Page:Cyclopaedia, Chambers - Volume 2.djvu/133

 MAH

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MAI

, MAGNIFYING-GLASS, in Optics, a little Sphere, convex Lens, {jfc. which, in tranfmitting the Rays of Light, inflefts them fo, as that the parallel ones become converging, and thofe which were diverging become pa- rallel ? by means whereof, Objects view'd thro 'em ap- pear larger than when view'd by the naked Eye. See J-ens, Microfcof>e t &<:•

M AGNITUDE, any thing that hasParts external toParts, connected together by Come common Term ; i. e. any thing locally extended or continued ; or that has feveral Dimensions, The Origin of aWMagnitude is a Point, which tho void of Parts itfelf, yet its Flux forms a Line, the Flux of that a Surface, and of that a Body.

M. Freftet gives the Name Literal Magnitude to a Mag- ftifwcfe exprefs'd by Letters ; and a. Numerical Magnitude he calls fuch a one as is exprefs'd by Numbers ; a Broken Magnitude is a Fraction j o.Complex Magnitude is that forra'd by Multiplication 5 an Incommenfurable Magnitude is a Mag- nitude that has no proportion to Unity.

Among the Writers of Optics, the Apparent Magnitude of a Body is that rneafured by the Optic ov Vifual Angle, intercepted between Rays drawn from its Extremes into the Centre of the Pupil of each. And 'tis one of their fundamental Maxims, whatever things are feen under the fame or equal Angles, appear equal, and on the contrary. The Apparent Magnitudes of an Object at different Di- ftances, are in a Ratio lefs than that of their Diftances reciprocally.

MAGOPHONIA, the Name of a Feaft among the antient Perfians. The Magus Smerdis having ufurped the Throne of the Perfians upon the death of Cambyjes, 521 Years before J. C. feven of the principal Lords of the Court confpired to drive him out of it. Their Defign was executed with good fuccefs 5 Smerdis and his Brother, another Magus, call'd Pitiz-ithez, they kill'd. Upon which, the People alfo rofe, and put all the Magi to the fword ; infomuch that there would not one have efcaped, had not the Night come upon 'em. Darius, Son of Hy- ftafpes, was then elected King. In memory of this Maf- facre of the Magi, a Feaft was inftituted, fays Herodotus, call'd Magophoniaj from M*y©-, Magus, and ph@- f Mur- ther.

MAHIM, or Mayhim, in Law, a Corporal Hurt, where- by a Man lofeth the Ufe of any Member, that is or may be of any defence to him in Battle ; as the Eye, Hand, Foot, Scalp of the Head, Fore-tooth, or, as fome fay, any Finger or Toe. Glanv. BraB. ££?c. Jf any one ihall of Malice -forethought cut out or difable any Limb or Mem- ber of any, with Intention in fo doing to maim or disfigure him, it is Felony without Benefit of the Clergy ; and when the Cafe is difficult to judge, whether it benMahim or not, the Judges commonly behold the Party wounded, and fome times take the Opinion of Chirurgeons. The word comes from the French Mehaigner, to mutilate. The Canonifts call it Membri Mutilationem j and all agree, it confiftsin the Lofs of a Member, or the Ufe thereof.

MAHOMETAN ISM, the Syftem of Religion broach'd by Mahomet, and {till adhered to by his Followers. Ma- hometanifm is embraced by the Turks, Perfians, and fe- veral Nations among the Africans, and many among the Eafi-lndians. The firft and chief Article of the Mahome- tan Creed, is, that there is no other God hut God 5 which they have from the Alcoran, where thefe Words are repeated inceffantly : There is no other God hut htm. Tour God is the only God. I am God, and there is no other God but me. This grand Axiom of their Theology feems to have been taken from the Jews, who were continually reheariing thofe Words of Deuterojzomy, Hear, Ifrael, the Lord our God is One. For this reafon, the Mahometans account all fuch as own any thing of Number in the Divinity, to be Idolaters : And accordingly, one of the firft Leffons they teach their Children, is, That God is neither Male nor Female, and confequently can have no Children.

The fecond Fundamental Article of Mahometanifm con- fifts in this, That Mahomet was fent from God. By which they exclude all other Religions j under pretence that their Prophet was the laft and greateft of all the Prophets that God would ever fend ; and that as the Jewijh Reli- gion ceafed with the Coming of the Mejftah, fo likewife the Chriftian Religion was to be abrogated with the Coming of Mahomet. Not but that they own Mo/e; and $efus Chrift to have been great Prophets j but Mahomet they hold to be The Prophet, by way of Excellence ; and the Paraclete or Comforter fpoken of in Scripture.

Thefe are the two Fundamentals of Mahometanifm 5 fo that when any is to make profeffion of that Faith, they content themfelves with his fpeaking thefe words, There is no other God but God, and Mahomet is his Envoy or Pro- phet.

