the distance from materials, the fituation of the parish as a thoroughfare for the country, and especially from the paffage upon them for coal and lime from a great part of Eaft Lothian. The county, however, have at last turned their attention to these particulars, and have this year allocated a confiderable fum for one, and erected a toll-bar upon another of the great roads; by means of which, it is expected they will be put into good repair, and prove, in that event, of much utility to the country. Notwithftanding the bad ftate in which the roads in general are, much has been done for them by Sir ANDREW LAUDER, on the fouth fide of the Tyne. From his accurate reports, given in annually to the justices of the peace, it appears, that, befides the faithful application of the ftatute money, he has, from the year 1770 to this prefent date (February 1794), expended fool. and in proportion for other roads, befides thofe on his own eftate; and there is reafon to believe, that a fimilar expenditure may be expected from him for the future. Commendation is here by no means necessary, but a wifh may perhaps be expreffed, that proprietors in general would fhew a like attertion to that obvious fact, that good roads are the first and moft beneficial improvement to a country.

Villages.-There are 4 villages, viz. Eafter and Wefter Pencaitlands, Winton, and Nibet. In these all the trades people refide. In the village of Nisbet there are 2 weavers, who employ 8 looms for country work. They are the only weavers in the parish who are independent of the farmers, and confequently employ additional hands. This little fact, perhaps, deferves notice. In the formation of villages, proprietors have too generally favoured the introduction of trades people, from the fole confideration of raifing their rent-roll, by letting a very few acres at a much higher rate than far

mers

mers could pay for them. It would be better policy, as well as more gratifying to every liberal mind, to permit this ne ceffary and important clafs of people, to fit at very easy rents, and free from every fervitude to the farmers. In this way they would feel themfelves comfortable, and be pleased with their fituation. Farmers, and confequently landholders, would reap effential advantages from the increafe of their numbers, and their thriving condition; and there would be no neceffity for their retiring to the great towns, and increafing there, the mafs of an unhealthy and debauched rabble. The above 4 villages contain only 512 fouls; but it is better that this number thould occupy 4 villages than one. There is a fallacy in the idea, that villages in the country are in a more thriving state the more populous they become; for in the fame proportion as they contain above 200 fouls, they will be found to be declining, often in induftry, and always in morals. Proprietors, therefore, in the country, who have proper ftations for villages, would confult utility as well as ornament, by the erection of two fmaller, inftead of one large village. And while they give every reasonable encouragement and fecurity to villagers, they fhould be equally cautious relative to feus, as the proprietors of them, when neceffarily removed, are too apt, rather than fell their property, to let it to any beggar or vagabond.

Provifions and Wages.-Provifions of all kinds have rifen in their price one third completely, during the laft 20 years. A hen cofts 1 s. a chicken 6 d. eggs 4 d. per dozen, butter 9 d. per pound, cheese 6 d. The rife of wages has been proportional during the above period. A labourer receives daily 10 d. in winter, and 1 s. in fummer. A young man fit for farm work, receives maintenance and 71. for the year. A farm fervant, who lives in his own house, has an annual in

come

come of 141. The wages of an able workman at the limekilns are 15 d. and, at piece work, he may earn 2s. 6d. The colliers are paid by the quantity of coal they throw out, and have a free houfe, together with coals for fuel. A collier, with a bearer, at the rate of working 4 or 5 days in the week, earns 65 1. annually. Thefe great profits, as might be expected, are, in general, thrown away in a very injudicious manner, which tends not a little to produce a scarcity, and to raise the price of coals at the pit. It were, therefore, to be wished, now that they have got their liberty, that fome measure could be taken, from which they might find it neceffary to use it with more difcretion. This general stricture applies by no means to the colliers on the eftate of Fountainhall, fome of whom are decent in their morals, and in affluent circumstances. Perhaps the fmallness of their number preserves them, in fome degree, from that diffipation which fo generally characterises that class of people, and on account of which alone, can they be deemed, by the public, unworthy of their great earnings.

