Besides the works which we have already mentioned, he wrote "A Continuation of the General History of the Turks," "L'Origine des Francois," "Les Vanites de la Cour," translated from the Latin of Joannes Sarisburiensis in 1640, and a French translation of "Grotius de Veritate Christianæ Religionis," in 1644. He died July 10, 1683, aged 73.

MICHAEL, (ANGELO, BUONARRUOTI) an illustrious painter, sculptor and architect, was born in Tuscany, in 1474. He was put to nurse in the village of Settiniano, a place noted for the resort of sculptors, of whom his nurse's husband was one, which, in more ways than one, fully justified the well known saying, that Michael Angelo had "sucked in sculpture with his milk." His violent inclination to designing obliged his parents to place him with Dominico Ghirlandaio; and the progress which he made, so far raised the jealousy of his school fellows, that one of them gave him a blow on the nose, which he carried with him to his grave. He erected an academy of sculpture and painting at Florence, under the patronage of Lorenzo de Medicis, who was a lover of the fine arts; but, upon the troubles of the house of Medicis, he was obliged to remove to Bologna. His reputation was so great at Rome, that he was employed by Pope Sextus to paint his chapel. Upon the death of Pope Julius II. he went to Florence, where he made that admirable piece of sculpture, the tomb of the duke of Florence. He however, was interrupted by the wars, the citizens obliging him to work on the fortifications of the city; but foreseeing that their precautions would be useless, he removed from Florence to Ferrara, and thence to Venice. He died immensely rich, at Rome, in 1564, aged 90.

He has the name of the greatest designer that ever

was; and it is universally allowed, that no painter ever understood anatomy so well as he. He took incredible pains to reach the perfection of his art. He loved solitude, and used to say, that " painting was jealous, and required the whole man to herself. Being asked, "why he did not marry," he answered, "painting was his wife, and his works his children." The most celebrated of all his pieces, is his " Last Judgment," painted for Pope Paul. III. In architecture also, he not only surpassed all the moderns, but, as some think, the ancients too: for which they bring as proofs, the St. Peter's of Rome, the St. John's of Florence, the Capitol, the Palazzo Farnesse, and his own house. We must not forget to observe, that he was also an excellent poet.

MICHAEL, (ANGELO DE CARAVAGGIO,) a ce. lebrated Italian painter, born in 1569, was, at first, only a day labourer; but having seen some painters at work, upon a brick wall, which he had helped to Laise, he was so charmed with their art, that he im mediately applied himself to the study of it, and, in a few years, made so considerable a progress, that, in Venice, Rome, and other parts of Italy, he was cried up and admired as the author of a new style in painting. His pieces are to be met with in most of the cabinets of Europe: and one picture of his drawing is in the Dominican church, at Antwerp, which Rubens used to call his master-piece.

It is said of this painter, that he was as singular in his temper, as in his taste of painting; full of detraction, and so strangely contentious, that his pencil was no sooner out of his hand, but his sword was in it. He treated his cotemporaries very contemptuously, particularly his former master Gioseppino, whom he used to make a jest of publicly; which, however, brought him sometimes into danger. Thus,

one day, in a dispute with Gioseppino, he run a young man through the body, who was seeking to adjust the affair between them, upon which he was forced to fly to the marquis Justiniani for protection. Justiniani obtained his pardon, by his intercession with the prince; but he was no sooner at liberty than giving a loose to his passions, he went to Gioseppino and challenged him. The latter answered," he was a knight, and would not draw his sword against an inferior." Michael Angelo, nettled at this. answer, hastened to Malta, performed his vows and exercises, and received the order of knighthood. While he was there, he drew the decollation of St. John Baptist for the great church, and the portrait of the Grand Master de Vigna Court. After this he set out for Rome, in order to force Gioseppino to fight him; but in his way thither, he was seized with a fever, which put an end to the quarrel and his life. This happened in 1609.

MENZIKOFF, (ALEXANDER) was originally an apprentice to a pastry cook, near the palace of Moscow, in Russia; but, in consequence of his having fortunately discovered a conspiracy against the life of Peter the Great, he was drawn from that situation in early life, and placed in the household of the emperor. Having made himself thoroughly acquainted with several languages, and being equally formed for war and for business, he first rendered himself agreeable and afterwards became necessary to his master.

He assisted Peter in all his projects; and was rewarded for his services, with the government of Ingria, the rank of prince, and the title of major general. He signalized himself in Poland in 1708 and 1709: but in 1713, he was accused of embezzling the public money, and fined in 300,000 crowns. The Czar remitted the fine, and having restored him

to favour, gave him the command of an army in the Ukraine, in 1719, and sent him as his ambassador into Poland in 1722. Constantly employed about the means of preserving his influence after the death of his master, who was then evidently on the decline, Menzikoff discovered the person to whom the Czar intended to leave the succession. The emperor was highly offended, and the penetration of Menzikoff cost him the principality of Plescoff.

Under the Czarina Catharine, however, he was higher in favour than ever: because, on the death of the Czar in 1725, he was active in bringing the different parties in Russia, to agree to her succession. This princess was not ungrateful. In appointing her son'in-law Peter II. to be her successor, she commanded him to marry the daughter of Menzikoff, and gave the Czar's sister to his son. The parties were actually betrothed; and Menzikoff was made duke of Cozel, and grand steward to the Czar. But this summit of elevation was the prelude to his fall. The Dolgoroukis, favourites of the Czar, had influence enough to procure his banishment, together with that of his family, to one of his own estates at the distance of 250 leagues from Moscow.

He had the imprudence, upon this occasion, to leave the capital, with the splendor and magnificence of a governor, going to take possession of his province, and his enemies took advantage of this circumstance to enflame the indignation of the Czar against him. At some distance from Moscow, he was undertaken by a detachment of soldiers, and the commanding officer made him dismount from his carriage, which was sent back to Moscow, and placed him and his whole family in covered waggons, to be conducted to Siberia, in the habit of peasants.

When he arrived at the place of his destination, he was presented with cows and sheep big with young, and poultry, without knowing from whom he received the favour. His house was a simple cottage; and

his employment was to cultivate the ground, or to superintend its cultivation.

New causes of sorrow, however, were added to the severities of exile. His wife died in the journey: he had the misfortune to lose one of his daughters by the smallpox, and his other two children were seized with the same disease, but recovered. He sunk under his misfortunes, Nov. 2, 1729; and was buried beside his daughter in a little chapel, which he had built. His misfortunes had inspired him with sentiments of religion, which, amidst the splendor of his former situation, he had neglected.

His two surviving children enjoyed greater liberty after the death of their father. The officer permitted them to attend public worship, on Sundays, by turns. One day, when his daughter was returning from the village, she heard herself accosted by a peasant from the window of a cottage, and, to her great surprize, recognized in this peasant, the persecutor of her family, Dolgorouki; who, in his turn, had fallen a victim to the intrigues of this despotic court. She communicated this intelligence to her brother, who could not behold this new instance of the vanity and instability of power and honours, without emotion. Young Menzikoff and his sister were soon after recalled to. Moscow, by the Czarina Ann, and left Dolgorouki in possession of their cottage. He was made captain of the guards, and received the fifth part of his father's possessions. His sister was appointed maid of honour to the empress, and afterwards married to great advantage.

METASTASIO, (L'ABBE PIERRE BONAVENTURE,) whose real name was Trepassi, was born at Assise, January 3d 1698. His talent for poetry was first unfolded by the reading of Tasso, and he began to compose verses at ten years of age. "A prodigy