pe 
‘792. — letter from a country schoolmaster. 135 
-formed of ‘their amount, which is as follows, viz. 
school-salary, L.5:11:13, school fees, about L. 7, 
sefsion clerk’s fee and emoluments L.2, in all L. 14, 
Tis. 13d. per annum. Many schools are not worth 
.so much, but at least four-fifths of them in the nor- 
thern part of the kingdom do not much exceed this 
calculation. This does not amount to 11d. per day, 
while a common mechanic receives more: than a fhil- 
ling, and a day labourer-or farm servant, nearly as 
muchas we. But a schoolmaster’s expences must 
‘be greater than those of a mechanic or farm servant. 
The value of money has fallen about one half, du+ 
ving the last fifty years. If this has been the case 
@uring the preceding fifty years, (about ‘the begin- 
ming of which period our salaries were settled in their 
present form,) 2 schoolmaster’s annual income was 
then worth near L. 60. of our present money. U- 
/pon this we might. support ourselves in a becoming 
manner. At least, L..4o. or L. 50. would be necef- 
sary to make us comfortable. The nation are not so 
saving of their money in any other particular; for 
a minister may squander away.two or three millions 
upon an uselefs armament; six or seven hundred 
thousand, annually, upon a colony as uselefs, with 
the approbation of a great part of the people. The 
House of Commons lately voted, for an establifhment 
to the duke of York, L. 8,000. per annum. This 
sum, with a proportional addition to the school fee, 
would make all the schoolmasters of Scotland easy in 
their circumstances. It is very hard that the nation 
‘cannot afford so great an augmentation to them all, 
as.to one of the king’s sons upon his marriage. It 
