268 M E T“ 
five hundred pounds flerling, which forms a mo ft‘commo¬ 
dious and well-aired apartment for teaching. A neat 
dwelling-houfe of two ftories, formerly built for the ac¬ 
commodation of the teacher’s family, alio belongs to this 
inftitution. At this feminary are taught the following 
branches of education—Englifli, Latin, writing, arithme¬ 
tic, book-keeping, pradlical geometry, drawing of archi¬ 
tectural plans, church-mufic, See. 
2. The Seceding or Diflenting School. This fchool 
was inftituted thirty years ago, but never rofe to any 
great degree of reputation till within thefe feven or eight 
years, when it was efta’blifhed on a more liberal and per¬ 
manent footing than formerly. About that time, (i 806,) 
an ample and commodious building was eredled, confifl- 
ing of a large fchool-room, and apartments for the ac¬ 
commodation of the teacher. It is built on the property 
of the Seceding Congregation ; and the expenfes were de¬ 
frayed, partly by fubfeription and partly from the funds 
belonging to that fociety. The teacher has a falary of 
30I. fterling, befides the fees paid by the fcholars, which 
is raifed partly by fubferiptions and public colledtions, 
■and partly from the funds of the aforefaid fociety. At 
this feminary are taught the following branches—the 
Englifli, Latin, and Greek, languages, writing, arithmetic, 
book-keeping, church-mufic, the different branches of 
practical mathematics, &c. The number of fcholars who 
attend in this and the afore-mentioned feminary may be, 
.at an average, about eighty in each fchool. The fees 
paid by each feholar are, for Englifli reading, as. Englifli 
grammar, 5s. writing, as. 6d. arithmetic, 3s. Latin, 5s. 
mathematics, 6s. per quarter. Within thefe three years, 
the mailer has introduced occafional courfes of geogra¬ 
phy and aftronomy on a popular plan, and illuftrated by 
a variety of appropriate inltruments ; a branch of inftruc- 
tion formerly unknown in this place, which has excited 
the curiofity of a confiderable number of young perfons, 
and has, on different occafions, been well attended. It 
has already operated in enlarging the minds of many 
young men, and in direfling their fpeculations and con- 
verfation to ftibjefls of a higher order than are generally 
difeufi’ed in the lower ranks of life. This clafs meets in 
the evening, and is generally taught during the winter 
and fpring months. The fee is half a guinea per quarter. 
3. The Sabbath-evening Inftitution. This inftitution 
has for its objefl the inftrudlion of young perfons, from 
the age of ten to that of twenty or upwards, in the 
dodlrines contained in the Weftminfter Aflembly’s Shorter 
.Catechifm, in the hiftorical fafts of the Old and New Tef- 
taments, and for communicating mifcellaneous religious 
information for the improvement of the minds and morals 
of the young. It differs confiderably, both in its objefl 
and in the mode of conducing it, from the Sunday- 
fchools lately eftablilhed in England. The principal object 
in this inftitution is, to convey ideas to the mind, with¬ 
out impoflng many talks on the memory ; and, when fuch 
tafks are preferibed, an account of the leading ideas con¬ 
tained in the fubjeft repeated, is always required. 
The exercifes in this inftitution commence with a fa¬ 
miliar explanation, in the catechetical form, of one or 
more queltions in the Catechifm, comprifing concife defi¬ 
nitions of the terms employed, and an illuftration of the 
doftrines and duties by fadls, as far as they can be found 
to illuftrate the ftibjedl. A chapter, in regular order, of 
the hiltory of the Old Teftament, is next read ; and the 
pupil defired to point out its leading contents, or the 
principal incidents contained in it: next, a more parti¬ 
cular inquiry is made into the feveral circumftances con- 
nedted with the leading fadls; and hints refpedling Jewifh 
cuftoms, and other particulars, are occaflonally thrown 
out, to elucidate the narration. A chapter in the New 
Teftament is then read, and the fame plan adopted ; and, 
laftly, the moral lefl'ons deducible from the hiftory, with 
the particular incidents on which they are founded, are 
pointed out. The reading of a religious anecdote, a bio¬ 
graphical fketch of fome eminent perfon or other liiitable 
narrative, the hearing of anlwers to queries previoufly 
m e r 
given out, the communication of a few fliort moral - 
maxims, afliort addrefs, with prayer and praife, conclude 
the inftrudtions for the evening, which generally occupy 
nearly three hours. As exercifes, queftions refpedling 
Scripture fadls are given to fome individuals every even¬ 
ing, to be anfwered at next meeting. Some of Barrow’s 
Scripture Queftions are frequently ufed for this purpofe. 
