S26 M A R 
and ingenuity of our young aflronomer. In making his 
obfervations on the planets, he found tltat Kepler and 
Bouillaud had incorrectly determined the place of the 
aphelion of Jupiter. Comparing afterwards his obferva¬ 
tions with thofe of rhe Chaldean aftronomers made in the 
third century before the Chriftian era, he found that the 
nodes of that planet had retrograded more than fourteen 
degrees, and that owing to their natural motion ; and he 
obferved and accounted for other phenomena in the ap¬ 
pearance of that planet and its fatellites. During almoft 
the whole of the year 1714, his obfervations were occu¬ 
pied by Saturn ; and he Jhowed how the difappearance 
of his ring at that time confirmed the theory of Huygens. 
He alfo beftowed incredible induftry in perfecting the ta¬ 
bles of Jupiter’s fatellites. The refults of his numerous 
obfervations he communicated to the Academy of Sci¬ 
ences, to w hom they afforded the greatelt fatisfa&ion ; 
and particularly his difcovery that the eclipfes of the fa¬ 
tellites were of different durations, even when the diftance 
of their nodes was the fame. He applied himfelf to the de- 
fign of forming a Catalogue of the Fixed Stars, more per¬ 
fect and comprehenfive than that of Bayer: an objeCt of the 
greateft utility,and of the firft importance in aftronomy. By 
conftant attention to this objeCt, he became fo intimate 
■with thefe bodies, that, on being iliown any one of them, 
however fmall, he could immediately tell to whatconftel- 
lation it belonged, and its place in that conflellation. 
Maraldi fometimes found it neceffary to relax in his af- 
tronomical labours ; and by way of amufement he applied 
to the (ludy of natural hiltory, making obfervations on 
infeCb, petrifactions, &c. To the fubjeCl of bees he paid 
particular attention, not only acquainting himfelf with 
what ancient and modern writers have laid concerning 
them, but providing himfelf with glafs hives, that he 
might obferve their labours and economy. On thefe, and 
other fubjeCts in natural hiftory, he drew up a number of 
very interelting papers, which were received with great 
applaufe by the Academy of Sciences, and are inferred in 
different volumes of their Memoirs. In the year 1699, 
Maraldi was admitted a member of that body. In 1700, 
he was employed under Caffini in prolonging the French 
meridian to the northern extremity of France, and had no 
fmall (hare in completing it. When this bufinefs was 
finiftied, he paid a vifit to Italy, where the aftronomers 
every-where gladly availed themfelves of his advice and 
affiftance in making their obfervations. Being come to 
.Rome, on the invitation of pope Clement XI. he alfifted 
at the affemblies then fitting in that city for the purpofe 
of reforming the calendar. Bianchini alfo availed himfelf 
of his advice and.aid, in conftruCting the great meridian¬ 
line at the baths of Dioclefian. While he continued at 
Rome, he had an opportunity of obferving an eclipfe of 
the fourth fatellite of Jupiter, in the upper part of his 
circle; from which he was led to the conclufion, that its 
inclination is three minutes lefs than as fixed by Callini. 
In 1703, Maraldi returned to France, with a rich treafure 
of fubjeCts in natural hiltory, chiefly collected at Verona, 
which he prefented to the Academy of Sciences. In the 
year 1718, he was employed with three other academi¬ 
cians, in prolonging the French meridian to the fouthern 
extremity of-that kingdom. Still, however, the greatelt 
part of his time was occupied within the walls of the ob- 
i'ervatory of Paris, where he was inceffantly employed in 
noting every thing that was curious and ufeful in the 
motions and phenomena of the heavenly bodies, in inge¬ 
nious applications of the methods laid down by Caffini, 
in verifying theories with which it is of confequence to 
be acquainted in correcting other theories which are fuf- 
ceptible of improvement, and in completing his Catalogue. 
