Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 13.djvu/470

* MICAWBEB. 430 MICHAEL. MICAWBER, .Mr. Wilkixs. In Dickens's Da I id t'oppiifUld, an iminoviiieut, unpractical, and visionary character, noted for his mercurial t'.'niperamenl. his constant financial embarrass- ments, and his firm confidence that "something will turn up." Jlicawber is believed to be in- tended as a portrait of Dickens's father, and Mrs. ilicawbor is said to represent his mother. MICEL'LAR THEORY {from Neo-Lat. mi- cella, diminutive of J-at. mica, crumb). A theoiy pro|josed by the botanist Xiigeli in 1802 to ac- count for the physical properties of organized bodies like starch grains, cell walls, etc. He as- sumed that the molecules of the chemist are unit- ed into larger imions, constituting molecules of a higlier order, which he called micella'. These hypothetical micella' are extremely minute, never being visible even with the highest powers of the yiicroscope. lie further claims that the growth i/i thickness of a cell wall is due to the intercala- tion (intussusception) of new micella; of cellu- lose between the micellie which have become v'.idely separated from each other by the stretch- ing of the wall. Strasl)urger, the most important opponent of the uiicellar theory, holds that the growth in thickness of a cell wall is ilue to the dej)Osition of material u])on its inner surface. The micellar theory is still cjrrcnt, but is not so strongly supported as formerly. MICHABO, me-cha'bu. See JIaxaboziio. MICHAEL, mi'ka-el or mi'kel (Heb., 'Who is like (od?'). An angel called in Dan. x. 13 one of the chief princes, who had sjiecial care of the Jews (Dan. x. 21, 'Michael your prince'), and who will fight for them and finally re- deem them (Dan. xii. 1). In Jude !) ili- chael is represented as fighting with the Devil for the body of Moses. In llev. xii. 7-9 he lights against the Dragon. In the Book of linoch Michael appears as one of the four angels who stand at the throne of God. Ra- phael. Gabriel, and Lemuel being the others, and in the oldest list of the seven archangels (Uriel. Raphael, Ragucl, Michael, Suriel. Gabriel, and Ucmiel) the fourth ))lace is occupied by Michael (Kthiopic text of Knoch, chap. xx). His special function, as described in Enoch, is to net as scribe in entering in the heavenly books the deeds of the angelic patrons of nations, while in the Ascension of Ifiniiih he records the deeds of all men in the heavenly books. According to the Talmudic account, llichacl is the prince, the chief of the angels, standing in relation to the rest a.s the High Priest does to Israel on earth. He is therefore looked upon as the medium through whom the Law was given to Mos<'s on Mount Sinai. In the Western Christian Church September 20th (Michaelmas) has been set aside a.H his day; the Greek Church keeps NoveniI)cr 0th. Zimmern (Hciliniirliriftcn iinil d«.s nlle T/'.slnnicnt, p. 37(i seq.) has shown that some of the conceptions connected with Jliehael represent attributes of Babylonian gods, like Marduk and Xebo transformed to 'angels.' Consult : Weber. Lehre des Talmud (Leipzig. 1807): Kohut. .fii- di»che Anqcloloqic (Leipzig. 1806); Lucken, VicharJ (Gottingen. 1808). MICHAEL. mi'k«-l or mI'kA-6l. The name of nine enqwrors of Constantinople. AIlCllAKL 1. (died 84.")) succeeded to the throne on the death of Stauracius. in 811, conducted a war against the Bulgarians, but was a feeble monarch, who abdicated without fighting against Leo, the Armenian, a general in his service, in 813. and retiring to a monastery, passed the remainder of his life in devotional exercises. — Michael II. (died 829), surnamed the 'Stammerer,' was born in Lppcr Phrygia, of an obsoire family, but was ennobled by Leo the Armenian, who, how- ever, afterward condemned him to death on a charge of conspiring against him. His life was saved by the assassination of Leo, and Michael was crowned Emperor in 82(1. He was cruel and arbitrary- ; and his attempts to force his sub- jects to celebrate the Jewish Sabbath and Pass- over brought about a revolt on the part of his general Kuphemius, who proclaimed himself Emperor. The rebellious general was slain near Syracuse, in Sicily. During Michael's reign the Saracens wrest?d Crete and Sicily from the Em- pire. — Michael III., (c.S38-8(i7 ), surnamed the "Drunkard,' was grandson of Jliehael II., and succeeded his father. Theophilus. in 842, his mother, Theodora, being regent until 8.50. In his reign the Varangians appear as foes to the Empire, and the f was successful in war against the Bulgarians in 1040, but died in 1041.— Mi- chael '. succeeded the last named, who was his uncle. Having exiled the Empress Zoe, he was overthrown by the people in 1042, and. after hav- ing his eyes put out. was sent to a m<mastery. — JIk'ii.vel VI. succeeded the Empress Theodora in 10.")0, but retained tlie throne only a year, when he was compelled to resign in favor of Isaac Com- ncnus. He ictired to a monastery. He was surnamed Ktraliolicns. and with him the Mace- donian dynasty became extinct, his successor be- ing of the family of the Conmeni, — Micii.^el VIL, DlCA.s Parapixaces, was a son of Constantino XI,, and after the regency of his mother Eudoxia he ascended the throne in 1071, Having given too nmch power to unworthy favorites, he was forced by an insurrection to abjure the throne in 1078, and retire to a monastery.— Michael '1I1. Pa- L.i;oi.OGrs (1234-82) was' the first of his family to ascend the Byzantine throne. He was pro- claimed joint Emperor of Xica^a with .lohn Las- caris abcmt 1259. and soon after became sole ruler. In 1201 Constantinople, which had been held by the Latins since 1204, was captured, and Jliehael caused his young colleague to be blinded and dethroned. In order to retain possession of the capital, he made some pretence at an attempt to bring about a union of the Western and East- ern Churches, which, however, proved to be of short duration. — Michael IX,. son of Andronicus II„ was associated with his father, but died be- fore him in 1320. MICHAEL. .RTiiiR (18.53—). An American chemist, born in liulTalo, X. V, He studied at the universities of Berlin ami Heidelberg, and at the Keole de -Medccine of Paris, and in 18S1 was appointed professor of chemistry in Tufts Col- lege (.Iedford. Mass.). His researches in organic chemistry include studies in a new process for the