e Battle of Newbury, 1643, and is
characterised by fulness of information and candour. M. was also the
author of several tragedies, including _Antigone_, of no great merit.

MAY, SIR THOMAS ERSKINE, 1ST BARON FARNBOROUGH (1815-1886).--Jurist and
historian, _ed._ at Bedford School, and after holding various minor
offices became in 1871 clerk to the House of Commons, retiring in 1886,
when he was raised to the peerage. He had previously, 1866, been made
K.C.B. He was the author of a treatise on the laws, privileges, etc., of
Parliament, which, first _pub._ in 1844, reached in 1901 its tenth ed.,
and was translated into various languages. His _Constitutional History of
England_, 1760-1860 is practically a continuation of Hallam's great work.
He also wrote _Democracy in Europe_. As an historical writer M. was
learned, painstaking, and impartial.

MAYNE, JASPER (1604-1672).--Dramatist, was at Oxf., entered the Church,
and became Archdeacon of Chichester. He wrote two dramas, _The City
Match_ (1639), and _The Amorous War_ (1648), in neither of which did he
sustain the clerical character. He had, however, some humour.

MAYNE, JOHN (1759-1836).--Poet, was _b._ in Dumfries. In 1780 he _pub._
the _Siller Gun_ in its original form in _Ruddiman's Magazine_. It is a
humorous poem descriptive of an ancient custom in Dumfries of shooting
for the "Siller Gun." He was continually adding to it, until it grew to 5
cantos. He also wrote a poem on _Hallowe'en_, and a version of the
ballad, _Helen of Kirkconnel_. His verses were admired by Scott.

MELVILLE, HERMAN (1819-1891).--Novelist, _b._ in New York, and took to
the sea, which led to strange adventures, including an imprisonment of
some months in the hands of cannibals in the Marquesas Islands. His first
novel, _Typee_ (1846), is based upon this experience. _Omoo_ followed in
1847, _Moby Dick, or the White Whale_, a powerful sea story, in 1852, and
_Israel Potter_ in 1855. He was a very unequal writer, but occasionally
showed considerable power and originality.

MELVILLE, JAMES (1556-1614).--Scottish divine and reformer, _s._ of the
laird of Baldovie, in Forfarshire, and nephew of the great reformer and
scholar, Andrew M., by whom, when Principal of the Univ. of Glasgow, he
was chosen to assist him as a regent or professor. When, in 1580, Andrew
became Principal of St. Mary's Coll., St. Andrews, James accompanied him,
and acted as Prof. of Hebrew and Oriental Languages. He