sect. ril. THE COUNTY OF FIFE. 323 



University-hall, at the end of the session, ex- 

 cites and maintains a spirit of application and 

 emulation. 



" The situation of the place is very healthy ; 

 there are dry walks at all seasons ; the air is 

 pure ; the streets are spacious and open ; and 

 the water, brought into the town from adja- 

 cent springs in leaden pipes, is plentiful and 

 excellent. Putrid or malignant diseases are 

 scarcely ever seen in St Andrew's. Epidemi- 

 cal diseases of any kind are very rare, and also 

 much milder than in other places of the same 

 size and population." 



Parochial Schoolmasters. In every parish, so 

 far as I know, there is one school established 

 by law. By an act of King William's first Scots 

 Parliament, held in 1696, it is ordained, that a 

 school be settled, and a schoolmaster appointed, 

 in every parish ; and that the heritors shall pro- 

 vide a commodious house for a school, and mo- 

 dify an annual salary to the schoolmaster, not 

 under 5!. iis. lyd. nor above ill. 2s. 2-|d. 

 Sterling, and to be paid by equal portions, at 

 the terms of Whitsunday and Martinmas; which 

 salary is declared to be over and above the per- 

 quisites which formerly belonged to the readers 

 and clerks of the kirk-sessions. 



In Fife, the medium of school-salaries is not 

 above '/I. per annum ; which, for 60 parishes, 

 amounts to 420!.; the whole burden to which 

 the heritors are subjected for the support of the 

 parochial schoolmasters. The number of chil- 

 dren attending the public schools may be from 

 3000 to 4000 : say, however, 3500 at an ave- 

 S s 2 



