MOM 
fex. She was given in marriage in 1560 to Paul Porrino, 
with whom (he pafl'ed eighteen years in a childlefs Hate. 
After his death (he went to Ferrara, where (lie was twelve 
years in the (ituation of lady of honour to Lucretia and 
Leonora d’F.fte, lifters of duke Alphonfo III. The re¬ 
mainder of her life (lie pafl'ed in literary retirement at 
Modena, where (he died in 1617. She diftingui(hed her- 
felf by her writings, confiding of Latin and Italian poems, 
a tranflation of the Charmides and Crito of Plato, and 
other claflical verfions. Her remains are printed in the 
Bergamo edition of her grandfather’s works. This lady 
was the fubjeCr of numerous eulogies from contemporary 
writers; and TaiTo has introduced her as one ot the 
fpeakers in his Dialogue on Love, which he entitles 
“ Molza.” The moft extraordinary honour (lie received 
was that of being prefented with the citizenftiip of Rome 
by the fenate and people of that city, in a patent reciting 
her Angular merits, and conferring on her the title of 
TJnic.a. The privilege is alfo, through her, extended to 
the whole noble family of Molza of Modena. TiraboJ'clii. 
MOM, a town of Arabia, in the province of Hedsjas: 
five miles north of Mecca. 
MO'MA, a river of Africa, which runs into the Indian 
Sea in lat. 16. 35. S. 
MO'MAPANE LA'KE, a lake of Canada: 160 miles 
north of Quebec. Lat. 49.40. N. Ion. 71. W. 
MOMARACKPOU'R, a town of Hindooftan, in 
Bahar: twenty-one miles north-weft of Chuprah. Lat. 
^5. 59. N. Ion. 84. 38. E. 
MOMARACKPOU'R, a town of Hindooftan, in Alla¬ 
habad: thirty miles north of Gazypour. 
MOMBA'^A, or Mombaso, a kingdom of Africa, 
near the coaft of the Indian Sea, fituated to the Couth of 
Melinda: the extent toward the fouth and weft is not 
well known. The foil is exceedingly fruitful, and pro¬ 
duces rice, millet, and other grain; variety of fruit-trees, 
and other vegetables and efculents: here are alio bred 
vaft quantities of cattle, and variety of poultry; and the 
country abounds with excellent fprings of frefli water. 
The climate is temperate; the air healthy. The capital 
was on a peninfula; but has been (ince turned into an 
ifland, by cutting a canal through the ifthmus, in luch a 
manner, that one part of it covers the city, fo that it is 
not feen till we enter the port. The houfes are built of 
(tone, cemented with mortar, and embelliftied with cu¬ 
rious paintings, and other ornaments; the ftreets ftraight, 
though narrow; and the houfes contiguous, and terraced 
on the tops. The city is defended by a ftrong citadel, 
into which the Portuguefe retired when they could hold 
the town no longer : they were afterwards driven out of 
this laft retreat, in the year 1631, by an Arabian flieik, 
who then made it the place of his refidence. Before the 
town, is formed by the fea a commodious bay, which 
opens in the form of a cockle-flieil, into which the trading- 
veflels have a fufficient depth of water, and room to (ail 
and tack about, the channel being wide enough for the 
largeft of them to enter with all their fails difplayed. 
This port carries on a great commerce with the iflands 
and kingdoms adjacent. Here is great variety of in¬ 
habitants ; fome black, fome white, olive, andfwarthy; 
but moft of them drefs after the Arabian manner, the 
richer lort very fumptuoufly. The people are Laid to be 
more affable and civil to ftrangers than any on this coaft, 
though confiding of fo many nations, complexions, and 
religions, as Mahometans, Idolaters, and Chriftians. The 
Portuguefe made a number of converts upon their fettling 
in this kingdom. The far greater part afterwards either 
returned to their old Paganifm, or turned Mahometans. 
Lat. 3. 30. S. 
MOMBASIL'IO, a town of France, in the department 
of the Stura : thirty miles w'eft of Ceva. 
MOMBEI'RA, a river of Africa, in Benguela, which 
runs into the Atlantic in lat. 15.15. S. 
MOM'BEL, late a town of France, in the department 
#f Mont Blanc; ten miles weft-north-wcft of Chambery. 
