Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/76

MARHEINEKE. 56 MARIAGE DE FIGARO. ■where he became a colleague of Schleiermacher. His studies lay principally in the direction of Christian symbolism and dogmatics. To the former he devoted his Chrislliche SymboUk (lSlO-14) and his Inslilutiones Symbolicm ( 1812) ; to the latter, his (Iruttdtehrcn dfr christ- lichcii Dof/malik (1819). His method of treat- ment is historical rather than dogmatic and his position entirely independent. The positive form of his theology may be found in his Enttrurf dcr praktischcn Theologie (1837). He wrote many liooks besides those named, including the impor- tant GiSchichte dcr deutschcn Jirformnlioii (181G) and Die Reformation, ihrc Entslehung viid Vcrhrcitiinfi in Deiil.ichlnnd. dcm dctitscltcn Voikc crziihlt (1840). He died in Berlin. Jlay 31, 1840. His Thculogischc Vorlesuiigeii apj)cared posthumously (1847-49), with biographical sketch. Consult Weber. Le systime doymutique de Marhriiickr (Strassburg, 1857). MARIA CHRISTINA, kris-te'nii (1800-78). Queen of Spain. She was a daughter of Francis I.. King of the Two Sicilies, and was born in Naples, .April 27. 1806. In 1829 she lieeame the fourth wife of Ferdinand VII. of Spain. In 1830 Ferdinand restored the law by which, in default of male issue, the right of inheritance was given to females. In October of that year the (Jueen gave birth to a daughter. Isabella. The Spanish Liberals gladly embraced the cause of the (Jueen, rejoicing to see Ferdinand's lirother, the reac- tionary Don Carlos (q.v. ), further removed from the succession to the throne. Ferdinand died September 29, 1833. and by his testament his widow was appointed guardian of her children — the young Queen Isabella and the Infanta Louisa — and Regent until the Queen should attain the age of eighteen. A civil war at once broke out between the opposing parties known as Car- lists and Cristinos. but the Queen mother seemed indilTerent to everything except the company of Don Fernando Mufioz, one of the royal body- guard, whom she made her chamberlain, and with whom she was imitcd in December. 1833. in a morgjinatic marriage. Her practice as Regent was to adopt the course agreeable to the Minis- ter of the day, and thus her Government was despotic under one Ministry and liberal under an- other. She contrived, however, upon many oc- casions to embrace the proceedings of her more liberal or constitutional Ministers; but when she sanctioned by her signatire the law respecting the local liberties of the cnnniuuies (see .vrNT.- MIK.NTO), a popular commotion ensued and she was compelled to resign the regency (1840), be- ing succeeded by the Prime Minisler Fspartero. She retired to France, but continued to interfere in the affairs of Spain. After the fall of F.spar- tero (1843) she returned to Mailrid. and in Octo- ber, 1844, her marriage with Alufioz. who was now made Dike of Rianzarcs. was publicly solem- nized. Her participation in the schemes of Louis Philippe in the matter of the marriage of her daughters, in 1H40, and the continued exercise of all her inllueiice in a manner unfavorable to con- stitutional liberty, made her the object of great dislike to the whole Lil«Tal Party in Spain. At length, in .Inly. 18.54, a revolution expelled her from the country, and she again took refuge in France. She returned to Spain in 1804. only to retire again in 1808. She died at Havre, August 22, 1878. See Spais. MARIA CHRISTINA (1858—). A Queen of Spain. She was the daugliter of Archduke Karl Ferdinand of .ustria. and in 1879 married -Mfonso XII. of Spain, to whom she bore a post- humous son in 1880. Alfonso XIII. She acted as Regent until Alfonso XIII. was declared of age, -May 17. 1902. carrying on the Government with iiuicli ability and tact. MARIA DE' MEDICI, ma-re'il da ma'df-che (1573-1042). The second wife of Henry IV. of France. She was the daughter of Francis 1., tirand Duke of Tuscany, and was born at Flor- ence, April 26, 1573. She was married to Henry IV. in 1600, and in 1001 gave birth to a son, afterwards Louis XIII. The union did not prove happy. Maria, though beautiful, was an obstinate, ambitious, passionate, and duU- lieaded woman, and her quarrels with Henry over her favorites and the King's gallantries soon became the talk of Paris. Two Italians, Leonora Galigai and her husband. Concini (see AxcHE), exercised a powerful infhience over her mind, and encouraged her dislike to her husband, who on his part avoided her as much as possible. She was not publicly crowned as Queen until the day before Henry's assassination (May. 1010). For the next seven years she govcrnetl as Regent, but proved incapable as a ruler. After the murder of Concini. in 1017, Louis XIII. as- siiiiie<l royal ])ower. aided by his favorite, the Duke de Luynes, who hail put Concini out of the way. Maria was kept under surveillance in the castle at Hlois. She escaped in 1019. and bcg.an a war against the King and Court, lieing allied with certain of the disappointed nobles. The con- llict was brief, and ended in the discomfiture of Maria. In 1021 the death of Luynes led to her return to Court. JIaria hoped to win over Richelieu to her party, and be was created car- dinal and Minister of State, partly through her inllucnce. She soon found out. how- ever, that he had no mind to be ruled by her, whereupon she resolved to undermine his intluenec with the King. Her intrigues for this purpose in 1030 failed, and she was imprisoned in Compif'gne. wlience she escaped to Brussels in 1031. She finally found her way to Eng- land to the Court of her sonin-law. Charles 1., but was coin[)elled to leave London in 1041, and her last years were spent in utter destitution. She died at Cologne on .Tuly 3, 1642. Maria de' ^ledici was a lover and patron of the tine arts, and Paris owes to her the Luxem- bourg Palace and other nuhlic works. Consult: Pardoe, Life and Times of Marie de' Medici (London, 1852): Zeller, Henry IV. el Marie de Mi'diris (Paris, 1877), and La minority de Louis XIII.— Marie de Mi'diris el foully. llUO-1612 (ib.. 1892): id.. La minorild de Lonin XIII. — Marie de Midiiiit el Villrrny (ib., 1897) : Freer, Henry IV. and Marie de' .Mcdiei (London, 1861). S<'e Henry IV.: Franci;. MARIAGE DE FIGARO, ina'ryazh' Ac ft- ga'n'/, Le. oi' i..^ Foi.i.e .1o rn^e. A five-act comedy by Beaumardiais, ]>ro(luce(l at the ComC'- die Frani.aise in 1784, It forms the continu- ation of the liarhirr de SH-illr. and represents the situations produced by Figaro's schemes to render ineffectual .Mmaviva's pursuit of Su- zanne, the barlier's fianciV. The play is brilliant thouL'h unequal. It embodies in a .Spanish set- ting an attack on the French nobiljty and inagis-