alese, and occupy themselves gathering cowries,
cocoa-nuts, and tortoise-shell for exportation.

MALEBOLGE, the name given to the eighth circle in Dante's "Inferno,"
as consisting of "evil pits," which the name means, 10 in number, for
those guilty of frauds: contains (1) seducers, (2) flatterers, (3)
simonists, (4) soothsayers, (5) bribers and receivers of bribes, (6)
hypocrites, (7) robbers, (8) evil advisers, (9) slanderers, (10) forgers.

MALEBRANCHE, NICHOLAS, a French metaphysician, born in Paris;
determined to embrace a monastic life, entered the congregation of the
Oratory at the age of 22, and devoted himself to theological study, till
the treatise of Descartes on "Man" falling into his hands, he gave
himself up to philosophy; his famous work "De la Recherche de la Verite"
was published in 1673, the main object of which was to bridge over the
gulf which separates mind from matter by the establishment of the thesis
that the mind immediately perceives God, and sees all things in God, who
in Himself includes the presumed irreconcilable antithesis (1638-1715).

MALESHERBES, LAMOIGNON DE, French statesman, born in Paris; a good
and upright man; was twice over called to be one of Louis XVI.'s
advisers, but his advice was not taken and he retired; defended Louis at
his trial; pled for him "with eloquent want of eloquence, in broken
sentences, in embarrassment and sobs," and was guillotined for it; he had
been censor of the press, and to his liberal-minded censorship the world
owes the publication of the "Encyclopedie" (1721-1794).

MALHERBE, FRANCOIS DE, a French lyric poet and miscellaneous writer
of great industry, born at Caen, is, from his correct though affected
style, regarded as one of the reformers of the French language
(1555-1628).

MALIGNANTS, the advisers of Charles I., chief among whom were
Strafford and Laud; were so called by the Parliamentarians, who blamed
them for the evils of the country; the name was afterwards applied to the
whole Royalist party.

MALINES or MECHLIN (52), a Belgian city on the Dyle, 14 m. S.
of Antwerp; has lost its old commercial activity, and is now the quiet
ecclesiastical capital; masterpieces of Van Dyck and Rubens adorn its
churches.

MALINGERING, a name given in the army to the crime of feigning
illness to evade duty or obtain a discharge.

MALLET, DAVID, originally MALLOCH, Scottish litterateur, born
in Crieff; wrote several plays, and is remembere