Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 13, MAT-MIC

MAT [i
k is on the little natural horizontal parts of the mountain,
a few yards above the road, and in fome places the roofs
of fome almoft touch the floors of others. There are ex¬
cellent accommodations for company who refort to the
bath 5 and the poorer inhabitants are fupported by the
fale of petrifaftions, cryftals, &c. and notwithftanding
the rock-inefs of the foil, the cliffs produce an immenfe
number of trees, whofe foliage adds greatly to the beau¬
ty of the place.
MATRASS, Cucurbit, or Bolthead, among
chemifls. See Chemistry, Explanation of Plates.
MATRICARIA, Feverfew 5 a genus of plants,
belonging to the fyngenefia clafs j and in the natural
method ranking under the 49th order, Compojitce. See
Botany Index.
M ATRICE, or Matrix. See Matrix.
Matrice, or matrix, in Dyeing, is applied to the
five Ample colours, whence all the reft: are derived or
compofed. Thefe are, the black, white, blue, red, and
yellow or root colour.
Matrice, or matrices, ufed by the letter-founders,
are thofe little pieces of copper or brafs, at one end
whereof are engraven, dentwife, or en creux, the feve-
ral charafters ufed in the compoling of books. Each
charafter, virgula, and even each point in a difcourfe,
has its feveraf matrix ; and of confequence its feveral
puncheon to ftrike it. They are the engravers on me¬
tal that cut or grave the matrices.
When types are to be caft, the matrice is fattened
to the end of a mould, fo difpofed, as that when the
metal is poured on it, it may fall into the creux or ca¬
vity of the matrice, and take the figure and impreflion
thereof. See Letter FOUNDER T.
Matrices, ufed in coining, are pieces of fteel in
form of dies, whereon are engraven the feveral figures,
arms, charadlers, legends, &c. wherewith the fpecies
art; to be ftamped. The engraving is performed with
feveral puncheons, which being formed in relievo, or
prominent, when ftruck on the metal, make an indent¬
ed impreflion, which the French call en creux.
MATRICULA, a regifter kept of the admiflion
of officers and perfons entered into any body or fociety
whereof a lift is made. Hence thofe who are admitted
into our univerfities are faid to be matriculated. A-
mong ecclefiaftical authors, we find mention made of
two kinds of matricule ) the one containing a lift of
the ecclefiaftics, called matricula clericorum : the other
of the poor fubfifted at the expence of the church, call¬
ed matricula pauperum.
Matricula was alfo applied to a kind of alms-
houfe, where the poor were provided for. It had cer¬
tain revenues appropriated to it, and was ufually built
near the church, whence the name was alfo frequently
given to the church itfelf.
MATRIMONY. See Marriage.
MATRIX, in Anatomy, the womb, or that part of
the female of any kind, wherein the foetus is conceived
and nouriflied till the time of its delivery. See Ana¬
tomy, N0 108.
Matrix is alfo applied to places proper for the ge¬
neration of vegetables, minerals, and metals. Thus
the earth is the matrix wherein feeds fprout ; and
marcafites are by many confidered as the matrices of
metals.
The matrix of ores is the earthy and ftony fubftan-
5 ] MAT
ces in which thefe metallic matters are enveloped : Matrix
thefe are various, as lime and heavy fpar, quartz,
fluors, 8tc. _ y—
MATRON, an elderly married woman.
Jury of Matrons. When a widow feigns herfelf
with child in order to exclude the next heir, and a
fuppofititious birth is fufpe&ed to be intended, then,.,
upon the writ de ventre infpiciendo, a jury of women
is to be impannelled to try the queftion whether the
woman is with child or not- So, if a woman is
convidted of a capital offence, and, being condemned
to fuffer death, pleads in ftay of execution, that Ihe
is pregnant, a jury of matrons is impannelled to in¬
quire into the truth of the allegation and, if they
find it true, the convict is refpited till after her deli¬
very.
MATRON A, in Ancient Geography, a river fepa-
rating Gallia Celtica from the Belgica (Cefar). Now
the Marne j which, rifing in Champagne near Langres,
runs north-weft, and then weft, and pafling by Meaux
falls into the Seine at Charenton, two leagues to the
eaft of Paris.
MATRONALIA, a Roman feftival inftituted by
Romulus, and celebrated on the kalends of March, in
honour of Mars. It was kept by matrons in particular,
and bachelors were entirely excluded from any Ihare in
the folemnity. The men during this feaft fent prefents
to the women, for which a return was made by them at
the Saturnalia : And the women gave the fame indul¬
gence to their fervants now which the men gave to
theirs at the feaft of Saturn, ferring them at table, and
treating them as fuperiors.
MATROSSES, are foldiers in the train of artil¬
lery, who are next to the gunners, and aflift them in
loading, firing, and fpunging the great guns. They
carry firelocks, and march along with the ftore wag¬
gons, both as a guard, and to give their afliftance in
cafe a waggon fhould break down.
MATSYS, Quintin, painter of hiftory and por¬
traits, Avas born at Antwerp in 1460, and for feveral
years folloAved the trade of a blackfmith or farrier, at
leaft till he was in his 20th year. Authors vary in their
accounts of the caufe of his quitting his firft occupa¬
tion, and attaching himfelf to the art of painting.
Some affirm, that the firft unfolding of his genius Avas
occafioned by the fight of a print Avhich accidentally
Avas fiioAvn to him by a friend Avho came to pay him a
vifit Avhile he Avas in a declining ftate of health from
the labour of his former employment, and that by his
copying the print Avith fome degree of fuccefs, be Avas
animated Avith a defire to learn the art of painting.
Others fay, he fell in love Avith a young Avoman of
great beauty, the daughter of a painter, and they al¬
lege that love alone wrought the miracle, as he could
have no profpeft of obtaining her except by a diftin-
guiftted merit in the profeffion of painting : for which
reafon he applied himfelf with inceffant labour to ftudy
and praftife the art, till he became fo eminent as to
be entitled to demand her in marriage, and he fueceed-
ed. Whatever truth may be in either of thefe ac¬
counts, it is certain that he appeared to have an un¬
common genius ; his manner Avas Angular, not refem-
bling the manner of any other matter •, and his pidures
Tvere ftrongly coloured and carefully finiflied, but yet
they are fomewhat dry and hard. By many compe¬
tent