M E R 
A news-paper; fo called from Mercury, the intelligencer 
of the gods. Ainjworth. —It is alfo applied, in cant phrafe, 
to the carriers of news and pamphlets. 
MER'CURY, $, in aftronomy, the fmalleft of the an¬ 
cient planets, and the neareft to the Sun. See the article 
Astronomy, vol. ii. p. 356. In that place it is obferved, 
that the bell obfervations of this planet are made during 
its tranfts ; and, as one of thefe has happened very lately, 
which was not noticed in our Nautical Almanac, we fhall 
give (from the Monthly Magazine) the following par¬ 
ticulars, originally calculated by the late celebrated M. 
de la Lande, as may be feen in the third edition of his 
Aftronomy, and whofe calculations are here reduced to 
the meridian of Greenwich. 
Tranfit of Mercury; Nov. 1 1) 1815. 
h. m. s. 
Beginning of tranfit, (true time) - - - 12 23 6 
Conjunction of Sun and Mercury, (mean time) 14 34 59 
Middle of tranfit, (true time) - - 14 36 58 
End of tranfit, (true time) - - 16 50 50 
Semi-duration - - - - - 213 52 
Neareft approach of the centres - - - 9 14 
Geocentric longitude of Mercury at conjunc¬ 
tion - - - 18° 52' 42" 
This tranfit was vifible, from beginning to end, in New 
Holland, the whole of the Eaftern Archipelago, Japan, 
and the eaftern parts of China. It muft have been feen 
alfo in Hindooftan, Perfia, the whole of Arabia, Madagaf- 
car, a great proportion of Africa, Afiatic Ruflia, and fome 
parts of Turkey. Monthly Mag. April 1813. 
MER'CURY, J'. in mineralogy, ametal of afilvery-white 
colour, and fluid at the ufual temperature of the atmof- 
phere. It is knowm under a variety of denominations. 
The common name among the ancients was hydrargyrum, 
or “ water of filverthe moderns call it mercury, from 
Ibme fuppofed relation it bears to the planet of that 
name ; in Englifh it is popularly called quichjilver, from 
its appearance. Many of the chemilts have called it Pro- 
tens, front the variety of forms, colours, &c. it pafles 
through in their preparations. See the article Chemistry, 
vol. iv. p. 280 and 380. and Hydrargyrum under the arti¬ 
cle Mineralogy. 
MER'CURY, in heraldry, a term ufed in blafoning by 
planets, for the purple colour in the arms of fovereign 
princes. See the article Heraldry, vol. ix. p. 428. 
MER'CURY, / in botany. See Mercurialis. —Herb 
mercury is of an emolient nature, and is eaten in the 
manner of fpinach, which, when cultivated in a garden, it 
greatly excels. Hill. 
MER'CURY (Englifh), in botany. See Chenopo- 
DITJM. 
MERCURY BA'Y, a bay on the north-eaft coaft of 
the northernmoll ifland of New Zealand, fo called by 
Capt. Cook, who obferved the tranfit of Mercury over the 
fun here in the year 1769. There are feveral iflands lying 
both to the fouthward and northward of it, and a fmall 
ifland or rock in the middle of the entrance. Within 
this ifland the depth of water no-where exceeds nine fa¬ 
thoms ; the bell anchorage is in a fandy bay, which lies 
juft within the fouth head, in five and four fathoms, 
bringing a high tower or rock, which lies without the 
head, in one with the head, or juft in behind it. This 
place is very convenient both for wooding and watering; 
in the river there is an immenfe quantity of oyfters and 
other fhell-fifli, and thence it is called Oyfter River. 
Capt. Cook found thrown upon the fhore in feveral parts 
of the bay great quantities of iron-fand, which is brought 
down by every little rivulet of frefh water that finds its 
way from the country, which is a demonftration that 
there is ore of that metal not far in-land ; yet neither the 
inhabitants of this place, or any other part of the coaft 
that we have feen, know the ufe of iron, or fet the leaft va¬ 
lue upon it; all of them preferring the moll worthlefs and 
■ufelefs trifle, not only to a nail, but to any tool of that 
metal. Lat. 36.48. S. Ion. 184.4. W. 
