Can

about him, and after begging their most ferious. attention to a proposal he had to lay before them, made a speech to the following purpofe. Ho ⚫noured and very dear Brethren, you know that the life of fociety is order, and the foul of order is fubordination. The greateft fervice, therefore, that we can do to our corporation, is to keep up the fubordination of offices among us with as much ftrictnefs, and to make it as compleat and extensive as poffible. There are no ftructures which ftand fo fecurely, as ⚫ those that are built in the form of a cone or a pyramid, because they have a broad base, and gradually leffen towards the top. Neither of thefe, however, is complete, but maimed or imperfect, unless it be carried on till it terminate in a point. Therefore, the fubordination of our fociety can never be entire and perfect, till it end in a fingle perfon, who may unite the 'whole, and enjoy abfolute uncontrolable dominion. And, as the perfon who is on the top of a pyramid muft neceffarily fee farther than those who stand upon any of the lower fteps of it, fo the perfon who is at the head of the whole fociety of fervants must, in virtue of his office, furpass them all in wifdom and fagacity. Nay, as this order is of the inftitution of nature, and as a laft refort or fupreme judge is neceffary to determine controverfies in any fcciety, fo I do think it may be proved that nature, to be uniform and confiftent in her operations • muft

6

• must immediately infpire the person fo exalted ' with infallible knowledge and a fort of infinite mind. Now I hope it is very plain, that I myfelf am the perfon to whom, and to my fucceffors in office, this power and authority do of ⚫ right belong.'

One of the affembly then rifes up and fays; ' I greatly fufpect this will be attended with no good effects upon the intereft of the Servants in general, not to mention the intereft of the families, which, from a sense of duty to the corporation, I intirely give up. At any rate, it ought not to be gone into precipitately; for it is a prodigious innovation.' "Quite otherwife,' fays the former fpeaker; for tho' I have conde

fcended to reason with you, and fhow you that • in the nature of things there must be one who, ⚫ like the top-ftone of a pyramid, is incumbent on the whole body; as alfo, that this can be · no other than myself, who dwell in the centre of this vaft empire; yet I can give undeniable ⚫ evidence that it hath been always fo in fact, fince there was an empire here, and since therẻ were Servants.' The objector then hook his head, as who should fay, that is far from being a clear point, and feemed to wonder from whence this evidence was to proceed. The other immediately goes on, 'It is as clear as the fun; for, tho' all the records that contained this regulation

are loft, yet I very well remember, that my nurfe told me before I was two years of age,

that

that her grandmother's fifters coufin-german af• fured her it was fact.

*

However unwilling, one would think, men fhould be to give up their natural rights, and fubmit to ufurped authority, yet fo it was that they foon agreed to this fcheme; and, indeed, it appeared to have been not ill projected for their own ends. It is not to be conceived at how fpeedy a pace they advanced, in acquiring and extending their dominion. They quite inverted the use of language; for when they spoke of the family they always meant the Servants : or, if they faid any thing that would tend to the good of the family, it was to be understood, that it would promote the increafe of the wages, privileges and immunities of the Servants." In many places the Servants grew upon the families, and turned them out altogether. In fome of the most delicious fpots of the country, you would have feen fine feats and inclofures wholly poffeffed by Servants, who abfolutely refused to do any work, but gave themselves up to lazy contemplation. If any body had prefumed to afk them the meaning of this, they said they were employed in studying the theory of fervice, and withing that all Servants might be good, and all families well fupplied.do

fr

It has been obferved above, that they began their fcheme by flattering the rich and great men, and endeavouring to infinuate themselves into their favour. But as foon as their power was fufEe

ficiently

ficiently established, they changed their their note, and treated the most confiderable men of the country with great haughtiness and contempt. They af firmed it to be abfolutely neceffary for the pub lick good, that they thould have much honour and refpect paid them. That, as they were undeniably the most useful rank of men, by confe quence they were the moft honourable. Inftead of being humble and fubmiffive, they infifted, that all the people, from the highest to the loweft, fhould pay a profound respect to the overfeers, archoverfeers, and other dignitaries, whofe names I have forgot, because they had neither fenfe nor meaning. Nay, the emperor of the Servants arrived in time at fuch power, that he made the richest men in the country, even the governors of provinces to tremble. He ordered them fometimes to wipe his fhoes; and, when they misbehaved or fhewed the leaft backwardnefs, commanded them to be whipt.

3

When my informer mentioned this circumftance, I could not help discovering much amazement at the pufillanimity of these people, and even modeftly hinted fome fufpicion as to the truth of the fact. He infifted, however, in the moft pofitive manner, on the truth of his account; and added, that he had many things still more wonderful to communicate; as an inftance of which he affirmed, that it was not only ufual for the emperor to order great men to be whipt, but even to command them to whip themselves. All

this they were obliged to fubniit to, for he had the lower fervants, and the whole kingdom folutely under his influence. If any person or family had difputed his will in the leaft article, they would either, without more ado, burn the house and them in it, or they would wholly give over work, and neither provide them with food nor fuel, fo that they behoved immediately to starve. mout was sidrun gand 50

1

What contributed not a little to establish this ufurpation, was a very fingular fcheme which they fell upon while they were flattering great men, and perfuading them to make new eftablishments for Servants. This was, that families fhould not be permitted to choofe Servants for themselves, but that a Lord, or any other great man, fhould have the power of nominating the Servants within a certain district. They never failed to invent plaufible reafons for all their fchemes. In support of this it was alledged, that families were often whimfical in their choice. That fome would prefer a fervant becaufe he was tall, and others because he was fhort: fome because his hair was red, others because it was black. That they did not know when they were well ferved, and when they were not. That they were apt to be impofed on by fuch as had fmooth tongues and could flatter them. That, if families and fervants were in a good underftanding, they would raife fedition and fubvert the constitution.