Bleachfields and Mills, &c.-There is one bleachfield, and there are lint, 1 ftarch, 1 thread, 4 barley, and 4 corn mills. There are feveral threshing mills, and one in particular built lately on the eftate of Fountainhall, which is wrought by water, and, it is faid, performs fome additional operations above any other hitherto erected. A confiderable improvement is evidently obtained by these threshing mills, when they are driven by water; but when horses must be employed, it is not to be rated high. In this district there are many circumftances favourable to the introduction and fuccefs of manufactures; but here, as in the Lothians in general, this important national object meets with less attention than in other parts of Scotland, where difficulties, that

do

do not exift here, are encountered, and happily overcome *.

Ecclefiaftical State.-Mrs HAMILTON of Belhaven is patronefs.-The value of the living is 90 1.-The glebe is small, but of excellent foil. The church is in good repair, and fitted up in a decent manner. No where are the people more regular in their attendance upon public worship; and, as the example of fuperiors is never without its effect, this is to be ascribed, in a great measure, to the attention which the refiding heritors have paid to the public inftitutions of religion. Their conduct, in this respect, is richly entitled to much praise, both in a political and moral view. The higher claffes, may act from a principle of honour; the lower never did, nor ever will. If thefe, therefore, are fet free from the influence of a religious principle, no regulations which this age, enlightened as it is, may be pleased to substitute in its room, will command that fubordination, without which there is an end of all order and happiness in society. Without the confolations to be derived from their prospects of future hapVOL. XVII. piness,

F

An attempt was made, indeed, a few years ago, to establish a woollen manufacture in this country, and many gentlemen and farmers became subscribers, and were to be in the direction of it ;-two circumstances, either of which will always be fatal to any fimilar undertaking. The nature of manufacture will not admit of fpeculation, nor accord with affociations or extenfive beginnings. Succefs is only to be expected, in any branch of manufacture, from perfons completely bred in that line, and invited, by favourable circumstances, to commence it: And the more numerous, though fmall, the beginnings, the better. An extenfive project, when it fails, and it frequently will, for obvious reafons, impreffes the public mind with the idea of the impoffibility of carrying on any fuch manufacture to advantage; whereas, in fact, nothing might have been more easy, if it had been conducted folely by a skilful individual, at his own risk, and with a view to a moderate liveli bood.

piness, they must feel themselves miferable under the preffures of their prefent lot, and will readily look with envy at the more fortunate condition of others.-There are a very few fectaries, who have occafionally come into this from neighbouring diftricts.

School. The average number of scholars is 50. The pay ments are, for reading, I s. 2 d.; for writing, 1 s. 6 d.; for arithmetic, 2 s. quarterly. The falary, which was 100 merks, was doubled fome months ago by the heritors, upon a petition from the schoolmafter. This is the more fingular, as it was in this county that the oppofition originated, againft the request of the fchoolmafters of Scotland, for fome fmall addition to their falaries. Such landholders as are averfe from this meafure, are ftill, it feems, to be informed of the good confequences, that have followed from the education which the common people have received at their parish schools; otherwife they would not, probably, hesitate to raise these useful members of society to a situation as lucrative, at least, as that of a ploughman. It was no doubt a question in policy, Whe

*It is fomewhat remarkable, that during the incumbency of the late Mr GEORGE ANDERSON, a period of 36 years, not one individual of his parishioners left the established church. This fact, though not without a parallel, is to be accounted for, without doubt, from the prudence of his deportment, and the moderation of his principles, in conjunction with the example of the heri tors. Indeed it will be generally found, that every clergyman, of a fimilar defcription, if aided by the attendance of the refiding heritors upon the public ordinances of religion, will lead his hearers, in the fpace of a few years, into the fame train of thinking with himself. This, it may be hinted, is the measure to be employed for checking the Seceffion, rather than having recomie to fchifm overtures, or inquiries concerning the growth of fchifm, which have agitated the public mind at different times, and were better calculated, than any thing which the Seceders themselves could have devifed, for promoting the growth of fchifm.