Vol. XV. No. 1030. 
M E R 141 
MERCURY’S FIN'GER, or Hermodactylus. See 
Hermodactyl, vol. ix. 
MERCURY I'SLES, a clufter of fmall iflands in the 
South Pacific Ocean, near the eaft coaft of New Zealand, 
fituated in a line, a little to the north-eaft of Mercury 
Point. 
MERCURY POI'NT, a cape on the eaft coaft of New 
Zealand, forming the north-eaft point of Mercury Bay. 
Lat. 36. 47. S. Ion. 184. W. 
MER'CY, f. [Fr. contra&ed from mifericordia, Lat.] 
Tendernefs; goodnefs; pity; willingnefs to fpare and 
fave. Clemency ; mildnefs ; unwillingnefs to punilh.— 
Thou, O God, art gracious, long-fuftering, and in mercy 
ordering all. Wifd. xv. *. 
The quality of mercy is not drain'd ; 
It dreppeth as the gentle rain from heav’n 
Upon the place beneath. It is twice blefs’d : 
It blefleth him that gives, and him that takes. 
'Tis mightieft in the mightieft; it becomes 
The throned monarch better than his crown : 
The feeptre fhows the force of temporal power. 
The attribute to awe and majefty, 
Wherein doth fet the dread and fear of kings j 
But mercy is above this feeptred fway. 
It is enthroned in the hearts of kings ; 
It is an attribute to God himfelf, 
And earthly power doth then fhow likeft God’s, 
When mercy feafons juftice. Shahefpeare. 
Pardon.—I cry thee mercy with all my heart, for fufpeft- 
ing a friar of the leaft good-nature. Dryden. 
’Twere a paper loft, 
As offer’d mercy is. Shahefpeare's Cymleline. 
Difcretion ; power of afling at pleafure.—A lover is ever 
complaining of cruelty while any thing is denied him ; and, 
when the lady ceafes to be cruel, fhe is, from the next 
moment, at his mercy. Swift. 
What good condition can a treaty find 
I’ th’ part that is at mercy. Shahejpeare's Coriolanus. 
MER'CY, Order of. See the article Knighthood, 
vol. xi. p. 801. 
MER'CY-SE'AT, f. The covering of the ark of the 
covenant, in which the tables of the law were depofited ; 
it was of gold, and at its two ends w'ere fixed the two che- 
rubims, of the fame metal, which, with their wings ex¬ 
tended forward, feemed to form a throne for the majefty 
of God, who in feripture is reprefented as fitting between 
the cherubims, and the ark was his footllool : it was from, 
hence that God gave his oracle to Mofes,<or to the high- 
prieft that conlulted him. See Exocl. xxv. 17-22. and 
Num. vii. 89. 
MER'DASS, a river of Algiers, which runs into the 
Mediterranean ten miles weft of Jinnett. 
MERD'DIN, the fon of Mervyn, a celebrated Welfli 
poet, who flourifhed about A. D. 560. He ranked with 
Merddin Emyls, and Talieffin, as the three principal 
Chriftian bards of Britain. Merddin is faid to have flain 
his nephew in battle, on which account he fecluded him¬ 
felf from fociety in a wood, whence he is called Merddin 
the Wild. Owen's Camb. Biog. 
MER'DIN, a town and fortrefs of Afiatic Turkey, in 
the province of Diarbekir. It is the refidence of a pacha, 
with 200 fpahis and 500 janiflaries; it has many Chriftians, 
and is the fee of an archbifhop. This town leerns by Rau- 
wolfto be called Zibin. It is fifty miles fouth of Diarbekir. 
Lat. 37. 19. N. Ion. 40. E. 
MERDOO', a town on the north coaft of the ifland of 
Sumatra. Lat. 5. N. Ion. 96. 20. E. 
MERDRIGNAC', a town of France, in the depart¬ 
ment of the North Coafts: ten miles fouth-weft of Broons, 
and thirteen eaft of Loudeac. 
MERE, adj. liner us, Lat.] That or this only; fuch and 
nothing elfe ; this only.—The mere Irifh were not admit¬ 
ted to the benefit of the laws of England, until they had 
O 0 purchafed 
