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seized from life, replete with good-sense, and pervaded by a lively Ciiristiaii feeling." As an apology of Chris- tianity, the work of Minucius Felix is a companion to those of Clemens Alexandrinus, Athenagoras, Theophi- lus of Antioch, Justin, Tertullian, and other early ad- vocates of the Christian faith in its times of trial and depression, and forms a link between them and those of Arnobius, Lactantius, Eusebius, Ambrose, and the other fathers of the 4th century. Octuvius was at one time attributed to Arnobius, and was inserted as the eighth book of his disputations .Ic/i-ersus Gerties; but BahUun published a Dissi-rtativn un Minucius (Kiel, 1G85), which unquestionably places the authorship where it belongs — with ^liiiucius. Octuvius is now extant only in one MS. C(jpy, which had remained unnoticed in the Vatican library until the pontificate of Leo X, who gave it to Francis I of France. It has gone through many edi- tions, among which those by James Gronevius (Leyden, 1709), by Davis (Cambridge. 1712), and by Orelli (Turic. 183G), deserve notice. The latter is accompanied by numerous notes by Dr. Davis and others, and a disserta- tion, or commentary, by Baldwin. It has been trans- lated into French by the abbe De Gourcy, into German by Kusswurm (Turic. 183G) and Lubkert (Leips. 1830), and into English, also, in Reeve's Apologies of Justin Martyr, etc., vol. ii. The latest and best edition of the original is by Carl llalm (Vienna, 18G7).
Another work, entitled De Fafo, against astrologers, is mentioned by Jerome as being ascribed to Minucius, although Jerome expresses doubts concerning its author- ship. This work is not known to be extant now. See SchaflF, Ch. Jlisf. vol. i: Ilagenbach, y/w^ of Doctrines, i, 03 sq. ; Du Pin, Biljli<it/i. des aut. Eccles. i, 117 sq. ; Schrockh, Kirch(ii;j<'sch. iii, 420 sq. ; Jahrb. deutsch. Theol. 18G7. Oct.; 'Meier, De Minucio Felice (Zurich, 1824, 8 vo). (J. II.W.)
Miuutiou is a term applied by monastics of the Middle Ages to phlebotomy, which was much in fashion in those times. In some abbeys a bleeding-house, called Flebutomuria, was sustained. For details on the prac- tices of the monastics in minution, see Fosbrooke, British Monachism (Loud. 1817, 4to), p. 321.
Minzocchi, Fhaxcksco, a renowned painter of the Bolognese school, sometimes called // veccJiio di San Bernardo, was born in Florence in 1513. In his youth he studied the works of I'almigiani in his native city, and from him he aciiuired a weak style, as evinced in his picture of the Crucifixion at the Padri Osservanti. Afterwards he changed his manner, assuming a more correct and beautiful style; and his subsequent produc- tions are marked by a beauty and grace rivalling nature herself. Among his most careful works may be men- tioned two lateral pictures at the cathedral of Loretto, in a chapel of S. Francisco di Paola. They represent the Sacrifice of Melchizedek and the Miracle of the Manna, . in which the prophets and principal characters are given with great dignity and nobleness, Scanneli extols a specimen of bis works in fresco on the ceiling of S. Maria della Grata in Forli, representing the Deity sur- rounded by a number of angels : figures full of spirit, majestic, varied, and painted with a power and skill in foreshortening which entitles him to greater celebrity than he enjoys, lie left, also, a number of productions in the cathedral at S. Domenico. He was so much ad- mired tliat upon the demolition of the chapels his least celebrated frescos were earefidly cut out and preserved. He died in 1574. See Lanzi's /Jistori/ of Painting, trans, by Koscoe (London, 1847,3 vols. 8vo), iii, 56.
Miph'kad (Hob. Miphkad', IPS'?, revieio or cen- sus of the people, as in 2 Sam. xxiv, 9, etc. ; or mandate, as in 2 Chron. xxxi, 13; Sept. fi\n(l)iKac,\ii\s;.JHdicia- lis), the name of a gate of Jerusalem, situated opposite the residence of the Nethinirn and the bazaars, between the Ilorse-gate and the angle of tiie ohl wall near the Sheep-gate (Xeh. iii, 31) ; probably identical with the Pridon-gate (Neh. xii, 39), under the midiUe of the
bridge spannii>g the Tyropceon (see Strong's TTarm. and Expos, of the Gosp. Append, ii, p. 15). Barclay (t'ili/ of the Great King, p. loG) identities it with the High- gate of Benjamin (Jer. xx, 2), and locates it at the west end of the bridge ; but that gate was probablj- situated elsewhere. " The name may refer to some memorable census of the people, as, for instance, f.iat of Davi<l (2 Sam. xxiv, 9, and 1 Chron. xxi, 5, in each of which the word used for 'number' is miphkad), or to the superin- tendents of some portion of the worship (Pekidim, see 2 Chron. xxxi, 13)" (Smith). See Jeiusalem.
Mirabaud, Jeax Baptiste, a French philosopher of some celebrity, was born in Paris in 1G7.5, and died in 1701). He was at home in the literature of Italy and of Spain, and made many valuable translations; among others, he rendered Tasso's Jerusalem Delicered and the Orlando Furioso. He also wrote several philosophical treatises, which in 172G secured him admission to the French Academy, His most important works are, Le Monde, son origine, son antiquite ; and Sentimens des Philosophes sur la nature de I'dme. Mirabaud was for a long time regarded as the author of the Si/steme de la Xature, now known to have been written by baron D'Holbach. See D'Alembert, Ilktoire des Mcmbres de V Academic Frangaise ; Iloefer, Xotiv. Biog, Generale, s. V. ; L'ebenvcg, /list, of Philosophy, voL iL