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

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MED
McJietas murder, and felony, foreigners are allowed this privi-
II lege; but not in high treafon, becaufe an alien in that
Medina. |pa]| tried according to the rules of the eom-
v " mon law, and not by a medietas lingua. A grand
jury ought not in any cafe to be of a medietas lingua ;
and the perfon that would have the advantage of a
trial in this way, is to pray the fame, otherwife it will
not be permitted on a challenge of the jurors.
MEDIMNUS, in Grecian antiquity, a meafure
of capacity. See Measure.
MEDINA talnari, a famous town of Arabia
Petraea, between Arabia Deferta and Arabia the Hap¬
py ; celebrated for being the burial-place of Maho¬
met. It Hands at a day’s journey from the port of
lambo. It is of moderate fize, furrounded by wretch¬
ed walls, andfituated in the midft of a fandy plain. It
belongs to the fcherif of Mecca, although it had of
late times a particular fovereign of the family of Da-
cii Barkad. At prefent the government is confided
by the fcherif to a vizir, who muft be taken from the
family of the fovereign. Before Mahomet, this city
was called lathreb; but it got the name of Medinet
en Ncbbi, “ the City of the Prophet,” after Maho¬
met, being driven from Mecca by the Koreifchites,
had taken refuge there, and paffed in it the reft of
his days. The tomb of Mahomet at Medina is re-
Ipe&ed by Muffulmans, but they are under no obli¬
gation to vifit it for the purpofes of devotion. The
caravans of Syria and Egypt alone, which on their
return from Mecca pafs near Medina, go a little out
of their way to fee the tomb. It Hands in a corner
of the great fquare, whereas the Kaba is fituated in
the middle of that at Mecca. That the people may
not perform fome fuperftitious worfiiip to the relics of
the prophet, they are prevented from approaching the
tomb by grates, through which they may look at it.
It confifts of a piece of plain mafon work in the form
of a cheft, without any other monument. The tomb
is placed between two others, where the alhes of the
two firft caliphs repofe. Although it is not more mag¬
nificent than the tombs of the greater part of the
founders of mofques, the building that covers it is de¬
corated with a piece of green filk Huff embroidered
with gold, which the pacha of Damafcus renews every
feven years. It is guarded by 40 eunuchs, who watch
the treafure faid to be depofited there. It is feated in
a plain abounding with palm trees, in E. Long. 57. xo.
N. Lat. 25. See {Hijlory of} Arabia.
MEDINA Celi, an ancient town of Spain, in Old
Caflile, and capital of a confiderable duchy of the fame
name ; feated near the river Xalon, in W. Long. 2. 9.
N. Lat. 41. x 5.
MEDINA de-las-Torres, a very ancienttownof Spain,
in Eftremadura, 'with an old caftle, and the title of a
duchy. It is feated on the confines of Andalufia, at
the foot of a mountain near Bajadoz.
MEDINA-del-Campo, a large, rich, and ancient town
of Spain, in the kingdom of Leon. The great fquare
is very fine, and adorned with a fuperb fountain. It
, is a trading place, enjoys great privileges, and is feated
in a country abounding with corn and wine. W. Long.
4. 20. N. Lat. 41. 22.
MEDINA-del-rio-Secco, an ancient and rich town of
Spain, in the kingdom of Leon, xvith the title of a
Vol. XIII. Part II.
duchy: feated on a plain, remarkable for its fine paftures.
E. Long. 4. 33. N. Lat. 42. 8.
MEDINA, Sir John, an eminent painter, was fon
of Medina de 1’Afturias, a Spaniih captain who fet-1
tied at Bruffels, where the fon was born in 1660. He
was inftructed in painting by Du Chatel ; under whole,
direction he made great progrefs ; and applying himfelf
to the ftudy of Rubens, made that eminent mailer his
principal model. He painted both hillory and por¬
trait ; and wras held in extraordinary efteem by molt of
the princes of Germany, who diftinguilhed his merit by
feveral marks of honour. He married young, and
came into England in 1686, where he drew portraits
for feveral years with great reputation; as he painted
thofe fubjeels with remarkable freedom of touch, a de¬
licate management of tints, and Hrong refemblance of
the perfons. The earl of Leven encouraged...him to go
to Scotland, and procured him a fubfeription of 500I.
worth of bufinefs. He wrent, carrying a large number
of bodies and poftures, to which he painted heads. He
returned to England for a Ihort time; but went* back
to Scotland, where he died, and was buried in the
churchyard of the Grayfriars at Edinburgh in 1711,
aged 52. He painted moil of the Scotch nobility.
Two fmall hillory pieces, and the portraits of the pro-
felfors, in the Surgeons Hall at Edinburgh, were alfo
painted by him. At Wentworth callle is a large piece
containing the firft duke of Argyll and his fons, the
two late dukes John and Archibald, in Roman habits ;
the llyle Italian, and fuperior to moll modern perform¬
ers. The duke of Gordon prefented Sir John Medina’s
head to the great duke of Tufcany for his colleclion of
portraits done by the painters themfelves ; the duke of
Gordon too was drawn by him, with his fon the mar¬
quis of Huntley and his daughter Lady Jane, in one
piece. Medina was knighted by the duke of Queenf-
berry, lord high commiffioner; and xvas the lall knight
made in Scotland before the union. The prints in the
odlavo edition of Milton were defigned by him ; and
he compofed another fet for Ovid’s Metamorphofes*
but they were never engraved.
MEDINE, an Egyptian piece of money of iron
filvered over, and about the fize of a filver threepence.
MEDIOLANUM, an ancient city, the capital of
the Infubres, built by the Gauls on their fettlement in
that part of Italy ; a municipium, and a place of great
llrength ; and a feat of the liberal arts ; whence it had
the name of Nova Athena. Now Milan, capital of
the Milanefe, fituated on the rivers Olana and Lombro.
E. Long. 9. 30. N. Lat. 45. 25.
MEDIOLANUM Aulercorum, in Ancient Geography, a
town of Gallia Celtica, which afterwards took the name
of the Eburovicum Civitas (Antonine) ; corrupted to
Civita t Ebroicorum, and this lall to Ebroica; whence
the modern appellation Evreux, a city of Normandy.
E. Long. 1. 12. N. Lat. 49. 21.
MEDIOLANUM Gugernorum, m. Ancient Geography, a
town of Gallia Belgica ; now the village Moyland, not
far from Cologne.
MEDIOLANUM Ordovicum, in Ancient Geography, a
town of Britain, now Llan Vethlin, a market town of
Montgomeryfhire in Wales.
MEDIOLANUM Santonum, in Ancient Geography,
which afterwards taking the name of the people, was
3 Q called
Medina
II
Mediola-