/ 
M 
M 
Lyre, it) astronomy, a constellation of the 
northern hemisphere. See Astronomy. 
LYRIC, in general, signifies something 
song or played on the lyre ; but it is more par- 
ticularly applied to the ancient odes and stan- 
zas, answei'ing to our airs and songs, and may 
be played on instruments. This species of 
poetry was originally employed in celebrat- 
ing the praises of gods and heroes, though 
it was afterwards introduced into feasts and 
public diveisions. Mr. Barnes shows how 
unjust it is to exclude heroic subjects from 
this kind of verse, which is capable of all 
the elevation such matters require. The 
characteristic of this kind of poetry is, ac- 
cording to Trap, the sweetne.ss and vaiiety 
of the verse, the delicacy of the W'ords and 
thoughts, the agreeableness of the numbers, 
and the description of things most pleasing 
in their own natures. At fiist the lyric 
veise was only of one kind, but afterwards 
they! so continued to vai-y the feet and num- 
bers, that the variety of them now are al- 
most innumeiable. 
Tills kind of poem is distinguished from 
all other odes, by the happy transitions and 
digressions which it beautifully admits, and 
the surprising and natuial easy returns to 
the subject, which is not to be obtained 
without great judgment and genius. 
The lyric is, of all kinds of poetry, the 
most poetical, and is as distinct, both in 
style and thought, from the rest, as poetry 
is in genei’al from prose : it is the boldest 
of all other kinds, full of lapture, and ele- 
vated from common language the most that 
is possible : some odes there are likewise, 
in the free and loose manner, which seems 
to avoid all method, and yet are conducted 
by a very clear one, which alfects transi- 
tions seemingly without art, but for (hat 
reason have the more of it ; which are above 
connection, and delight in exclamations and. 
frequent invocations of the muses, which 
begin and end abruptly, and are carried on 
through a vaiiety of matter with a soi t of 
divine pathos, above rules and laws, and 
Avithout regard to the common foims of 
grammar. Pindar has set his successors the 
example of digressions and excursions. To 
write a lyric poem are requii'ed not only a 
flowing imagination, brightness, life, subli- 
mity, and elegance, but the nicest art and 
finest judgment, so as to seem luxuriant, 
and not be so ; and under the show of trans- 
gressing all laws, to preserve them. 
LYSIBIACHIA, in botany, loosestrife, 
a genus of the Pentandria Monogynia class 
and order. Natural order of Rotaceae. Ly- 
siraachim, Jussieu. Essential character: 
corolla wheel-shaped ; capsule globular, mu- 
cronate, ten-valved. There are twelve spe- 
cies, most of these have perennial roots, 
herbaceous stems, and the leaves opposite ; 
flowers axillary, or teiminating solitary, or 
else in spikes or corymbs. 
LY’THRUM, in botany, willow-herb, a 
genus of the Dodecandria Monogynia class 
and order. Natural order of Calycanthe- 
m®. Salicari®, Jussieu. Essential charac- 
ter : calyx twelve-toothed ; petals six, in- 
serted into the calyx ; capsule two-celled, 
many-seeded. There are eighteen species, ' 
LYTTA, in natural histoiy, a genus of 
insects of the order Coleoptera. Antennas 
filiform; four feelers, unequal, the hind 
ones clavate ; thorax roundish ; head inflect- 
ed, gibbous ; shells soft, flexile, as long as 
the abdomen. There are upwards of thirty 
species. 
M 
M Or m, the twelfth letter and ninth 
’ consonant of our alphabet : it is a li- 
quid and labial consonant, pronounced 
by striking or moving the under lip against 
the upper one : its sound is always the 
same in English, and it admits no conso- 
nant af ter it in the beginning of words and 
syllables, except in some Greek words, nor 
does it come after any in that case. It suf- 
fers not the sound of n, coming afler it, to 
be heard, as in autumn, solemn, &c. 
yVs a numeral, M stands for mille, a thou- 
sand ; and with a dash over it, thus, M, for 
a thousand times a thousand, or, 1,000,000. 
M. A. magister artium ; M. D. medicin® 
doctor; MS. manuscript; and MSS. ma- 
