Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/252

* MAZATLAN. 224 HAZZEI. and skins. Population. l:i.OUO. In 1!)03 the bu- bonic plague made its appearance at the port. Great excitement prevailed, and many deaths resulted. MAZDAK, nuiz'dak (470-?). A Persian re- former, wlio founded a religious and social sect that existed for a time and were known as Mazdakites, after his name. He was born at Peisepolis, and belonged originally to the Magian faith, being a priest at Nishapur. He became imbued with communistic and reformatory views and |)reaehed the doctrine not alone of the e(|uality of mankind,, but the comnuinity of jiroperty. including women, and the consequent abolitiiin of marriage laws. Simjilicity in man- ner of life and dress, and abstinence from animal food, except milk and eggs, were enjoined. He succeeded in converting to his faith King Kavadh, or Kobad (a.d. 488.531) : but a revolution of the nobles, urged on doubtless also by the jealous Magian clergy, resulted in dethroning the King and placed Jamasp, his brother, on the throne ( A.D. 407 ) . Three years later Kobad was re- stored to power, and for pcilitical ])urposes he out- wardly recanted his Jlazilakite views. Toward the end of his reign, suspecting Stale intrigues by the Jlazdakites. he allowed Mazdak and thou- sands of his followers to be put to death. Traces of the sect lingered on in the neighborhood of llniTimlan as late as the Seljukid era. MAZE, maz. Hippolyte (1839-91). A French historian and politician, born at Arras. He entered the Ecole Xormale Superieure in 1859, I)ecame a fellow in history- in lSfi3. and taught at the lyeees of Cahors, Saint-ljuentln. Angers, and Versailles. He was appointed a prefect in 1870. Tha next year, however, he returned to teaching, and became first professor of history at the Lycd-e Fontanes in Paris, He was elected to the Chamber of Deputies in 1879 as a Repub- lican and reelected in 1881. From 18,8(1 until his death he was Senator from Seine-et-Ois<'. Among his publications are: Ad r/'publiijiic des Etntsl'nif d'Amvrique. na foiidatinn (1809); Hoclie rn 't'iidce (1882) ; and La Ittttc contre la miscre (1883). MAZEPTA, Ivan- Stefanovitcii (1640- 1709 1. . leader of the (^o.ssacks, born in the Russian (lovernment of Kiev, of a noble family. He became a page in the service of .John Casimir, King of Poland. A Polish nobleman surprised him in an intrigue with his wife, bound him naked on his own hor.se, and lashed the ani- mal out into the stepix-s. The horse carried him to his own distant residence — not to the Ikrainc. as has been often said: but Mazep))a. out of shame, (led to the T'kraine, joined the Cossacks, rose to high distinction among them, overthrew their hetman. Samilovitcli. and in 1087 was elected in his place. He won (he cdnfidence of Peter the Great, who loadeil him with honors anil made him Prince of the I'kraine: bit on the curtailment of the freedom nf the Cossacks by Russia, Mazeppa. hoping to achieve complete independence, entered into negotiations with Charles XTI. of Sweden, joined liim with a erm- siderabli' band, and took part in the battle of Poltova, in 1709. after whieli he (led to Pender, and there died in the same year. His story has been widcdy treated in painting, poetry, the novel, and the drama, nutably by Ryron in his poem Mazeppa. MAZUEANIC, mu'zliuu-rll'uich. Ivan (1814- 90). A Croatian pod and statesman, born in Xovi. He studied at Fiume and Agram, and practiced law for several years. He took an active part in promoting the national spirit of the Croats, and wrote the influential mani- festo Hrvati Mugjarom ('The Croats to the Mag- yars') (1848). He was made procurator-general of Croatia and Shivonia in 1850. Afterwards he became first Chancellor of Croatia and Slavonia (1861), and from 1873 to 18S0 was Ban, or Governor, of Croatia. Mazuranie is one of the most representative as well as the greatest* of Croatian poets. His poems first ap- peared in the Danica ilirsha ('The Star of Hlyria') in 1835. His masterpiece is the epic poeni on the death of Ismail Cengie', Smrt Smail- agc Criuiir'n (1846). MAZURKA, maznnr'ka (Pol., Mazur dance, so named from the Mazurs, a branch of the Polish nation inhabiting Masovia, in Russian Poland, and a district in East Prussia). A na tional Polish dance in triple time and moderate tempo. Its principal rhythm is Frequently the musical phrase ends with the see ond beat, so that the thinl becomes an up beat to the next bar, The history of the mazurka gws back to the sixteenth century, when it was a song accomjianied by a dance. Augustus III. (1733-63) introduced it into Germany, and from that country it sjjread to France and, about 1845, to England, The Russian mazurka differs from its original prototype in that it may be danced by any number of people, while the Polish mazurka is generally performed by either four or eight couples. The steps and even the figures are frcipiently varied. Chopin revolutionized the mazurka. He extended its form and introduced characteristic Polish melodies, leaving prac- tieallv only the inten.se character. MAZZARA DEL VALLO, m;t-sa'ra del viil'l'i. A city in the Province of Trapani. Sicily. 13 miles by rail from Marsala, on the Mediterranean (Map: Italy. G 10). A massive wall 36 feet high encircles the city, which has many interesting ruins. Its cathedral ami castle, dating fmm the Xorman i)eriod, and the archiepiscopal palace are the most attractive buildings. The inhabitants of the ueighbiiring region are engaged in agriculture, and an im- portant trade is carried on in barley, corn, olive oil. fniit. cotton, and wine. Mazzara del Vallo. the ancii'ut Ma^ara, was settled by colonists from Selinus, and figured prominently in the early history of the island. Population, in 1901 (comnninel, -iO.h'iO. MAZZARINO, miit'sa-re'nft. A town in the Province df Caltanissetta, Sicily, sitviated about 35 miles east of Girgent'i (Ma"p: Italy. .1 10). It has an old castle and sulphur springs in the vicinity. Its products consist of fruit, vegeta- bles, and wine. Population, in 1901 (com- niniie i, 1 6. .355. MAZZEI, miit-.sfi'iV Philip (1730-1816). An Italian |>hysieian, author, and traveler, a native of Tuscany. In Decendier. 1773. he went to Virginia for the purpose of introducing grape and olive culture in that colony. There he he- came acquainted with Thomas .JetTcrson. ami later, after his return to Italy, corrcsponilcd with him. From 1779 to 1783 he was the official agent of Virginia in Italy for the purchase