their treasures, the sacredness of the place alone being sufficient protection. The former rigor by whicli un- believers were excluded from mosques under penalty of death has been of late years relaxed in some places.
The finest specimens extant of Moslem architecture are thought to be the mosque at Mecca, the mosque of Omar at Jerusalem (see Spencer's Ef/ypt and the Holy Land, Letter X), and the mosque at Medina, which three are considered also as peculiarly holy. The Jami Masjed, or Great Mosque, at Delhi (see preceding page), built by Shah-Jehan in 1631-37, is generally considered the noblest building ever erected for Mohammedan worship. (G. F. C.)
Mosquito Territory (or Mosquitia). See Nicaragua.
Moss, Charles, an Anglican prelate of some note, nephew of the following, flourished in the second half of the last century. He was educated at Gains College, Oxford, where he was afterwards fellow, and entered holy orders about the middle of last century. After filling many important livings, among them the rectory of St. James's and St. George's, London, the archdeaconry of Colchester, etc., he was finally elevated to the epis- copate in 17(JG, and appointed to the see of St. David's, from which he was transferred to the see of Bath and
The Mosque of Omar at Jerusalem, from the South-east.
man}' of the larger mosques there are hospitals connect- ed, and public kitchens, in which food is prepared for the poor.
To every mosque is also attached a school, in which reading of the Koran, at least, is taught; to every im- perial mosque is attached a college, and to the mosque of El-Azhan, in Cairo, is attached the great Moham- medan university of the world, which is attended by several thousand students from all parts of the Moham- medan world. To the imperial mosques in Constanti- nople are attached not only colleges, but also libraries, hospitals, asylums for the poor, khans for travellers, baths, and a small cemetery, with the tomb of the founder. The spacious courts containing these exten- sive benevolent and charitable establishments are adorned with trees and shrubbery and fountains. The whole is supported by endowments left by the sultan whose name they bear. Travellers, orphans, widows, ■and minors also find here a refuge, where they can leave
Wells in 1774. He died in 1802. He wrote. Evidence of the Resurrection Cleared (Lond. 1744 and 1749, 8 vo); and published many of his sermons in several series (Lond. 1750, 4to; 1756, 4to; 1764, 4to; 1769, 8vo; 1769, 4to; 1772, 4to; 1776, 4to). A son of his, of like name, also figured prominently in the Church. He was bishop of Oxford from 1807 until his death in 181 1. He pub- lished only a East Sermon (Lond. 1798, 4to).
Moss, Robert, D.D., an English divine of distinc- tion, was born of estimable parentage at Gillingham, in Norfolk, in 1666. He was educated first at Norwich school, then at Benet College, Cambridge, in 1682 ; made there B.A. and fellow in 1685, and B.D. in 1690; and entering holy orders, acquired great reputation both as a disputant and preacher. He was preacher to the Society of Gray's Inn, London, in 1698, and assistant preacher to Dr. Wake at St. James's, Westminster, in 1699. He was also sworn chaplain, in three succeeding reigns, to king William, queen Anne, and George I ; and being one
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of. the chaplains in waiting wlien queen Anne visited the University of Cambridge, April 5, 1705, he was then created D.D." In 1708 he was invited by the parish- ioners of St. Lawrence Jewry, on the resignation of dean Stanhope, to accept their Tuesday lecturd, which he held till 1727, and then resigned it on account of his growing infirmities. In 1712, on the death of Dr. Kod- erick, he was nominated by the queen to the deanery of Ely, which was the highest but not the last promo- tion he obtained in the Church ; for in 1714 he was col- lated by Kobinson, bisho|) of London, to (iliston.a small rectory on the eastern side of 1 Iciifonlshire. The gout deprived him of the use of his liiiil)s for some of the last years of his life, ami he died IMarch 2G, 172'J. His char- acter may be seen in the preface to the eight volumes of his Strmo/is, which has usually been attributed to Dr. Snape, and has even been ascribed to him by Mr. Mas- ters in his History of Benet L'ollcf/e; but the credit of it has lately been transferred to Dr. Zachary Grey, who is now definitely known to have been the editor, and to have also written a Life of the dean, wliich has, how- ever, never been published. He left no works of inter- est to us besides his sermons. lie wrote a number of poems, among which the best are, In doclusimi iSher- locci lihruni miper editum de usu acjine doiii j)i-op/ieHd, necnon j^rmdictionum maxime viemoruhilium per contin- uatum ah initio vsqiie sceculoi-um seriem (1726): — A brief and easy Paraphrase tipon the triumphal Song of Moses, Exodus, chap. xv,from ver. 1 to ver. 20 : — A Len- ten Thought. See Gener. Biog. Diet. s. v. ; Hook, Ecdes. Biogr. s. v. ; Nichols, Anecdotes ofBowyer, p. 78; Lond. Gentleman s Magazine, Ixxiii, 1 138. (J. 1 1. W.)
Mossom, ItOBEKT, a learned Irish prelate, who flourished in the second half of the 17th century, was born about the opening of that a;ra; entered holy or- ders, and, being a stanch royalist, suffered much in the civil wars ; but on the Restoration was made dean of Christ-church, Dublin, with which he held the bish- opric of Londonderry, where he died in 1679. His works are. The Preacher's Tripartite (Lond. 1637, 1657, 1685, fol.) : — Vari(B colloquendi Formnlce:' — Xarratire of GeorgeWild, Bishop of Berry (Lond, 1665, 4to) -.—Zioks Prospect in its First Vieu: He also published some of his sermons, of which Bickersteth {Christian Student) says that they are "spiritual and evangelical." See Harris's ^^'are's Ireland.