MED 
MEDI'NA (Sir John), an eminent painter, was fon of 
Medina de l’Afturias, a Spanifli captain who fettled at 
Bruflels, where the fon was horn in 1660. He was in- 
ftrufted in painting by Du Chatel, under whofe direction 
he made great progrefs; and, applying himfelf to the 
ftudy of Rubens, made that eminent matter his principal 
model. He painted both hiltory and portrait; and was 
held in extraordinary efteem by moll of the princes of 
Germany, who diftinguifhed his merit by feveral marks 
of honour. He married young, and came into England 
in 1686, where he drew portraits for feveral years with 
great reputation ; as he painted thofe fubjefts with remark¬ 
able freedom of touch, a delicate management of tints, and 
ftrong refemblance of the perfons. The earl of Leven en¬ 
couraged him to go to Scotland, and procured him a fub- 
fcription of 500I.-worth of bufrnefs. He went, carrying a 
large number of bodies and poftures, to which he painted 
heads. He returned to England for a fliort time; but 
went back to Scotland, where he died, and was buried in 
the churchyard of the Gray Friars at Edinburgh in 1711, 
aged 52. He painted mod of the Scotch nobility. Two 
fmall hiflory-pieces, and the portraits of the profeflbrs, in 
the Surgeons’ Hall at Edinburgh, were alfo painted by 
him. At Wentworth-caftle is a large piece containing 
the firft duke of Argyll, and his fons, the two late dukes 
John and Archibald, in Romans habits. The duke of 
Gordon prefented fir John Medina’s head to the great 
duke of Tufcany for his colle&ion of portraits done by 
the painters themfelves ; the duke of Gordon too was 
drawn by him, with his fon the marquis of Huntley and 
his daughter lady Jane, in one piece. Medina was knighted 
by the duke of Queenfberry, lord high commiffioner; and 
was the laft knight made in Scotland before the union. 
The prints in the o&avo edition of Milton were designed 
him; and he compofed another fet for Ovid’s Metamor- 
phofes, but they were never engraved. 
MEDI'NA el AS'FAL, a town of Arabia, in the ter¬ 
ritory of Jaffa, celebrated for the tombs of feveral Ara¬ 
bian faints. 
MEDI'NA del CAM'PO, an ancient town of Spain, 
in the province of Leon, fituated on the Zapardiel, a fmall 
river communicating with the Duero, between Toro and 
Tordefillas. This town was formerly celebrated for the 
refidence of feveral monarchs, and was then more con- 
fiderable than it is now, being both commercial and opu¬ 
lent. It has flill three confiderable fairs, and feveral great 
privileges : it is free from all taxes ; and the inhabitants 
have a right to fill all offices, both in the church and civil 
magiltracy, without the interference of the pope or the 
king. It is ftill large, though decaying; it has a hand- 
fome fquare, in the middle of which is a fountain orna¬ 
mented with a ftatue of Neptune. Medina del Campo is 
faid to have contained 14000 families, though the num¬ 
ber is now reduced to 1000. Although the population 
is fo much diminifhed, the ancient churches and convents 
are Hill remaining. According to Townfend, it has nine 
parifh-churches, feventy priefls, feventeen convents, and 
two hofpitals. The collegiate church, built of brick, is 
much admired for its roof. The old handfome houfe of 
the Jefuits is ftill to be feen. This town was the birth¬ 
place of the jefuit P. J. Acofta, and of the philofopher Go- 
mefius Pereira. Cardinal Ximenes had made this place 
one of his principal magazines for military (lores collected 
with a view to curb the great nobility ; but when, A. D. 
1520, the commons of Caltile fought redrefs of grievances, 
they feized the magazine, and defended the city with 
fuch obltinacy, that they forced Fontefca to retire and to 
leave them in quiet poffeflion of the ruins. The fur¬ 
rounding country is naturally fertile: twenty miles fouth- 
fouth-weft of Vallodolid. Lat. 41.23. N. Ion. 5. W. 
MEDI'NA CE'LI, a town of Spain, in Old Caftile, on 
the Xalon, anciently called Segoncia : ten miles north-eaft 
of Siguenp. Lat. 41.21. N. Ion. 2. 27. W. 
MEDI'NA del RIO SE'CO, an ancient town of Spain, 
in Leon, fituated on a plain, watered by the river Se- 
Vol.XV. No, 1020. 
