2L2 
M U R 
the ltudy of the Greek. In 1695 he was appointed one 
of the prefects of the Ambrofian library at Milan, having 
previouily received the degree of doCtor of laws at Milan. 
He was foon after ordained prieft; and, in a manner, Hurt 
himfelf up amidll the treafures of that celebrated repoli- 
tory. His refearches enabled him to make thofe collec¬ 
tions of curious literature, which he afterwards gave to the 
world under the titles of Anecdota Latina , and Anecdola 
Grceca. At this time, he began to make a collection of 
inedited infcriptions, and other remains of antiquity 5 
and, for the purpofe of promoting philofophy and letters, 
he procured the inftitution of an academy in the Borro- 
rnean palace. While thus employed, he was called by the 
duke of Modena to return thither, and take the office of 
keeper of the archives of the houfe of Efte, to which, at his 
own defire, was added the office of ducal librarian. He 
returned in the year 1700, and in two years his labours 
were interrupted by the wars in Italy, and it was thought 
neceflary to remove the archives to a fafer place on the 
approach of the French, who foon made themfelves maf- 
ters of Modena. They treated Muratori with refpeCt, 
and offered him the office of royal librarian, which he re¬ 
filled. In 1714-, 15, and j6, he took feveral journeys into 
Italy for the purpofe of collecting new materials for me¬ 
moirs of the houle of Efte, and that of Brunfwick, which 
derives its origin from it. In this bufinefs he was engaged 
as well by king George I. of Great Britain, who furniflied 
him with letters of recommendation, as by the duke of 
Modena. On his return he received the benefice of pro¬ 
ve!!: to the church of St. Maria Pompofa, in Modena ; and, 
in thedifeharge of the duties attached to this office, he con¬ 
ducted himlelf fo as to afford a model for pariffi-priefts, in 
aCts of kindnefs and charity to all who were the objeCts 
of them. He inftituted a fociety for the protection of the 
widow, the orphan, and the deftitute ; and at his death be¬ 
queathed a large- fum for its fupport. So benevolent was 
he on every occafion which he thought demanded pecu¬ 
niary aid, that it was found after his death he had given 
away to the poor, and expended upon his churches, much 
more than he had received from all his benefices conjoint¬ 
ly. Thefe offices of duty and kindnefs naturally attached 
him to the place of his refidence; and no offers, however 
fplendid, of which he had many, could tempt him to quit 
Modena, vrhere he lived in high efteem. 
Of his labours in the caufe of literature, we have the tef- 
timony of Gibbon, who acknowledges Muratori to have 
been “ his guide and mailer in the hiitory of Italy.” “ His 
country, and the public,” fays the hiftorian, “ are in¬ 
debted to him for the following works on that fubjeCt. 
1. Rerum Italicarum Scriptores (A.D. 500—1500) quorum 
potiflhna pars nunc primum in lucemprodit , &c. z 8 vols. folio, 
Milan, 1723—1738, 1751. A volume of chronological 
and alphabetical tables is Hill wanting as a key to this 
great work, which is in a diforderly and defeClive ftate. 
2. Antiquitates Italics medii JEvi, 6 vols. folio, Milan, 
173 8 — 1 743> i n 75 curious differtations on the manners, 
government, religion, See. of the Italians of the darker 
ages, with a fupplement of charters, chronicles, See. 3. 
DijjertationiJ'opra le Antiquita Italiane, 3 vols. 4to. Milan, 
1751, a free verlion by the author, which may be quoted 
with the fame confidence as the Latin text of the Antiqui¬ 
ties. 4. Annali d'Italia, i8vols.8vo. Milan, 1753—1756; 
a dry though accurate and ufeful abridgment of the his¬ 
tory of Italy, from the birth of Chrift to the middle of 
the eighteenth century. 5. Dell' AntieJiita EjlenJ'e et Ita- 
lianc, z vols. folio, Modena, 1717—1740. In the hiitory 
of this illuftrious race, the parent of our Brunfwick kings, 
the critic is not feduced by the loyalty or gratitude of the 
fubjeCt. In all his works, Muratori approves himfelf a 
diligent and laborious writer, who afpires above the pre¬ 
judices of a catholic prieft.” 
