Part 8 (1/2)

=Medo'ra=, the beloved wife of Conrad, the corsair. When Conrad was taken captive by the Pacha Seyd, Medora sat day after day expecting his return, and feeling the heart-anguish of hope deferred. Still he returned not, and Medora died. In the mean time, Gulnare, the favorite concubine of Seyd, murdered the pacha, liberated Conrad, and sailed with him to the corsair's island home. When, however, Conrad found his wife dead, he quitted the island, and went no one knew whither. The sequel of the story forms the poem called _Lara_.--Byron, _The Corsair_ (1814).

=Medo'ro=, a Moorish youth of extraordinary beauty, but of humble race; page to Agramante. Being wounded, Angelica dressed his wounds, fell in love with him, married him, and retired with him to Cathay, where, in right of his wife, he became a king. This was the cause of Orlando's madness.--Ariosto, _Orlando Furioso_ (1516).

When Don Roldan [_Orlando_] discovered in a fountain proofs of Angelica's dishonorable conduct with Medoro, it distracted him to such a degree that he tore up huge trees by the roots, sullied the purest streams, destroyed flocks, slew shepherds, fired their huts, pulled houses to the ground, and committed a thousand other most furious exploits worthy of being reported in fame's register.--Cervantes, _Don Quixote_, I. iii. 11 (1605).

=Medu'sa= (_The soft_), Mary Stuart, queen of Scots (1545-1577).

Rise from thy b.l.o.o.d.y grave, Thou soft Medusa of the ”Fated Line,”

Whose evil beauty looked to death the brave!

Lord Lytton, _Ode_, i. (1839).

=Meeta=, the ”maid of Mariendorpt,” a true woman and a true heroine. She is the daughter of Mahldenau, minister of Mariendorpt, whom she loves almost to idolatry. Her betrothed is Major Rupert Roselheim. Hearing of her father's captivity at Prague, she goes thither on foot to crave his pardon.--S. Knowles, _The Maid of Mariendorpt_ (1838).

=Meg=, a pretty, bright, dutiful girl, daughter of Toby Veck, and engaged to Richard, whom she marries on New Year's Day.--C. d.i.c.kens, _The Chimes_ (1844).

=Meg Dods=, the old landlady at St. Ronan's Well.--Sir W. Scott, _St.

Ronan's Well_ (time, George III.).

=Meg Merrilees=, a half-crazy sibyl or gypsy woman.--Sir W. Scott, _Guy Mannering_ (time, George II.).

=Meg Murdochson=, an old gypsy thief, mother of Madge Wildfire.--Sir W.

Scott, _Heart of Midlothian_ (time, George II.).

=Megid'don=, the tutelar angel of Simon the Canaanite. This Simon, ”once a shepherd, was called by Jesus from the field, and feasted Him in his hut with a lamb.”--Klopstock, _The Messiah_, iii. (1748).

=Megingjard=, the belt of Thor, whereby his strength was doubled.

=Megissog'won= (”_the great pearl feather_”), a magician, and the Manito of wealth. It was Megissogwon who sent the fiery fever on man, the white fog, and death. Hiawatha slew him, and taught man the science of medicine. This great Pearl-Feather slew the father of Niko'mis (the grandmother of Hiawatha). Hiawatha all day long fought with the magician without effect; at nightfall the woodp.e.c.k.e.r told him to strike at the tuft of hair on the magician's head, the only vulnerable place; accordingly, Hiawatha discharged his three remaining arrows at the hair tuft, and Megissogwon died.

”Honor be to Hiawatha!

He hath slain the great Pearl-Feather; Slain the mightiest of magicians-- Him that sent the fiery fever, ...

Sent disease and death among us.”

Longfellow, _Hiawatha_, ix. (1855).

=Megnoun.= (See MEJNOUN.)