MER 
lavender or marjoram. It is a native ot se- 
veral parts of Europe. 
MENTZELIA, in botany, so named 
from Christian Mentzelius, Physician to the 
Elector of Brandenburgh ; a genus of the 
Polyandria Monogynia class and order. Na- 
tural order of Calycanthem®. Ouagrat, 
Jussieu. Essential character: calyx five- 
leaved ; corolla five-petalled ; capsule infe- 
rior, cylindric, many-seeded. There is but 
one species, viz. M. aspera, an annual plant, 
native of America. 
MENYANTHES, in botany, a genus of 
the Pentandria Monogynia class and order. 
Natural order of Preci®. Lysimachi®, 
Jussien. Essential character : corolla shag- 
gy i stigma bifid ; capsule one-celled. There 
are five species, of which M. nymphoides, 
fringed buckbean, or water-lily, has a long, 
stringy, perennial root, the stems are round, 
smooth, and jointeil, producing opposite 
thick leaves, floating on the surface of the 
water, on foot-stalks various in length, ac- 
cording to the depth of the stream ; the 
flowers grow from the axils in a kind of ses- 
sile umbel, four or five together, on long 
round peduncles, shorter than the petioles ; 
when expanded in the sun they have a bril- 
liant appearance. It is a native of Den- 
mark, Holland, Germany, Piedmont, and 
England, growing in ditches and slow 
streams ; it flowers from June to August. 
MERCHANT, a person who buys and 
sells commodities in gross, or deals in ex- 
changes; or that traffics in the way of com- 
merce, either by importation or exportation. 
Formerly every one who was a buyer or 
seller in the retail way was called a mer- 
chant, as they are still both in France and 
Holland; but here, shopkeepers, or those 
who attend fairs or markets, have lost that 
appellation. 
Previously to a person’s engaging in a ge- 
neral trade, and becoming an universal 
dealer, he ought to treasure up such a fund 
of useful knowledge as will enable him to 
carry it on with ease to himself, and with- 
out risking such losses as great, ill-concert- 
ed undertakings would naturally expose 
him to. A merchant should therefore be 
acquainted with the following parts of com- 
mercial learning : 1. He should write pro- 
perly and correctly. 2. Understand all the 
rules of arithmetic that have any relation to 
commerce. 3. Know how to keep books 
of double and single entry, as journals, a 
ledger, &c. 4. Be expert in the form.s of 
invoices, accounts of sales, policies of in- 
surance, charter-parties, bills of lading, and 
MER 
bills of exchange. 5. Know the agreement 
between the money, weights, and meastircs 
of all parts. 6. If he deals in silk, woollen, 
linen, or hair manufactures, he ought to 
know the places where the dift’erent sorts 
of merchandizes are manufactured, in what 
manner they are made, what are the mate- 
rials of which they are composed, and from 
whence they come, the preparations of 
these materials before working up, and the 
places to which they are sent after their fa- 
brication. 7. He ought to know the lengths 
and breadths which silk, woollen, or hair- 
stuffs, linen, cottons, fustians, &c. ought to 
have, according to the several statutes and 
regulations of the places where they are 
n)anufactured, with their different prices, 
according to the times and seasons ; and if 
he can add to his knowledge the different 
dyes and ingredients which form the various 
colours, it will not be useless. 8. If he con- 
fines his trade to that of oils, wines, SiC. he 
ought to inform himself particidarly^of the 
appearances of the succeeding crops, in or- 
der to regulate his disposing of what he has 
on hand ; and to learn as exactly as he can, 
what they have produced when got in, for 
his direction in making the necessary pur- 
chases and engagements. 9. He ought to 
be acquainted with the sorts of merchan- 
dise found more in one country than ano- 
ther, those which are scarce, their different 
species and qualities, and the properest me- 
thod for bringing them to a good market, 
either by land or sea. 10. To know which 
are the merchandizes permitted or prohibit- 
ed, as well on entering as going out of the 
kingdoms or states where they ai e made. 
11. To be acquainted with the price of ex- 
change, according to the course of different 
places, and what is the cause of its rise and 
tall. 12. To know the customs due on im- 
portation or exportation of merchandizes, 
according to the usage, the tarifs, and regu- 
lations of the places to which he trades. 
13. To know the best manner of folding 
up, embaling, or tunning the merchandizes, 
for their preservation. 14. To understand 
the price and condition of freighting, and 
insuring ships and merchandize. 15. To 
be acquainted with the goodness and value 
of all necessaries for the construction and 
repairs of shipping, the different manner of 
their building, what the wood, the masts, 
cordage, cannons, sails, and all requisites 
may cost. 16. To know the wages com- 
monly given to the captains, officers, and 
sailors, and the manner of engaging with 
them. 17. He ought to understand the fo* 
