The head Master receives from the company a salary of 10l. 6s. _per annum_, and thirty shillings for water; besides the quarterage from the scholars, which renders his salary very considerable. The first Usher has 30l. a year, and the two last 25l. _per annum_, and all of them have proper apartments. Several of the scholars are annually sent to St. John’s College, Oxford, which seems to have been founded by Sir Thomas White chiefly for their use, as they have no less than forty-six fellowships in that college. For the better inquiry into the proficiency of all the scholars, there are four probations in the year performed only by the Master and Ushers; the first on the 11th of March; the second on the 15th of June; the third on the 11th of September; and the fourth on the 11th of December, not being Sundays, and then upon the next day following. For the farther satisfaction of the Master, Wardens, and court of Assistants of the Merchant Taylors, the probations themselves undergo an examination twice every year, by two judicious men well learned in Hebrew, Greek and Latin, appointed by the Master and Wardens of the company. Upon these days, which are between the 11th and 21st of March, and September, the Master and Wardens, or at least two of them, are present. The examination, which is performed in the chapel, begins at six in the morning and ends at eleven. These are called the Doctors days. After the examination is finished, the audience, which is generally pretty numerous, returns into the school, where certain public exercises are performed by the eight senior scholars, or monitors of the school. There is yet another public examination of the scholars of the upper form, by the President and Fellows of St. John’s College, Oxford, annually performed upon the 11th of June, previous to the election of scholars to be made upon that day, to fill up the vacant fellowships in that college: and after the public exercises are finished, the Dean of the college addresses himself to the scholars, out of whose number the vacancy is to be filled up, in a Latin speech suited to the occasion. At this time an account is usually printed, containing the names and order of the head scholars, their births, admission, and continuance in the head form; and also an account of the subjects of the orations. _Stowe’s Survey, last edit._ _Maitland._ MERCHANTS WATERWORKS for raising water. To this office belong three engines, a windmill in Tottenham court road fields, and lately by two water mills, turned by the common sewer, one at Tom’s coffee-house in St. Martin’s lane, and the other in Northumberland street, late Hartshorn lane, in the Strand. From these engines issue three main pipes of six and seven inch bore, from which the neighbourhood of those places are supplied with water. This company, after defraying all charges, divide the profits every half year. Their office is kept in Rathbone place, Oxford street. MERMAID _alley_, in the Borough.*