M I D 
fhc merchants alfo had few or none but marts or ftations, 
in places convenient for their trade. Thefe, by exchang¬ 
ing their gold and jewels with their brethren for their cat¬ 
tle, enriched the fliepherds with precious -ornaments. 
Their manners refpeftively differed according to their 
mode of life ; but they are in general reprefented as being 
very fumptuous in their apparel. (See Judg. viii. 26.) 
From the book of job (ch. xix. 23, 24..) we learn, that 
the ufe of writing was known at an early period in thofe 
parts among the defcendants of Abraham. They mull 
aifo have had fame knowledge of arithmetic, and alfo of 
Ihip-building; fo that we may extend the circle of their 
fciences beyond writing and arithmetic, and allow them a 
competent (kill in geography, geometry, and aftronomy. 
The Midianites varied in religion as much as in their 
manner of life. In the north of Midian they appear in 
the days of Moles to have been addifted to all the abo¬ 
minations of the Moabites ; but in the fouth we find that 
tjiey were attached to a rational and fublime fyftem, long 
E)fter their brethren had funk into the grofleft corruption. 
The government of the Midianites is reprefented rather 
as ariftocratical than monarchical. Their chiefs, how¬ 
ever, are ftyled kings. The moil ancient account of this 
nation that occurs, after what we have already ftated, is 
that of their war with Hadad the Horite, when Midian 
was fmitten by him in the field of Moab. The next is that 
of their purchafing Jofeph from his brethren for twenty 
pieces of filver, and carrying him away with them into 
Egypt. 
Many years after this event, there lived in Midian, 
hear the Red Sea, a prielt or prince of the l'outhern Mi¬ 
dianites, called Jethro ; whole daughters were molefted 
by fome Ihepherds, and prevented from procuring water 
for their father’s flecks. On this occafion Mofes, who in 
his flight from Pharaoh had arrived in Midian, interpofed 
on behalf of thefe females, and cauled the fliepherds to 
retire. In confequence of this feafonable aft of kindnefs, 
Mofes was invited to the houfe of Jethro, who gave him 
one ofhis daughters in marriage, and kept his fon-in-law 
with him forty years. When Mofes overcame Sihon the 
Amorite, the Midianites were at enmity with Ifrael, at 
leaf! thofe who bordered upon the Moabites ; and they 
lean about this time to have been very aftive in feducing 
the Ifraelites from the worfhip of God to idolatry. The 
Jewifli-lawgiver, however, made preparation for invading 
their country 3 and they fortified their caltles and com¬ 
bined all their ftrength in order to refill the enemy. 
Their efforts were unavailing ; as they were defeated with 
great (laughter, and all their cities and caltles were laid 
in afnes, and their country plundered and defolated. 
About 150 years after this (laughter of the Midianites, 
two kings, named Zebah and Zilmunna, appeared as their 
conductors in a war againft the Ifraelites ; and they were 
joined by the Amalekites and Arabians, The deftruc- 
tion occafioncd by thefe combined forces continued for 
feven years; and the Ifraelites were compelled by the ra¬ 
vages of the plains, and by want of fultenancc, to retire 
to the mountains, and -(helter themfelves in caves and 
fortrefles. Gideon, however, exerted himfelf for the 
refeue of his country 3 and his efforts were fo fuccefsful, 
that the Midianites never afterwards prefumed to contend 
with Ifrael. They were, however, a powerful nation 
many-ages after this event, as well as famous for their 
Induftry, riches, and the magnificence of their tents ; but 
in the firit century of the Chriftian era their name funk 
into dilute, and was fwallowed up by that of the more 
powerful people of Arabia. Between 3 and 400 years ago 
there was a ruined city, which bore the ancient name, in 
the neighbourhood of which they pretend to Ihow the 
place where Moles watered his father-in-law’s cattle. 
Abulfeda calls it Median, and Mofes’s father-in-law 
Shoaib ; and the place is {till one of the ftations in the 
pilgrimage from Egypt to Mecca, under the name of 
Shoaib’s Cave. Ancient Univ. Hijl. vol. ii. 
MID'I ANITISH, adj. Belonging to Midian. 
