1699-1701, and as the result of her labours there she published separate editions in Latin and Dutch of a "Dissertatio de generatione et metamorphosibus Insectorum Surinamensium," folio, with sixty plates, Amsterdam, 1705. It was reprinted in French and Dutch in 1719; again in French and Latin in 1726; and again in Dutch only in 1730; the later editions have twelve additional plates by her daughters Jane-Helen and Dorothea M. Graff. Madame Merian also published an elaborate dissertation on caterpillars in Dutch, 2 vols., 4to, Nuremberg, 1679-83; reprinted in Latin in 1713; and greatly enlarged, in French, with additional plates by herself and daughters, folio, 1730. The two works were afterwards combined under the title of "Histoire des Insects de l'Europe et de l'Amerique," folio, Paris, 1768 and 1771. Madame Merian's drawings are of small size on vellum, and admirably drawn and coloured. They are met with in almost every important national collection in Europe. The British Museum possesses two volumes of them—one, of the insects of Europe; the other, those of Surinam—which were purchased at a very high price by Sir Hans Sloane. Madame Merian died at Amsterdam, January 13, 1717.—J. T—e.
MERIAN, Matthew, the Elder, an eminent Swiss designer and engraver, was born at Basle in 1593. After studying under D. Meyer, a glass painter and engraver at Zurich, he went to Frankfort-on-the-Maine, and was for some time employed in making topographical drawings and engravings under Theodor de Bry, whose daughter he married. He settled at Frankfort as an engraver and printseller, and engraved many historical and topographical subjects, and some portraits. He died at Frankfort in 1651.—J. T—e.
MERIAN, Matthew, the Younger, son of the above, was born at Basle in 1621. He learned painting of Sandrart, and was afterwards successively pupil or assistant to Rubens and Vandyck in Antwerp and London; and to Sacchi and Carlo Maratti at Rome. He designed well, but acquired a higher reputation as a portrait painter. He painted the Emperor Leopold I. on horseback; and many other royal and eminent personages. On the death of his father he succeeded to his business, but did not discontinue painting. There are a few engravings signed with his name. He died in 1687.—J. T—e.
MERIVALE, John Herman, an eminent English lawyer, was born in 1779 at Exeter, in which city his grandfather had been the pastor of a presbyterian congregation. He studied at St. John's college, Cambridge; but as he had not joined the Church of England, his position and principles as a dissenter prevented his graduating. Called to the bar in 1805, he practised in the court of chancery; and the reputation which he acquired led to his being appointed in 1825 one of the commissioners to inquire into the condition of that court. He subsequently held office as a commissioner of bankruptcy under the new act. He wrote various pamphlets on law reform; but his principal professional work is a collection of chancery cases in three volumes, embracing the decisions from 1815 to 1817 inclusive. In the midst of these labours he continued the literary pursuits to which he was devoted from his early years. Besides the essays which he contributed to periodical publications, he gave the world in 1814 a poem, entitled "Orlando in Roncesvalles," and aided materially in Bland's Collections from Greek Anthology, of which an enlarged edition was issued under his own care in 1833. Two volumes of his poems appeared at a later period, and were followed by his ably-executed translations of the minor poems of Schiller. Mr. Merivale was married to a daughter of Dr. Drury, master of Harrow school. He died in 1844.—W. B.
MERLE D'AUBIGNE. See D'Aubigne.
MERLIN de Douai, Philippe Antoine, Comte, was born at Arleux in 1754. At the age of twenty-one he became an advocate at the bar of Douai, and was named deputy from thence on the convocation of the states-general. From 1789 his political career was marked by vast sagacity and talent, combined with treachery and timidity. A false friend of Louis XVI., a bloodthirsty leader of the Revolution, the employer and then the servant of Bonaparte, he yet found time to produce works which have been regarded as legal standards. The Restoration exiled him; but after 1830 he returned to Paris, and died in 1838.—W. J. P.