M E D 13 
quillo. The ftreets are narrow and ill-paved. It has 
three pariffi-churches, four convents, an afyluni for 
monks, and two well-endowed hofpitals. This place was- 
formerly famous for its population, manufactories, and 
fairs; on which account it was furnamed India-Chica, or 
Little India. In 1638, it was honoured with the title of 
city by Philip IV. It is furrounded by mountains, and. 
the air of it is very falubrious. Its population, which is 
faid to have confided of 30,000 perfons, is now reduced 
to fourth of that number. The ftirrounding country 
abounds in corn and wine: fifteen miles weft of Palencia. 
MEDI'NA SIDO'NIA, a town of Spain, and capital 
of a duchy,in the province of Seville, anciently the fee of 
a bifhop, transferred to Cadiz : twenty miles fouth-eaft of 
Cadiz, and fifty fouth of Seville. Lat. 36. 25. N Ion. 6 W. 
MEDI'NA del los TOR'RES, a town of Spain' in 
Eftramadura: twenty-four miles north of Llerena. 
MED'INE, J. An Egyptian piece of money, of iron 
filvered over, and about the fize of a diver threepence. 
MED'INET A'BU, or, according to Mr. Bruce, Me- 
Dinet Taeu, a village of Egypt, near the weft coaft of 
the Nile, where are the remains of four temples, fhowing 
the place where once flood the magnificent city of Thebes. 
It is twenty-eight miles north of Efneh, and 330 fouth of 
Cairo. See the article Egypt, vol. vi. p. 349. 
MED'INET FA'RS, a ruined town of Egypt, fuppofed 
to have been anciently named Ar/moe , a little to the north 
of Fayoum.—A town of Egypt, on the right bank of the 
Nile, oppofite Fefhn. 
MEDIN'GEN, a town of Weftphalia, in the duchy of 
Luneburg: eight miles north of Ultzen, and fourteen 
fouth.foufh-ealt of Luneburg. 
MEDIN'SK, a town of Ruffia, in the government of 
Kaluga : thirty-two miles north-north-welt of Kaluga. 
Lat. 54. 58. N. Ion. 53. 30. E. " 
MEDIOC'RITY, f. [mediocrite , Fr. mediocritas , Lat.] 
Moderate degree ; middle rate.—There appeared a fudden 
and marvellous converfion in the duke’s cafe, from the 
moft exalted to the moft deprefled, as if his expedition 
had been capable of no mediocrities. IVotton. —Getting and 
improving our knowledge in fubltances only by experi¬ 
ence and hirtory, is all that the weaknefs of our faculties 
in this ftate of mediocrity , while we are in this world, can 
attain to. Locke. —Moderation ; temperance.—Left appe¬ 
tite, in the ufeof food, fhould lead us beyond' that which, 
is meet, we owe obedience to that law of reafon which 
teacheth mediocrity in meats and drinks. Hooker. 
MEDIOLA'NUM, in ancient geography, the capital of 
the Infubres, built by the Gauls on their fettlement in that 
part of Italy ; a municipium, and a place of great ftrength j 
and a feat of the liberal arts; whence it had the name of 
Nova Athena. Now Milan. 
MEDIOLA'NUM AULERCO'RUM, in ancient geo¬ 
graphy, a town of Gallia Celtica, which afterwards took 
the name of the Eburovicum Civitas ; corrupted to Civitas 
Ebroicorum, and this laft to Ebroica ; whence the modern 
appellation Evreux, a city of Normandy. 
MEDIOLA'NUM GUGERNO'RUM, a town of Gallia 
Eelgica ; now the village Moyland, not far from Cologne. 
MEDIOLA'NUM ORDOVI'CUM, a town of Britain 5 
now Llanvillin, a market-town of Montgomeryfhire. 
MEDIOLA'NUM SANTO'NUM, or Santoni'ca 
Ur'bs, a town of Aquitaine. Now Saintes, capital of 
Saintonge in Guienne, on the river Charente. 
MEDIOMAT'RICES, a nation that lived on the bor¬ 
ders of the Rhine ; now Metz. 
MEDIPIL'LY. See Mootapilly. 
ME'DIR, a town of Perfia, in the province of Kerman : 
fixty miles eaft of Sirjian. 
MED'ISANCE,/ [French.] Evil-fpeaking; reproach; 
Hander. 
To MED'ITATE, v. a. [ mediter , Fr. meditor, Lat.] To 
plan ; to fcheme ; to contrive.—Some affirmed that I me¬ 
ditated a war ; God knows, I did not then think of war. 
K. Charles. 
E 
DilTembling 
