marble; but the largest portion of the dove-colored marble wrought in that place, comes from the neighboring town of Pittsford. The towns of Great Barrington and Sheffield produce a very handsome dove-colored marble; that of the former place, in particular, wrought under the direction of Mr. Leavenworth, is certainly the most delicately shaded marble of its kind in the U. States. The annual product of his establishment amounts to about $10,000 per annum. The white marbles of Connecticut and New York are highly granular, and, in general, are too slightly coherent in the aggregation of their particles, to be employed in constructions which are exposed to the weather; besides, they are often contaminated with crystals and fibres of tremolite. The verd antique of New Haven is the rarest and most beautiful marble yet discovered in the U. States. It consists of an intermixture of white marble and green serpentine, though its most beautiful stains of green and yellowish-green, come directly from the oxides of chrome and iron, which are everywhere disseminated through it. While the quarries were open, it was much used for the construction of chimney-pieces, as well as for slabs for tables and sideboards, and other articles of in-door ornamental furniture. It was also employed, but with very bad taste, and still worse judgment, for sepulchral monuments; since its gay colors were ill suited to so grave an application, and its metallic ingredients, from the action of the weather, soon caused it to part with its polish and become dull. The quarries, though judged inexhaustible, have long since been abandoned, from the expensiveness with which they are wrought, and the very limited demand which exists in this country for articles of mere decoration. Variegated and shell marbles exist, in considerable quantities, in the Western States; and a very handsome puddingstone marble is found in Maryland, at the foot of the Blue Ridge, on the banks of the Potomac, 50 or 60 miles above Washington; its colors are very various and striking, and it has been largely made use of in the construction of the columns in the interior of the capitol at Washington. MARBLEHEAD; a post-town of Essex county, Massachusetts, situated on a peninsula extending more than three miles into Massachusetts bay, and varying in breadth from one to two miles. It is four and a half miles south-east of Salem, and 16 northeast of Boston. Lat. 42° 32′ N.; lon. 70°

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51′ W.: population in 1810, 5800; in 1820, 5630; in 1830, 5150. The town is compactly built, but the streets are crooked and irregular. It contains five houses for public worship, and a custom-house; a printing-office issues a weekly newspaper. The harbor, a mile long and half a mile wide, is very safe, except from northeast storms. Marblehead was settled very soon after Salem, by a number of fishermen, and the inhabitants have been principally devoted to the Bank fisheries. In this business, it has greatly excelled all the other towns in America. Previous to the revolution, it was very flourishing; it paid a larger tax, and was supposed to have more inhabitants, than any town in the state, except Boston. It suffered very severely by the war of the revolution, and again by the last war. At the close of the war in 1814, no less than 500 of its sons were in foreign prisons. The situation of Marblehead is such, that the people of the vicinity never travel through it to arrive at any other town. Thus secluded, the inhabitants have acquired a distinctive character, and a peculiar dialect. The harbor is defended by fort Sewall, which stands on a point of land near the entrance, and is one of the best forts in the country. It has two 24-pounders, and ten 18-pounders. The barracks are bomb-proof, and can accommodate a garrison of about 60 or 70

men.

MARBOD, OF MAROBODUUS. (See Marcomanni, and Arminius.)

MARBOIS, François, marquis of BarbéMarbois, a French minister and diplomatist, was born at Metz in 1745, where his father was director of the mint. After finishing his education, the young Marbois became tutor to the children of De Castries, minister of marine, through whose good offices he obtained a post in the French legation to the U. States, during our revolution. De la Luzerne (q. v.) was then the French minister in this country, but Marbois was the principal agent in the most important operations of the embassy. On the return of that minister to France (1784) M. Marbois continued in the country as chargé d'affaires. He was afterwards appointed intendant (governor) of St. Domingo, and having returned to France in 1791, was immediately sent by Louis, as his ambassador to the German diet. Marbois had hitherto taken no part in the revolutionary events, but in 1795 was chosen a member of the council of elders, and in the struggle between the directory and the councils, having defended the latter, he was, with a number of his