This lait-mentioned great work he did not live entirely to 
finilh ; for, juft after he had placed a mural quadrant on 
the terrace of the obfervatory, in order to obferve fome 
Itars towards the north and the zenith, he fell fick of a 
fever, and died in December 1729, in the fixty-fifth year 
qi his age. He is highly commended for ferioufnefs, in* 
MAR 
tegrity, lincerity, a generous fpirit, the pureft morals, and 
ah Interelting fimplicity of manners. He was not proud 
of the rank which he held in the fcientific world ; and 
was never more gratified than when he could render fer- 
vice to others, by communicating to them freely the dif- 
coVeries and improvements which he had made, at the 
expenfe of inconceivable labour and application. He did 
not publifh his Catalogue, or any other of his productions; 
but Communicated an immenfe number of papers to the 
Royal Academy of Sciences, which are inferted in their 
Memoirs for almoft every year from 1699 to 1729. Fabronii 
Vit. Ital. vol. viii. Hutton's Math. Dill. 
MA'RAM, a confiderable range of mountains of Por¬ 
tugal, in the province of Tra los Montes, between Mi- 
randela and Montalegre. 
MARAivlBA'YA, a fmall ifland near the coaft off 
Brafil. Lat. 23. 10. S. 
MARA'ME, a river of North America, which runs 
into Lake Michigan in lat. 42. 55. N. Ion. 85.44. W. 
MARAMEG', a river of Louisiana, which runs into 
the Milliffippi in lat. 38. 3. N. Ion. 91. W. 
MARAMER', a town of Morocco, near Cape Cantin, 
furrounded with old walls, but not ftrong either by art 
or nature: nine miles of Saffi. 
MA'RAN, or Mara'no, [named in honour of the 
Roman general Marius. ] A town of Italy in the Veronefe, 
in the parifh of Mazzo; containing 1380 fouls. Oppen- 
heini's Cifalpine Republic. 
MA'RAN (Prudentius), a learned French BenediCtine 
of the Congregation of St. Maur, was born at Sezanne in 
Brie, in the year 1683. He embraced the ecclefiaftical life 
at the age of nineteen ; and by the productions of his Iff 
terary labours reflected honour on his own induftry and 
on his order. He is alfo highly praifed for his attach¬ 
ment to the church, and for the excellent qualities of his 
heart, which endeared him to his community. He died ill 
1762, in the eightieth year of his age. He gave the pub¬ 
lic a good edition of the Works of St. Cyprian, and fuff 
tained a confiderable (hare in editing thofe of St. Bafil 
and St. J ultin. At the time of his death he was employed 
on a new edition of the Works of St. Gregory Nazianzen, 
which has not made its appearance. He was the author 
of, 1. Divinitas Domini Jefu-Chrifti manifeftata in Scrip- 
turis et Traditione, 1746, folio; and a French tranfla- 
tion of the fame in 1751, in 3 vols. i2mo. 2. The Doc¬ 
trine of Scripture and of the Fathers, on the Subject- of 
miraculous Cures, 1754, i2ino. 3. The Dignity of Je- 
fus Chrift, and his Defence againft the Charge of Vanity, 
1756, i2mo. &c. Thefe different productions are more 
creditable to the author’s erudition than to his elegance 
or precifion as a writer. 
MARA'NA (John Paul), was born of a noble family 
at or near Genoa in the year 1642. He received an edu¬ 
cation adapted to the fphere of life in which he moved 
and, being led to think and feel upon political fubjeCts, 
he was, at the age of twenty-feven, involved in the con- 
fpiracy of Raphael della Torre to deliver Genoa to the 
duke of Savoy. On this account he was thrown into pri- 
fon, where he remained four years. On his liberation he 
employed himfelf in writing an account of this confpi- 
racy, and of the war between the republic and the duke 
of Savoy, and took a journey to Spain for the purpofe of 
collecting documents. When the work was finifhed, it 
was feized by the fpies of government. In 1681 he aban¬ 
doned his country and went to France, where he recom- 
pofed his work, and publifhed it in the year 1682, under 
the title of “La Congiura da Rafaello delle Torre, con 
le Moffe della Savoia, contra la Republica di Genoua.” 
The work, however, by which he has perpetuated his 
name, was the Turkifh Spy, written in French, of which 
the firft volume appeared in 1684, and which he conti¬ 
nued to the fixth. This is a mifcellany of anecdotes and 
adventures, partly true, partly fictitious, interfperled with 
thoughts on a variety of topics. At its firft appearance 
it became extremely popular, and the three firft volumes 
Jir wer.&- 
