MED 
white colour, draped like thofe of the preceding-, and ap¬ 
pear about the fame time, but have not produced fruit 
here. Native alfo of the Cape ; it flowers from December 
to March. 
4. Medeola aculeata. See Jacouinia rufcifolia. 
Propagation and Culture. The firft fpecies is hardy 
enough to live in the open air; but, producing no feeds 
here, can be iucreafed only by offsets. The fecond and 
third propagate freely by offsets from the roots ; fo that, 
when they are once obtained, there will be no neceflity for 
fowing their feeds, which commonly lie a year in the 
ground, and the plants will not be ftrong enough to flower 
in lefs than two years more, whereas the offsets will flower 
the following feafon. The time for tranfplanting and 
parting the roots is in July, when their flalks are entirely 
decayed, for they begin to (hoot towards the end of Au- 
guft, and keep growing all the winter, and decay in the 
ipring. The flowers of thefe two making no great ap¬ 
pearance, the plants are not preferved for their beauty ; 
but, as their flalks are climbing, and their leaves are in 
full vigour in winter, during that feafon they add to the 
variety in the green-houfe. 
ME'DER, a mountain of Perfia, in Segeftan : 120 miles 
fouth-welt of Zareng. 
MfeD'ER A, or Me'dra, a town of Africa, in the king¬ 
dom of Bournou. 
MEDE'RIA, /. in old records, a houfe or place where 
metheglin was made. 
MED'EWIFE,yi [Saxon.] A ufeful woman ; a woman 
of merit. Scott. 
MED'FEE ,_/1 [Saxon.] A reward ; a bribe; that which 
is given to boot. Scott. 
MED'FIELD, a town of the ftate of Maflachufetts : 
twenty miles fouth-wefl of Bolton. 
MED'FORD, a river of the ftate of Maflachufetts, which 
empties itfelf intoBofton harbour. 
MED'FORD, a town of North America, in Maffachu- 
fetts : four miles north of Bolton. 
MED'FORD, a village in Dorfetfliire, near Catftock, 
where is a bridge over the Frome, which is joined here by 
a rivulet from Benvile-lane. 
MED'HERAM, a town of Africa, in the kingdom of 
Fezzan : 330 miles fouth-fouth-eaft of Mourzouk. 
MED'HERAM I'ZA, a town of Africa, in the defert 
of Berdoa. Lat. 24. 35. N. Ion. 16.24. E. 
ME'DIA, now the province of Ghilan in Perfia; 
once the feat of a potent empire, bounded, according to 
Ptolemy, on the north by part of the Cafpian Sea ; on 
the fouth by Perfis, Snfiana, and Aflyria ; on the eaft by 
Parthiaand Hyrcania, and on the weft by Armenia Major. 
It was anciently divided into feveral provinces, viz. 
Tropatene, Charomitlirene, Daritts, Marciane, Ama- 
riace, and Syro-Media. By a later divifion, however, all 
thefe were reduced to two ; the one called Media Magna, 
the other Media Atropatia , or Amply Atropatene. Media 
Magna was bounded by Perfis, Parthia, Hyrcania, the 
Hyrcanian fea, and Atrotapene; and contained the cities 
of Ecbatana, Laodicea, Apamea, Raga, Rageia or Ragea, 
See. Atropatene lay between the Cafpian Mountains and 
the Cafpian Sea. 
This country originally took its name from Madai, the 
third foil of Japlier; as is plain from Scripture, where 
the Medes are conftantly called Madai. Among profane 
authors, fome derive the name Media, from one Medus, 
the l’on of Jafon and Medea ; others from a city called 
Media. Sextus Rufus tells us that in his time it was called 
Medena, and from others we learn that it was called Aria. 
The molt probable hiftory of the Medes is as follows. 
This people were in fubjedtion to the Affyrians till the 
reign of Sennacherib, when they threw off the yoke, and 
lived for feme time in a ftate of anarchy. But at laft, 
rapine and violence, the natural confequences of fuch a 
fituation, prevailed fo much, that they were conftrained 
to have recourfe to fome kind of government, that they 
might be enabled to live in fafety. Accordingly, about 
M E I) 839 
699 B.C. one Dejoces, (called Arphaxad in the book of 
Judith,) having procured himfelf to be chofen king-, 
united the fcattered tribes into which the Medes were as 
that time divided ; and, having applied himfelf as much 
as poflible to the civilization of his barbarous fubjefls, 
left the throne to his fon Phraortes, after a reign of fifty- 
three years. 