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colleagues, condemned to deportation to Cayenne. After remaining two years and a half in exile, he received permission to return, and was nominated by the first consul counsellor of state, and, in 1801, secretary of the treasury, which was erected into a ministry. In consequence of some unsuccessful operations, he was removed in 1806, but was made grand-officer of the legion of honor and count of the empire. In 1808, he was made president of the cour des comptes, and was now a declared admirer of the emperor. In 1813, his expressions of devotion to the imperial government had introduced him into the senate, and in the next year, his name was found among the first to vote for the deposal of Napoleon. Louis XVIII created him peer of France, and confirmed him in the presidency of the cour des comptes. During the hundred days, Napoleon refused to see a man whom he accused of ingratitude. In 1815, the second restoration conferred on him the dignity of keeper of the seals. Although M. Barbé-Marbois defended the erection of the prevotal courts, he was not willing to go the whole length of the ultraroyalism of the period, and, in 1816, was obliged to surrender his port-folio, and was, soon after, created marquis. Since this period, he has taken a liberal stand in politics. Among his works, besides some agricultural essays, and some productions in polite literature, we may mention his Essai sur les Finances de St.-Dominique; Essai de Morale; Complot d'Arnold (Account of Arnold's Conspiracy, 1816); Histoire de la Louisiane et de la Cession de cette Colonie (1829), a translation of which has been published in the U. States.

MARBURG; capital of Upper-Hesse, in Hesse-Cassel, situated on the Lahn, with a population of 6700 inhabitants, a castle, and a university. It is built on the declivity of a hill, on the summit of which is the castle. It has five Catholic, Lutheran and Calvinist churches. The university was founded in 1527, and has an excellent library of over 100,000 volumes, a valuable botanical garden, an anatomical theatre, and other institutions connected with it. In 1829, the number of students was 347. It is remarkable as being the first Protestant university founded in Ger

a youth, became a great proficient in the science of music, in consequence, it is said, of a reflection thrown upon his deficiency in that respect, at a concert given by his brother Alessandro, which hurt his pride, and stimulated him to exertion. He af terwards studied under Gasparini, and, receiving a liberal education, distinguished himself as a poet, as well as a musician. In 1716, a serenata of his composition was performed at the celebration of the birth of the first son of the emperor Charles VI, and excited great applause. Eight years after appeared the first four volumes of his adaptation to music of Giustiniani's Paraphrase of the Psalms, which he afterwards completed in eight more, the whole being published in 1726. Garth, of Durham, has adapted suitable words, from the English translation of the Psalms, to Marcello's music, with a view to their being performed as anthems in the cathedrals, with great success. This elaborate work was printed by subscription, in eight folio volumes. Marcello was successively a member of the council of forty, provveditore of Pola, and chamberlain of Brescia, in which city he died in 1739.

MARCELLUS, M. Claudius; the first Roman general who successfully encountered Hannibal, in the second Punic war. During his consulship (B. C. 223) he had given the greatest proofs of his valor, in a single combat with Viridomarus, a Gallic chief, whom he slew; the Gauls, discouraged by the loss of their leader, fled before an inferior Roman force. The result of this victory was the complete conquest of Upper Italy. Marcellus received the honor of a triumph, as the decree of the senate expressed it, for his victory over the Insubri and Germans. This is the first time that the Germans are mentioned in the Roman history, and the last mention we have of a personal contest between generals. Soon after this, the second Punic war broke out, and, after the fatal battle of Cannæ, he was sent against Hannibal; and, as prætor, took the command of the troops remaining at Canusium, in the room of Terentius Varro. On receiving information of Hannibal's march to Nola, he hastened to anticipate him, threw himself into the city, and forced the Carthaginians to retreat, with a loss. Hannibal made a second attack upon Nola, and, as the place was untenable, Marcellus resolved to risk a general engagement on the open plain. His army was inferior in point of numbers, but had the advantage of longer spears. After a hard-fought battle, Hannibal was driven to his camp.