To thefe Articles the Mahometans have added that of Bathing or Purification, in imitation of the Jews. And

fuch an Opinion have they of thefe Purifications, that 'tig purely on that account they feem to have retain'd the Practice of Circumcifion. For they pretend, with the Jews, that if the leaft part of the Body remain unwafh'd, the Bathing is of no effect.. Hence they find themfelves under a neceffity of being circumcis'd 5 that the Part co- ver 'd by the Prepuce may alfo have its fhare of the Lo- tion.

Prayer is alfo one of the Things to which the Maho- metans are obliged ; and they perform it five times a day, to diftmguifti themfelves from the jews, who only do it thrice. Some of their Returns of Prayer they hold to be neceffary and of Divine Obligation 5 others they efteern convenient and prudential. That at Nine a-clock in the Morning they don't eft eem neceffary 5 but thofe at Noon and in the Afternoon are held to be Jure Divino. They are obliged to obferve an infinity of things to beh«ard : If they fpeak or fmile in Praying, their Prayers are vain: and 'tis the fame thing if they weep, unlefs it be with the Thought of Paradife or Hell. In many of their Prayers they ufe Beads. They believe with the Chriftians and Jews a. Refurreftion of the Dead. They hold, that e'er that time an Anti-Mahomet will come j and that J. C. will defcend from Heaven to kill him, and eftablifh Ma- hometanifm. To which they add a great many more Chi- meras, relating to Gog and Magog j and the Beaft that is to come out o£ Mocca. The Mountains are to fly in the Air like Birds, and at laft the Heavens will melt and run upon the Earth. They add however, that fome time after, God will renew and re-eftablifti the Earth 5 that then the Dead will be rais'd, §g?e. See Alcoran.

MAIDEN, an edg'd Initrument ufed in fome Coun- tries, particularly in Scotland, for the beheading of Cri- minals. The Maiden is a broad Piece of Iron, a foot fquare, fliarp on the lower part, and loaded above with Lead, fo as fcarce to be lifted. At the time of Execu- ■ tion, it is pull'd up to the top of a narrow wooden Frame ten foot high, with a Groove on each fide for the Maiden to ilide in. The Prifoner's Neck being faften'd to a Bar underneath, on a Sign given, the Maiden islet loofe, and. the Head in aninftant feparated from the Body.

MAJESTY, a Title given to Kings, and which fre- quently ferves as a Name to diftinguiih them by. The Emperor is call'd, His C^efarian or Imperial Majejiy j the King of Spain, His Catholic Majefiy 5 the King of Prance, His mofi Chriftian Majefiy ; the King of Great Britain, His Britannic Majefiy, ckc. Some have alfo extended this Ti- tle to the Popes. Pafqmer has obferved, that our Fore- fathers ufed this Quality exceeding fparingly 5 and that the frequent Ufe of the Word which now obtains, had not its beginning before the Reign of their Henry II. He inftances feveral Letters of S. Gregory, who writing to King Theodebert and Theodoric, only compliments them with Excellence. Till the Time of Charles V. the King of Spain had no Title but that of Highnefs : And before our King Henry VII/. the Kings of England were only addrefs'd un- der the Titles of Grace and Highnefs. At the Peace of Miwfier, there was a great Conteft between the Minifiers of the Emperor and thofe of France: The firft would not allow the Title of Serenity to the King of France, and the latter would not give that of Majefy to the Emperor. At laft 'twas agreed, that whenever the French King ftiould write with his own Hand to the Emperor, he ihould give him the Title of Imperial Ma jefry j and reci- procally when the Emperor /hould write to the King, he ihould give him that of Royal Majefiy.

Under the Roman Republic, the Title of Majejiy be- longed to the whole Body of the People and to the Prin- cipal Magiftrates 5 fo that to diminifii or wound the Ma- jejiy of the Commonwealth, was to be wanting in Refpecl to the State, or its Minifters. But the Power paflTmg into the hands of a fingle Perfon, the Appellation of Majefiy was transfer'd to the Emperor and the Imperial Family. Pliny complements Trajan on his being contented with the Title of Greatnefs ■■, and fpeaks very invidioufly on thofe who affected that of Majejiy. And yet Majefiy feems to be the modefteft and juiteft Title that can be attributed to Sovereigns, fmce it fignifies no more, at bottom, than the Royalty or Sovereign Power.

The Word feems compofed of the two Latin words, Major, greater, and Status, State.

MAIL, a Coat of Mail, fo call'd from the French Maille, a fquare Figure, or the fquare Hole of a Net. Maille with a double // fignifies a round Ring of Iran, whence the Play of PaU-Mall, from Palla, a Ball, and Maille, the round Ring thro which it is to pafs.

MAILED implies fomething fpeckled, or full of Specks •■> as the Feathers of Hawks, Partridges, &c. or as the Furs of fome wild Beafts are.

MAIN MORTE, a Term in fome antient Cuftoms ftill holding in Burgundy ^nA other Countries, fignifying a

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