Manufactures. Many packs of lint, till of late, were fent from Darlington, by Newcastle, to be fpun. The yarn was returned by the fame conveyance. At prefent the spinners are employed by the manufacturers in Hawick. The quantity of cloth woven for fale is not great.

d. called the Bishop's

Ecclefiaftical State. This parish belonged formerly to the diocese of the Archbishop of Glasgow, who built the kirk betwixt the 9th and 10th century. There is paid to that university, the yearly sum of 5 1. 7 s. 6 Coat. The kirk was rebuilt in the year 1771, and is commodious and well feated. The Duke of Roxburgh is patron. The ftipend, at the converfion of grain, is about 1000 1. Scotch, and 50l. ditto for communion elements. The manfe was built in the year 1762, very fuperficially and confined. An addition was made to it 15 years after, and the house is this season to get some neceffary repairs. The glebe is of a tolerable good quality, measuring near 11 English acres *.

School. The heritors, a few years ago, yoluntarily raised the fchool-mafter's falary from 100 merks to iool. Scotch. They are contracting for a new fchool and fchool-house. His emoluments, as teacher, précentor, and feffion-clerk, do not exceed 17 1. per annum.

Poor. The poor are fupported by the intereft of 105 1. Sterling funk money, and an affeffment on the land, the one half paid by the proprietor, and the other half by the te The weekly collections supply such as occasionally

nant.

need

it might be kept entire, Sir Walter Riddell, in the poned half an acre of land to the then minister, ors in office, upon which the manfe, &c. are

need affiftance. When a perfon is admitted a pauper, a bond is figned, conveying a right to the heritors of what effects they have. This prevents impofition. If in value the effects exceed the expenditure, the furplus is given to the nearest relations of the deceased.

Antiquities *.-In this parish lies the feat of the ancient

family

*Upon inclosing the grounds of Bewliehill, the workmen. came to loofe earth, soft and black, and found a great number of human bones, feemingly burnt to a certain degree. The fpace was upwards of 20 feet diameter, being of a circular form, and seems to have been an outpoft of a Roman camp, the veftiges of which are to be seen in a neighbouring parish, at 3 miles distance. The rage of conqueft knows no bounds, but the Almighty brings good out of evil; for, by the invafion of the Romans, and the fuccefs attending their arms, Providence paved the way for publishing and introducing Christianity into this ifland. Military weapons have been found, and spears sharp on both fides; large quantities of human bones, fome with ribs adhering to the back bone; heads, in fome the teeth almoft freth. One body was pretty entire; contiguous to it were the remains of a horfe. Frequent fkirmishes had occurred in that corner of the parish, with the foldiers of Charles II. A numerous party of Prefbyterians, who were marching to join their brethren at Bothwell Bridge, being attacked by fome troops of dragoons, fled to Bewlie Mofs for refuge; unable to extricate themselves, many perished in the mud. When the old church of LilliesLeaf was taken down, in 1771, there was found, below one of the feats, a coffin containing feveral human heads. We may suppose that they had been cut off by friends, that they might not be fixed upon the ports of any of the neighbouring boroughs, as it was not poffible to drag out the bodies without be ing difcovered. What a blessed toleration do we now live under? And if the conftitution under which we live, in the course of time, needs repairs, tender and delicate thould the hand be that touches it. Our fathers told us of frequent meetings in Lillies-Leaf muir, for the worship of God. The devout assem bled at the hazard of their lives; the place they chose was retired; and one of their number was placed on a riting ground, to give the alarm on the appearance of danger.-ALEXANDER

HOME,

family of RIDDEL, of that ilk, one of the most ancient, if not the very oldest in Scotland *.

Character and Manners.-The people in general, a very few excepted t, are fober and attentive to bufinefs, there being plenty of work for fuch as chufe not to be idle, or half employed. They are regular in attending the ordinances of religion, and many have made no fmall degree of improvement in Chriftian knowledge. They adhere ftrictly to the standards

HOME, great-grand-father of the wife of the prefent minifter, a man eminent for his piety, and fimplicity of manners, came from the Merfe to join with his fuffering brethren in Divine fervice. Under the influence of that principle which "think"eth no evil," he informed a gentleman, on his returning home, where he had been, who gave information to the fervants of government, whereupon h. was apprehended, condemned, and hanged at the Cross of Edinburgh.

* Tradition fays, this family fixed itself betwixt the seventh and eighth century. A late well informed and elegant hiftorian was of this opinion. As pofitive proofs, Walter Riddell of Riddell married Violet Douglas in 936. About and after, that period, grants of land were made by the kings of Scotland, and by fome of the Popes, particularly by Pope Alexan der II. A place of worship was erected near the houfe of Riddell, which had a burying ground, called Chapel Park. When in tillage, human bones occafionally have been plowed up. This burying place was transferred to the prefent church-yard. Upon the outfide of Riddell ayle, there is infcribed H. R. 1110.

+ Previous to the rupture with America, a woman guilty of child-murder petitioned for banishment, which was granted. She denied to the father her being with child, and would not hearken to his propofals for marriage; yet, fo violent was his attachment to this monfter of depravity, that he accompanied her to America, in the hope fhe would relent, and at lalt give him her hand. A well difpofed woman, upwards of 70 years of age, at times fubject to religious melancholy, afk:d of a neighbour a good book to read; Ambrafe's War with Devils was put into her hands, the reading of which entirely deranged her mind, and led her to commit the fatal aft of fuicide.

ftandards of the Church of Scotland, and are well acquainted with her doctrines. They are generally ftrangers to the neglect of family worship; and wish to give their children a decent education. The school fees, for the children of fuch as are not in good circumftances, are paid from the weekly collections. The Seceders of different denominations are obliging in their manners; far from a narrow contracted fpirit, no clergyman could wish for better neighbours.-There are two political focieties a few miles diftant, who call themselves the Friends of the People; but, though they are anxious to add to their numbers, not a fingle person in this parish has joined them.-The drefs both of the men and the women has undergone a moft furprising change, within thefe 40 years. Thirty-two years ago, there were only 7 bats in the church, but at prefent there are not as many bonnets.

NUM

NUMBER XIII.

PARISH OF EDLESTOWN.

(COUNTY AND PRESBYTERY OF PEEBLES.-SYNOD OF LOTHIAN AND TWEEDALE).

By the Rev. Mr PATRICK ROBINSON, Minifter.

Name, Situation, and Extent.

HE village of EDLESTOWN, from which this parish takes its name, is fituated 17 miles fouth from Edinburgh, and 4 miles N. from Peebles, on the poft road from Edinburgh. The length of the parish, from N. to S. is 10 miles, and its greatest breadth, from E. to W. 7 miles,

Hill, Profpect, Lake, River, &c.-DUNDROIGH, or Druid's Hill, which is fituated two miles east from the church, is 2100 feet above the level of the fea, from which, in a clear day, can be feen the Cheviot Hills, with part of Tiviotdale, Annandale, Clydefdale, Perthshire, Fifefhire, the Frith of Forth, the city of Edinburgh, and the counties of East, West, and Mid Lothians.-There is a lake about 2 miles to the N. E. of the village of Edleftown, nearly of a circular form, and about 2 miles in circumference. The only fpecies of fish which it contains, are pikes and eels. This lake gives rife to the water of South Efk, which empties itself into the sea at Muffelburgh. Edleftown Water, which paffes this village, and runs into the river Tweed at Peebles, takes its rife from

various