Page:The American Cyclopædia (1879) Volume XI.djvu/865

 MORRISON his head. Tom the piper was a minstrel- of the superior order, with a complicated red, blue, and yellow dress, a sword, a feather in his cap, and a tabor, tabor stick, and pipe to distinguish his profession. The hobby-horse was designed for antics and tricks of legerdemain. During the reign of Elizabeth the Puritans checked the May pastimes by their invectives against " the terrestrial furies " which indulged in them. Maid Marian and the hobby-horse were re- ored by King James's "Book of Sports," but ere again degraded during the commonwealth, some parts of England, however, the dance ntinued till very recently, and it existed in nee in the 18th century. The fullest ac- nt of the subject is by Douce, in a disserta- ion with his " Illustrations of Shakespeare." MORRISON, a central county of Minnesota, in- rsected by the Mississippi river, and watered y several small streams; area, about 1,175 sq. m. ; pop. in 1870, 1,681. The surface con- sists chiefly of rolling prairies ; the soil is pro- ductive. The chief productions in 1870 were 11,927 bushels of wheat, 9,345 of Indian corn, 18,987 of oats, 13,668 of potatoes, and 20,005 Ibs. of butter. The value of live stock was $56,116. Capital, Little Falls. MORRISON, Robert, an English missionary, born in Morpeth, Northumberland, Jan. 5, 1782, died in Canton, Aug. 1, 1834. He was apprenticed to his father as a last maker, but commenced the study of theology in 1801, and entered the Independent academy at Hoxton in 1803. In 1804 he offered his services to the London missionary society, and in 1805 removed to the mission college at Gosport, Where he began the study of Chinese. In MORRISTOWN 847 the winter of 1807 he was ordained, and in the following autumn went to Canton, being the first Protestant missionary to China. In 1808 he was appointed translator to the East India company's factory at Canton, and began translating the Scriptures into Chinese. The New Testament appeared in 1814, and the Old Testament, executed with the assistance of Mr. Milne, in 1818. In November of the latter year Mr. Morrison caused the foundation of an Anglo-Chinese college at Malacca. In 1823-'6 he was in England, and became a member of the royal society. His Chinese grammar (4to, Serampore, 1815) and his Chinese dictionary (5 vols., Macao, 1815-'23) were his chief ori- ginal works. His " Memoirs " were compiled by his widow (2 vols., London, 1839). MORRISTOWN, a post village in Morris town- ship, capital of Morris co., New Jersey, on the Whippany river and the Morris and Essex division of the Delaware, Lackawanna, and Western railroad, 43 m. N. N. E. of Trenton, and 32 m. by rail W. by N. of New York ; pop. about 5,000. It is built on an elevated plain commanding beautiful views of the sur- rounding country. The streets are regularly laid out, the houses neatly built, and there is a public square in the centre, in which is a soldiers' monument. It is the principal mar- ket for the surrounding country, which is rich in agricultural products, and it contains a handsome court house, two national banks, manufactures of iron, &c., six hotels, five schools, three weekly newspapers, and eight churches. 'It is a favorite summer residence for citizens of New York. Morristown is no- ted as having been the headquarters of the New Jersey State Asylum for the Insane. American army on two occasions during the revolutionary war, in the winters of 1776-7 and 1779-'80. The remains of an old fort are still visible in the rear of the court house. The house occupied by Gen. Washington is now the property of the state. About 3 m. 575 VOL. xi. 54 from the village a new state insane asylum, one of the largest and best arranged^in the country, is in course of erection. It is to be completed early in 1875, and with site and equipments will cost about $2,000,000. The grounds embrace 408 acres. The entire length