Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/799

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MONTEREY inese. The surface is traversed by several ges. The best land lies in the valleys of e Salinas and San Benito, and the varieties elevation permit the production of a great iversity of fruits, of which those that reach e greatest perfection are the fig, peach, apri- grape, apple, pear, and olive. The county thinly wooded except on the coast. Silver, per, lead, quicksilver, and granite are among e mineral resources. Stock raising is the ipal occupation. The Southern Pacific ilroad traverses the county. The chief pro- .ctions in 1870 were 744,093 bushels of wheat, 1,411 of oats, 681,115 of barley, 131,213 of s and beans, 69,850 of potatoes, 59,120 Ibs. tobacco, 1,054,310 of wool, 423,385 of but- , 713,550 of cheese, and 18,927 tons of hay. ere were 8,017 horses, 9,370 milch cows, ^,266 other cattle, 298,877 sheep, and 13,952 swine ; and a number of manufactories. San Benito co. was formed from the E. part in 1874, reducing the area given above. Capital, Monterey, on a bay of the same name, 85 m. S. S. E. of San Francisco ; pop. in 1870, 1,112. was formerly the seat of an important Ro- Catholic mission, and was the capital of lifornia till 1847. MONTEREY, a city of Mexico, capital of the of Nuevo Leon, on a river of its own me, 450 m. N. N. W. of Mexico ; pop. in 1869, 3,534. It is on a rapidly sloping plain about 6 m. from the Sierra Madre, 1,500 ft. above the sea. The streets are regular, well kept, and well lighted ; and the houses, chiefly of lime- ne, are well built and tasteful. The princi- pal square is embellished with a marble foun- tain by native artisans. Among the more note- worthy edifices are the cathedral, two churches, one of which is among the handsomest in the republic, and the municipal and government palaces. Monterey has also a fine hospital, a prison, barracks, and abattoir, a seminary, two colleges, and 15 public and 20 private schools. The climate is comparatively mild, but subject to sudden changes. Monterey is one of the most prosperous manufacturing towns in Mexico. There are cotton, paper, flour, and saw mills, and manufactories of nails, bricks, carriages, morocco, candles, soap, sugar, beer, and brandy. Modern machines and implements are being rapidly introduced from the United States, whence are also imported large quantities of books and other merchandise. The city was founded in 1596, on the site of the former Ciudad de Leon, and received the name of Nuestra Sefiora de Monterey. In 1777 it was made a bishopric. It has frequently been visited by cholera and other epidemics. In the early part of the war between the United States and Mexico, Monterey was a strong mili- tary position amply fortified, and held by the Mexican Gen. Ampudia with 10,000 regular troops. On Sept. 19, 1846, Gen. Taylor with 6,600 men attacked it. The city was bom- barded in the morning, from batteries erected during the night; then a brigade under Gen. MONTESQUIEU 781 Quitman carried the lower part of the town by assault, while Gen. W. O. Butler with the first Ohio regiment entered at another point. Gen. Worth carried the heights south of the river and the Saltillo road, and turned the guns upon the bishop's palace ; next morning he stormed the height overlooking the palace, and turned its guns upon the flying Mexicans. The main body of the Mexicans retired step by step, taking advantage of the solidly built houses, and the Americans fought their way through the city, reaching the principal plaza on the 23d. Ampudia capitulated on the 24th. The American loss was 120 killed and 368 wound- ed ; the Mexican loss was not ascertained. MOKTESPM, Fran^oise Athtoais de Rochechonart de Mortemart, marquise de, a mistress of Louis XIV. of France, born at the chateau of Ton- nay-Charente in 1641, died at Bourbon-1'Ar- chambault in 1707. She was the younger daughter of Rochechouart, first duke of Mor- temart, and was educated in the convent of Ste. Marie at Saintes. She was first known as Mile. Tonnay-Charente, and was maid of hono* to the duchess of Orleans. At the age of 22 she married Pardaillan de Gondrin, marquis de Montespan, and became lady in attendance to the queen. Her beauty, wit, and conversa- tional powers at once made a sensation ; but for several years the king seemed scarcely to notice her. She secretly became his mistress however about 1668, and was openly declared such two years later. Her husband, who at- tempted to break off the connection, was ban- ished to his estate, and was legally separated from her in 1676. For 14 years her influence over the king was unbounded; she prevailed upon him to legitimate their children, who were confided to the care of the widow Scarron, afterward Mme. de Maintenon, who in time supplanted Mme. de Fontanges, the immediate successor of their mother in the royal affec- tions. She was finally separated from him in 1686, and in 1691 she was obliged to leave Ver- sailles. She retired to a convent, and tried in vain to be reconciled with her husband. She now devoted herself to penance and mortifica- tion, distributing most of her income to the poor. Her children by the king were: the duke de Maine, the count de Vexin, Mesde- moiselles de Nantes, de Blois, and de Tours, and the count de Toulouse, besides three others who died in childhood. The marquis d'Antin was her son by her husband. MONTESQFIEU, Charles de Secondat, baron de, a French philosopher, born at the chateau of La Brede, near Bordeaux, Jan. 18, 1689, died in Paris, Feb. 10, 1755. He was remarkable during his youth for diligent studies not only of jurisprudence but of literature and philoso- phy. At the age of 20 he composed a work designed to prove that the paganism of the ancient philosophers and authors did not merit eternal damnation. At the age of 25 he was admitted to the parliament of Bordeaux, of which he became president d mortier two years