 1748, folio, in German. " A 

 Description of a Lunar Globe, construct- 

 ed by the Cosmographical Society of Nu- 

 remberg, from new Observations," 1750, 

 4to. also in German. Several exact 

 " Maps ;" and some valuable papers in 

 the Memoirs of the Royal Society of 

 Gottingen. The first volume of his works 

 was published at that place in 1775, in 

 folio. 



MAYOR, is the chief magistrate in a 

 city or town corporate, who has under 

 him aldermen, common-council, and offi- 

 cers of different kinds. Their authority- 

 is different, according to different char- 

 ters ; but they are always magistrates with - 

 in the corporation. 