It was an early idea of our author to inllitute a literary 
republic in Italy, which Ihould affociate all the men of 
letters into one body; for this purpofe, he wrote various 
addreffes to the public, under the fictitious name of La- 
M U R 
mindo Pritanio, in which he propofed his plan, and point¬ 
ed out the advantages that would probably refult from 
fuch an inftitution. The fubjeCt was amply difeuffed, but 
the idea was never realized. In 1706, he publifhed a work, 
entitled “ Della perfetta Poefia Italiana,” in two volumes, 
which gave rife to a conliderable controverly, as might be 
expefted, in a country in wdiich different poets of high 
celebrity had formed different fchools of admirers, pupils, 
and imitators. In 1735 Muratori wrote a treatife on 
“ Moral Philofophy,” which was feveral times reprinted. 
It was followed by a treatife on the powers of the human 
mind, intended as an anfwer to Huet’s traCt on the weak- 
nefs of the human mind. He carried his enquiries into 
medical fubjeCts, and on the appearance of a peftilential 
diforder in Germany in 1713, he publilhed a work, enti¬ 
tled “ Governo delle Pelte,” in which he treated on the 
office of the magiftrate, the phyfician, and the divine, du¬ 
ring the awful vifitation of the plague. To a new edition 
of this work in 1721 was added a relation of the plague of 
Marfeilles. In 1742 he publifhed a curious work, “ Dei 
Difetti della Giurilprudentia,” which was connected with 
hispurfuits in hiitory and antiquities ; and thefe were the 
objeCts of his favourite ltudies. As a theologian he railed 
a formidable Itorm againft himfelf in controverfial divinity, 
the ground of which was the immaculate conception of 
the Virgin Mary. He endeavoured to moderate the zeal 
of the combatants ; and in fo doing he acquired the repu¬ 
tation of a heretic, and found it neceflary to write an epil- 
tle in his own vindication to Benedict XIV. Muratori 
was author of another celebrated but obnoxious work, en¬ 
titled “ Della Regolata Divozione dei Chriltiani,” printed 
in 1747, under the feigned name of Lamindo Pritanio. 
In this he went as far as he durft in avowing himfelf hof- 
tile to vulgar fuperftition, and on that account made him¬ 
felf many enemies. Muratori was author of many other 
works befides thofe that have been mentioned above, par¬ 
ticularly of lives of eminent perfons, as of Petrarch, Paolo 
Segneri, Sec. and of various differtations on antiquarian 
fubjeCts. His reputation as a writer extended throughout 
Europe ; and he was, by means of a good conftitution and 
excellent health, enabled to continue his various labours 
till a very advanced period of life. He died in January 
1750, in the feventy-eighth year of his age; and various 
tributes of high relpeCt were paid to his memory, by per¬ 
fons of all parties of different countries. Gibbon. Gen. 
Biog. 
MURAU'. See Muehrau. 
MURAWA', a town of Hindooftan, in Bahar: thirty- 
fix miles fouth-weft of Arrah. 
MURAZ'ZO, a town of France, in the department of 
the Stura : four miles fouth of Fo llano. 
MUR'CA de PANO'YA, a town of Portugal, in the 
province of Tra los Montes : twelve miles fouth-fouth- 
welt of Mirandela, and eighteen north-eaft of Lamego. 
MURCH, a town of Hindooftan, in Bundelcund: 
forty-five miles north of Callinger. 
MUR'CHA, a town of Bengal: eleven miles north-eaft 
of Moorfhedabad. 
MURCHAPOU'R, a town of Hindooftan, in the circar 
of Ellichpour: twenty miles north-eaft of Akowla. 
MUR'CIA, the pagan goddefs of idlenefs. The name 
is taken from murcus or mnreidus , an obfolete word, figni- 
fying a dull, flothful, or lazy, perfon. The llatues of this 
goddefs were always covered with dull and mofs, to ex- 
prefs her idlenefs and negligence. She had a temple in 
Rome, at the foot of the Aventine mount. 
MUR'CIA, one of the fmallelt provinces of Spain, 
though called a kingdom, is about thirty leagues from 
the north-weft to the fouth-eaft, and twenty from the 
fouth-weft to the north-eall; and is bounded by the king¬ 
dom of Valencia on the call, La Mancha and New Caltile 
on the north and weft, the kingdom of Juan on the weft, 
that of Granada on the weft and fouth, and the Mediter¬ 
ranean Sea on the eaft and fouth-eaft. It is a dry hilly 
country, almoft covered with mountains of various eieva- 
1 tions, 