Voh. XV. No. 1047. 
MID 845 
MIDIE'H, a town of European Turkey, in Romania, 
on the Black Sea: fixty-nine miles ealt of Adrianople, 
and fixty north-weft of Conltantinople. 
MIDJA'RE. See Maceira, vol. xiv. p. 39. 
MID'IONS DO OU'RO, a river of Africa, which runs 
into the Indian Sea in lat. 28. S. 
MID'LAND, adj. Remote from the coaft.—The various 
dialefts of the Englifti in the north and weft, render their 
expreflions many times unintelligible to the other, and 
both fcarce intelligible to the midland. Hale. —Surrounded 
by land ; mediterranean : 
There was the Plymouth fquadron now come in, 
Which twice on Bifcay’s working bay had been. 
And on the midland lea the French had aw’d. Dryden. 
MID'LEG, f. Middle of the leg.—He had fifty attend¬ 
ants, young men all, in white fatten, loofe coats to the 
midleg, and llpckings of white (ilk. Bacon. 
MID'LENT, f. The middle of Lent.—The fourth Sun¬ 
day in Lent is with us generally called Midlent Sunday. 
Wheatly on the Common Prayer. 
The middle or fourth Sunday in Lent was formerly 
called the Sunday of the Five Loaves, the Sunday of 
Bread, and the Sunday of Refrefhment, in allufion to the 
Gofpel appointed for this day. It was alfo named Rofe- 
Sunday, from the pope’s carrying a golden rofe in his 
hand, which he exhibited to the people in the ftreets .as 
he went to celebrate the eucharift, and at his return. 
Mothering Sunday is another name attached to this day, 
from the praftice, in Roman-catholic times, of people 
vifiting their mother-church on Midlent Sunday. Hence, 
perhaps, the cuftom now exifting in fome parts of Eng¬ 
land, of children vifiting their parents, and prefenting 
them with money, trinkets, or fome other trifle. Fur¬ 
mety is commonly a rural repaft on this day: it is made 
of whole grains of wheat, firit parboiled, and then put 
into and boiled in milk, fweetened, and feafoned with 
{pices. 
MID'LENTING, adj. Going about to vifit parents at 
midlent.—A cuftom (till retained in many parts of Eng,, 
land, and well known by the name of midlenting, or mo¬ 
thering. Wheatly. 
MID'MOST, adj. [from mid, or contracted from middle - 
mojl : this is one of the words which have not a compa¬ 
rative, though they teem to have a fuperlative degree.] 
The middle: 
What dulnefs dropt among her fons imprclt 
Like motion, from one circle to the reft: 
So from the midmojl the notation fpreads 
Round and more round o’er all the lea of heads. Pope. 
MIDNAPOU'R, a circar or province of Hindooftan, 
fituated partly in Bengal, and partly in Orifla; bounded 
on the north by Burdwan and Pachete, on the ealt by 
Biilunpour and Hoogly, on the fouth by Moliurbunge, 
and on the weft by Allahabad: about no miles long, 
and from 30 to 40 broad. 
MIDNAPOU'R, a town of Bengal, and capital of the 
above circar: fixty miles weft of Calcutta, and 116 fouth- 
fouth-weft of Moorlhedabad. Lat. 22. 28. N. Ion. 87. 27. E. 
MID'NIGHT, J\ [The poets often accented the ialt 
fyllable.] The noon of night; the depth of night; twelve 
at night.—In all that daYk midnight of popery there were 
Hill fome gleams of light, fome witnelles that arole to 
give teftimony to the truth. Attcrbury. 
By night he fled, and at midnight return’d 
From com palling the earth; cautious of day. Milton's P.L. 
MID'NIGHT, adj. Being in the middle of the night.—. 
I hope my midnight (ladies, to make our countries flourifli 
in myfterious and beneficent arts, have not ungratefully 
aft"efted your intellects. Bacon. 
Some folitary cloifter will I chufe 
Coarfe my attire, and fliort (hall be my deep, 
Broke by the melancholy midnight bell. Dryden's Sp. F. 
4 T MIDNIGUN'GE* 
