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(4.) Since the Revolution of the MacuU round the Sun is very regular 5 and fince their Diltancefrom the Sun is very fmall, 'tis not properly the MacuU that move round the Sun : But 'tis himfelf, together with his Atmofphere, wherein the MaciiU fwim, that in the fpace of 27 Days moves round its own Axis 5 and hence it is that the Ma- cuU, being viewed obliquely near the Limb, appear nar- row and oblong.
And, Ladly, fince the Sun appears with a circular Disk in every Situation ; his Figure, as to Senfe, mult be fphcrical. Some Authors likewife take notice of FacuU, or bright Spots, in the Disk of the Sun, much more lu- cid than the reft, much larger than the MacuU, and ve- ry different from them both, as to Figure, Duration, &c. Heielius mentions his feeing a Taenia in 1(134, which took up a third pare of the Sun's Diameter h and adds, that the MacuU frequently change into FacuU 3 but the FacuU feldom or never into Macula.: But Huygens, and other great Aftronomers, reject the Notion of the FacuU 3 hav- ing never feen any thing like them (tho furnidr'd with the bed Tclefcopes) excepting little bright Specks in the dim Clouds which frequently incompafs the MacuU 3 and which may be owing to the Refraction of the Sun's Rays in the rarer Parts of his Atmofphere. And as to that lit- tle Inequality obferved in the Circumference of the Sun's Disk, which is ufually afcribed to the Wavings and Eructations of the Flames 3 it feems better accounted for from the tremulous Agitation of the Vapours in our own Atmofphere.
MADDER, the Root of a Flanr, much ufed by Dyers, to make rhe moil folid and rich red Colour 3 it has its Ufes too in Medicine, being found of Service in Obflruftionsof the Vifcera and Cachectic Conditutions 3 and is generally made up in forms of Decoclions, Diet- Drinks, and medicated Ales.
MADNESS, or MANIA, in Medicine, a kind of De- lirium without a Fever, attended with Rage, and a total Deprivation of Reafon. Mtdnefs confining much in a Delirium, to explain the Nature of the former, Dr. Quincy premifes that of the latter thus : As often as the Species of Things, wherewith we have been acquainted, are hurried together, we may be faid to dream, and thence in Sleep they are added with other things, and Variouily compounded, from the manifold Repercuflions of the Animal Spirits, which arife from the Caufe pro- ducing Sleep, and prefling the Nerves, fo as to revert the Fluctuations of their Juice. A Delirium is there- fore the Dreams of waking Perfons, wherein Ideas are excited without Order or Coherence, and the Animal Spirits are drove into irregular Fluctuations. If there- fore the Caufe inducing a Delirium be of that nature, that it can excite Ideas or Motions of a confiderablc Im- petus, without any manner of Certainty or Order, fuch a Delirium will be attended with Botdnefs or Rage, and violent Motions of the Body 3 that is, a Madncfs will be produced. Now it is plain, that all the known Caufes of this Diflemper give a greater Difpofition to the Blood for Motion, and render it ftuxile, but not confident, and uniformly thick enough 3 and therefore that they dif- pofe Perfons likewife to continued Fevers, fince they oc- cafion the Blood to be thrown out of the Heart with an increafed Force, unlefs fome other Caufe intervenes, whereby the Efficacies of thefe are interrupted in dif- pofing the Blood into Febrile Motions ; and the Blood is io difpofed, as often as it can be rarefied into its minuted Parts 3 that is, fo uniformly rarefied, that it can eafily, with any Force by the Motion received from the Heart, go into Parts divifible at the Occurfions of thofe Ori- fices, into which it ought to be dillributcd : for then the Cohefion of the Parts, which can be but very fmall, will not be any Obdruction to the Increafe and Propaga- tion of the Blood's Velocity. But if it happens that the efficient Caufe, or the Heart, throws the Blood with a greater Force, or that the Blood can the more eafily be propelled in any given Time, it will occafion, at the lame time, that fome Parts of the Blood be more near- ly united, fo as to form Molecule, confiding of cohering Particles 3 which Molecule will cohere to one another, and not fo eafily obey the Direction of the Heart's pro- pelling Force. The Blood hereupon cannot be uniform- ly rarefied, nor enter fo eafily into the fmall Orifices of the Veflels, and fo foon travel thro' them, and there- fore there will no Fever arife 5 but a Delirium without a Fever, wherein the Heat of the Blood will be greater, and the Preffure in the Brain uncertain : whence uncer- tain Recursions of the Spirits, inordinate Undulations, confufed Vibrations of the Nerves, and a remarkable Energy of Imagination 3 whence will proceed Audacity and Paction beyond meafure. Some Authors fay, that the Brain of a Cat eaten, produces Madttefs. 'Tis a Difeafe very hard to cure, and is generally found to baffle the Phyftcian.
