Matthiolus, Petrus Andreas—Pierre André Mattiole—(1500–1577), Italian naturalist and physician, is best known by his Commentary originally published at Venice under the title “Il Dioscoride con gli suoi discorsi” and translated into Latin, 1554, which is said to contain all that was known of medicine and botany up to that time (Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. X. p. 1349; Eloy, “Dict. Hist. de Médecine,” Mons, 1778, Vol. III. pp. 190–193.)
Gilbert tells, in Book I. chap. i. of De Magnete, that Matthiolus, the translator of Dioscorides, “furbishes again the garlic and diamond story, in connection with the loadstone, that he also brings in the fable of Mahomet’s shrine having an arched roof of magnets so that the people might be fooled by the trick of the coffin suspended in air, as though ’twere some divine miracle, and, furthermore, that he compares the attractive virtues of the loadstone, which pass through iron, to the mischief of the torpedo, whose poison passes through bodies and spreads in an occult way.”
Maurolycus—Marulle—Franciscus (1494–1575) was Abbot of Messina and a celebrated geometer. His well-known “Opuscula Mathematica,” Venice, 1575, containing treatises on the sphere, astronomical instruments, etc., was preceded by his great book on Cosmography published during 1543, and he also wrote many other works which will be found enumerated in the Catalogue so ably made up by the Abbé Scina (Larousse, “Dict. Univ.,” Vol. X. p. 1365; Houzeau et Lancaster, “Bibl. Gén.,” Vol. II. p. 201).
Gilbert mentions Franciscus Maurolycus (De Magnete, Book I. chaps. i. and xvii., also Book IV. chaps. i. and xviii.), regarding the variation in the Mediterranean Sea and says that he discusses a few problems regarding the loadstone, adopting the current opinion of others, and that he believes the variation is caused by a certain magnetic island mentioned by Olaus Magnus.
References.—Libri, “Hist. des Sc. Mathém.,” Paris, 1838, Vol III. p. 102; “Nouv. Biog. Gén.” (Hœfer), Vol. XXXIV. p. 428; “Vita del Abate. Maurolico,” Messine, 1613; Nicéron, “Mémoires,” Vol. XXXVII; “Biog. Univ.” (Michaud), Vol. XXVII. p. 352; Tessier (H. A.), “Eloges des hommes Illustres”; “Dict. Univ. du XIXe siècle” (Larousse), Vol. X. p. 1365.
Menelaus (called also Mileus, Milieus, by Apian and by Mersenne), was a celebrated Alexandrian, living end of first century A.D., who, in his brilliant treatment especially of spherical geometry, went considerably beyond all his predecessors. The only work of his, however, that has reached us is a treatise on the sphere in three books, of which the translation was made by Maurolycus and inserted by P. Mersenne in his “Univ. Geometriæ Synopsis,” 1644.
Menelaus is mentioned by Gilbert (De Magnete, Book VI. chaps. viii. and ix.) together with Ptolemy and Machometes Aractensis, who, says he, have held in their writings that the fixed stars and the whole firmament have a forward movement, for they contemplated the heavens and not the earth and knew nothing of magnetic inclination.
References.—Montucla, J. F., “Hist. des Mathém.,” Vol. I. p. 291; Delambre, J. B. J., “Hist. de l’Astron. Moderne,” Vol. II. p. 243.
Merula, Gaudentius, was an Italian savant living early in the sixteenth century, author of “De Gallorum ... antiquitate,” 1536, 1538, 1592, of “Memorabilium” 1546, 1550, 1551, 1556, and of several general histories, etc. Gilbert says (De Magnete, Book I. chap. i.) Merula advises that on a loadstone be graven the image of a bear, when the moon looks to the north, so that, being suspended by an iron thread, it may win the virtue of the celestial Bear.
References.—Cotta (Lazaro Agostino), “Musæo Novarese,” p. 133; Philippo Argellati, “Bibliotheca ... Mediol. ...” Vol. II. pp. 2131–2134; “La Grande Encycl.” Vol. XXIII. p. 732; “Biog. Gén.,” Vol. XXXV. p. 127.