MON 
government ; the exclusion of popular and 
aristocratical contentions; the preventing, 
by a known nile of succession, of all com- 
petitors for the supreme power ; and there- 
by repressing the hopes, intrigues, and 
dangerous ambition of aspiring citizens. An 
hereditary monarchy is allowed to be de- 
cidedly better than one that is elective. A 
crown, says the late learned Dr. Paley, is 
too splendid a prize to be conferred on 
merit. The passions or interests of the 
electors exclude all consideration of the 
qualities of the competitors. Among the 
advantages of an hereditary monarchy, we 
must not forget, that as plans of national 
improvement and reform are seldom brought 
to maturity by the exertions of a single 
reign, a nation cannot attain to the degree 
of happiness and prosperity to whidi it is 
capable of being carried, unless an unifor- 
mity of councils, a consistency of public 
measures and designs, be continued through 
a succession of ages. The benefit may be 
expected where the supreme power descends 
to the same race, and were each prince 
succeeds in some sort to the aim, pursuits, 
and disposition of his ancestor, than if the 
crown, at every change, devolve upon a 
stranger, whose first care will commonly be 
to pull down what his predecessor had built, 
and to substitute systems of adnunistration 
which must give way to others of the succeed- 
ing sovereign. See Paley’s “ Principles of 
Moral and Political Philosophy.” 
MONARDA, in botany, so named from 
Nicholas Monarda, a physician of Seville, a 
genus of the Diandria Monogynia class and 
order. Natural order of Verticillatae. La- 
biatas, Jussieu. Essential character : corol- 
la irregular; the upper lip linear, involv- 
ing the filaments; seeds fotir. There are 
seven species. . 
MONAS, in natural history, a genus of 
insects of the Vermes Infusoria class and 
order. Worm invisible to the naked eye, 
most simple, pellucid, resembling a point. 
There are five species. BI. atomus, is found 
in sea water after it has been kept a long 
time : body a white point, something oval, 
with a minute black dot, variable in its po- 
sition. M. lens, is transparent, with some- 
times a greenish margin. It is found in all 
water. A round pellucid dot, frequently 
in masses, without the least vestige of ini 
testines. M. termo, a most minute, simple, 
gelatinous point, found in most animal and 
vegetable infusions ; of all known animals 
the most minute and simple, being so ex- 
tremely delicate and transparent, as often 
MON 
to elude the most highly magnifying powers, 
blending as it were in the water in which it 
swims. 
MONASTERY, a convent, or house 
built for the reception and entertainment of 
monks, mendicant friars, or nuns, whether 
it be an abbey, priory, &c. 
Monasteries are governed by different 
rules, according to the different regulations 
prescribed by their founders. The first re- 
gular and perfect monasteries were founded 
by St. Pachomius, in Egypt ; but St. Basil 
is generally considered as the great father 
and patriarch of the eastern monks ; since 
in the fourth century he prescribed lules 
for the government of the monasteries, to 
which tlie anachorets and coenobites, and 
the other ancient fathers of the desarts, sub- 
mitted: in like manner St. Benedict was 
stiled the patriarch of the western monks ; 
he appeared in Italy towards the latter end 
of the fifth century, and published his rule, 
which was universally received throughout 
the west. St. Augustine being sent into Eng- 
land by St, Gregory the pope, in the year 
596, to convert the English, he at the same 
time introduced the monastic state into this 
kingdom, which made such progress here, 
that within the space of 200 years there 
were thirty kings and queens who prefer- 
red the religious habits to their crowns, 
and founded stately monasteries, where they 
ended their days in solitude and retire- 
ment. 
BIONETIA, in botany, so called in ho- 
nour of Jean Baptiste Pierre Antoine de 
Monet, a genus of the Tetrandria Blonogy- 
nia class and order. Essential character: 
calyx four-cleft ; petals four ; berry two- 
celled; seeds solitary, There is but one 
species; viz. M. barlerioides, fourspined 
Monetia, a native of the East Indies and 
the Cape of Good Hope. 
MONEY, a substance, commonly metal, 
and generally of a determined shape and 
weight, to which public authority has af- 
fixed a certain value to serve as a medium 
in commerce. We may refer our readers 
to the arjicle Coin for much interesting 
matter on this subject. See also Medal. 
Money is usually divided into real or effec- 
tive ; and imaginary, or money of account. 
See Exchange. Real money includes all 
coins or species of gold, silver, copper, &e. 
which exist and have currency, such are 
guineas, louis d’ors, pistoles, ducats, &c. 
Imaginary money, or money of account, is 
that which has never existed, or at least 
wliich does not exist in real specie, but is q 
