234 Public Establishment for 



the soldiers in reading, writing, and arithmetic; and 

 into these schools not only the soldiers and their 

 children, but also the children of the neighbouring 

 citizens and peasants, were admitted gratis^ and even 

 school-books, paper,* pens, and ink were furnished for 

 them, at the expense of the sovereign. 



Besides these schools of instruction, others, called 

 Schools of Industry, were established in the regiments, 

 where the soldiers and their children were taught vari- 

 ous kinds of work, and from whence they were supplied 

 with raw materials to work for their own emolument. 



As nothing is so certainly fatal to morals, and 

 particularly to the morals of the lower class of man- 

 kind, as habitual idleness, every possible measure was 

 adopted that could be devised to introduce a spirit 

 of industry among the troops. Every encouragement 

 was given to the soldiers to employ their leisure time, 

 when they were off duty, in working for their own 

 emolument ; and among other encouragements, the 

 most efficacious of all, that of allowing them full 

 liberty to dispose of the money acquired by their 

 labour in any way they should think proper, without 

 being obliged to give any account of it to anybody. 

 They were even furnished with working dresses (a 

 canvas frock and trousers) gratis at their enlisting, 

 and were afterwards permitted to retain their old uni- 

 forms for the same purpose ; and care was taken in all 

 cases where they were employed that they should be 

 well paid. 



They commonly received from fifteen to eighteen 

 kreutzers t a day for their labour ; and with this they 



* This paper, as it could afterwards be made use of for making cartridges, 

 in fact cost nothing. 



t A kreutzer is ^ of an English penny. 



