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

M E R [ S
Merom advanced as far as the brook Kiflion, and to a pafs
|| which led into the country, to hinder Jofhua from pe-
Merfa. netrating it, or even to attack him in the country
where he himfelf lay encamped, than to imagine that
they waited lor him in the midft of their own coun¬
try ; leaving all Galilee at his mercy, and the whole
trafl from the brook Kilhon to the lake Semechon.
MEROPE, in Fabulous Hij/ory. one of the Atlan-
tides. She married Sifyphus the fon of ALolus, and like
her filters was changed into a contlellation after death.
It is faid that in the conftellation ot the Pleiades the
liar of Merope appears more dim and obfeure than the
relt, becaufe the, as the poets obferve, married a mor¬
tal, while her filters married fome of the gods or their
defeendants.
MEROPS, in Fabulous HiJIonj, a king of the ifland
of Cos, who married Clymene, one of the Oceanides.
He was changed into an eagle, and placed among the
contlellations. Alfo a celebrated foothfayer of Percofus
in L'roas, who foretold the death of his fons Adraltus
and Amphius, who were engaged in the Trojan war.
They flighted their father’s advice, and were killed by
Diomedes.
Merops, a genus of birds belonging to the order of
pic;e. See Ornithology Index.
MEROVINGIAN character, derives its name
from Meroiiee, the firlt king of France of that race,
which reigned 333 years, from Pharamond to Charles
Martel. This race is faid by fome to have termina¬
ted in Childeric III. A. D. 751. There are many
MSS. in the French libraries ftill extant in this cha-
radlcr.
MEROZ, in /Indent Geography, a place in the
neighbourhood of the brook Kilhon, whofe inhabitants
refilling to come to the affifiance of their brethren evhen
they fought with Sifera, were put under an anathema
(Judges v. 23.) “ Curfe ye Meroz, fays the angel of
the Lord ; cu fe ye bitterly the inhabitants thereof : be¬
caufe,” &c. Some have thought that Meroz is the fame
as Merus or Merom ; and this F. Calmet thinks the molt
probable opinion in this matter. Others will have it,
that Meroz was a mighty man, who dwelt near the
Kiihon, and not caring to come to the afliftance of Ba¬
rak and Deborah, was excommunicated by the angel of
the Lord by the found of 400 t'-umpets. The angel
of the Lord, according to fome, was Barak, the gene¬
ral of the Lord’s army •, but according to others he
was the high pried for the time being, or a prophet.
MERSA, a town of Barbary, pleafantly fituated
about 11 miles from the city of Tunis, and two from
M Icha the fite of ancient Carthage. The bey has
here two country houfes, one of them verv coftly work,
built by Haffan Bey furnamed the Good. From
thefe are orange gardens reaching almoft to the fea-
fhore *, on the edge of which is a famous well of fweet
water, efttemed the bed and lighted in the kingdom.
Clofe to this is a coffeehoufe, whither numbers of peo¬
ple from the neighbouring places refort to drink coffee,
and a glafs of this natural luxury lo peculiarly enjoyed
in the eadern countries. In the middle of the court
is a large mulberrv tree, under the fhade of which they
fit and fmoke and play at chefs; inhalmg the com¬
fortable fea breeze that refrefhes this delightful fpet.
The water is drawn up by a camel with the Perfian
wheel.
39 ] M E R
There are the remains of an ancient port, or cothon,
(fuppofed to be an artificial one), built by the Carl ha
ginians after Scipio had blocked up (he old port, no- _
thing but the turret or lighthoufe being left.
MERS or Merse, a county of Scotland, called alfo
Berwick/hire. This lad name it dvrives from the town
of Berwk k, which was the head of the (hire before it
fell into the hands ot the Engliih, and obtained the
appellation of Mens or March, becaufe it was one of
the borders towards England. See Berwick, County
of.
MERSENNE, Marin, in Latin a learn¬
ed French author, born at Oyle, in the province of
Maine, anno 1388. He lludied at La Fleche ai the
fame time with Des Cartes ; with whom he contracted
a drift friendthip, which laded till death. He after¬
wards went to Paris, and Itudied at the Sorbenne ; and
in 161 1 entered himfelf among the Minims. He became
well {killed in Hebrew, philofophy, and mathematics.
He was of a tranquil, fincere, and engaging temper ;
and was univerfally edeemed by perfons illudrious for
their birth, their dignity, and their learning. He
taught philofophy and divinity in the convent of Nevers,
and at length became fuperior ot the convent ; but
being willing to apply himfelf to dudy with more f ree¬
dom, he refigned all the pods he enjoyed in his order,
and travelled into Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands.
He wrote a great number of excellent woiks ; the prin¬
cipal of which are, I. ^uejltones eeleberrimee in Gtnejim.
2. Harmonicorurn hbn. 3. De fonorum natura, caujis,
et effedibus. 4. Cogitata physico-mathematica. 5. La
vente des Sciences. 6. Les quejiions monies. Fie died
at Paris in 1648. He had the reputation of being one
of the bed men of his age. No perfon was more cmh us
in penetrating into the fecrets of nature, and carrying
all the arts and fciences to their utmod perfeftion. .He
was in a manner the centre of all the men of learning,
by the mutual correfpondence which he managed be¬
tween them. He omitted no means to engage them.to
publiih their works ; and the world is obliged to him
for feveral excellent difeoveries, which, had it not been
for him, would perhaps have been lod.
MERSY, a river of England, which runs through
the counties of Lancader, York, and Cheder, and
empties itfelf into the Irifii fea at Liverpool. By means
of inland navigation, it has communication with the
rivers Dee, Ribble, Oufe, I rent, Derwent, Severn,
Humber, Thames, Avon, &c.; which navigation, in¬
cluding its windings, extends above 500 miles, in the
counties of Lincoln, Nottingham, York, Lancader,
Wedmoreland, Cheder, Stafford, Warwick, Leiceder,
Oxford, Worceder, &c.
MERSEr IJland, an iffand of Effex, at the mouth of
the Coin, fouth of Colcheder. It was feized by the
Danes in the reign of King Alfred, for their winter
quarters. It had eight parifhes, now reduced to two,
viz. Ead and Wed Merfey. There was formerly a
blockhoufe on the ifland.
Merula, or Blackbird. See Turdus, Ornitho¬
logy Index.
MERUS, in Ancient Geography, a mountain of the
Hither India, hanging over the city Nyffa, built by
Bacchus, and fituated between the rivers Cophen and
Indus. The name, denoting the thigh, gave rife to the
fable of Bacchus being inferted into Jupiter’s thigh, and
3 Y 2 being:
Meri’a
I
Merus.