Marcellus was now chosen consul, with the celebrated Fabius Maximus Cunctator for his colleague. He frustrated a third attempt of Hannibal to regain the city of Nola, and again offered him battle, which the latter declined. His activity was interrupted for a time by disease. He afterwards went to his province of Sicily, where the siege of Syracuse was his most remarkable achievement. After having used every means (B. C. 214) to capture by force that city, which was defended by the mechanical ingenuity of Archimedes, he limited himself to a blockade, and frustrated all the efforts of the Carthaginians to relieve it, and succeeded, partly by artifice, and partly by force, in making himself master of the place (B. C. 212). The city was surrendered unconditionally, and he was unable to save it from pillage, but he gave orders that no Syracusan should be put to death. Many of the inhabitants, however, and among them Archimedes, were killed in the heat of victory. Marcellus was filled with regret on account of the death of Archimedes, granted many privileges to his connexions, and caused him to be buried with much pomp. After having reduced the greater part of the island, and gained a complete victory over the Carthaginians, he returned to Rome, and received the honor of an ovation. He was again made consul (B. C. 211), with M. Valerius Lavinius, and again received the command in Sicily. But the Syracusans sent ambassadors to Rome to complain of his cruelty, and pray for another general. Marcellus was acquitted, but he voluntarily_exchanged provinces and remained in Italy. The Syracusans afterwards repented of their conduct, and entreated his forgiveness. He pardoned them, and procured them the restoration of their former privileges, and the honor of being considered as allies of Rome. As a mark of gratitude, they declared themselves the clients of the Marcellian family. In the mean time, Marcellus carried on the war against Hannibal in Italy, and fought an undecisive battle at Numistrum. In the succeeding year, he was defeated by Hannibal at Canusium; but, having rallied the fugitives, and inspired them with fresh courage, he renewed the contest on the following day, and gained the victory, though with a heavy loss. B. C. 209, he was chosen consul the fifth time, with T. Quintius Crispinus. The two consuls united their forces on the Liris, but Hannibal avoided giving battle. The Romans, preparing to encamp upon a neighboring hill, were suddenly surround

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ed; they would, however, have been able to cut their way through, had not the Etrurians, who composed the largest part of the cavalry, immediately surrendered. Marcellus himself fell; his son and the other consul escaped. Thus died this great general, who made himself formidable to Hannibal himself. He was called the sword, as Fabius was the shield, of Rome. Hannibal took the ring from his finger, and caused the body to be burnt with the most distinguished honors, and sent the ashes to his son, in a costly urn. His family continued to flourish, and furnished many consuls, until it became extinct with the son of Octavia, the sister of Augustus, whom Virgil has immortalized.

MARCH (Latin Mars); originally the first month of the Roman year; so named, according to tradition, by Romulus in honor of his father, Mars. Till the adoption of the new style in England (1752), the 25th of March was new year's day; hence January, February, and the first 24 days of March have frequently two years appended, as January 1, 170, or 1701–2. (See Calendar.)

MARCH; a movement by regular steps in the manner of soldiers; also a journey performed by a body of soldiers either on foot or on horseback. Soldiers on a march are subject to certain rules very necessary to keep them in good order, and fit to meet the enemy. The march in the first sense of regular step differs on different occasions. In the parade-march, from 75 to 95 steps, differing in different armies, are made in a minute; in the quick-march, from 108 to 115 steps; and in the stormingmarch, 120 steps, in the Prussian army.March further signifies the music composed for such movements; it is composed in or time for the parade-march, and in for quick-time. There are many sorts of such marches for festivals, funerals, &c., varying according to their different purposes.

-

Its

MARCHE; one of the ancient provinces of France, bounded north by Berry and the Bourbonnais, east by Auvergne, and south by Guienne and Limousin. name is derived from its having been on the frontier of these provinces, and it was often called Marche du Limousin. In the middle ages, it had, for some time, its own sovereign counts. Philippe le Bel acquired it by confiscation. It afterwards belonged to the house of Armagnac, and that of Bourbon-Montpensier. Francis finally united it with the crown domains. (See Department.)

