Madrid

3081

Maeterlinck

Company a nearby site, which now forms the
city of Madras. It was captured by the
French in 1746 but restored to the British
by the treaty of Aix-la-Chapelle (1749). Dur-
in the World War the cruiser Emden shelled
the town but was driven oft" by firing from
Fort St. George.

Madrid, province, Spain, occupying the
southern, and eastern slopes of the Guadar-
rama Mountains, and reaching down to the
Tagus near Toledo. The climate is dry and
hot in summer and bleak in winter. There are
quarries of granite, lime, and gypsum; gar-
dening and viticulture are carried on, and the
northern forests yield good supplies of tim-
ber; p. 1,164,200.

Madrid, city, capital of Spain and of the
province of Madrid, is more than 2,000 ft.
above the sea. It is dry and windy, with
extreme temperature variation. The older
quarters of the city are in the western and
southern parts, the newer quarters in the
central and eastern portion. At the extreme
east is El Retiro, a pleasure ground of 350
acres, with shaded walks, ponds, and statu-
ary. The Puerto del Sol, an open square oc-
cupying the center of the city, is surrounded
by modern hotels and business houses and
from it radiate the more important streets.
The Prado, or promenade, is shaded by sev-
eral rows of trees, and ornamented with
statues and monuments. Features of inter-
est in the city are the Museo del Prado, with
a fine collection of old paintings; including
those of El Guco, Velasquez, and Goya; the
Armeria, a world renowned collection of
arms and armour; the Botanical Gardens;
and the former Royal Palace. The leading
educational institution is the University of
Madrid. The chief industry is tobacco man-
ufacturing; p. 1,195,000.

The history of Madrid begins with the
Moors. It became a Christian city under Al-
fonso vi. (1083). Philip n. made it the capital
in 1560. Madrid suffered much damage dur-
ing the Civil War, 1936-39. .

Madrigal, a term often used in a loose
sense for any light song, but properly de-
noting a type of song of Italian origin which
normally consists of two or three tercets, fol-
lowed by one or more couplets. It is also
used for the music written for such songs.
Madrigals were either sung by three or more
unaccompanied voices, or played upon viols.
They were written by most of the i6th and
17th century composers.

Madura, city, India, capital of Madura
district, Madras Presidency, is situated on

the Vaigai River; 270 m. s.w. of Madras. For
centuries it was the religious and political
capital of Southern India, and contains some
of the finest examples extant of Hindu archi-
tecture. Of these, the most notable is the
granite Temple of Minarchi, or the Fish
Mother. The town has coffee and cotton
mills, cigar factories, and manufactures of
brass ware and dyed cotton cloth; p. 138,894.

Madura, island, Dutch East Indies, sepa-
rated from Java on the w. by Surabaya
Strait, and on the s. by Madura Strait; p. i,-
743,8i8.

Mssander, river of Asia Minor,, rises in
Phrygia, flows between Lydia and Caria, and
falls into the ^Egean Sea. Its windings have
made its name proverbial. The modern name
is Menderes.

Maecenas, Gaius Cilnius (between 73 and
63 to 8 B.C.), Roman patron of letters. After
Octavian became Emperor, with the title of
Augustus, Maecenas was made administrator
of all Italy. He maintained a fine establish-
ment on the Esquiline Hill. Virgil, Propertius,
and Horace were among his greatest friends.

Maes, or Maas, Nicolas (1632-93), Dutch
genre painter. Chief among his paintings are
Old Woman Spinning, Girl Threading a
Needle, and many portraits, particularly of
children. He is represented in the Metropoli-
tan Museum, New York City.

Maurice Maeterlinck.

Maeterlinck, Maurice (1862- ), Bel*
gian dramatist and essayist, was born in
Ghent. He studied law and became a barris-
ter in 1887, but in 1896 settled in Paris and
thenceforth devoted himself to literature. His