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LEFT MENDELSSOHN-BAETHOLDY 187 MENDOZA Metaphysician"; it was written in con- junction with Lessing. His best known work is the "Phaedon," a discourse on the immortality of the soul. He also wi-ote "Letters on the Perceptions"; "Morning Hours"; "Jerusalem"; etc. He died in Berlin, Prussia, Jan. 4, 1786. MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY, FE- LIX (-bar-tol'de), a German composer; born in Hamburg, Feb. 3, 1809. He was the son of a rich banker, and the grand- son of the above philosopher. His incred- ible facility in playing music at sight, ex- FELIX MENDELSSOHN-BARTHOLDY cited the wonder of his teachers — Zelter and Berger. In his ninth year he per- formed at a public concert in Berlin, to the admiration of his audience. The fol- lowing year the boy artist accompanied his parents to Paris; and when he was 12 years old, he composed his pianoforte quartette in C minor. His first composi- tions were published in 1824. These were soon followed by many others. Three years afterward he made a musical tour through Italy, France, and England; and gave, in London, his first symphony, and his overture to the "Midsummer Night's Dream." In 1833, he was appointed to the directorship of the concerts and theater of Diisseldorf, where, in 1835, he produced his great oratorio of "Paulus"; and 10 years afterward he accepted the same office at Leipsic. His symphonies are ranked only second to those of Haydn, Mozart, and Beethoven. He died in Leip- sic, Nov. 4, 1847. MENdIiS, CATULLE (mow£r-des'), a French writer; born in Bordeaux, France, May 22, 1848.^ His verse is marked by exti'eme devotion to form; his style has been called the cameo-art in literature. The collection entitled "Poesies" appeared in 1878. In prose he wrote: "Love's Fol- lies" (1877); "Parisian Monsters" (1882); "To Read at the Bath" (1884); "Grande-M'aguet" (1888); etc.; the dramas "Captain Fracasse" (1870) ; "Fiamette" (1889) ; etc. He died Feb. 8, 1909. MENDICANT ORDERS, monastic or- ganizations, which, by their rule, were forbidden to acquire landed property in any manner whatsover, but were com- pelled to subsist on alms, in many in- stances in their early history, and in some cases even now, in some countries under Roman obedience, actually gath- ered by begging. They date from the 13th century, and at first consisted of the Carmelites, the Dominicans, and the Franciscans. In the latter half of the century the Augustinians became a men- dicant order, and the Servites were rec- ognized by Pope Innocent VIII., in 1487, as a fifth mendicant order. MENDIP HILLS, a range in Somer- setshire, England, extending 23 miles S. E., from Weston-super-Mare to Shepton Mallet, and 3 to 6 miles in breadth. The highest point is Black Down (1,067 feet). The limestone of the Mendips is pierced by numerous caverns, some of which have jnelded prehistoric remains; and lead mining, now much decreased in impor- tance, has been carried on from pre- Roman days, calamine mining being a later industry. MENDOZA (-do'tha), a W. depart- ment of the Argentine Republic; area, 56,000 square miles; pop. about 200.000. The Andes occupy the W. portion. Acon- cagua (22,427 feet), the highest peak in America, being on the N. W. frontier; the rest of the province is pampa land, fertile wherever it can be irrigated by the waters of the Mendoza and other streams, but elsewhere almost worthless. Miner- als, especially copper, abound, petroleum and coal also have been found; and a large quantity of wine is exported to the other provinces. Capital Mendoza, 650 miles by rail W. by N. of Buenos Ajn*es, on the transcontinental railway; it is a handsome town; lying among vineyards and gardens, 2,320 feet above the sea; its streets have shade trees and streams of