MADRIER, in the Military Art, a thick Plank armed with Iron Plates, having a Concavity fufficient to receive the Mouth of the Petard when charged, with which it is applied againft a Gate, or other Body defigned to be broke down. Mttdrier is alfo the Name of a flat Beam fixed at the bottom of a Moat to fupport a Wall. Bc- fides which, there are alfo Mttdr'ms lined with Tin, 2nd covered with Earth, ferving as a Defence againfl artifi- cial Fires.
MADRIGAL, a Term in the modern Italian, Sfaxifc, and French Poetry, fignifying a little amorous Piece, con- taining a certain Number of loofe unequal Verfes, not tied either to the fcrupulous Regularity of a Sonnet, or the Subtlety of an Epigram s but confiding of fome tender, delicate, yet fimple Thought, durably exprefled. The Madrigal, according to Mr. le Bran, is an Epigram without any thing very brisk and fprightly in its Fall or Clofe : fomething very tender and gallant is ufually the Subject of it 3 and a certain beautiful, noble, yet cliafle, Simplicity, makes its Character.
The Madrigal is ufually looked on as the fhortcft of alt the little kinds of Poems, and may eonfift of fewer Verfes than either the Sonnet or Rondelay. There is no other Rule regarded in mingling the Rhimes and Verfes of different kinds, but the Choke and Conve- nience of the Author, This Poem, however, really allows of lefs Licence than any other 5 whether we regard the Rhyme, the Meafures, or the Purity of Expreflion.
Menage derives the Word from Mandra, which, in La- tin and Greek, fignifies a Company of Cattel 3 imagining it to have been originally a kind of Paftoral or Shepherd's Song 3 whence the Italians formed their Madrigale, and we Madrigal. Others rather chufe to derive the Word from Madrugar, which, in the Sfinijb fignifies to rife in the Morning : the Madrigals being formerly fung early in the Morning , by thofe who had a mind to ferenade their Midrcffes.
MAGAS, or MAGADE, the Name of a mufical In- drument in Ufe among the Antients. There were two kinds of Magades; the one a firing Inftrument, the In- vention whereof is afcribed by fome 10 Safpbo, and by others to the Lydians, and by others to Timotbeits of M- letmn. The other Magade was a- kind of Flute, which at the fame time yielded very high and very low Notes ; the former kind was much improved by Timotbeits of Mi- letum, who is faid to have been impeached of a Crime J for that by incteafing the Number of Chords, he fpoiled and difcredited the antient Mufic.
MAGAZINE, or Arfenal, is the Place in fortified Towns where ail forts of Stores are kept, and where Carpenters, Wheelwrights, Smiths, gfc. are employed in making all things needful to furnidt out the Train of" Artillery.
S.MAGDALEN. There are feveral kinds of Nuns, or Religious, who bear this Name s confining generally of penitent Courtezans : fometimes alio call'd Mig'dala- nettes 3 as thofe at Mem edablifhed in 1452, thofe at Fa- rts in 1492 i thofe at Naples, fird edablidied in 1324, and endowed by Queen Samba, to ferve as a Retreat to public Courtezans, who fliould quit the Trade, and be- take themfelves to Repentance ; and thofe of Rouen and Bourdeaux, which had their Original among thofe of Fa- ns. In each of thefe Monaderies there are three kinds of Perfons and Congregations, titz. the firft is of thofe who are admitted to make Vows, and thefe bear the Name of St. Magdalen 5 the Congregation of St. Martha. is the fecond, and is compofed of thofe whom 'tis not judged proper to admit to Vows 3 the Congregation of St. Lazarus is compofed of fuch as aie detained there by force. The Religious of St. Magdalen at Rome were eda- blidied by Pope Lea X. Clement VIII. fettled a Revenue on them, and further appointed, that the Effects of all public Proditutes, dying without Tedaments, mould fall to them 3 and that the Tedaments of the red fhould be invalid 5 unlefs they bequeathed a Portion of their Et- fefls, which was to be at lead a fifth Part, to them.
MAGI, the Title the Eaftern Nations, both antient- ly and at prcfent, give to their Wife-men or Philofo- phers. The antient Magi, according to Mftotte, and Laer- tius, were the Authors and Confervators of the Perfian Philofophy ; and the Philofophy principally cultivated among them was Theology and Politics : they being al- ways efieem'd as the Interpreters of all Laws both Divine and Human 3 on which account they were won- derfully revered by the People. Hence Cicero ob- ferves, that none were admitted to the Crown of Ferjia, but fuch as were well indruflcd in the Difciplinc of the Magi 5 who taught the n^ethmi 5 and diew'd Princes how to govern. Flato, Jfuleius, Laertim, and others, a- gree, that the Philofophy of the Map related principally to the Worffiip of the Gods 3 they were the Perfons who were to offer Prayers, Supplications, and Sacrifices, as
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