cared for the sick, selling his library to obtain the means for their relief. After the plague was checked in Tlaxcala he went to Atzcapotzalco, where he fell a victim to the disease, and returned to his convent in Mexico, where he died. He wrote "Historia de la fundacion de la provincia de Santiago de Mejico" (Seville, 1569); "Sermonario de todo el aiio en lengua Mejicana"; "Libro de ejemplos"; and "Cartas a los prelados en recomendacion de los Indios." The last three in manuscript, together with others, were in the library of the Dominican convent at Oajaca, but were taken away and lost.
MOISE, Penina, poet, b. in Charleston, S. C., 23 April, 1797; d. there, 13 Sept., 1880. She was the child of French parents of the Jewish faith,
who came to Charleston from the island of St. Eustatius in 1791. She was the author of hymns used in the Hebrew worship, contributed verses to the “Home Journal,” the Washington “Union,” and other publications, and published “Fancy's Sketch-Book,” poems (Charleston, 1833).
MOLDENKE, Edward Frederick, theologian,
b. in Insterburg, Prussia, 10 Aug., 1836. He
was educated in the universities of Königsberg
and Halle, studying specially theology and philosophy,
and was successively principal of a parish
school at Eckersberg, Prussia, and professor in the
gymnasium of Lyck, which post he held until
July, 1861. At this date he came as a travelling
Lutheran missionary to Wisconsin and Minnesota,
and in 1863 he was elected first professor of theology
in the seminary of the synod of Wisconsin. He
returned to Germany in 1866, and was pastor at
Johannisburg until 1869, preaching in German and
Polish. He returned to America in that year and
became pastor of Zion's Lutheran church in New
York city. At present (1888) he is pastor of St.
Peter's German Lutheran church in that city. In
1865 he was editor of the “Gemeindeblatt” at
Watertown, Wis. He wrote the doctrinal articles for
the “Lutherische Herold,” New York, in 1869-'70,
and was editor of the same paper in 1877-'9. With
others he began the “Lutherisches Kirchenblatt”
in Philadelphia in 1884, and has been editor of
“Siloah,” a monthly paper of the general council
in the interest of German home missions, since
1882. He received the degrees of M. A. and Ph. D.
from the University of Rostock, Germany, in 1865,
and that of D. D. from Muhlenberg college, Pa., in
1887. He has published series of articles in the
Berlin “Evang. Kirchenzeitung” on “Fünf Jahre
in Amerika” (1868-70) and “New Yorker Kirchenspiegel”
(1870-'3), and, in book-form, “Luther-Büchlein,”
a poem (Allentown, Pa., 1879). He has edited “Darstellung der modernen deutschen Theologie” (Watertown, Wis., 1865). — His son, Charles Edward, b. in Lyck, Prussia, 10 Oct., 1860, was
graduated at Columbia in 1879, spent a year at the Lutheran theological seminary in Philadelphia, and studied in Halle and Strasburg, Germany,
until 1884. In that year he received the degree of Ph. D. from Strasburg university. He published his inaugural dissertation, “Die altegyptischen Texten erwaehnten Baeume und deren Verwerthung”
(Leipsic, 1886; American ed., 1887); the
text of the New York obelisk, with explanations,
the first print in hieroglyphic type ever issued in
America (1887); and “The World's most Ancient
Fairy-Tale, the Two Brothers,” in hieratic (1887).
MOLINA, Alonso de (mo-lee'-nah), Spanish missionary, b. in Escalona about 1510 ; d. in Mexico in 1585. He was taken by his parents to Santo Domingo, and went in 1523 to Mexico, where he learned in his childhood the Aztec language, and afterward served as interpreter to the first Franciscan friars. On reaching the proper age he entered their order and became a successful missionary, and afterward superior of the province of Santo Evangelio. He published several works which are among the first that were printed in the New World. A copy of the first edition of his " Diccionario de la lengua Castellana y Mexicana " (Mexico, 1555 ; revised ed., 1571) was sold at auctiorl in Paris twenty years ago for $6,000. Among his other works are " Confessionario mayor y menor en lengua Mexicana " (Mexico, 1565), which brought at auction recently in London $1,250 ; "Arte de la lengua Mexicana " (1571) ; " Doctrina Cristiana en lengua Mexicana " (1578 ; Seville, 1584) ; and several religious works in the Aztec language, including " Sermones," " Vida de S. Francisco," "Oraciones para los Indios," and "Tratado de los Sacramentos."
MOLINA, Juan Ignacio, Chilian author, b. near Talca, Chili, 24 June, 1740; d. in Bologna, Italy, 12 Sept., 1829. He became a member of the
Society of Jesus at an early age, and at twenty was made librarian of his order in Santiago. After the suppression of the Jesuits in the Spanish possessions he went to Imola, where he was ordained priest, and in 1774 to Bologna, Italy, where he devoted himself to the education of youth. He inherited a large fortune in 1815, by the death of a nephew, most of which he employed in founding a college and library in his native city. He wrote "Saggio sulla storia naturale del Chile" (Bologna, 1782: German translation, Leipsic, 1786; French translation, with the title "Essai sur l'histoire naturelle du Chili," with notes, Paris, 1788). In this work he made observations on natural history that were the cause of much discussion. His " Saggio della storia del Chile" (Bologna, 1787; 2d ed., enlarged,
1810 ; translated into Spanish by Domingo Jose de Argiiello de Mendoza, 2 vols., Madrid, 1788 ; into German, 1791 ; into English, 2 vols., London, 1809) relates the invasion of that country by the Spaniards, the wars of the latter against the Araucanians, and its general condition until 1787. His
pictures of the manners and customs of the Araucanians are of great interest. The narrative is based on documents, printed and in manuscript, and on an unpublished "History of Chili," by the Abbe Olivares, the first part of which Molina took with him to Italy. The second part he left in Peru, and for a time despaired of bringing the work to a conclusion. But, having met several of his countrymen, who were also living in exile in Italy, he was enabled, with their help, to accomplish his undertaking. In a supplement he gives a sketch of the peculiarities of the Chilian language, followed by a bibliography of the works of which he had made use, which is curious, as it gives the names of works little known outside of South America. Bologna has erected a statue and Santiago de Chile a monument in his honor.
MOLINA, Pedro, Central American statesman, b. in Guatemala in 1777 ; d. about 1850. He advocated in his writings constitutional principles in Central America before the assertion of the independence of his country, was a leader of the Liberal party, and a strenuous supporter of reforms and free institutions. He was one of the first members of the national executive in 1823. minister from the Central American republics to Colombia in 1825, where he signed a treaty of alliance between these two countries, and represented Central America in the congress of Panama in 1826. He was governor of Guatemala in 1829, secretary of state for foreign affairs in 1832-'3, was exiled
