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 460 METHODISM METTERNICH The union of the larger body of the Canadian Methodists with the British conference was dis- continued in 1840, but resumed in 1847. In 1873 the British conference granted the peti- tion of the Canadian and East British confer- ences to exist as independent organizations. In June, 1874, the Wesley an conference of Canada was divided into three annual conferences ; but in October a union was formed of this confer- ence, the East British American, and the New Connectional Methodists of Canada, under the title of "The Methodist Church of Canada." This new organization has 956 travelling preach- ers, 100,178 members, more than 100,000 Sun- day school scholars, one university, and four collegiate and academic institutions. Other Methodist bodies are the Evangelical Associa- tion, organized in 1800, largely German, which in 1874 had 2 bishops, 15 annual conferences, 1,213 preachers, 1,184 churches, and 90,249 members ; the United Brethren in Christ, also mostly German, organized in 1800, which in 1872 had 42 annual conferences, 1,709 preach- ers, 3,912 organized churches, and 120,445 members; and the Free Methodist church, or- ganized in 1860, which in 1874 had 2 superin- tendents, 8 annual conferences, 170 preachers, and 6,000 members. IV. LITERATURE. Of the immense literature of Methodism, besides the works and biographies of its founders and early promoters, may be mentioned, the following: " Annual Minutes of the Methodist Confer- ence;" "Minutes of the Annual Conferences of the Methodist Episcopal Church " (29 vols. 8vo) ; " Journals of the General Conference of the Methodist Episcopal Church " (12 vols. 8vo); "History of the Religious Movement called Methodism," by Abel Stevens, D. D. (3 vols. 8vo, New York, 1861) ; " History of Meth- odism," by George Smith (3 vols. 8vo, 1862) ; "History of the Methodist Episcopal Church," by Nathan Bangs, D. D. (4 vols. 12mo); "His- tory of the Methodist Episcopal Church," by Abel Stevens, D. D. (4 vols. 8vo); "History of the Discipline of the Methodist Episcopal Church," by Robert Emory, with additions by the Rev. W. P. Strickland; "History of the Great Secession," by Charles Elliott, D. D. ; "The Oxford Methodists," by the Rev. L. Tyerman (London, 1873) ; " History of the Organization of the M. E. Church, South," by A. H. Redford, D. D.; "Annals of Southern Methodism," by the Rev. Charles F. Deems ; " History of Methodism in Canada," by G. F. Playter ; " History of Canadian Methodism," by the Rev. John Carroll (4 vols. 8vo) ; " His- tory of the Missions of the Methodist Episcopal Church," by the Rev. W. P. Strickland (Cin- cinnati, 1850); "Theological Institutes," by the Rev. Richard Watson, D. D., with an analysis by the Rev. John McClintock, D. D. ; Systematuche, Theologie einheitlich lehandelt, by William F. Warren, D. D. (8vo, Bremen, 1865); "Defence of our Fathers, 1 ' by Bishop Emory; and "Church Polity," by Abel Ste- vens, D. D. For a complete bibliography of Methodism down to 1865, see the above work of Dr. Warren. METHODIUS. See CYRIL AND METHODIUS. METRE, and Metric System. See WEIGHTS AND MEASURES. METRONOME, an instrument for measuring time in music. It is a kind of pendulum whose centre of oscillation is beyond the point of suspension, contrived so that it may be easily carried about and placed convenient- ly on a table. The first metronomes went without clockwork, consisting simply of a rod with sliding balls at either end, and suspended near the middle on a horizontal rod which served as an axle. (See MECHANICS.) The modern instrument is kept in motion by clock- work, and usually consists of a wooden py- ramidal box on the front of which is a grad- uated scale of figures numbering from above downward. A pendulum, bearing a sliding weight a and a bob 5, has its rod graduated with marks corresponding to those on the scale. As the sliding weight is moved up, the centre of oscillation is moved further beyond the point of suspension c, and the vibrations take place more slowly. The scale in the instrument from which the drawing was made has a range from 40 to 208, the numbers cor- responding to the number of beats per minute, which is the unit of time. In some instruments a bell has been add- ed, arranged so as to strike at the begin- ning of each bar. The knob shown at d moves the bell by means of a slide ; e is the key for winding. Modern composers are in the habit of mark- ing their composi- tions with the met- ronomic signs, and many of the princi- pal works of the old- er composers have recently been thus marked by the edi- tors. These signs consist of a note together with its numeri- cal or metronomic value. For example, if a movement is marked * = 132, that implies that when the sliding weight is set at 132 on the scale the pendulum will vibrate once to each quarter note in the bar. Similarly, 1^ = 80 would signify that when adjusted at 80 the pendulum would vibrate once to each half note. The credit of this invention is usually given to Maelzel, but it more properly belongs to Diederich Winkel of Amsterdam, who made the first instrument about 1815. Maelzel improved upon it somewhat, and ap- propriated the invention. METTERNICH. I. Clemens Wenzcl Nepomnk Lot liar, prince, an Austrian statesman, born in Metronome