256 on schoolmaster’s salartes. Fure 200 
who finds it nece/sary for his subsistence, or to one who 
‘has enough to ‘live on without it, were absurd; as it is ob- 
wious, that though it might be highly prized by the first, 
it would be despised bythe last. What follows? One 
awho had such a salary.as to bear a great disproportion to 
his teaching fees, would disdain the drudgery of teaching 
a few dirty boys for trifling gratuities. His school would 
thus be so much neglected, as to discourage. parents from 
sending their children to it.. In consequence of this, the 
‘schools in many country parifhes would gradually be desert- 
ed; andthe office of schoolmaster, in most of these pari- 
dhes, would become: a mere sinecure, to be given to the 
dependants of heritors, or parsons, or those who had inte- 
rest with the kirk sefsion, who would covet the salary, 
merely to afsist them in prosecuting some other businefs, 
without once thinking of teaching at, all., Where these 
incumbents were peculiarly favoured by those of high rank 
in the parifh, it would not perhaps be thought necefsary to 
open a school.at all; but even where this could not be 
dispensed with, unlefs the teaching fees were greatly rai- 
.sed, the office of teaching would be performed by a depu- 
ty, who, for an allowance far fhort of the present salaries, 
would discharge the functions of the office. This is an 
evil which is felt even in the present state of things, and 
-is loudly complained of in many country parifhes*. But 
if even the small salaries at present be an object of cupidi- 
ty to those who have not an intention seriously to teach ; 
* With a view to obviate this inconvenience, we frequently see, in 
‘advertisements for teachers to large parifhes, this clause inserted:—Tée 
place will not be given to.any one who does not enter into an engagement, that 
be is not to prosecute the study of divinity. | Needy students of divinity are 
almost the only persons who now covet the place of schoolmasters, with 
a view to teach by proxy, as a small interim support. Were the salaries 
larger, we ‘fhould soon find abundance of other competiters for the 
office. 
4 
—; 