This inftitution commenced in 1807, and continues 
with increafmg uferulnefs. Theological difputes are flu- 
dioufly avoided, as the attention is chiefly diredled to 
fadls, with the inferences naturally deduced from them. 
Confiderably above an hundred perfons of different de¬ 
nominations voluntarily attend. No fees are required, 
except fix-pence from each catechumen, to defray the 
expenfe of candle during winter. 
4. The Public Library, or Reading Society. This in¬ 
ftitution was formed by a few private individuals, about 
twelve years ago; but has flourifhed chiefly during the 
laft five years, when fome new regulations were adopted. 
It now confifts of above an hundred members. Its buli- 
nefs is condudled by a committee, conflfting of a chair¬ 
man, fecretary, librarian, officer, and four other members. 
Four general meetings of the fubferibers are held every 
-year. In feledling books, the general meeting determines 
by a majority of votes, what fubjedl of reading is molt 
wanted at the time, whether hiftory, phiiofophy, theology. 
Sec. after which the particular books on the fubjedl voted 
are feledled by the committee. Its funds are but fmall. 
Every member pays only as. 6d. as entry-money, and 3s. 
per annum for the ufe of the books. Notwithftanding 
the fmallnefs of thefe fums, the library already contains 
nearly 400 volumes. 
The above account is abridged from an article in the 
Monthly Magazine; and we have introduced it becaufc 
we hope to fee the plan of reading-locieties very generally 
adopted in all our fmaller towns and villages. The ar¬ 
ticle concludes as follows: “ When our rulers fliall 
have cultivated more pacific difpofitions, and be more 
difpofed to promote intelledlual improvement; and when- 
the nations of Europe fhall have found repofe from the 
horrors of war; much might be done in this way, to en¬ 
lighten and ameliorate mankind, a confummation de* 
voutly to be wilhed.” Monthly Mag. Mar. 1813. 
METH'UEN, a town of America, in Eflex county^ 
Maflachufets, on the north bank of Merrimack river, be¬ 
tween Dracut and Haverhill. It contains two pariflies, and 
1253 inhabitants : eighteen miles north ofBofton. 
METIIUL'LY, "a town of Hindooftan, in Guzerat: 
fifteen miles fouth-weft of Gogo. 
METIIU'SAEL, [Ileb. one defirous of death.] A 
man’s name. 
METHU'SELAH, [Heb. the arms of death.] This 
antediluvian patriarch, the fon of Enoch and father of 
Lamech, was bom in the year'of the world 687, begat 
Lamech in 874, and died in 1656, being the very year of 
the deluge, at the age of 969, which is the greateft ag® 
that has been attained to by any mortal man upon earth. 
Gen. v. 21. 27. According to the text of the Septuaginf, 
Methufelah muft have lived fourteen years after the de¬ 
luge-; but, according to other copies, he died fix years 
before it, which is moft probable. 
METH'WOLD, a fmall market-town in the county of 
Norfolk, fituated four miles from Stoke Ferry, and 86 
from London. It derived its name from its feite, and 
was anciently written Methelwulde, or MidlewoUle, being 
the wold between Northwolde and Hockwolde. The 
church, which appears to have been built in the reign of 
Edward II. is a regular edifice with a nave, aides, and 
chancel: at the weft end of the nave is a fquare tower, 
embattled; on this is raifed another tower of an oftan- 
gular fhape ; and from the latter riles a lpire. The mar¬ 
ket, which is kept on Tuefdays, was formerly confider¬ 
able, but is now almoft difufed ; an annual fair is held 
on St. George’s day. The town has been, from time im¬ 
memorial, proverbially famous for its extenfive rabbit- 
warrens. Lat, 52. 31. N. 
