TO THE BISHOP OF DURHAM. 



193 



money is more valuable, the pecuniary payments are nearly one- 

 fifth less. 



In Constantinople we have the same practice even in the palaces of 

 the ambassadors, where every servant of the country, besides a certain 

 fixed annual sum, receives a daily mess (consisting of one-half meat 

 and one-half vegetables), weighing about 2f lbs. which he is at liberty 

 to make what use of he pleases. 



It is singular, my Lord, that this mode of paying wages both to 

 servants and labourers was formerly universal in England. I have 

 had opportunities of examining and copying the year books of various 

 religious houses from the twelfth century to the Reformation, pre- 

 served in the different colleges in Cambridge, and I have always found 

 that these payments were made partly in money, and partly in corn, 

 principally rye. 



The practice is still very prevalent in Scotland, and I own I cannot 

 but think that if something of this kind was generally enforced, it 

 would be more likely to alleviate or prevent the distresses of the 

 labouring poor than any thing else. To have the whole of their 

 wages paid in the manner of a corn rent, would, perhaps, in times of 

 great scarcity be subject to inconveniences, but surely they ought to 

 receive such a proportion as would preclude anxiety for absolute sub- 

 sistence. It would undoubtedly require no little consideration how 

 to adapt these principles to the payment of the wages of the manu- 

 facturer and artizan, as well as the husbandman, but I cannot conceive 

 that it would be wholly impracticable. 



I ought to beg ten thousand pardons of Your Lordship for detain- 

 ing you so long with these desultory observations, which, I fear, will 

 only have shown my wish and not my power of communicating 

 intelligence on subjects of this kind ; but I know with Your Lord- 

 ship, though it might not with others, that wish will serve as my 

 apology. 



I. D. C. 



