Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/287

* M£DEA. 250 MEDHURST. mortal in some of the writers, while others reganliil her as a heroine and united her to Achilles in the Elysian lields. These outlines of the legend were often very variously lilled in, and it is elear that in the sUjry niaii.v ele- ments are eonibined. JIuch points to an original divinity sunk to lieroine. as is so often the case, and niueh also to an original good sorceress, a counterpoise to the wicked Circe. The attempts to interpret the myth in the light of natural phenomena cannot be regarded as successful. The figure of .Medea was a favorite one in art, especially with the vase-painters. The Corinthian episode is common on Roman sarcophagi. It at- tained especial prominence through the great tragedy Medea, )y Euripides. MEDEA. (1) A tragedy by Euripides rep- resented in B.C. 431. when it obtained only the third prize. The delineation of the passionate lieroine makes it one of the most famous of Greek tragedies. Euripides's Medea was translated into Latin by Ennius. (2) A play of consider- able power by Seneca, 1027 lines in length. It is otily occasionally like the play of Euripides. It is distinguished by the beautv of its clioral odes. (J) . tragedy" by Eichard "Glover (1701). MEDECIN MALGRE LUI, ma'd'sax' mal'- grft' Iwe, Le (Fr., the physician in spite of him- self |. A three-act farce-comedy in prose by Jlo- liJre. produced at the Palais Royal in IGCiCi. The plot is taken from an old fabliau of the thirteenth century, Le luedecin dc Bra y- ox Le vilain mire. Marline, the wife of Sganarelle, who has been beaten by her husband, seeks to revenge herself, and informs the servants of Geronte, w'ho are in search of a ])hysician for his daughter Lucinde, that Sganarelle is a wonderful doctor. He has, however, the peculiarity that he will not use his art unless beaten. The servants follow her sug- gestion, and Sganarelle works a cure on Lueinde, whose only illness is the desire to marry Lean- dre. The comedy was set to music by Gounod and presented at the Opera Comique in 1858. It was given in London as "The Mock Doctor" in 18C5. MEDECIN" VOLANT, vo'lax'. Le (Fr.. the llyiiig doctor I. A comedy by iloli&re (1659). in which Sganarelle. the valet of Val&re, appears dis- guised as a physician, engaged by Gorgihus to treat his daughter I.ucile. whom Val6re loves, and who. to escape another marriage, feigns ill- ness. Sganarelle directs Gorgihus to transfer his daughter to a room from which she can readily elope, and distracts his attention by appearing alternately as the physician .nnd as the valet. In the performance of his double role Sganarelle is obliged to leave and enter the house by the window, whence the title of the play. , MEDEE, ma'da' (Fr.. :Stedea). The title of several French tragedies inspired by the Medea of Euripides. (1) A play by Jean de la Peruse (155.3), a translation of Seneca's version of the tragedy. (2) A tragedy by Pierre Corneille ( 1(>.35), based on Euripides with an admixture of Seneca, but with a nundicr of now minor charac- ters and with variations in the details of the plot. (."!) A play by Clement (1770) which eliminates the su|H'rnatural features. (4) A play by Ca- ♦ nlle ^Iend?s. produced at the Renaissance in 18!)8 with Sarah Bernliardt in the title role. It is based on Euripides and Seneca, with modifica- tions ingeniouslv introduced. MEDELLIN, luu'Da-lyOn'. The capital of the Department of Antiotjuia, Colombia, situated between the ranges of the central and western Cordilleras (Jlap: Colombia, B 2). It is a beautiful town, and its elevation being about 5000 feet above sea-level, the climate is pleasant. Its streets are broad and straight, and it has several parks and squares adorned with hand- some buildings, among which are a high school, a museum, and a public library. The manu- factures of the town are chiefly shoes, clothing, locks, and chemicals, and it has some trade in gold and silver. Population, 20,000. iledellin as founded in 1674. MED'FORD. A city, including the villages of Hillside. Glenwood. South Jledford, Welling- ton, and West iledford, in Middlesex County, ilass., five miles north by west of Boston; on the Mystic River, and on the southern and west- ern divisions of the" Boston and ilaine Raihwid (Map: Massachusetts, E 3). The city, which extends four miles in lengtl> and breadth and occupies an area of about nine square miles, is a popular residential suburb of Boston, and the seat of Tufts College (q.v.). It has a public library; several historically interesting build- ings, of which the old Cradock House, built in 1034, is said to be the oldest structure retaining its original form in the United States; Jliddle- sex Fells Park, Jlystie Valley Parkway, Brooks Playslead, Salem Street Common, and several smaller parks ; and three cemeteries, the largest of which. Oak Grove, contains about 34 acres. The principal manufactures include carriages, bricks, machinery, chemicals, dyes, calico, rum, etc. The government is administered under the charter of 1802, which provides for a mayor, elected every two years; a bicameral council, the "board of aldermen being elected at large for terms of two years, and the connnon council, an- nually by wards; and subordinate administra- tive officials. The last are elected either by the aldermen and common council, or appointed by the JIayor with the confirmation of the board of aldermen or of the city council. The school board is independentlv chosen bv popular vote. Population, in 1800," 11,079; in 1900, 18,244. Founded as ileadford by a company from Salem in 1630, Medford became a town in the following year and was chartered as a city in 1892. Con- sult Usher. History of the Toxon of Medford, Mass. (Boston, 1880). MEDFORD. A city and the county-seat of Taylor County. Wis.. 119 miles south of Ash- l.Tud; on the Black River, and on the Wisconsin Central Railroad (Jlap: Wisconsin, C 3). It has saw and floining mills, a foundrj', a tannery, cheese factories, etc. ; and is the centre of a lumbering district. Population, in 1890. 1193; in 1900. 1758. MED'HXJRST, W.*.lter Henry (1796-18.57). An Englisli missionary. He was born in Lon- don, and went, by appointment of the London Jlissionary Society in 1816, to Malacca as a missionary printer. His fitness for the ministry induced tlie missionaries to ordain him in 1819, and he did good service in various Eastern lields, Malacca, Penang, Batavia, Paraiiattan, anil, from 1S42 to 1S56, at Shangluii. For six years he performed mission work in the interior of China amid much peril. In 1847 delegates from several stations convened in Shanghai for