M O N 
647 
MONAS'TICON,/ A book giving an account of mo- 
naileries, convents, and religious lioufes. 
MONASTI'ER, a town of France, in the department 
of the Upper Loire : twelve miles north-north-eail of 
Pradelles, and nine fouth-fouth-eail of Le Puy. 
MONASTIR'SKA, a town of Ruffia, in the govern¬ 
ment of Tobolik, on the Mura : 252 miles eaft-foutli-eaft 
of Enifeiik. Lat. 57.4. N. Ion. 99. 24. E. 
MONASTY'CHOUS, adj. in botany, bearing a fingle 
lpike. 
MONATOO', a town of Bengal, in the province of 
Palamow. Here is a pais acrofs mountains into Koonda : 
twenty-three niiles north-north-eail of Palamow. 
MONAZ'ZO, a town of Naples, in the province of 
Otranto : fourteen miles fouth-eail of Tarento. 
MONBA'HUS, a town of France, in the department 
of the Lot and Garonne : five miles fouth-fouth-weil of 
Laufun, and ten north-weft of Villeneuve d’Agen. 
MOBAZEN'S, a town of France, in the department of 
the Aveiron: three miles louth of Albin, and lixteen 
north-weft of Rhodez. 
MONBECH'IO, a town of Naples, in Principato Ultra: 
fifteen miles eaft of Conza. 
MON'BIN, j. in botany. See Spondius. 
MONBLAN'C, a town of Spain, which gives name to 
a viguery, in Catalonia, on the river Francoli: feventeen 
miles north of Taragon. 
MONBOD'DO (Lord), fo called according to the cour- 
tefy of the Scotch bar, and more generally known by that 
title than by his name of James Burnet. This learned 
and fanciful writer was a defcendant from an ancient fa¬ 
mily in the fliire of Kincardine, and born about the year 
1714. He was educated at one of the Scotch univerfities, 
at a time when an undiftinguifhing enthufiafm for all that 
bore the name of the claflical literature of Greece and 
Rome, was much more predominant than it has been of 
late years in Scotland; and there was fcarcely an indivi¬ 
dual who felt its Influence fo powerfully as James Burnet. 
Having decided on embracing the profefiion of the law, 
he palled luccefsfully through the ordinary courfe of pre¬ 
liminary juridical ftudies, and was, in the year 1737, 
admitted a member of the faculty of advocates at Edin¬ 
burgh. His application, from early youth, to his literary 
and juridical lludies, was leverely diligent; and he ac¬ 
quired no little reputation for legal knowledge, as well 
as for his acquaintance with the Grecian language and 
literature. In the year 1767, he obtained a judge’s feat 
on the bench of the Scotch court of feflion ; and it is not 
unworthy of being mentioned, that he and his two pre- 
decelfors, lord Milton and fir John Lauder, held that 
feat during a hundred and ten years. The duties of this 
high office he difcharged with an afliduity, a patience, a 
clear intelligence, and an uprightnefs, which reflebl the 
greateft honour on his character; and it is recorded, that 
no fentence palled by him was ever reverfed when brought 
before the houfe of peers. 
In the courfe of his literary lludies, this gentleman 
was led to attempt the compofition of a work, which 
might raife his name to diftinClion among men of letters. 
The main object of this work is to prove the fuperior 
wifdom of the ancients, compared with that of the mo¬ 
derns. The firlt volume of this work, entitled, “ The 
Origin and Progrefs of Language,” w as given to the pub¬ 
lic in 1773, which was followed, at different periods, by 
five other volumes. With the philofophical hiftory of 
language w'as involved neceffarily that of civilization and 
knowledge; and what the author wrote on thele fubjefts 
was peruled by critics with fentiments of mingled refpeft, 
derilion, and indignation. His lordlhip had, however, 
many advocates, whofe zeal, to lay the leaft, was in every 
relpebl equal to their knowledge and learning. Thole 
who were partial to modern literature, fays a biographer 
of lord Monboddo, on account of their ignorance of, 
and inability to enter into that of antiquity; or who, 
■though not unacquainted with the more popular of the 
M O N 
ancient au.uors, were, however, ftrangers to the deeper 
mylteries of Greek erudition, condemned lord Mon- 
boddo’s work with bitter and contemptuous cenfure. 
