Bailly drew up the report, and thoroughly exposed the imposture and trickery of the proceeding. About the same time a condemnatory report was also drawn up by the Royal Society of Medicine. The government printed both scientific testimonies and circulated them widely. The result was that whilst the converts to mesmerism attempted, by forming themselves into societies, to resist the effect of these adverse decisions, Mesmer thought it more prudent to decamp. He arrived in England with a sum of three hundred and forty thousand francs, the amount subscribed for the purchase of his secret, which, however, he brought away with him. He lived for some time in England under an assumed name, but ultimately passed over to Germany, where in 1799 he published another treatise on animal magnetism. He died in poverty at the place of his birth in 1815.—F. C. W.
MESSALA (Marcus Valerius Messala Corvinus), was born probably about 70 b.c. He studied at Athens, as was usual with young Romans of fortune in his time. After the death of Julius Cæsar, Messala joined the republican party, to one of whose leaders, Cassius, he was strongly attached. He is said to have been third in command of the republican army, and at the battle of Philippi he turned the flank of Augustus, stormed his camp, and narrowly missed taking him prisoner. When the cause of the republicans was lost, Messala succeeded in making favourable terms with Antony, and remained for some time in his service. Seeing, however, that the influence of Cleopatra would inevitably prove fatal to his chief, he passed over to Augustus, and was placed by him high in trust and office. In 31 b.c. he was consul, and commanded the centre of Augustus' fleet in the decisive battle of Actium in the same year. Subsequently he was for a short time præfectus urbis, and also held office in Gaul and in Asia Minor. During the rest of his life he continued high in favour with Augustus. Messala was distinguished as an orator and historian, and is especially remembered as a patron of the eminent literary men who adorned the court of the emperor. Horace, Tibullus, and Ovid were honoured by his friendship. Messala died about the time of the birth of Christ; but the exact date is not known.—G.
MESSALINA, Valeria, a daughter of Messala Barbatus, was the third wife of the Roman emperor Claudius. She had been married to him before his accession in a.d. 41, and to her influence, along with that of his freedmen, history ascribes the sanguinary measures by which the timid and pliable prince darkened the commencement of his reign. Possessing considerable talents and force of character, she might have continued to rule the imperial councils to the last, if her profligacy had not at length provoked the vengeance of her husband. In the course of a dissolute career, which has made her name proverbial for infamy, she fixed her regards on Caius Silius, reputed the handsomest man in the empire; and during the absence of Claudius from Rome, she proceeded to celebrate a public marriage with the favourite. The festivities were interrupted by the sudden return of the emperor, by whose orders she was put to death, a.d. 48. One son had been the fruit of their union, the unfortunate Britannicus, who was poisoned by his half-brother, Nero, when the latter seized the throne at the death of Claudius—W. B.
MESSIER, Charles, an eminent French astronomer, was born at Badonviller in Lorraine, on the 26th of June, 1730, and died at Paris on the 12th of April, 1817. About 1751 he was employed as an assistant by the astronomer Delisle, who obtained for him a situation in the hydrographical department. He was an indefatigable observer, and gifted with a rare keenness of sight, of which he made successful use in searching for and tracing the paths of comets. He compiled a catalogue of small nebulæ which are liable to be mistaken for comets. This work is highly valued by astronomers as a means of preventing such mistakes. He was elected a member of the Academy of Sciences in 1770.—W. J. M. R.
