Chapter Meteoric Stones to Middleburgh of M by Brewer's Readers Handbook

Michael the Stammerer, born at Armorium, in Phrygia, mounted the throne as emperor of Greece in A. D. 820. He used all his efforts to introduce the Jewish sabbath and sacrifice.

I think I have proved…
The error of all those doctrines so vicious…
That are making such terrible work in the Churches
By Michel the Stammerer.
   —Longfellow: The Golden Legend (1851).

Michal, in the satire of Absalom and Achitophel, by Dryden and Tate, is meant for Catharine the wife of Charles II.

Michal, that ne’er was cruel e’en in thought;
The best of queens, and most obedient wife,
Impeached of curst designs on David’s [Charles II.] life,—
His life, the theme of her eternal prayer,
‘Tis scarce so much his Guardian Angel’s care;
Not Summer’s morn such mildness could disclose,
The Hermon lily, nor the Sharon rose.
   —Pt. ii. 51–68.

Michelot, an unprincipled, cowardly, greedy man, who tries to discover the secret of “the gold-mine.” Being procurator

of the president of Lyons, his office was “to capture and arrest” those charged with civil or criminal offences.—Stirling: The Gold-Mine or Miller of Grenoble (1854).

Micomicon, the pretended king dom of Dorothea (daughter of Cleonardo of Andalusia), a hundred days’ journey from Meotis, and a nine years’ voyage from Carthagena.

Micomicona, the pretended queen of Micomicon. Don Quixote’s adventure to Micomiconnia comes to nothing, for he was taken home in a cage, almost as soon as he was told of the wonderful enchantments.—Cervantes: Don Quixote, I. iv. 2 (1605).

Micromegas (“the little-great”), the hero of Voltaire’s imitation of Gulliver’s Travels.

N.B.—Micromegas is a native of a planet revolving round Sirius. He is 120,000 feet high. Treading over the Alps, he picks up, by the aid of a microscope, a ship; and discovers by observation that the earth is inhabited. He enters into conversation with some of earth’s inhabitants, although they were too small to be discovered by him.

Midas (Justice), appointed to adjudge a musical contest between Pol and Pan. He decides in favour of Pan, whereupon Pol throws off his disguise, appears as the god Apollo, and, being indignant at the decision, gives Midas “the ears of an ass.”—Kane O’Hara: Midas (1764).

(Edward Shuter (1728–1776) was pronounced by Garrick “the greatest comic actor;” and C. Dibdin says, “Nothing on earth could have been superior to his ‘Midas.”’)

Midas’s Ears. The servant who used to cut the king’s hair, discovering the deformity, was afraid to whisper the secret to any one; but, being unable to contain himself, he dug a hole in the earth, and, putting his mouth into it, cried out, “King Midas has ass’s ears!” He then filled up the hole, and felt relieved.

Tennyson makes the barber a woman—

No livelier than the dame
That whispered “Asses’ ears” [sic] among the sedge.
   —Tennyson: The Princess, ii.

Middle India, Abyssinia, the country of Prester John.—Jordanus.

Middleburgh (Mr. James), an Edinburgh magistrate.—Sir W. Scott: Heart of Midlothian (time, George II.).