MERLIN de Thionville, Antoine Christophe, born at Thionville in 1762, was admitted advocate at the bar of Metz. A man of romantic courage, irrepressible feelings, and unbounded passions, the Revolution found in him one of its most enthusiastic supporters. Merlin received the thanks of his country for his conduct during the siege of Mayence, and rendered invaluable military services in La Vendée and with the army of the Rhine in 1794. His political influence, however, waned away. Retiring into an obscurity from which he never succeeded in emerging, he died at Paris in 1833.—W. J. P.
MEROVEUS or MEROWIG, King of the Franks, reigned probably from 448 to 457. Very little is known of his history. He belonged to the noble family of Merovingians or "Merowingen," whose privilege it was to furnish chiefs to the Franks. His kingdom was situated on the Meuse, the Scheldt, and the Rhine. He is supposed to have aided in raising the siege of Orleans, and in the subsequent defeat of Atila the Hun.—P. E. D.
MERRET, Christopher, an English physician and naturalist, born at Winchcombe, in Gloucestershire, in 1614. He studied medicine at Oxford, and took his degree there in 1642. He then settled in London, where he practised as a physician for many years with considerable success. He published several works, amongst which we may mention a "Short View of the frauds and abuses committed by apothecaries in relation to patients and physicians," which brought down upon him the wrath of the apothecaries; "Pinax Rerum Naturalium Britannicarum," a list of the objects of natural history of Great Britain, &c. Merrick died in 1695.—W. B—d.
MERRICK, James, a learned divine and biblical critic, was born in 1720, and educated at Reading school, whence he proceeded to Trinity college, Oxford. In his fourteenth year he published at Reading, "Messiah, a Divine Essay," and before he was twenty a versified translation of Tryphiodorus' Destruction of Troy. Of this work Dr. Warton said "it is admirably well done, very good versification indeed, and better than the original." He entered into holy orders, but his feeble health prevented him from undertaking parochial duty. He kept up a large literary correspondence. He wrote a metrical version of the psalms, which has been highly commended, "A Dissertation on Proverbs, chapter ix., containing occasional remarks on other passages in sacred and profane writers;" "Prayers for a time of Earthquakes and Violent Floods;" "An Encouragement to a Good Life, particularly addressed to some Soldiers quartered at Reading;" "Poems on Sacred Subjects;" a "Letter to Rev. Joseph Warton, chiefly relating to the Composition of Greek Indexes;" "Annotations, critical and grammatical, on the Three First Chapters of the Gospel according to St. John;" "Annotations on the Psalms;" "A Manual of Prayer for Common Occasions." Lowth characterized Merrick as one of the best of men, and most eminent of scholars. He was liberal of his time and means for charitable purposes, and on this account was generally held in high estimation. Merrick died in 1769.—R. H.
MERSENNE, Marin (in Latin, Marinus Mersennus), a most learned French writer, was born in 1588 at Ayse in the province of Maine. He received his instruction in polite literature at the college of La Flêche; but quitting that seminary he went to Paris, and after having studied divinity some years in the college of the Sorbonne, entered himself among the Minims (a religious order), and in 1611 received their habit. In 1612 he went to reside in the convent of that order at Paris, where he was ordained priest, and performed his first mass in 1613. Immediately upon his settlement he applied himself to the study of the Hebrew language, and having acquired a competent degree of skill therein, became a teacher of philosophy and theology in the convent of Nevers. In this station he continued till the year 1619 when he returned to Paris, determined to spend the remainder of his life in study and conversation. In the pursuit of his studies he established and kept up a correspondence with all the learned and ingenious men of his time. During his stay at La Fleche he contracted a friendship with Des Cartes, and manifested it in many instances, of which the following may be reckoned one. Being at Paris, and looked on as the friend of the great philosopher, he reported that Des Cartes was erecting a new system of physics on the foundation of a vacuum; but finding that the public were indifferent to it, he immediately sent intelligence to his friend that a vacuum was not then the fashion, on which the philosopher changed his system, and adopted the old doctrine of a plenum. The residence of Mersenne at Paris did not prevent his making several journeys into foreign countries, particularly to Holland and Italy. In the month of July, 1648, having called on his friend Des