MESSINA, Antonello da, or Antonio degli Antoni, a very celebrated Italian painter, was the immediate cause of the introduction of oil painting into Italy. He was born at Messina about 1414, and is said to have completed his studies at Rome. Vasari informs us, that on an occasion when Antonello was at Naples, he saw a picture by John Van Eyck in the possession of the king, Alphonso, which excited his admiration by its beautiful impasto to that extent, that he felt impelled to make a journey to Bruges, in order to learn the secret of the method employed, which was evidently not the common tempera method in vogue at that time. This cannot have been before 1442, for that was the year in which Alphonso became king of Naples. However, Antonello arrived at Bruges, gave some presents to the Flemish painter, and acquired the secret of the new method. The difficulty of this story is, that if Vasari is correct as to the prince who possessed the picture, Antonello must have learned the oil method of Lambert Van Eyck, the only brother of the three then living; for John, it has been just ascertained, died in July, 1440 (not 1441). If Réné of Anjou were the prince, or if the event took place in his time, Antonello may have personally known John, and Vasari's account may be mainly correct. Antonello carried his secret to Venice, and there, about 1451, communicated it to Domenico Veneziano, who in 1463 communicated it to Andrea del Castagno at Florence, and the Florentine painter, in his insane selfishness, murdered Domenico in return for instruction in the method, thinking to be the sole holder of the secret. Antonello, in the meanwhile, gained a great name at Milan and at Venice, where he finally established himself about 1473, communicated the method generally, and lived to see it almost universally adopted. He died at Venice between 1493 and 1496. Antonello's pictures are exceedingly scarce, but such as exist are carefully and minutely executed, sometimes with much taste; but they are uniformly brown, and will not bear comparison with the productions of John Van Eyck. They bear known dates from 1445 to 1478. The National gallery possesses a "Salvator Mundi," nearly life-size, a fine characteristic specimen, signed and dated 1465; the Antwerp "Crucifixion," is dated 1475, and signed Antonellus Messaneus me ōō pinxit. The ōō seems to signify oleo, and the picture was doubtless painted at Venice shortly after the publication of the method. The date is certainly 1475; when seen with a powerful lens, the figures cannot be mistaken.—(See the National Gallery Descriptive Catalogue, thirty-fourth edition, 1862.)—R. N. W.
MESSIS. See Matsys.
MESTON, William, a learned professor and poet, was born at Midmar, Aberdeenshire, in 1688 He was educated at Marischal college, Aberdeen, and filled successively the offices of teacher in the high school of that city; preceptor to the young Earl Marischal and his brother, the celebrated Marshal Keith; and professor of philosophy in Marischal college. He was deprived of his professorship in 1715, on account of his adherence to the jacobite principles of the Marischal family, and had to remain some time in concealment. His subsequent career was somewhat chequered. He kept an academy for some time in Elgin, and afterwards at Turiff and Montrose; but his neglect of sobriety and economy reduced him in his latter days to great straits, and made him entirely dependent on the generosity of the countess of Errol. He died in 1745. Meston was an accomplished classical scholar and mathematician. His poetry, one volume of which was published in 1767, is characterized by wit and humour, but grievously marred by coarseness and indelicacy.—J. T.
METASTASIO, Pietro, was born at Rome on the 6th of January, 1698. His father, who had once been in more opulent circumstances, was at that time a pastry-cook; and the small profits of his trade enabled him to place his son at a grammar-school, where even in his earliest years the boy evinced that poetic genius which so highly distinguished his after-life. The celebrated lawyer and critic Gravina was struck with the precocity he displayed, having accidentally heard him improvising verses at his father's door, and, fortunately for the youth, generously resolved to adopt him as his son. The father, Felice Trapassi, willingly consented; and Pietro entered his new home, his friend and patron changing his name from Trapassi to Metastasio, the Greek translation of the word. Young Metastasio received an admirable education, nominally a student of law, yet manifesting, however, a decided preference for the muses. At the age of fourteen he had actually composed a tragedy, "Giustino," which is still printed in his works. Six years afterwards, in 1718, Gravina died, leaving by will all his property, which was considerable, to his adopted child and pupil. Devoting himself to the pursuit of poetry, Metastasio commenced the career of operatic dramatist, in which he was destined to be so successful, by the publication of the "Didone Abbandonata," which at once established the author's fame. Other works followed; and the result was, that in 1729 he received an invitation from the Emperor Charles VI. to repair to Vienna, and become the successor of Apostolo Zeno, the imperial laureate. Metastasio accepted the offer; and it was during his residence
