MAI 
groove on each fide for the maiden to Aide in. The pri¬ 
soner’s neck being fattened to a bar underneath, on a fign 
given, the maiden is let loofe, and the head in an inftant 
Separated from the body. It has been lately much ufed 
in France as an inftrumentof decollation, under the name 
of Guillotine, which fee. 
MA'IDEN, f. The name of a machine firft ufed in 
Yorkshire, and Since introduced into other places, for 
wafliing of linen ; confiding of a tub nineteen inches high, 
and twenty-feven in diameter at the top, in which the 
linen is put, with hot water and foap, to which is adapted 
a cover, fitting it very clofely, and fattened to the tub by 
two wedges; through a hole in the middle of the cover 
pafles an upright piece of wood, kept at a proper height 
by a peg above, and furnifhed with two handles, by which 
it is turned backward and forward ; to the lower end of 
this upright piece is fattened a round piece of wood, in 
w hich are fixed feveral pieces, like cogs of a wheel. The 
operation of this machine is to make the linen pafs and 
Tepafs quick through the water; and it is afferted that it 
•will firjl three dozen Shirts within the hour. In the Gen¬ 
tleman’s Magazine for 1752, p. 32, there is a reprefenta- 
tion of this machine; and it is faid to have been long in 
life in Yorkshire, to have come by degrees into Derby¬ 
shire and Lancashire, and to be then claimed by three new 
inventors in London. From a view of the figure ther^ 
given, we cannot doubt of its being a machine profitable 
to the laundrefs for the difpatch of bufinefs, and equally 
profitable to the fempftrefs for quickly wearing out the 
linen. 
MA'IDEN, adj. Confiding of virgins : 
Nor was there one of all the nymphs that rov’d 
O’er Msenalus, amid the maiden throng 
More favour’d once. Addifon's Ovid. 
Frelh ; new ; unufed ; unpolluted.—A maiden tree is one 
which has never been polled or lopped. Monthly Mag. 
When I am dead, then Strew me o’er 
With maiden flowers, that all the world may know 
I was a chatte wife even to my grave. Skakefpeare. 
MA'IDEN ASSI'SE, a phrafe ufed in the country for 
an aflife whereat no capital conviction takes place. In 
Such a cafe, the Sheriff of the county prefents the judges 
with white gloves. 
MA'IDEN-CROSS, a village in Hertfordshire, near 
Hitchin. 
MA'IDEN-PLUM'. See Chrysobalanus and Co- 
MOCLADI A. 
MA'IDEN I'SLANDS, a clutter of fmall islands in 
Five-ISland Harbour, near the weft coaft of the ifland of 
Antigua. 
MA'IDEN LAN'D, a name given by fir Richard Haw¬ 
kins, in 1594., to land which he difcovered in Steering to¬ 
wards the Straits of Magellan, in honour of queen Eliza¬ 
beth, and which, as he fays, lies “ fome ijiree-fcore leagues 
from the neareft part of South America.” This land was 
afterwards found to be two large islands by captain John 
Strong, of the Farewell, from London, who, in 1689, 
palled through the Strait which divides the eaftern from 
the weftern of thofe islands. To this Strait he gave the 
name of Falkland’s Sound, in honour of his patron, lord 
Falkland ; and the name has been fince extended, through 
inadvertency, to the two islands that are feparated by it. 
See Falkland’s Islands. 
MA'IDEN PAP'S, a mountain of Scotland, in the 
county of Roxburgh : eight miles from Hawick. 
MA'IDEN REN'TS, in our old writers, a noble paid 
by the tenants of fome manors on their marriage. This 
was faid to be given to the lord, for his omitting the cuf- 
tom of marcheta, whereby he was to have the firli night’s 
lodging with his tenant’s wife; but it feems more proba¬ 
ble to have been a fine for a licenfe to marry a daughter. 
MA'lDEN ROC'KS, a chain of rocks in the Eaftern 
Indian Sea, near the north coaft of the ifland of Java. 
Lat. 7.38.S. Ion. 114.. 36. E. 
VOL. XIV. No. 963. 
