(Lewis du), natural son to Jean Louis de Montcalm. Montcalm Seigneur de Candiac, and a widow of rank of Ronergue, was born at Nimes in 1676. His first attention was bestowed on jurisprudence; but afterwards he was altogether occupied with mathematics, philosophy, and the study of the languages. Father Mallebranche cultivated his acquaintance and esteemed his virtues. His first appearance was severe, his general temper tranquil; yet he had a lively and fertile imagination. His mind was active, full of resources, and methodical. We are indebted to his industry for the Typographical Bureau. This invention is the more ingenious, as it prevents the tedious parts of education, namely, reading, writing, and the elements of languages, to the youthful mind as a delightful entertainment, and many people in France both in the capital and in the provinces have adopted it with success. After he had conceived the idea of this invention, he made the first trial of it on the young Candiac, who was remarkable for his understanding in his earliest years. Du Mas conducted his pupil to Paris and the principal cities in France, where he was universally admired. This prodigy was carried off in the year 1726 before he was seven years of age, and his loss had nearly deprived Du Mas of his reason. A dangerous illness was the consequence of his vexation; and he would have died of want, if a gentleman had not taken him from his garret and entertained him in his own house. Du Mas afterwards retired with Madame de Vaujour within two leagues of Paris, and died in the year 1774, aged 68. He was a philosopher both in genius and character. His works are:

1. *L'Art de transformer toutes sortes de Musiques sans être obligé de connaitre, ni le temps, ni le mode*, published at Paris in 4to, 1711. This work is extremely curious, but of no advantage to the study of music.

2. A volume in quarto, printed at Paris 1733, in four parts, intitled, *Bibliothèque des enfans*. In this treatise he has placed, in a clear point of view, the system and economy of his Typographical Bureau. This invention, like everything new, was censured by some and admired by others. The author himself defended it with much success in the journals and in several occasional pamphlets. This collection, however, is become exceedingly scarce. The Typographical Bureau was brought to perfection by M. Reybert, a citizen of Avignon, who enriched it with many articles containing useful and agreeable information in geography, history, fable, &c. &c.

3. *Mémoires de l'Eccle sous le regne de Marie Stuart*, by Crawford, and translated from the English. This translation was found in manuscript in the library of the late marquis d'Aubais, with whom du Mas had lived in the most intimate habits of friendship.

*Mas Planta*, a plant which upon the same root produces male flowers only. See *Musculus Floe*.

*Masa Fuero*, an island of the South-Sea, lying in S. Lat. 33° 45'. W. Long. 80° 46'. It is very high and mountainous, and at a distance seems to consist of one hill or rock. It is of a triangular form, and seven or eight leagues in circumference. There is such plenty of fish, that a boat with a few hooks and lines may very soon catch as many as will serve 100 people. Here are coal-fish, cavilliers, cod, halibut, and cray-fish. Captain Carteret's crew caught a king-fisher that weighed 87 pounds, and was five feet and an half long. The sharks were here so ravenous, that, in taking soundings, one of them swallowed the lead, by which they hauled him above water; but he regained his liberty by disgorging his prey. Seals are so numerous here, that Captain Carteret says, if many thousands were killed in a night, they would not be missed next morning. These animals yield excellent train-oil; and their hearts and plucks are very good food, having a taste something like those of a hog; their skins are covered with a very fine fur. There are many birds here, and some very large hawks. Of the pintado bird one ship caught 700 in one night. Commodore Byron landed here with difficulty in 1765, in order to take in wood and water, of both which he found plenty. He found also great numbers of goats, whose flesh tasted as well as venison in England.

*Masbothæi*, or *Mesothæi*, the name of a sect, or rather of two sects; for Eusebius, or rather Hegesippus whom he cites, makes mention of two different sects of Masbothæans. The first was one of the seven sects that arose out of Judaism, and proved very troublesome to the church; the other was one of the seven Jewish sects before the coming of Jesus Christ.

The word is derived from the Hebrew *naw*, *schabat*, "to rest or repose," and signifies idle easy indolent people. Eusebius speaks of them as if they had been so called from one Masbothæus their chief: but it is much more probable that their name is Hebrew, or at least Chaldaic, signifying the same thing with a Sabbatarian in our language; that is, one who makes profession of keeping Sabbath.

Valerius will not allow the two sects to be confounded together: the last being a sect of Jews before, or at least contemporary with Christ; and the former a sect of heretics descended from them. Rufinus distinguishes them in their names: the Jewish sect he calls Masbothæi; and the heretics Masbothæani. The Masbothæans were a branch of the Simonians.

*Mascardi* (Augustin), a distinguished person in the republic of letters, was born at Sarzane, a city of the state of Genoa, in 1591. He spent the early part of his life among the Jesuits, and afterwards became chamberlain to Pope Urban VIII. He was naturally so eloquent, that this same pope, merely to exercise his talent, founded a professorship of rhetoric for him in the college de la Sapienza 1628, and settled upon him for life a pension of 500 crowns. Mascardi filled the chair with great reputation; but his love of letters made him neglect what is of more consequence than even letters, the management of his affairs: for he was always poor, and always in debt. He wrote a great many things in verse and prose; and among the rest, a treatise intitled *Dell' arte historica*. In his "History of the Conspiracy of the Comte de Fiesque," he has very frequently attacked the religion of Hubert Folietta; and in his other books he used some writers in the same way, which occasioned him to be attacked in his turn. The objections which were made to him, together with his answers, were added to the second edition of the history just mentioned. He died at Sarzane, 1640, in his 49th year.

*Mascarone* (Julius), bishop of Agen, and a most eminent French preacher, was born at Marseilles. in 1634. He inherited of his father, who was the most celebrated advocate of the parliament of Aix, that uncommon talent of eloquence which distinguished him. He was admitted a member of the congregation of the oratory very young; and from his 22nd year taught rhetoric at Mans. Soon after this he commenced preacher, and preached with great success in St Peter's church at Saumur. The bishop of Mans, willing to engage so able a preacher in his church, made him prebendary of it. He was much admired at Paris, when he preached the advent at the oratory. He preached after this five or six years at court, and was promoted to the bishopric of Tulle in 1671. He was afterwards translated to the bishopric of Agen. He was called in 1694 to preach the Lent sermon at court. The year following, he addressed the assembly of the clergy, and returned to his diocese; where he died of a dropsy in his chest, Dec. 16. 1703. There is nothing printed of this great man excepting A Collection of Funeral Orations made upon the queen-mother, the dauphiness, the duke of Beaufort, the chancellor Seguier, marshal Turenne; and at the head of this collection there is a short life of him.