county of Scotland, called also Berwickshire. This last name it derives from the town of Berwick, which was the head of the shire before it fell into the hands of the English, and obtained the appellation of Mers, or March, because it was one of the borders towards England. It is washed on the south and east by the river Tweed and the German Ocean, bounded on the west by Tweedale, and on the north by Lothian. It extends 24 miles from east to west, and the breadth amounts to 16. The face of the country is rough and irregular, exhibiting hills, moors, and mosses, with intermediate valleys, which are pleasant and fruitful. It is watered by many streams; and particularly by the famous Tweed, which, rising from Mersenne, the same hills that gave birth to the Clyde and Annan, runs with a rapid course thro' Tweedale Forest and Teviotdale, and after a course of 50 miles disembogues itself into the German Ocean. Notwithstanding the length of its course, it is not navigable above Berwick, where there is a noble bridge over it, consisting of 15 arches: there was another at Melros, where nothing but the piers now remain. A third, of five arches, is maintained at Peebles; and a fourth has some time ago been built at Kelso. The shire of Berwick is generally distinguished into the three divisions of Mers, Lammermuir, and Lauderdale. The Mers is low, pleasant, and tolerably fruitful in corn. Lammermuir is a hilly country, abounding with game, and yielding good pasture for sheep and black cattle. Lauderdale is a tract of land lying on each side of the river Lauder, agreeably varied with hill, dale, and forest, producing good store of corn and pasturage, and giving the title of earl to the family of Maitland: but the most fruitful and populous parts of Berwickshire, are those that lie along the Tweed, and on both sides of the lesser rivers White Water, Black Water, and Eye. The seats of noblemen and gentlemen abound in this county. Berwick was the chief town until it fell into the hands of the English, and was annexed to their monarchy in the reign of King Edward IV. At present the principal town is Duns.

Mersenno (Marin), in Latin Merennus, a learned French author, born at Oyé, in the province of Maine, anno 588. He studied at La Flèche at the same time with Des Cartes; with whom he contracted a strict friendship, which lasted till death. He afterwards went to Paris, and studied at the Sorbonne, and in 1611 entered himself among the Minims. He became well skilled in Hebrew, philosophy, and Mathematics. He was of a tranquil, sincere, and engaging temper; and was universally esteemed by persons illustrious for their birth, their dignity, and their learning. He taught philosophy and divinity in the convent of Nevers, and at length became superior of that convent; but being willing to apply himself to study with more freedom, he resigned all the posts he enjoyed in his order, and travelled into Germany, Italy, and the Netherlands. He wrote a great number of excellent works; the principal of which are,

1. Questiones celeberrime in Genesim. 2. Harmonicorum libri. 3. De sonorum natura, causis, et effectibus. 4. Cogitata physico-mathematica. 5. La vérité des Sciences. 6. Les questions immuées. He died at Paris in 1648. He had the reputation of being one of the best men of his age. No person was more curious in penetrating into the secrets of nature, and carrying all the arts and sciences to their utmost perfection. He was in a manner the centre of all the men of learning, by the mutual correspondence which he managed between them. He omitted no means to engage them to publish their works; and the world is obliged to him for several excellent discoveries, which, had it not been for him, would perhaps have been lost.

Merula (George), an Italian of extraordinary parts and learning, born at Alexandria in the duchy of Milan about the year 1420. He taught youth at Venice and Milan for 40 years, and laboured abundantly ly in restoring and correcting ancient authors. He wrote, and addressed to Lewis Sforza, Antiquitates Vicentium; or "The actions of the Dukes of Milan," in 10 books; with some other things in the same way. His death, in 1494, is said not to have grieved any body; as he lived in a state of war with, and abused, almost all his contemporary scholars.