MERIVALE. 344 MEBLIN. Charles, the historian, studied at Harrow, and graduated at Trinity College, Oxford, in 1827. In 1832 he was called to the bar of the Inner Temple. Trom 1837 to 1842 he was professor of political economy at O.xford, delivering while there a valuable scries of Lecturcx on Colonizatiun ayid I lie Colonics (1841). Appointed Assistant Under-Secretary of State for the Colonies in 1847, he became permanent Under-Secretary in 1848. He was transferred in 18.')'J to the Under- Secretaryship for India, and contiinied in that office until his death. His further works — and none of his books, it is said, well represents him — include Historical Htmlics (18G,5) and Me- moirs of Hir I'ltilip Francis (18G7). MEKIVALE, .John Hekm.vx (1779-1884). An English scholar, translator, and poet. He was born in Exeter, studied at Saint .John's College, Cambridge, and was called to the bar in 1804. He contributed largely to Bland's Collections from the (Ireek Anthology, published in 1813, and himself brought out a second edition in 1833. From 1831 to his death he held the olfice of Commissioner of Bankruptcy. Among his further literary works may be mentioned Poems, Orig- inal and Translated (1841). and Minor Poems of Schiller (1844). MER'I"WETH'ER, Lee (1802—). An Ameri- can lawyer and author, born at CoUimbus, Miss. After a "study of the law he practiced liis profes- sion at Saint Louis, and was appointed by the Secretary of the Interior to write a rep<u-t on the condition of the laboring classes in Europe. Sub- sequently, as a special agent of the l)ci)artiiicnt of the Interior, he was active in collecting sta- tistics regarding labor in the Hawaiian Islands and the United States. This post he resigned to accept that of Labor Commissioner of Missouri. He made himself known by his report on the cor- poration (or 'truck') store system, by which miners in Missouri were provided with supplies, at exorbitant ligures. as a substitute for the regu- lar wages, and he introduced into the Legisla- ture of the State a bill which put an end to this system. Later he stmlied European prisons, and upon his return to the United States rcsumcil the practice of law in Saint Louis. His pul>lication9 include: A Tramp Trip: How to ftrr Europe on Fiftii Cents a Dag (1887), describing a pedes- trian journey taken by him from Gibraltar to the Bosporus in ISS.'i-Sfi; and Afloat and Ashore on the M((lilerranean (1802). MERKEL, mer'kcl, Adolf (1836-90). A Ger- man juri-t. born in Mainz, and educated at Gies- sen and ilcidellicrg. He became doccnt at Gies- Ben in 18(12 and professor in 18t!7. and was sue- cessivelv appointed professor at Prague (18fi8), at Vienna (1872). and at Strassburg (1874). He contributed largely to IloItzendorfT's lland- hiich drs drutsrhftt Strafrechts and Fncgklopiidie drr liechtsirissensehnft and wrote Zur Lchre rom fortgesctzten Verhrerhen (1802): Kriminalis- tisriie Ahhandliingen (1807): Jiiristische Fncg- klopiidir dSS.')) : Lrhrltueh dcs deuisehen Straf- rechiK (1889): Vergeltiingsidee und Zn-eck- gedanlr im fttrnfrecht (1892:) and other essays on criminal law. MERLE (OF., Fr. merle, from Lat. merula, blackbiiclK The common European blackbird tTurdiis merula). a thrush closely allied to the .American robin, the male of which is uniformly black, while the female is dusky olive-brown above and reddish-brown below. The spe'^ies is migratory except on the borders of the Mediter- ranean, and is one of the most familiar of the sununer birds of Europe, coming about all gar- dens and roadsides, and making its rude nest in bushes and hedgerows; the eggs are bluish-green freckled with brown. This is one of the hnest of European songsters, and is frequently kept in cages and aviaries. The genus is a large one, with numerous species in the Orient, Australia, and South America. Compare Blackbird; Thrush. MERLE D'AXJBIGN:^, milrl dft'be'nya', .Iean IIenki ( 17'J4-1.S72| . A Swiss historian. He was born at Eaux-Vives, a suburb of Geneva, in Swit- zerland, August lU, 1794; stiulied there and at Berlin, and in 1818 became pastor of the French Protestant Church in Hamburg. Thence, after a residence of live years, he proceeded to Brussels. In 1831 he returned to Geneva and took part in the institution of a new college for the propa- gation of orthodox theology, in which he was appointed professor of Church history. His Uia- ioire de la reformation au seizicme siicle gave him a wide reputation. It is, however, marred by partisanship and misleading and uncritical use of authorities. The first part, that on the Reformation in the time of Luther (Paris, 1835-47, 4 vols.; best ed. of the Kng. trans., Edinburgh, 18.53. 5 vols., the last volume on the English Reformation), was vastly mor<' popular than the second part, that on the Keformation in the time of Calvin (1802-78. 8 vols.; Eng. trans., London, 1803-78, 8 vols.). His other writings, mostly historical, are of less account. He died at Geneva. October 21, 1872. Consult his Life liy Bonnet (Paris, 1874). MERLET, m.^r'la', LuciEN Victor Claude (1827 — ). A French antiquary, born at Vannes. He studied paleography, and in 18.51 bcdanie head of tITe departmental archives of Eure-et- Loir. He edited many cliartularics and ecclesi- astical registers and published: Histoirc dcs rela- tions des Hurons et dcs Ahnni/uis du Canada avee Xotre-Dame de Chartres (1858) : Uobert dc Oal- lardon. seines de la vie feodalc au Xllleme siiclt (1858) : Dictionnaire topographiquc du ddpartt- mcnt d'Eure-et-Loir (1861); Dc I'instrucjion primaire en Eure-et-Loir avant 178!t (1878); and Dictionnaire dcs noms vulgaircs des habi- tants de diverses localit^s de la France ( 1883). MER'LIN. The name of an ancient British pruiihct and magician, who nourished, according to the romancers, during the decline of the native British power in it.s contest with the Saxon in- vaders. The earliest traces of him are found in the Ilistoria liritonum. ascribed to a certain Xennius (ahoiit 800). He there appears as* projihetic child under the name Ambrosius, and is confoimded with . relius Ambro.;ius, to whom Vortigern surrenders Mount Heremus (Snow- don). He next appears in GeolTrey of Mmi- niouth's Vita Mcrlini. afterwards incorporated in the Historia Rcgum liritnnniir (about 11.39), where he is called Merlin .mbrosius. or simply Merlin. Geoffrey expanded the narrative of Ncn- jiius, evidently employing for the ])urpose tradi- tions concerning a Cambrian or Welsh ba»d known in Welsh legend as Myrddin. According to GeofTrey, Merlin lived in the fifth century, and was sprmg from the intercourse of a demon and a Welsh princess. Merlin displayed miraculous
