arrived in New York city with his chess-player, trumpeter, panharmonicon, rope-dancers, miniature song-birds (that sprang from the lids of snuff-boxes), speaking-dolls, and the “Conflagration of Moscow.” The history of the chess-player needs not to be repeated here. At the time, Poe, among others, conclusively proved that the movements of the so-called automaton must have been directly controlled by human intelligence. The moving panorama of Moscow was wonderfully realistic and effective, with its music and cannonry. The smaller objects were genuine automatons, and marvels of beauty and ingenuity. Abortive imitations of the “Conflagration” in after-years became adjuncts to most of the museums and shows in the large cities of the Union, and may still occasionally be met with in remote localities. Not seldom, when Maelzl's exhibition opened with the performance of the chess-player, would he call on the audience in vain for an opposite player, so little at that time was the game in practice. For many years Maelzl journeyed in this country from place to place, repeating his exhibitions with unvarying success, and he also twice visited the West Indies. His display of mechanical figures has probably never been equalled. It is said he had the faculty of seizing on the crude inspirations of others and perfecting them to his own advantage.
MAES, Camillus Paul, R. C. bishop, b. in
Courtrai, Belgium, 13 March, 1846. He received
his preparatory education in the College of Cour-
trai, and, after graduation, studied philosophy and
theology in the seminary of Bruges. With the ob-
ject of preparing himself for missionary work in
the United States, he finished his theological stud-
ies in the American college of Louvain. He was
ordained priest on 18 Dec, 1868, and sailed for the
United States shoi-tly afterward. He had been
affiliated to the diocese of Detroit, and on his ar-
rival in jMichigan he was appointed pastor of St.
Peter's church. Mount Clemens. He was trans-
ferred to Monroe city, where he was successively
pastor of St. Mary's church in 1871, and of St.
John's in 1873. He was appointed secretary of
Bishop Burgess in 1880, nominated for the see of
Covington in 1884, and consecrated bishop on 25
Jan., 1885. Bishop Maes has givep much atten-
tion to the early history of the Roman Catholic
church in the western states. He has published
" Life of Rev. Charles Nerinckx " (Cincinnati, 1880),
and is a contributor to Roman Catholic periodicals.
MAFFITT, John Newland, clergyman, b. in
Dublin, Ireland, 28 Dec, 1795 ; d. near Mobile. Ala.,
28 May, 1850. He was destined for mercantile life
by his parents, who belonged to the Established
church ; but embracing the Wesleyan doctrines in
1813, he determined to become a minister, and,
meeting with opposition at home, emigrated to the
United States in 1819, and in 1823 entered the
New England conference of the Methodist Epis-
copal church. After preaching for twelve years
as an itinerant in various cities of the eastern
states, he became a local preacher in New York
city in 1832, and thereafter travelled, preached,
and lectured at his own discretion. In 1833, in
conjunction with Rev. Lewis Garrett, he estab-
lished in Nashville, Tenn., the " Western Meth-
odist," which was subsequently transformed into
the " Christian Advocate," and adopted as the
central organ of the Methodist Episcopal church,
south. Great numbers assembled to listen to his
sermons in the south and southwest, and many
converts were added to the church. He was agent
for La Grange college, Ala., in 1836-'7, and was
subsequently for a short time jarofessor of elocu-
tion and belles-lettres in that institution, but re-
sided chiefly in the Atlantic cities. In 1841 he
was chaplain to the National house of representa-
tives. In 1845-6 he edited a literary and religious
monthly, called the " Calvary Token," that he had
established at Auburn, N. Y. In 1847, on the oc-
casion of a second marriage, charges M'ere brought
against his moral character, in consequence of
which he removed from New York to Arkansas.
He preached in various cities, but his popularity
was affected and his mind troubled by the sus-
picions he had incurred, and his power as a pulpit
orator was gone. Mr. Maffitt was the author of
" Tears of Contrition," a recountal of his religious
experiences (1821) : " Pulpit Sketches " (Boston,
1828) ; and a volume of " Poems " (1839). He left
an " Oratorical Dictionary " and an " Autobiogra-
phy." — His son, John Newland, naval officer, b.
at sea. 22 Feb.. 1819; d. in Wilmington, N. C, 15
May, 1886, entered the U. S. navy as a midship-
man on 25 Feb., 1832, became a lieutenant on 25
June, 1848, and was placed on the reserved list on
14 Sept., 1855. He resigned on 2 May, 1861, and
entered the service of the Confederacy. In the
early part of 1862 he took a cargo- of cotton to
England, and while there received instructions to
take charge of the steamer "Oreto," which had
been clandestinely constructed for the Confederate
government at Liverpool. She had been seized on
representations made by the American minister,
but was released, and allowed to sail. On arriving
at Nassau, 28 April, 1862, she was again detained,
but was discharged by a court of admiralty, after
which Capt. Maliitt took her to the island of Green
Kay, received on board the guns and armaments,
and rechristened her the " Florida." The captain
and crew were prostrated by yellow fever, and
repaired to Havana for medical attention. He
sailed from that port on 1 Sept., 1862, ran the
blockade at Mobile, refitted his A'essel and com-
pleted her armaments, and steamed out again in a
dark and stormy night. The National squadron
gave chase, but Capt. Maffitt stopped his engines
and took in his sails, and the pursuing vessels
passed the low hull unobserved. The "Florida"
began her captures in the Gulf of Mexico, cruised
up to New York, then southward to beyond the
equator, and back again to the latitude of New
York. With the "Florida" and captured ships
that he fitted out as tenders, Capt. Maffitt took
about fifty-five prizes, including many large and
richly laden vessels. The machinery of the lightly
built cruiser having become deranged, Maffitt, with
the permission of the French government, had his
vessel repaired in the docks of the navy-yard at
Brest. The effects of yellow fever and the fatigues
of service had so exhausted his strength that he
asked to be relieved, and the " Florida " put to sea
again under the command of Capt. C. M. Morris.
His last vears were spent in Wilmington, N. C.
MAGALHAENS, Domingo José Gonçalves de (mah-gal-yah'-ens), Brazilian poet, b. in Rio
Janeiro in 1811. He was graduated as a surgeon
in his native city in 1832, and in 1836 attached to
the Brazilian ernbassy in Paris. In 1838 he was
appointed professor of philosophy in the College
of Rio Janeiro, and in 1840 elected deputy by that
city. From 1845 till 1867 he was Brazilian min-
ister to Dresden, Naples, Turin, and Vienna, and
returned in the latter year to Rio, where he has
since lived. He is a popular lyric poet, and
relates in his works the feats of the early con-
querors. His books include " Foesias " (Rio Ja-
neiro, 1832); "Mysterios" (1839); "Urania "(Vi-
enna, 1862) ; " Antonio Jose " and " Olgiato," twc
