Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 16.djvu/75

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MAGINN


59


MAISONNEUVE


tory that ho might study the movements of the stars. At the age of eighty he began to study Hebrew and he is said to have learned it in a few months. The following is a list of his most important works: "Per la nascita del principe di Piemonte genetliaeo" (Rome, 1699); "Conclusioni di amore" (Verona, 1702); "La prima radunanza della colonia arcadica Veronese" (Cervia, 1705); "La scienza cavalleresca" (Rome, 1710), a treatise against duelling, which was instrumental in diminishing the practice in Italy; "De fabula equestris ordinis Constantiniani" (Zurich, 1712; Paris, 1714), written to prove that aU the orders of knighthood date only from the Crusades and affording valuable information concerning the aristocracy of the early Middle Ages; "Merope", a tragedy (Venice, 1714; since published in numerous editions and translations); "DeU' antica condizione di Verona" (Venice, 1719); "Istoria diplomatica" (Mantua, 1727), containing documents not previously pubhshed and a discourse on primitive Italy; "Teatro del Marchese MaflFei" (Venice, 1730); "Verona illus- trata" (2 vols., Verona, 1732; a corrected edition according to the author's notes was issued in 4 vols., Milan, 1825-27); "Gallia; antiquitates qua>dam se- lects" (Paris, 1733), on the inscriptions and monu- ments observed by MafTei during his sojourn in France and dedicated to Louis XV; "Graecorum siglae lapidariae coUcctae atque explicatie" (Verona, 1746); "Della forraazione dei fulmini" (Verona, 1747); "II Raguet" (Verona, 1787), a comedy; "Museum Veronense" (Verona, 1749); "Supple- mento al Tesoro delle Inscrizioni di Muratori" (Lucca, 1765); this was published by Donati accord- ing to notes collected by Maffei for a complete work on the subject. Besides these original works Maffei also collaborated in editions of the works of St. Hilary (Verona, 1730), St. Jerome (1734), and St. Zeno (1739). He bequeathed his collection of MSS. to the canons of the cathedral of Verona.

BocOAlNMLLE, Eloge de Maffei in Hist, de I'Acad. des In- itrip.. XXVII; Pindemo.ste, £(0910 (Verona. 17S4).

Blanche M. Kellt.

Maginn, Edward, Coadjutor Bishop of Derry, b. at Fintona, Ireland, 16 Dec, 1802; d. at Derry, 17 January, 1849, the son of Patrick Maginn, a farmer, and his wife, Mary Slevin, whose families gave many distinguished priests to the Irish Church in the eighteenth century. He was educated by his uncle, parish priest of Monaghan, and later by Thomas MacColgan, at Buncrana, Donegal, and entered the Irish College, Paris, in 1818. He was ordained in 1825 at Derry, and was soon appointed curate of jMoville, where he remained till 1829, labouring with great fruit and winning renown as a preacher. He op- posed energetically the efforts made by the Episco- paUan body to proselytize his flock, and took a prominent part in a public controversy held at Derry concerning Catholic doctrines, a report of which was published later in book form (Dublin, 1828). In 1829 he became parish priest of Fahan, and applied himself to the .suppression of agrarian secret societies, while appealing to the Government to protect the peasantry against the abuse of power by the local non-Catholic magistrates. He was one of the most zealous advocat es of Cat holic Emancipat ion, supported O'ConncU in the Repeal movement, and endeavoured to heal the breach between the yoimg Irelanders and the Liberator. Though recognizing the glaring de- fects of the "national school" system he accepted it, and by his protests prevented the withdrawal of the schools from clerical control. He repudiated the Queen's Colleges, lielped to bring about their con- demnation at Rome, and enthusiastically advocated the establishment of a Catholic university, which, however, he diil not live to see. On 18 .Tim., 1S46, he was consecrali'd titular Bishop of Orthosia and coadjutor to Dr. MacLaughlin of Derry. Seized


with typhus fever on 14 Jan., 1849, he expired three days later in St. Columb's College and was buried at Buncrana, Donegal. Dr. Maginn was an im- portant factor in the rehabilitation of the Church in Ulster after Emancipation; he devoted himself, moreover, to the temporal welfare of the peasants, and his letters on land and the Poor Law administra- tion, together with his evidence before the Devon Commission (Report published at Dublin, 1847), con- tain valuable information on the social condition of Ireland in the first half of the nineteenth century. The gross incompetency and partiality of the govern- ment officials during the famine of 1847-49 inspired him with an abhorrence of English misrule. Not the least useful of his writings was a series of letters in reply to Lord Stanley, who in the House of Lords, 23 Nov., 1847, had accused the Irish clergj' of using the confessional to encourage lawlessness and crime ("Refutation of Lord Stanley's Calumnies against the Catholic Clergy of Ireland", reprint, Dublin, 18.50). McGee, Life of Bishop Maginn (New York. lSo7).

A. A. MacErlean. Maisonneuve, Pacl de Chomedet de, founder of Montreal, b. in Champagne, France, early in the seventeenth century; d. in Paris, 9 Sept., 1676. He served in the Dutch war at the age of thirteen. At- tracted to Canada by reading the Jesuit " R.elat ions ", he was proposed by Father Jerome Lalemant to command the company sent by Roycr de la Dauver- siere to found Ville-Marie on the Island of Montreal, which had been ceded by ex-Governor Lauzon for an annual rent of ten pounds of fish. The future found- ress of the Hotel-Dieu, Jeanne Mance, joined the party. Governor Montmagny strove to prevent this seemingly foolhardy enterprise and retained the colonists at Sillery during the winter of 1641-42. Maisonneuve, who in the faU of 1641 had gone to take possession of the island, landed there with his followers on 17 May, 1642. The Jesuit Vimont said the first Mass, and the Blessed Sacrament remained exposed all day with a phial containing fireflies as a sanctuary lamp. The settlement was dedicated to the Blessed \ irgin under the name of Ville-Marie. Situated at the point of convergence of the chief waterways, the colony was kept constantly on the alert by dread of the Iroquois. To guard against surprise and secure mutual assistance, Maisonneuve later commanded that all workers outside the fort should muster and disband at the sound of the bell. At sixty leagues' distance from Quebec and thirty from Three Rivers, the nearest fort, the position was most perilous, constantly demanding heroic courage. Yet Maisonneuve was to remain twenty-five years at his post. When, in 1644, 200 Iroquois invaded the island, he encountered the enemy with only 30 men. Overpowered by numbers, he retreated successfully after killing the chief. At the expiration of Mont- magny's term of office, the governor-generalship was offered by Louis XIV to Mai-sonneuve, who thought fit to decline. He encouraged colonization by facili- tating well-as.sorted marriages, attracted allies by his liberality, and, while inspiring the Iroquois "with terror, he gained their confidence and saved from torture many French captives. As a magistrate he judged with equity and impartiality. In 16.53 he returned from a voyage to France with Marguerite Bourgeoys, foundress of the Congregation of Notre Dame. A troop of soldiers arrived with them. After a third voyage, he brought with him the fir.st Sul- picians who came to Canada (16.59). In 1660 he authorized the heroic vent ure of Dollard and his six- teen companions, which saved New France from de- struction. Maisonneuve's action showed itself par- ticularly in the organization of defence. Though he seldom fought, his presenc^e was felt everywhere planning and ordering. His character wjis a blending of reserve, calmness, and foresight, and, at the same