MAI jig 
MA'IDENHAIR, f in botany. See Adiantum.— 
This plant is a native of the fouthern parts of France and 
in the Mediterranean, where it grows on rocks, and old 
ruins, from whence it is brought for medicinal ufe. Johnfon. 
—June is drawn in a mantle of dark grafs-green ; upon his 
head a garland of bents, king’s cup, and maidenhair . 
Peach am. 
MA'IDENHAIR (Black and White.) See Aspleniu.U. 
MA'IDENHAIR (Golden.) See Polytrichum. 
MA'IDENHAJR (Tunbridge.) See Trichomanes 
MA'IDEN HAIR-TREE. See Gingko. 
MA'IDENHEAD, or Ma'idenhood, f. [from maiden .] 
Virginity; virginal purity; freedom from contamination. 
-—Example, that fo terrible ihows in the wreck of maiden¬ 
hood, cannot for all that diffuade fuccefiion, but that they 
.are limed with the twigs that threaten them. Shakefpcarc. 
And, for the modeft lore of maidenhood 
Bids me not fojourn with thefe armed men. 
Oh, whither fliall I fly; what facred wood 
Shall hide me from the tyrant ? or what den ? Fairfax , 
She hated chambers, clofets, fecret mewes, 
And in broad fields preferv’d her maidenhead. Fairfax. 
Newnefs ; freflinefs; uncontaminated ftate. This is now 
become a low word.—Some, who attended with much ex¬ 
pectation, at their firft appearing have ftained the maiden¬ 
head of their credit with fome negligent performance. 
IVotton. 
The devil and mifchance look big 
Upon tiie maidenhead of our affairs. Shakefpeare. 
MA'IDENHEAD, anciently called South Ealington, a 
market-town in the hundred of Cookham, Berkllnre, is 
fituated twenty-fix miles from London, five from Wind¬ 
sor, and twelve from Staines, on the borders of the Thames, 
in the parifiies of Bray and Cookham. It confilts princi¬ 
pally of one long paved ffreet; and derives its chief im¬ 
portance from the bridge, by means of which the great 
weftern road was carried through the town. Previouily 
the road patted through Burnham ; and travellers ufually 
crofted the river at a ferry called Babham’s End, about 
two miles north of Maidenhead. The original bridge, 
which was of wood, Camden fays, was eredted about the 
year 1400 ; but there is fufficient evidence of its being of 
greater antiquity, and that, in 1297, it had been built 
long enough to need repair; for which purpofe, a toll for 
three years was then granted. The prefent bridge, which 
is a work of confiderable merit, was conltrufted from the 
defigns of fir Robert Taylor; and its foundation was laid 
in 1772. It confifts of leven large femicircular arches of 
ftone, and three fmaller, at each end, of brick. The ex- 
penfe of building it was 19,000!. independent of fome 
contiguous lands, which were purchafed to render the 
work complete. The approach to this ftrudlure is grand 
and fpacious, the ends being formed with curves out¬ 
wards : along the fides is a broad pavement, fenced with 
a balultrade. The bridge is maintained by the corpora¬ 
tion, for which they are allowed the tolls both over and 
under it. The barge-pier divides Berks from Bucks. 
Maidenhead was originally incorporated in the 26th 
year of Edward III. under the name of the Guild or Fra¬ 
ternity of the Brethren and Sifters of Maydeneth or Mai- 
denhithe. After the Reformation, a frelh incorporation 
was granted, in the name of the Warden and Burgefies 
of Maidenhead. King James II. granted another charter, 
with the ftyle of Mayor, Bridge-mafters, and Burgefies, 
who are empowered to choofe a high-fteward ; but they 
fend no members to parliament. Two of the burgefies, 
who are eleven in number, are annually elefted brid°-e- 
mafters. The high-fteward, the recorder, the mayor, and 
his immediate predeceifor, are jultices of the peace. The 
mayor is clerk of the market, coroner, and judge of a 
court, which is held once in three weeks. The marker, 
which was granted in 1452, is ftill kept on Wedaefdays, 
and is a confiderable mart for corn. Here are three an- 
Q irual 
