516 MAT 
but'very flack ; and it is compofed of three twifts, which 
are afterwards again covered with tow, fo that the twifts 
do not appear; iaftly, it is boiled in lees of old wine; 
whence its colour. This, when once lighted at the end, 
burns on gradually and regularly, without ever going out, 
till the whole is confumed.—Being willing to try Some¬ 
thing that would not cherifli much fire at once, and 
would keep fire much longer than a coal, we took apiece 
of match, fuch as foldiers ufe. Beyle. 
“ It is neceffary,” fays Walhuyfen, (L’Art Milifaire 
pour Plnfanterie, printed in 1653,) that every mufketeer 
knows how to carry his match dry, in inoilt and rainy 
weather; that is, in the pocket; or in his hat, by putting 
the lighted match between his head and hat; or by fome 
other means to guard it from the weather. The mufke¬ 
teer (hould alfo have a little tin-tube about a foot long, 
viz. enough to admit a match, and pierced full of little 
holes, that he may not be dilcovered by his match, when 
he (lands centinel, or goes on any expedition.” This was 
the origin of the match boxes, worn, till of late, by our 
grenadiers. Since fufils have been introduced in lieu of 
match-lock mufkets, the confumption of matches has 
been much lefs confiderable than before. 
The quick-match is foimed of three cotton ftrands 
drawn into length, and dipped in a boiling compofition 
of white wine vinegar, faltpetre, and mealed powder. 
After this immerfion, it is taken out hot, and laid in a 
trough where fome mealed powder, moiltened with fpirits 
of wine, is thoroughly incorporated into the twifts of the 
cotton, by rolling it therein ; thus prepared, they are taken 
out feparately and drawn through mealed powder, and 
then hung upon a line to dry. There is alfo quick-matcli 
made of worlted inftead of cotton. 
MATCH, f. [from paxy, Gr. a fight; or from maca. 
Sax. one equal to another.] A conteft ; a game; any 
thing in which there is conteft or oppofition : 
The goat was mine, by finging fairly won. 
A folemn match was made ; he loft the prize. Dryden. 
[From maca, Sax.] One equal to another; one able to 
conteft with another.—Government mitigates the ine¬ 
quality of power, and makes an innocent tnan, though of 
the lowed: rank, a match for the mightieft of his fellow- 
fubjefls. Addifon. —One that fuits or tallies with another. 
A marriage.—Love doth feldoni fuffer itfelf to be con¬ 
fined by other matches than thofe of its own making. Boyle. 
"With h im he drove to join Lavinia’s hand, 
But dire portents the purpos’d match withftand. Dryden. 
One to be married.—She inherited a fair fortune of her 
own, and was very rich in a perfonal eftate, and was looked 
upon as the richeft match of the Weft. Clarendon. 
To MATCH, v. a. To be equal to : 
O thou good Kent, how (hall I live and work 
To match thy goodnefs ? life will be too fhort, 
And every meafure fail me. Shake/. King Lear. 
To (how an equal.—No hiftory or antiquity can match his 
policies and his conduft. South. —To oppofe as equal.— 
The Shepherd’s Kalendar of Spenfer is not to be matched 
in any modern language. Dryden. 
“What, though his heart be great, his aftions gallant. 
He wants a crow n to poife againft a crown, 
Birth to match birth, and power to balance power. Dryden. 
To fuit; to proportion.—Employ their wit and humour 
in chocfing and matching of patterns and colours. Swift . 
Let poets match their fubjebl to their ftrengtlr, 
And often try w hat weight they can fupport. Rofcommon. 
To marry ; to give in marriage.—When a man thinks 
himfelf matched to one who fhould be a comfort to him, 
inftead thereof he fji ds in his bofom a beaft. South. 
A fenator of Rome, while Rome furviv’d, 
Would not have match'd his daughter with a king. Addif. 
MAT 
To MATCH, v. n. To be married.—I hold it a fin to 
match in my kindred. Shahe/peare. 
Let tigers match with hinds, and wolves with flieep. 
And every creature couple with his foe. Dryden* 
To fuit; to be proportionate; to tally. 
MAFCH'-MAKER,y. One who contrives marriages: 
You came to him to know 
If you fhould carry me, or no ; 
And would have hir’d him and his imps. 
To be your match-makers and pimps. Hudibras. 
One who makes matches to burn. 
M ATCH'-MAKING, f. The act of contriving mar¬ 
riages ; of making matches to burn. 
MATCH'ABLE, adj. Suitable; equal; fit to be 
joined : 
Ye,^ whofe high worths, furpafling paragon, 
Could not on earth have founcT one fit for mate, 
Ne but in heaven matchable to none, 
Why did ye ftoop unto fo lowly ftate ? Spenfer. 
Correfpondent.—Thofe at land that are not matchable 
with any upon our fhores, are of thofe very kinds which 
are found r.o where but in the deepeft parts of the lea. 
Woodward's Nat. Hift , 
MATCH'ADOSH-BA'Y; a bay on the eaft coaft of 
Lake Huron. Lat. 44. 48. N. Ion 80. 10. W. 
MATCHAPUN'GO, a (mail ifland near the coaft of 
Virginia. Lat. 37. 28. N. Ion. 75. 44. W. 
MATCHGONG', a town of Bengal: twenty-five miles 
north of Bnrdwan. 
MATCHING, f. The aft of fuiting. A fort of 
combed wool. 
Matching, in the wine-trade, is the preparing of vef- 
fels to preferve wines and otherliquois, without their grow¬ 
ing four or vapid. The method of doing it is as follows: 
Melt brimftone in an iron ladle, and, when thoroughly 
melted, dip into it flips of coarfe linen cloth ; take thefe 
out, and let them cool; this the wine-coopers call a match. 
Take one of thefe matches, fet one end of it on fire, and 
put it into the bunghole of a calk; ftop it loofely, and 
thus fuffer the match to burn nearly out; then drive in 
the bung tight, and fet the calk afide for an hour or two. 
At the end of this time examine the calk, and you will 
find that the fulphur has communicated a violent pun¬ 
gent and fuffbeating feent to the cafk, with a confiderable 
degree of acidity, which is the gas and acid fpirit of the 
fulphur. The cafk may after this be filled with a fmall 
wine which has fcarcely done its fermentation ; and, bung¬ 
ing it down tight, it will be kept good, and will foon cla¬ 
rity; this is a common and very ufeful method ; for many 
poor winescould fcarcely be kept potable even a few months 
without it. 
MATCH'LESS, adj. Having no equal: 
Much lefs, in arms, oppofe thy matchlefs force. 
When thy fharp fpurs lhall urge thy foaming horfe. Dryt 
Not matched as a pair of any fort fhould be.—With 
malchlejfe eares deformed and diftort. Spenfer. 
^ M A TCH'LESSLY, adv. In a manner not to be 
equalled. 
M ATCH'LESSNESS, f. State of being without an 
equal. 
MATCHOU', a mountain of Thibet. Lat. 31.40. N. 
Ion. 86. 29. E. 
MATCHTYGONG', a town of Hindooftan: thirty- 
feven miles north-weft of Benares. 
MAT'CUS (St.), a town of Brafil, in the government 
of Minas Geraes : forty miles north-north-eaft of Villa 
Rica. 
MATE, f. [maca. Sax. an equal ; mad, Dut.] A huf- 
band or wite s 
I that:- 
