MACEDONIA, an ancient kingdom lying between Thrace and Illyria, the Balkans and the AEgean; mostly mountainous, but with some fertile plains; watered by the Strymon, Axius, and Heliacmon Rivers; was noted for its gold and silver, its oil and wine.  Founded seven centuries B.C., the monarchy was raised to dignity and power by Archelaus in the 5th century.  Philip II. (359 B.C.) established it yet more firmly; and his son, Alexander the Great, extended its sway over half the world.  His empire broke up after his death, and the Romans conquered it in 168 B.C.  AEgae and Pella were its ancient capitals, Philippi, Thessalonica, and Amphipolis among its towns.  After many vicissitudes during the Middle Ages it is now a province of Turkey.

MACEDONIANS, a sect in the early Church who taught that the Holy Ghost was inferior to the Father and the Son, so called from Macedonius, bishop of Constantinople, their leader.

MACFARREN, SIR GEORGE ALEXANDER, musical author and composer, born in London; studied at the Royal Academy, and became professor there in 1834; in many operatic works he aimed at restoring old English musical characteristics, and wrote also cantatas “Lenore,” “May-Day,” &c., and oratorios, of which “John the Baptist” (1873) was the first; but his chief merit lies in his writings on theory (1813-1887).

MACHIAVELLI, NICCOLO, statesman and historian, born in Florence, of an ancient family; was secretary of the Florentine Republic from 1498 to 1512, and during that time conducted its diplomatic affairs with a skill which led to his being sent on a number of foreign embassies; he was opposed to the restoration of the Medici family, and on the return of it to power was subjected to imprisonment and torture as a conspirator, but was at last set at liberty; he spent the remainder of his life chiefly in literary labours, producing among other works a treatise on government, entitled “The Prince,” the principles of which have established for him a notoriety wide as the civilised world (1469-1530).

MACHIAVELLISM, the doctrine taught by Machiavelli in “The Prince,” that to preserve the integrity of a State the ruler should not feel himself bound by any scruple such as may suggest itself by considerations of justice and humanity; the State he regards as too precious an institution to endanger by scruples of that sort.

M’IVOR, FLORA, the heroine in Scott’s “Waverley.”

MACK, KARL, Austrian general, born in Franconia; notorious for his military incapacity and defeats; confronted by Napoleon at Ulm in 1805, he surrendered with 28,000 men without striking a blow; for this he was tried by court-martial, and sentenced to death, which was commuted to imprisonment for life, from which he was released at the end of a year (1752-1826).

MACKAY, CHARLES, journalist, novelist, and critic; wrote an autobiography entitled, “Forty Years’ Recollections of Life, Literature, and Public Affairs”; was the father of Eric Mackay, author of “Love-Letters of a Violinist” (1814-1889).