xoe M E N 
government, by repeating the well-known fable of the 
belly and limbs. He flourilhed 495 B. C. 
MENERAN'DRE, a river on the fouth coaft of Ma- 
xlagafcar, which runs into the fea in lat. 25. S. Ion. 
42. 24.. E. 
MENER'BE, a town of Italy, in the Veronefe: three 
miles north-north-eail of Legnano. 
■ MENER'BES, a town of France, in the department of 
the Months of the Rhone: eighteen miles eaft-fouth-eaft 
of Avignon, and nine fonth-weft of Apt. 
MENERO'LA, a town of Genoa: five miles fouth-weft 
of Spezza. 
MENERVA'L, a town of France, in the department 
of the Lower Seine: fix miles north-north-weft of 
Gournay. 
ME'NES, the founder of the Egyptian empire, was 
born at This, a town of Thebais, in Upper Egypt. He is 
fuppnied to have reigned 117 years after the birth of 
Plvaleg ion of Heber, which was the year of the difperfion 
of the people throughout the earth. He was deified after 
his death. He had three fons, who ruled after him, viz. 
Athotis, who ruled at This and Thebes; Curudes, who 
founded the kingdom of Heliopolis, afterwards the king¬ 
dom of Diofpoli; and Necherophes, who reigned at Mem¬ 
phis. See the article Egypt, vol. vi. p. 291, 2. 
MENES'THEUS, or Mnes'theus, a fon of Pereus, 
who lb infinuated himfelf into the favour of the people 
of Athens, that, during the long abfence of Thefeus, he 
was elefted king. The lawful monarch, at his return, 
was expelled; and Mneftheus eftablilhed his ufurpation 
by his popularity and great moderation. As he had been 
one of Helen’s fuitors, he went to the Trojan war at the 
head of the people of Athens; and died on his return in 
the illand of Melos. He reigned twenty-three years; and 
was fucceeded by Demophoon the fon of Thefeus. Pint, 
in TheJ'. 
MEN'ESTREL, a mufician, whofe name and employ¬ 
ment have been recorded by Pithou in his “ Hiftory of 
the fccond.Race of Kings of France,” who tells us, that 
it was during the reign of Pepin that the chapel-royal 
was eftablilhed at Paris, under a mufic-mafter named 
Meneftrel; which, perhaps, may have been the origin of 
the name of meneftrel, or minftrel, being given, in after¬ 
times, to muficians in general. Pepin died in 768. 
Menestrels were the fingers, and Menetricrs the in- 
ftrumental performers, in France, who, in the time of 
king Robert, formed themfelves into a fociety of mufi- 
cians, in imitation of the ancient bards; they compofed 
and executed the mufic to the poetry of the troubadours, 
or romancers, who compofed poems in rhyme. 
In a tarif of St. Louis to regulate the toil at the en¬ 
trance into Paris, it is laid that the meneftrels Ihould be 
excufed paying the toll, upon condition that they lung 
a fong, (hence, perhaps, the proverb of paying for any 
thing with a Jong,) or made their monkeys dance, (whence, 
probably, the French have derived another proverb, payer 
en monnoie dejinge.) 
MENESTRIE'R (john-Baptift le), an able antiquary, 
was born at Dijon in 1564. He obtained Ibme confider- 
able oftices at court; but is particularly known by a work 
entitled “ Medailles, Monnies, et Monumens antiques, 
dTmperatrices Romaines.” This was publilhed in 1625: 
the author died in 1634, and in 1642 a pofthumous work 
was given to the world by his friends, under the title of 
“ Medailles illuftres des anciens Empereurs et Impera- 
trices de Rome.” Neither of thele works is in much 
efteem by modern medallifts. But this ingenious Jefuit’s 
treatifes on r.eprefentations in mufic, and on. ballets, or 
ftage-dances, ancient and modern, ihould be confulted 
by thole who read, as well as thole who write, hiftories 
of mufic and dancing; as the information they contain is 
original, and luch as no other books can fupply. Being 
buried in the church of St. Medard, in Dijon, the fol¬ 
lowing extraordinary epitaph was formerly legible on 
Iris tomb-ftone: 
MEN 
Ci) git Jean le Meneftrier. 
