MIN 
pit of coal is felony, without benefit of cler- 
gy. If there is a lease of land, with open 
mines, the lessee may work them, but not 
to open new ones. If the lease is of land 
and mines, and none are opened, the words 
necessarily imply a right to open mines. If 
a man open a mine, he may follow the vein 
under the land of another ; but if the latter 
opens a pit on his own land, the former can- 
not pursue the vein. 
MINIATURE, a delicate kind of paint- 
ing, distinguished from all others by the 
smallness of the figures, its being perform- 
ed with dots or points, instead of lines ; by 
the faintness of the colouring; its requiring 
to be viewed very near ; and by its being 
usually done on vellum. See Painting. 
MINIMUM, in the higher geometiy, 
the least quantity attainable in a given 
case. See Maximum. 
MININ G, in military affairs, is the art 
of blowing up any part of a fortification, 
building, &c. by gunpowder. The art of 
mining requires a perfect knowledge both 
of fortification and geometry ; and by these 
previous helps the engineer may be quali- 
fied to ascertain correctly the nature of all 
manner of heights, depths, breadths, and 
thicknesses; to judge perfectly of slopes 
and perpendiculars, whether they be such 
as are parallel to the horizon, or such as are 
visual ; togetlier with the true levels of all 
kinds of earth. To which must be added a 
consummate skill in the quality of rocks, 
earths, masonry, and sands ; the whole ac- 
companied with a thorough knowledge, of 
the strength of all sorts of gunpowder. Min- 
ing is become one of the most essential 
parts of the attack and defence of places : 
so much artillery is used, that nothing 
above ground can withstand its effects ; the 
most substantial ramparts and parapets can 
resist but a short time ; the out-works, 
though numerous, serve only to retard, for 
a time, the surrender of the place. 
MINISTER, a person who preaches, 
performs religious worship in public, admi- 
nisters the sacraments,' &c. 
Minister of state, a person to whom 
a sovereign prince intrusts the administra- 
tion of the government. 
Minister,/!))'*;^?!, is a person sent into a 
foreign country lo manage the affairs of his 
province, or of the state to which he be- 
longs. Of tiiese there are two kinds : those 
of the first rank are embassadors and en- 
voys extraordinary, who represent the per- 
sons of ilteir sovereigns. The ministers of 
the second rank are the ordinary residents. 
MIN 
Minium, in the arts, red lead and ox- 
ide of lead. See Lead. 
minstrel, in ancient customs, cer- 
tain persons who combined the character of 
poet and musician, and whose profession it 
was to wander about the countries they in- 
habited, singing panegyrical songs and 
verses on their occasional benefactors, ac- 
companying them with some musical instru- 
ment. 
MINT, the place in which the king’s 
money is coined. See Coining. 
There were anciently mints in almost 
every county in England ; but the only 
mint at present in the British dominions is 
that in the Tower of London. The officers 
of the mint are, 1. The war den of the mint, 
who is chief; he oversees the other offi- 
cers, and receives the bullion. 2. The mas- 
ter-worker, who receives the bullion from 
the warden, causes it to be melted, delivers 
it to the moneyers, and when it is coined 
receives it again. 3. The comptroller, who 
is the overseer of all the inferior officers, 
and sees that all the money is made to the 
just assize. 4. The assay-master, who 
weighs the gold and silver, and sees that it 
is according to the standard. 5. Tiie au- 
ditor, who takes the accounts. 6. The sur- 
veyor of the melting, who, after the ass^y- 
master has made trial of the bullion, sees 
that it is cast out, and not altered after it is 
delivered to the inciter. 7. The engraver, 
who engraves the stamps and dyes for the 
coinage of the money. 8. The clerk of the 
irons, who sees that the irons are clean and 
fit to work with. 9. The melter, who melts 
the bullion before it is coined. 10. The 
provost of the mint, who provides for and 
oversees all the moneyers. 11. The blanch- 
ers, who anneal and cleanse the money. 
12. The moneyers, some of whom forge the 
money, some shear it, some round and mill 
it, and some stamp or coin it. 13. The 
porters, who keep the gate of the mint. 
MINUARTIA, in botany, so named from 
Minuartus, restorer of botany in Spain ; a 
genus of the Triandria Trigyiiia class and 
order. Natural order of Caryophyllei. Es- 
sential character : calyx five-leaved ; corolla 
none ; capsule one-celled, three-valved. 
There are three species : these are all an- 
nual plants, natives of Spain : leaves op- 
posite, clusteied ; flowers in clusters, hav- 
ing five, or three very small petals like 
glands. 
MINUET, in music, a movement of 
three crotchets or three quavers in a bar, 
of a slow and graceful motion, and always 