Voi. XV. No. 1072. 
M O M G37 
MOMBELTRAN', a town of Spain, in Old Caftile: 
tvventy-feven miles fouth-fouth-weft of Avila. 
MOM'BIN, f. in botany. See Spondias. 
MOMBRIZ'IO (Bonini), an Italian writer of the fif¬ 
teenth century, was born at Milan, and became profeflor 
of eloquence in that city; but we have no account of 
the time of his birth or of his death. He was the author 
of feveral works, which were well received, and among 
others fome Latin poems, particularly one “ On the Suf¬ 
ferings of Jefus Chrift;” and he tranflated into Latin 
verfe the Theogony of Hefiod. His largeft performance 
is entitled, Sanftuarium, Jive Acta ct Vita Sanftorum, 
2 vols. folio, w'ithout any mark of the place or date of 
publication, though believed to have been printed at 
Milan about the year 1479. It is (aid to be greatly fupe- 
rior in merit to works of the fame kind which preceded 
it; the author having, without fcruple, difcarded a mafs 
of Greek and Latin legendary writings, and ufed great 
induftry in collecting materials from the moft ancient and 
belt-authenticated documents; fo that the ecclefiaftical 
hiftorian is under great obligations to him, for having- 
drawn from obfcurity many important and valuable faCts, 
which, without his refearches, would have been loft to 
the world. Of this work fublequent writers have availed 
themfelves; but a perfeCl copy of it is now rare, and 
conlequentiy greatly prized by curious collectors. Lancli's 
Hiji. de la Lit. de I'ltalie, vol. iii. 
MOMDSO'NA, a town of Thibet: nine miles fouth of 
Lafla. 
MOME, f. [owes its original to the French word 
momon , which fignifies the gaming at dice in mafquerade, 
the rule of which is, that a (IriCt filence is to be obferved ; 
whatfoever fum one (takes, another covers; but not a 
word is to be fpoken: hence alfo comes our word mum 
for filence. Hammer and Dr. Jo/tnfon. —It more probably 
came to us from one of tho(e iimilar words, that are 
found in many languages, fignifying fomething foolifh: 
momar is ufed by Plautus for a fool, whence the French 
mommeur; the Greeks too had poucoc; and /xo^o; in the 
fame fenfe. Douce's Illustr. of Shaliefpeare .] A dull 
ftupid blockhead; a (lock; a polt.—A youth will play 
the wanton, and an old man prove a mome. Warner's 
Albion's England —The words were not fpoken to a mom?, 
or deaf perlon. She/ton's D. Quix. 
Ne aught he (aid, whatever he did heare; 
But,hanging do wne hishead.didlikea/womeappeare. SpenJ, 
Mome, malt-horfe, capon, coxcomb, idiot, patch ! 
Get from the door, or fit dowm at the hatch. Shahefpeare, 
MOMEGAS'TRO, a town of Spain, in Arragon: 
twelve miles eaft of Balbaftro. 
MO'MELSDORF, a town of the duchy of Wurtzburg: 
nine miles north-eaft of Ebern. 
MO'MENT, [moment, Fr. momentum, Lat.] Confie- 
quence; importance; weight; value.—We do not find 
that our Saviour reproved them of errour, for thinking 
the judgment of the icribes to be worth the objecting, 
for efteeming it to be of any moment or value in matters 
concerning God. Hooher. —I have feen her die twenty 
times, upon Far poorer moment. Shaliefpeare's Ant. and 
Cleop. —What towns of any moment but we have? Shalief¬ 
peare.— Force; impulfive weight; 'actuating power.—The 
place of publick prayer is a circumftance in the outward 
form, which hath moment to help devotion. Hooker. — 
He is a capable judge; can hear both (ides with an in¬ 
different ear; is determined only by the moments of truth, 
and fo retraCls his paft errors. Norris. 
Can thefe or fuch be any aid to us ? 
Look they as they were built to (hake the world, 
Or be a moment to our enterprile ? B. Jonfon, 
Touch with lighted moment of impulfe, 
His free will, to her own inclining left 
In even feale. Milton's P. L, 
An indivilible particle of time.—A moment ought not to 
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