The Scotch literati generally held the labours of their 
countryman in much dilefteem ; but in England its re¬ 
ception was more favourable to the author’s expectations. 
Here were found lome critics of uni verfally-acknowledged 
talents and profound learning, who, while they fmiled at 
many of his ftrange notions and hypotheles, were willing 
to applaud him for the fervice he had done to the inte- 
refts of learning. In the late Mr. Harris, the author of 
the Philofophical Grammar, and other erudite works, he 
found an admirer and literary friend, who was exceed¬ 
ingly delighted to meet with aperfon that had cultivated 
thofe ftudies with an ardour equal to what he himfelf had 
bellowed on them, and who almoft worlhipped the excel¬ 
lence of the ancient Greeks, as far furpafling all other 
excellence. 
While lord Monboddo was proceeding in his publica¬ 
tion of this work, he commenced the compofition of a 
larger undertaking, with the exprels view of unfolding 
and vindicating the principles of Grecian philofophy. 
This work, entitled “ Ancient Metaphyfics,” coniifted of 
five volumes, quarto; of which the firft was<publiflied irz 
1779, and the lall appeared after the author’s death. In 
this he vainly attempts to revive the abfurd principles of- 
the Ariilotelian philofophy; and treats modern fyltems, 
not excepting that of the immortal Newton, with a fort 
of ridicule and contempt, that only expofed himfelf to 
well-merited derifion, or to the more worthy emotions 
of pity and compaflion. Elis own reafonings and liypo- 
thefes are wild, fanciful, and vifionary; and his credulity 
is frequently dilgufting. He ftrenuoully maintains, that 
the Sinda fatyrus, or ourang-outang, is a clafs of the hu¬ 
man fpecies, whofe want of fpeech is merely accidental; 
and he alfo endeavours to eftablilh the reality of the ex- 
iftence of mermaids, and other fabulous animals. We 
run no hazard in pronouncing, that the work will not be 
much read at prelent, and as little regarded by pofterity- 
Lord Monboudo’s private life was i’pent in the practice 
of all the focial virtues, and in the enjoyment of much 
domeftic felicity. He married a very amiable woman, by 
whom he had a fon and two daughters. Although ri¬ 
gidly temperate in his habits of life, he delighted much 
in the convivial fociety of his friends ; and among thele 
he could number all the moll eminent characters in Scot¬ 
land for virtue, literature, or genuine elegance of con- 
verfation and manners. He had the affliction to lofe his 
fon, a very promiling boy, in whofe education he took 
great delight, by a premature death ; and he was in like 
manner bereaved of his lady, the objeft of his deareft 
tendernefs: but, when it was too late for fcrrow or 
anxiety to avail, he fuftained thele heavy llrokes with a. 
degree of fortitude, fuited to do honour either to philo- 
lophy or to religion. 
He was now offered, in addition to his place of judge 
in the lupreme civil court in Scotland, a feat in the court 
of jufticiary, the fupreme criminal court. But, though 
the emolument of this office would have produced a 
convenient increafe of his income, he refufed to accept 
it, left its bufinefs Ihould too much detach him from his 
favourite ftudies. His patrimonial eftate did not afford a 
revenue of -more than 300I. a-year; yet he would not 
raife his rents, nor ever difmifs an old tenant, for the 
fake of any augmentation of emolument offered by a 
richer ftranger. Indeed, he fhowed no particular folici- 
tude to accomplilh any improvement upon his lands, ex¬ 
cepting that of having the number of perfons who fhould 
refide upon them; and be fuftained by their produce, if 
poffible, fuperior to the ,population of any equal portion 
of the lands of his neighbours. The vacations of the 
court of feflion afforded him leifure to retire every year, 
in fpring and autumn, to the country ; and he was ac- 
ciiftomed then to drefs in aflyle of fimplicity as if lie had 
been only a plain farmer, and to live among his people 
upon. a 
