Page:Collier's New Encyclopedia v. 06.djvu/260

MEYNELL 216 MICA North" (1854); and "Dinorah" (1859). He left the manuscript of another great opera, "L'Africaine" (The African /Wo- man), which was produced in Paris in 1865. Besides his operas, Meyerbeer, wrote a "Stabat," a "Miserere," a "Te Deum," an oratorio, cantatas, and many songs. He was supreme in the French opera for more than 30 years, was as- sociate of the Institute, and officer of the Legion of Honor, member of the Acad- emy of Fine Arts at Berlin, and chapel- master to the King of Prussia. He died in Paris, May 1, 1864. MEYNELL, ALICE (THOMPSON) (ma'nel), an English author; born in London, England, about 1853. She spent much of her childhood in Italy, and mar- ried (1877) Wilfrid Meynell, editor of "Merry England." She wrote "Preludes" (1875; 2d ed. 1893), illustrated by her sister. Lady (Elizabeth) Butler; "Rhythm of Life" (1893); "The Chil- dren" (1896); "The Spirit of Place" (1898); "Collected Poems" (1913); "Es- says" (1914); etc. MEZEREON (-ze're-on). Daphne Me- ze7-eu-)n, a small shrub with deciduous obovate or spatulate lanceolate leaves; flowers generally in threes ; silky-pink, or white ; very fragrant. Berries red, ovoid. Acrid and poisonous; the berries are cathartic; the leaves used as a vesicant. MEZIEBES (ma-zyar'), the capital of the French department of Ardennes, on a bend of the Meuse, opposite Charleville, and 155 miles N. E. of Paris; principal building the flamboyant church, restored in 1884, in which Charles IX. was married in 1570. Strongly fortified by Vauban, and pro- tected by a citadel, in 1521 it was suc- cessfully defended by the Chevalier Bayard, with 2,000 men, against 40,000 Spaniards under Charles V.; in 1815 held out for two months against the Al- lies, who besieged it after the battle of Waterloo: and in the Franco-German war of 1870-1871 capitulated after a frightful bombardment. Again, during the World War, the town and its vicinity was the scene of much and heavy fight- ing. Pop. about 11,000. MEZZANINE, a low story between two higher ones, especially between the ground floor and the story above it. MEZZOTINT (met'so-), a process of engiciving on copper or steel. The smooth plate is abraded with a rough- ened file-like tool, and myriads of tiny points are raised over the surface of the plate. These points catch and hold the ink, and an impression taken from a plate in this condition would give a soft velvety mass of black without variety of light shade. A burnisher is next used to get rid of the raised points where half tones and lights are wanted. Sometimes where very brilliant lights are required, they are cut away so as to insure a smooth surface of copper. By means of this burnishing process, all gradations of light and shade are obtained from the white of the smooth copper to the black of the roughened plate. The process dates from about the middle of the 17th century. MIAMI (mi-am'i), a river rising in Hardin co., O.; flowing a general S. W. and S. course through Logan, Shelby, Miami, Montgomery, Butler, and Hamil- ton counties, and entering the Ohio river at the extremity of the State. It is about 140 miles long. The Miami and Erie canal runs alongside the river be- tween Piqua and Hamilton. MIAMI, a town of Arizona, in Gila CO. It is on the Arizona Eastern rail- road, and is the center of a rich copper mining district. Water power is de- rived from the Roosevelt Dam, 40 miles distant. Pop. (1920) 6,689. MIAMI, a county-seat of Dade co., Fla.. 366 miles S. of Jacksonville, at the mouth of the Miami river, on the Florida East Coast railroad. Popular winter re- sort, steamers running between it and Havana. Situated in great fruit-grow- ing country, and has several canneries. Pop. (1910) 5,471; (1920)29,571. MIAMI, a city of Oklahoma, in Ot- tawa CO. It is on the St. Louis and San Francisco, the Missouri, Oklahoma, and Gulf, and the Oklahoma, Kansas, and Missouri Interurban railroads. It is the center of an important lead and zinc mining region. Lumbering is also an important industry, _ and the agricul- tural interests are important. It was the first town in the former Indian Terri- tory, built on land set apart for town purposes, by act of Congress. Pop. (1910) 2,907; (1920) 6,802. MIAMI UNIVERSITY, an institu- tion founded in 1809 at Oxford, O. Co- educational. In 1918 the students num- bered 765 and the faculty 55. The State of Ohio granted land to the University at its start and has since granted ap- propriations. The present endo-'Annent is $104,000 and the income about $300,- 000. The grounds and buildings are val- ued at over a million dollars. The li- brary contains 49,000 volumes. MICA, a name originally given to the shining, scaly constituent of many rocks