MARCHES (from the Middle Latin, mar

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ca, marcha, a boundary); the frontiers of a state. Thus in English history, we read of the lords of the Welsh marches, that is, of the frontiers of England and Wales; the marches of Scotland were divided into west and middle marches. The office of the lords marchers was originally to guard the frontiers. (See Marquess.) The corresponding word in French is marche (see Marche), in German mark, in Italian marca. In the estates of the church was a province called Marca, divided into the march or marquisate of Ancona and that of Fermo. In the Venetian territory was the Marca Trevisana. In Germany, the mark of Brandenburg (q. v.) or the electoral mark (Kurmark), was divided into the Mittelmark, Neumark, Altmark, Vormark and Ukermark. So Steiermark (marquisate of Stiria), Dänemark (Denmark). (See Margrave.) MARCHESI, Luigi, called also Marchesini, a celebrated singer, born at Milan about 1755. While a youth, having attracted the attention of some cognoscenti, he was encouraged by them to quit his father's house privately, went to Bergamo, and there subjected himself to the necessary mutilation. After completing his studies in Munich (1775-77), he returned to his native country, where he was received with the greatest admiration and enthusiasm. The academy at Pisa caused a medal to be struck in his honor; he afterwards sung in Rome, Vienna, Petersburg, Berlin, and in 1788 went to London,where the directors of the Italian opera gave him £1500 for one winter, with a benefit and his expenses. Marchesi was not less remarkable for the beauty of his person and his grace and propriety of gesture, than for his voice. He sang in Vienna in 1801. The time of his death is un

MARCHFELD; the Austrian circle under the Mannhartzberg, in the country below the Ens (as it is called); particularly the fertile plain from Bockfliess to the rivers March and Danube, about 23 English miles long and 14 wide-a spot, the position of which has made it at several epochs the field of decisive battles, and which is therefore of great interest for the military student. Ottocar of Bohemia, defeated here, in 1260, Bela IV of Hungary, and conquered Stiria, which has since remained united to Germany. In another battle, fought here August 26, 1278, between Ottocar and Rodolph of Hapsburg, Ottocar fell. This day laid the foundation of the house of Hapsburg, which is still seated on the throne of Aus

tria. The third battle on this bloody plain was that of Aspern (q. v.) May 21 and 22, 1809; and the fourth, the battle of Wagram (q. v.), July 5 and 6, 1809.

MARCION, MARCIONITES. (See Gnostics.)

MARCOMANNI, Markomanni, i. e. borderers (see Marches); a powerful league of ancient German nations. After Cæsar's death, they lived between the Danube and the Rhine. After the Romans had conquered Noricum and Pannonia, and had become dangerous to the Marcomanni from their proximity, the latter retired, and, under their king, Maroboduus, made themselves masters of the kingdom of the Boü in the present Bohemia, called by the Germans Bojenheim. By artifice and violence, Maroboduus soon formed a union of a number of tribes under his sovereignty, and became dangerous to the Romans, as this league could bring 70,000 disciplined troops into the field. The Romans were prevented from attacking him by an insurrection of the Pannonians; for which reason Tiberius concluded a treaty with him, six years after Christ; but he was defeated by the Cherusci under Hermann (Arminius), (A. D. 19). The same was the fate of his successor, the Goth, Catualda. Both fled to the Romans, who assigned them Ravenna and Aquileia for a residence. Relations of Maroboduus now governed the Marcomanni, who avoided all hostilities against the Romans till the time of Domitian. They subsequently made incursions into the Roman territory. Trajan and Hadrian held them in check. They invaded Pannonia (A. D. 166). After a long conflict, which is celebrated in Roman history under the name of the Marcomannic war, Antoninus the Philosopher (q. v.) drove them back beyond the Danube. Commodus purchased peace in 180, which they observed, however, only so long as they were paid tribute, or Rome had a resolute ruler. They devastated Noricum and Rhætia, and even advanced through the passes of the Alps. Under Aurelian, in 270, they filled all Italy with consternation. But in the fifth century, the name of Marcomanni disappeared. The general migration of the nations consigned the names of the ancient tribes to oblivion. After the overthrow of the dominion of the Huns, the Rugii, Heruli, Scyri, Turcelingi made their appearance in the countries of the former Marcomanni. A powerful nation, the Baioarii, we find in the mountains of Noricum and Rhætia, which Mannert assigns strong reasons for regarding as the same with

the Marcomanni, who had emigrated hither, being driven from their residences by the Rugii, Longobardi, &c. The Baioarii are the progenitors of the Bavarians. (q. v.)

