43 S 
PEA 
PEA 
Peace, in our law-books, &c. is reftrained to a quiet and 
inoffenfive carriage towards the king and his people. 
Offences again ft the public peace are either fuch as are 
an actual breach of the peace; or conftru&ively fo, by- 
tending to make others break it. Both of thefe fpecies 
are either felonious or not felonious. The felonious 
breaches of the peace, are ftrained up to that degree 
of malignity by virtue of feveral modern ftatutes ; and, 
particularly, the “ riotous affembling” of twelve perl'ons 
or more, and not difperfmg upon proclamation : “ un¬ 
lawful hunting” in any legal foreft, park, or warren, not 
being the king’s property, by night, or with painted 
faces, (i Hen. VII. c. 7.) or appearing with the face 
blacked, or with other difguife, and being armed with 
offenfive weapons, to the breach of the public peace, and 
the terror of his majefty’s fubjefts. 9 Geo. I. c. 22. 
Sending any letter without a name, or with a fiftitious 
name, demanding money, See. or threatening to kill any 
of his majefty’s fubjedfs, or to fire their houfes, &c. 9 Geo. 
I. c. 22. 27 Geo. II. c. 15. Deftroying any lock,fluice, 
or fiood-gate, &c. turnpike gate, &c. The above-men¬ 
tioned offences are felonies. Thofe that remain to be 
enumerated are merely mifdemeanours; viz. affrays, 
riots, routs, and unlawful affemblies, confiding of at 
leaft three perfons; tumultuous petitioning; forcible 
entry or detainer; riding or going armed with dangerous 
or unufual weapons; fpreading falfe news; falfe and pre¬ 
tended prophecies. 
Befides adtual breaches of the peace, any thing that 
tends to provoke or excite others to break it, is an of¬ 
fence of the fame denomination; fuch are challenges to 
fight, either by word or letter, or bearing fuch challenge ; 
and libels. The Englifli laws have provided various 
means for preventing offences againft the public peace. 
Where any man Hands in danger of harm from another, 
and makes oath thereof before a juftice of the peace, he 
muft be fecured by good bond, which is called binding to 
the peace. Any juftice of the peace may, ex officio, bind 
all thofe to keep the peace, who, in his prefence, make any 
affray; or threaten to kill or beat another; or contend 
together with hot and angry words; or go about with 
unufual weapons or attendance, to the terror of the 
people; and all fuch as he knows to be common barre- 
tors; and fuch as are brought before him by the con- 
ilable for a breach of the peace in his prefence ; and all 
fuch perfons, as, having been before bound to the peace, 
have broken it and forfeited their recognizances. Alfo, 
wherever any private man hath juft caufe to fear that 
another will burn his houfe, or do him a corporal injury, 
by killing, imprifoning, or beating, him ; or that he will 
procure others fo to do ; he may demand furety of the 
peace againft fuch perfon ; and every juftice of the peace 
is bound to grant it, if he who demands it will make 
oath that he is actually under fear of death or bodily 
harm ; and will fhow that he has juft caufe to be fo, by 
reafon of the other’s menaces, attempts, or having lain 
in wait for him ; and will alfo farther fwear that he does 
not require fuch furety out of malice or mere vexation. 
This is called /wearing the peace againft another; and 
if the party does not find fuch fureties, as the juftice* 
in his diferetion ihall require, he may immediately 
be committed till he does. A recognizance for keeping 
the peace, when given, may be forfeited by any aftual 
violence, or even an affault, or menace, to the perfon of 
him who demanded it, if it be a fpecial recognizance ; or, 
if the recognizance be general, by any unlawful a< 5 lion 
whatfoever, that either is or tends to a breach of the 
peace. Blaclijl. Com. b. iv. 1 Hawk. P. C. 126, 7, S. 
PEACE, interj. A word commanding filence.— Peace ! 
Fear, thou Cornell too late, when already the arm is taken. 
Sidney.- 
Silence, ye troubled waves, and thou deep, peace! 
