History of Spanish Literature, ii, 462; Iloefer, Xouv, Biog. Generale, s. v.
Me'sech (Psa. cxx, 5). See Meshech.
Meseugui, Francois Piiuxippe, a French eccle- siastic, celebrated for liis connection with Jansenism, was born at Beauvais, in August, 1677. His parents being poor, friends defrayed the expenses of his educa- tion in the College of Beauvais and at the Seminary of Trente-Trois in Paris. After having been invested with the first minor orders, he became a professor of humanities in his native city. On his return to Paris in 1707, through the influence of his friends he was ap- pointed superintendent of the department of rhetoric in the college at Beauvais. Coffin, who succeeded Rollin as the director of that mstitution, selected the abbe Mesengui for his coadjutor, and upon him devolved the duty of teaching the catechism to the students. The opposition, however, which he manifested to the papal bull known as Unigenitus constrained him in 1728 to resign his official functions. He subsequently became a member of the clergy at Saint-Etienne-du-jNIont. Sus- pected of harboring the doctrines of Jansenism, he was in consequence prohibited from all ecclesiastical avoca- tions, and confined to privacy and obscurity. He took up his residence in Paris, and devoted himself to the composition of various works designed for the propaga- tion of the Jansenistic doctrines, which he finally adopt- ed. He died in February, 1763, at Saint-Germain-en- Laye. Mesengui published : Idee de la vie et de Vesprit de N. Choart de Buzauval, eveque de Beauvais, avec un abrege de la vie de M. Hermant (Paris, 1717, 12mo) : — Abrege de Vhistoii-e et de la morale de VAncien Testa- ment (Paris, 1728, 12mo) : — Le Noureau Testament, trad, en Frangais, avec des notes litterales (Paris, 1729, 12mo; 1752, 3 vols. 12mo) : — Vie des Saints pour ious les jours de I'annee (Paris, 1730, 6 vols. 12mo): — Ah-ege de rhistoire de rAncien Testament, avec des eclair cisse- ments et des reflexions (Paris, 1735-53, 10 vols. 12mo) : — Abrege de Ihistoire de VAncien et du Noiiveau Testa- ment (Paris, 1737-38, 3 vols. 12mo) : — E2nt7-es et Evan- giles, avec des reflexions (Paris, 1737 ; Lyons, 1810, 12mo) : — Exposition de la doctrine Chi'itienne, ou instructiorfs sur les princip ales verites de la 7'eligion (Utrecht [Paris], 1744, 6 vols. r2mo; new edition, revised and enlarged, Paris, 1754-58, 4 vols. 12mo). Some writers state that the duke of Orleans endeavored to prevail upon Mesen- gui to expunge from his works such passages as re- flected upon the religious controversies of his day; but jMesengui evidently turned a deaf ear to the duke's en- treaties. A new edition of the last work, issued in Italy, was placed in the Index Expurgatorius by an apostolic brief from pope Clement XIII in 1761. In a posthumous Memoire, addressed to the cardinal Pas- sionei, Mesengui attempted to justify his religious views. Among his other works may be mentioned. La Consti' tution Unigenitus, avec des liemarques (Paris, 1746, r2mo): — Entntim (h Tliiopliile et d'Eugene sur la re- ligion (ibid. 17i;(i. IJuKi). Mesengui took part with Vigier and Collhi in the liturgical writings which M. de Vintimille, archbishop of Paris, disseminated in his diocese. See Lequeux, Memoire abrege sur la vie et les ouvrages de Pabbe Mesengui (Paris, 1763, 8vo); — Hoe- fer, Nouv, Biog. Generale, s. v.
Me'sha, the name of a place and of three men, dif- ' ferently written in the Heb.
1. (Heb. Mesha', Ni:3^, probably of Arabic origin ; Sept. MaiTiTJ), Vulg. Messa.) A place mentioned in de- scribing the boundaries of that part of Arabia inhab- ited by the descendants of Joktan (Gen. x, 30), where it is stated that "their dwelling was from Mesha even unto Sephar, (and beyond even unto) a mount of the east." In this passage it has been assumed by many that "the mountain of the east'' (on;?!! ".n) is not put by apposition in conjunction with Sephar, but is some third locality to which the boundary extends, as
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