PEEBLES-SHIRE

PEEBLES-SHIRE, or TWEEDALE, a county of Scotland, extending 36 miles in length and about 10 in breadth. It is bounded on the east by Ettrick Forest,

on the south by Annandale, on the west by Clydesdale, and on the north by Mid-Lothian. Tweedale is a hilly country, well watered with the Tweed, the Yarrow, and a great number of smaller streams that fertilize the valleys, which produce good harvests of oats and barley, with some proportion of wheat. All the rivers of any consequence abound with trout and salmon. The lake called West-Water Loch swarms with a prodigious number of eels. In the month of August, when the west wind blows, they tumble into the river Yarrow in such shoals, that the people who wade in to catch them run the risk of being overturned. About the middle of this county is the hill or mountain of Braidalbh, from the top of which the sea may be seen on each side of the island. Tweedale abounds with limestone and freestone. The hills are generally as green as the downs in Sussex, and feed innumerable flocks of sheep, that yield great quantities of excellent wool. The country is well shaded with woods and plantations, abounds with all the necessaries of life, and is adorned with many fine seats and several populous villages. The earls of March were hereditary sheriffs of Tweedale, which bestows the title of marquis on a branch of the ancient house of Hay, earls of Errol, and hereditary high constables of Scotland. The family of Tweedale is, by the female side, descended from the famous Simon de Fraser, proprietor of great part of this county, and who had a great share in obtaining the triple victory at Roslin. The chief town in Tweedale, is PEEBLES, a royal borough, and seat of a presbytery, pleasantly situated on the banks of the Tweed, over which there is at this place a stately stone bridge of five arches. In the neighbourhood of Peebles, near the village of Romana, on the river Lene, we see the vestiges of two Roman castella, or stationary forts; and a great many terraces on the neighbouring hills, which perhaps have served as itinerary encampments. In the shire of Tweedale there are many ancient and honourable families. Douglas of Cavers, who was hereditary sheriff of the county, it is said still preserves the standard and the iron mace of the gallant Lord Douglas, who fell in the battle of Otterburn, just as his troops had defeated and taken Henry Percy, surnamed Horspur. In the churchyard of Drumelzier, belonging to an ancient branch of the Hay family, the famous Merlin is supposed to lie buried. There was an old traditional prophecy, that the two kingdoms should be united when the waters of the Tweed and the Panfel should meet at his grave. Accordingly, the country people observe that this meeting happened in consequence of an inundation at the accession of James VI. to the crown of England.

The population of this county, in 1801, amounted to 8717. But the following is the population at two different periods, according to its parishes.

House of PEERS, or House of Lords, forms one of the three estates of parliament. See LORDS and PARLIAMENT.

In a judicative capacity, the house of peers is the supreme court of the kingdom, having at present no original jurisdiction over causes, but only upon appeals and writs of error; to rectify any injustice or mistake of the law committed by the courts below. To this authority they succeeded of course upon the dissolution of the Aula Regia. For as the barons of parliament were constituent members of that court, and the rest of its jurisdiction was dealt out to other tribunals, over which the great officers who accompanied those barons were respectively delegated to preside, it followed, that the right of receiving appeals, and superintending all other jurisdiction, still remained in that noble assembly, from which every other great court was derived. They are therefore in all cases the last resort, from whose judgment no farther appeal is permitted; but every subordinate tribunal must conform to their determinations: The law reposing an entire confidence in the honour and conscience of the noble persons who compose this important assembly, that they will make themselves masters of those questions upon which they undertake to decide; since upon their decision all property must finally depend. See LORDS, NOBILITY, &c.