Said then the Omnifick Word. Milton's P. L. 
PEACE, an ifland on the coaft of Nova Scotia, fouth 
of Mirachi point. 
PEACE, a large river of North America, which runs 
north-eafterly into the Lake of the Hills. In the dried 
feafon, it is a quarter of a mile wide. The lands on this 
river are inhabited by the Beaver and Rocky-Mountain 
Indians, who are an uninformed and barbarous race of 
beings. Polygamy is praftifed among them, and the 
women are in the loweli ftate of debafement. At their 
funerals, among other extravagant tokens of forrow, the 
women, if the deceafed be a favourite fon or hulband, 
cut oft' a finger at the firft joint. Some of the old women 
have not a whole finger left; but the men think it below 
their dignity to lhow any mark of grief. Thefe perfons 
are great gamefters, and purfue this as their employment 
for feveral days and nights. Their habitations are formed 
by fetting up a number of poles, united at the top, and 
expanded at the bottom in a circle of twelve or fifteen 
feet diameter; thefe are covered with dreffed Ikinsfewed 
together. This bufinefs, and other drudgeries, are per¬ 
formed by the women, while the men fit fmoking at their 
eafe. 
PEACE-BREAKER,/. One who difturbs the peace 
of the public.—They were of power to difturb their 
kings, to raife war, to do mifehief, that is, to be peace- 
breakers with extreme devotion. Holyday againjl Dijloy- 
alty. 
PE'ACE-MAKER, f. One who reconciles differences: 
Peace, good queen ; 
And whet not on thefe too too furious peers ; 
For bleffed are the peace-makers. Shakefpeare. 
PEACE-OFFERING, /. Among the Jews, a facrifice 
or gift offered to God for atonement and reconciliation 
for a crime or offence.—A facrifice of peace-offering offer 
without blemi/h. Lev. iii. 1. 
PE'ACE-OFFICER,/. An officer to keep the peace; 
a conftable. 
PEACE-PARTED, adj. Difmiffed from the world in 
peace: 
We ftrould profane the fervice of the dead 
To fing a requiem, and fuch reft to her 
As to peace-parted fouls. Shakefpeare's Hamlet. 
PEACE-SPEAKING, ar//. Commanding peace, giving 
peace. 
PEACEABLE, adj. Free from war; free from tumult. 
—The reformation of England was introduced in a. peace¬ 
able manner, by the fupreme power in parliament. Swift. 
—Quiet; undifturbed.—The laws were firft intended for 
the reformation of abufes, and peaceable continuance of 
the fubjeft. Spenfer. 
Lie, Philo, untouch’d on my peaceable ftielf, 
Nor take it amifs, that fo little I heed thee ; 
I’ve no envy to thee, and fome love to myfelf: 
Then why flrould I anfwer ? fince firft I muft read thee. 
Prior. 
Not violent; not bloody.—The Chaldeans flattered both 
Caefar and Pompey with long life and a happy and peace¬ 
able death ; both which fell out extremely contrary. Hale's 
Orig. of Mankind. —Not quarrelfome ; not turbulent.— 
Thefe men are peaceable, therefore let them dwell in the 
land and trade. Gen. xxxiv. 21. 
PEACEABLENESS, /. Quietnefs; difpofition to 
peace.—Plant in us all thofe precious fruits of piety, juf¬ 
tice, and charity, and peaceablenefs, and bowels of mercy 
toward all others. Hammond on Fundamentals. 
PEACEABLY, adv. Without war; wdthout tymult: 
To his crown, fhe him reftor’d, 
In which he dy’d, made ripe for death by eld. 
And after will’d it ftrould to her remain, 
Who peaceably the fame long time did weld. Spenfer. 
Without tumults or commotion.—The balance of power 
was provided for, elfe Pififtratus could never have go¬ 
verned fo peaceably, without changing any of Solon’s 
laws. Swift. —Without difturbance : 
7 The 