MARCO POLO. (See Polo.)

MARCULPHUS; a monk, known in the history of the feudal law, for his work, entitled the Formulary, consisting, of a collection of formularia or forms of forensic proceedings and legal instruments, including charters, &c. of the kings of France. He lived about the middle of the seventh century. Jerome Bignon published the formulary of Marculphus, with learned annotations, in 1613, reprinted in 1666; but the most complete edition is that of Baluze, in the second volume of his Capitularies (1677).

MARCUS AURELIUS. (See Antoninus.) MARDI GRAS (Fat Tuesday) is the French name for Shrove Tuesday, because it was formerly, and, in many cases, is still, customary to make this a day of feasting and merriment, by way of preparation for the 40 days' fast of Lent, which immediately follows.

MAREMME; tracts of country in Middle Italy, partly in the States of the Church, partly in Tuscany, in the region of Sienna, on the Tuscan sea, and on the western declivity of the Apennines, and partly also in Naples. These tracts, by reason of the unhealthy exhalations of a soil abounding in sulphur and alum, cannot be inhabited in summer without danger. This unhealthiness has been especially observed since the 15th century, and has already begun to advance to the Arno, this side of the Volterra, although Volterra rises 3600 feet above the level of the sea. The population of a region, which has thus become unhealthy, must emigrate, or be swept away by fever, and this mal' aria already prevails in different streets of Rome, which it will, perhaps, one day render uninhabitable. Whenever, from a diminution of culture, the vegetation consumes less of the mephitic air, the evil becomes worse. On the other hand, the Maremme afford, in winter, a luxuriant pasturage for cattle, which graze, in summer, on the Apennines, and, in this season, man himself experiences no difficulty in dwelling there in houses, or in the open air. In the Roman Maremme, which, the former small proprietors having been bought out, have become, for miles, the depopulated possessions of a few princes, a small part of the land is used in years of scarcity, for the cultivation of wheat. The earth is ploughed in autumn; hired

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laborers, from far and near, take care of the harvest, and, on the field, thresh out the grain, which is then deposited in the great magazines of the estates, whence it is conveyed to Rome or to Ostia, for further transportation. These laborers are SO careless, that they sleep under the few trees, or in the open air, and if they are attacked with the fever, after some heavy dews at night, the steward of the estate gives them their dearly earned wages and a loaf, with which they return to their mountains, unless previously overtaken by death. The more salubrious atmosphere of their mountains often restores them but slowly. From the oppressive poverty of the Italian mountaineers (of those, at least, who do not carry on robbery for a livelihood), there is never any want of men and women, who come down during the harvest, in the face of death, to collect a few scudi, to pay their rents, and for bread. The younger these laborers are, the more liable are they to the deadly fever. The insalubrity, moreover, betrays itself neither by mist nor by an offensive atmosphere; on the contrary, the air seems very pure, and the horizon of a clear blue. In part of Tuscany, exertions have been made to improve the corrupted air in these pestilent regions, by planting trees; by this expedient, the evil has been lessened in a degree, but by no means entirely removed, as is proved, for example, by the environs of the Lago di Bolsena (lake of Thrasymene), which have much wood, but suffer from the mal' aria. There were meadows at Antium, which were in ill report for their unhealthiness, even in the times of the Romans. At present, these same meadows, provided the open air at night is avoided, are perfectly healthy. 2000, and even 1500 years ago, the whole Campagna di Roma was very densely inhabited, and a garden; and probably for that very reason, the country was as healthy as it now is the contrary. Since the period of the migrations of the nations, husbandry on a small scale, and the use of the spade, which Cato Major esteemed so highly, have disappeared; and the more the property in the Campagna di Roma became accumulated in the possession of religious corporations and in entailed estates, the more unhealthy became the ancient territory of the Romans. According to Lullien de Chateauvieux, the smell and vapors betray, every where in the Maremme, the presence of sulphureous springs, which form permanent quagmires. But this mal' aria cannot proceed exclusively from the waters of the marshes, or