L'an de j'a vie foifanie-dix 
II mit le pied dans Vrftrier, 
Pour s'en alter en Paradis. 
Here John le Meneftrier is put. 
At threefcore years and ten, precife. 
He in the ftirrup plac’d his foot. 
To go full fpeed to Paradife. 
MENESTRIE'R (Claude le), alfo of Dijon, and a con¬ 
temporary of the preceding, was iikewife attached to the 
ftudy of antiquity, and became keeper of the Barberini 
Muieum. He is the author of “ Symbolica Dianae Ephefiae 
Statua explicata,” 4to. publilhed in 1657. Moreri. 
MENESTRIE'R (Claude-Francis), a defcendant of 
John-Baptift, and like him addibled to the ftudy of anti¬ 
quarian devices, was born at Lyons in 1631. He entered 
at an early age into the fociety of Jefuits, where he ac¬ 
quired a great knowledge of languages and polite litera¬ 
ture. His particular turn was to the ftudy of hiftory, 
with all that relates to family-diltinbtions, and the mo¬ 
numents of antiquity. He was allifted in his purfuits by 
an uncommon ftrength of memory; concerning which it 
is related, that, when queen Chriftina palled through 
Lyons, Hie tried him with cauiing to be read before him 
three hundred words, the ftrangeit and rnoft unconnected 
that could be found, which he repeated without milling 
in the fame order. He travelled into moll of the coun¬ 
tries of Europe, every-where augmenting his ftores of 
knowledge: nor did he.confine himfelf to lecular ftudies, 
but rendered himfelf a mailer of the fcholaftic theology 
taught in his church, by which he was enabled to make 
a figure in deputations with the proteftants, and in pul¬ 
pit-harangues. He was, however, moil famous for his 
talents in planning and arranging all kinds of feftive ex¬ 
hibitions, lacred and profane, from the entry of a prince 
to the canonization of a faint. His invention in thefe 
matters was inexhauftible ; and he enriched all his deiigns 
with fuch an abundance of devices and inlcriptions as 
amply proved the extent of his reading. He was like- 
wile very happy in deciphering old mutilated inferip- 
tions, blazoning coats of arms, explaining allegorical 
paintings and lculptures, and in all the operations ofi 
antiquarian fcience. He died in 1705, at the age of fe- 
venty-four. The principal works of father Meneftrier 
were, 1. Hiftoire Civile ou Confulaire de la Ville de 
Lyon ; 1693, folio. 2. Eloge hiltorique de la meme Ville, 
4to. 3. L’Hiftoire du Regne de Louis ie Grand par les 
Medailles, Emblemes, Deviles, &c. 4. Methode du Bl^.- 
fon. 5. La Phiiofophie des Images : beiides a great num¬ 
ber of trails on devices, medals, tournaments, caroulals, 
decorations, ballets, &c. Moreri. 
MENETOU', a town of France, in the department of 
the Clier: nine milgs north of Bourges, and four louth 
of Henrichemont. 
MENETOU'S, a town of France, in the department 
of the Loire and Cher: eight miles fouth-eaft of Rorao- 
rantin. 
MEN'EZES, the name of the Condes de la Ericeira, a 
noble houfe in Portugal, in Which the love of literature, 
united with confiderable talents, continued to be heredi¬ 
tary for many generations. In the General Biography, 
the moll celebrated perlons are mentioned, with their 
principal works, in one article. To this we (hall be in¬ 
debted for the following account. 
The firlt of the family diftinguiftied for literary talents 
was Don Diego, who, in 1628, publilhed “Vida de D. 
Henrique de Menezes, Governaodor de la India,” 430. 
Madrid. The character of the anceftor whole life lie 
writes is very differently deferibed by Barroifa and by 
FranCifco de Andrada, the former giving him unqualified 
praile, the latter pointing out fome great inftances ofmifi- 
conduCt. 
The fecond of the family, Don Fernando, publilhed, 1. 
Hiftoriarum Lufitanarum libri decem-ab anno 1640 ulque 
ad 