The new king, who was of a warlike and enterprifins 
difpofition, fubdued almoft all the Upper Afia lying be¬ 
tween Mount Taurus and the river Halys, which runs 
through Cappadocia into the Euxine fea. Elated with 
this fuccefs, he invaded Aflyria, the empire of which was 
now much declined, and greatly weakened by the revolt 
of many nations which had followed the example of the 
Medes. Nebuchodonofor, however, the reigning prince, 
having affembled what forces he could, engaged Phraortes, 
defeated, took him prifoner, and put him to death ; after 
which* entering Media, he laid walte the country, took 
the metropolis of Ecbatana itfelf, and levelled it with 
the ground. 
On the death of Phraortes, his fon Cyaxares was placed 
on the throne. He was no lefs valiant and enterprifin* 
than his father; and had better fuccefs againft the Affy¬ 
rians. With the remains of that army which had been 
defeated under his father, he not only drove the con¬ 
querors out of Media, but obliged Nebuchodonofor to 
<hut himfelf up in Nineveh. To this place he laid clofe 
flege ; but was obliged to give over the enterprife on ac¬ 
count of an irruption of the Scythians into his own coun¬ 
try. Cyaxares engaged thefe new enemies with great 
refolution ; but was utterly defeated ; and the conquerors 
overran not only all Media, but the greateft part ot Upper 
Afia, extending their conquefis into Syria, and as far as 
the confines of Egypt. Cyaxares, defpairing of bein°- 
able to overpower the Scythians by force, had recourie 
to ftratagem ; and invited them to a general feaft, which 
was prepared in every family. Each hoft intoxicated his 
guelt; and in that condition the Scythians were maf- 
i'acred, and the kingdom delivered from a long and cruel 
bondage. 
The Medes were afterwards engaged with the Lydians ; 
and during the engagement there happened a total eclipfe 
of the fun, laid to have been foretold by Thales the Mi- 
lefian. Both parties were terrified; and foon after con¬ 
cluded a peace by the mediation of Labynetus, that is, 
Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, and Syennelis kin;: 
ot Cicilia. This peace was confirmed by the marriage of 
Aryenis, the daughter of Halyattes king of Lydia, and 
Altyagss, the eldeft fon of Cyaxares ; and of this mar¬ 
riage was born in theenfuing year Cyaxares, who, in the 
book of Daniel (cli. v. 31.) is called Darius the Mede. 
Cyaxares, difengaged from the Lydian war, refumed the 
fiege of Nineveh; and, having formed an alliance with 
Nebuchadnezzar king of Babylon, they joined their 
forces, and took and deftroyed the city, 606 B. C. 
With this profperous event commenced the great fucceffes 
of Nebuchadnezzar and Cyaxares ; and thus was laid the 
foundation of the two collateral Empires, as they may be 
called, of the Medes and Babylonians, which role on the 
ruins of the Affyrian monarchy. After the reduction of 
Nineveh, the two conquerors led the confederate army 
againft Pharaoh-Necho, king of Egypt, who was defeated 
near the Euphrates, and compelled to relign what he had 
formerly taken from the Affyrians. After this victory 
they reduced all Ccelefyria-and Phcenice ; then they in¬ 
vaded, and laid walte, Samaria, Galilee, and Scythopolis ; 
and at laft befieged Jerufalem, and took Jehoiakim uri- 
foner. Nebuchadnezzar afterwards puriued his c’oa- 
quefts in the weft ; and Cyaxares fubdued the Affyrian 
provinces of Armenia, Pontus, and Cappadocia. Again 
uniting their forces, they reduced Perfia and Suriana, and 
accomplifhed the conqueft of the Affyrian empire. The 
prophet Ezekiel (ch. xxxii. 22, &c.) enumerates the 
chief nations that were fubdued and flaughtered by the 
two conquerors Cyaxares and Nebuchadnezzar. 
Cyaxares, 
