CHAP. VII.

Servants of different characters. A Sketch of the good and bad. The inveterate hatred of the bad a gainst the good.

H

OWEVER general the corruption was, the reader is not to imagine that all Servants were of the fame character, or behaved in the fame manner. There were ftill fome, here and there, who acted in a manner fuitable to their ftation, who minded their bufinefs, who loved their masters, and were beloved by them. These made as great a struggle as they could to keep matters right in the meetings of the corporation, tho', commonly, with very indifferent fuccefs. The oppofite principles and conduct of the two forts may be learned from the following parti-culars.

They differed, toto calo, in their very profeffion and manner of speaking. The modern fafhionable party affirmed, that courage and felf-fufficiency ought to be the leading character of a Servant. That he ought always to be speaking in praise of his own deeds. That he ought never to allow of any error or mistake in his be haviour: but, on the contrary, to infift that he deferved the highest approbation. ged, faid they, to speak well of Gg3

.

Who is obli

a man who

fpeaks

fpeaks ill of himself? Can there be any thing more pufillanimous, than for a fervant to be always confeffing that he can do very little to any purpose.

On the other hand, the honefter fort of Servants declared, that they thought pride and confidence were in themselves hateful, and quite intolerable in Servants.. That they fhould not make high pretenfions, left they fhould be brought but to the greater fhame, that they should acknowledge the great imperfection of every thing they did, and expect to be rewarded, not for the worth or value of their fervice, but from the goodness and indulgence of their masters.

It was curious to obferve the different effects of these principles. Thofe who spoke in the higheft terms of their own qualifications were always the most negligent and the most unfaithful. They grudged every thing they did, and laid hold of innumerable pretences for fhortening their hours of labour, and procuring days of relaxation. If, at any time, one of them had done a piece of work in a tolerable manner he could hardly be brought to do any more for two days; but was wholly taken up in admiring his own ingenuity, and commending it to all who would take the pains to liften to him. On the contrary, the humble and felf-denied were always bufy, applied themfelves to their duty with the utmost care and affiduity, and thought they could never do enough. They never once called in queftion

the

the hours of labour, but confidered the neceffity of the family, or the importance of the work they were engaged in. When any body happened to commend one of them for his diligence, he intreated them to forbear fuch discourse, for he was very fenfible he had not done the thousandth part of what he ought to have done.

Men came to be fo fenfible of the different ef fects of these principles, that almoft every family earneftly wished to have Servants of the felf-denying character, and perfectly hated the other. If they entered into converfation with an unknown Servant, they were particularly attentive to the ftrain, of his difcourfe, and, though he were upon. his guard, would with great fagacity penetrate his fentiments. But, alas! this ferved very little purpofe; for, if he had interest to procure a writ of nomination, they were obliged to receive him, and then being fixed in the faddle, he made a full discovery both of his principles and practice.

Nothing was more remarkable than the rancorous hatred which the felf-fufficient bore to the humble Servants; efpecially fuch as fhowed the most remarkable diligence in their work. They fpread flanders against them without number. They used to go about with indefatigable dilience, among the great men, and nominators to the established falaries, to exafperate their minds against them, and prevent their fettlement or promotion. They reprefented them as a fet of poor, filly, fneaking, fpiritless fellows, who, for

no

no other end than to throw an odium on the more free and generous livers, would work longer than ufual. For the fame reafon, it was pretended, that, when the reft were at their paftime running, jumping, or cudgel playing, then to be fure, these hypocrites would be driving a stake; or pruning a tree about a farm, or picking weeds from a garden or field of corn.. They represented them, alfo, (which was indeed partly true,) as acquiring a stiff ruftick air, by often stooping, and habitual application to their work.

Neither were they wanting in executing their revenge against their enemies themfelves, whenever an opportunity offered. If two or three of the loofer fort met, by chance, one of the induftrious in a folitary place, or going of an errand, they cunningly folicited him to join with then in fome diversion, for example, blind man's-buff, or any other. If he complied, they all confpiredagainst him, and drubbed him heartily; and, after they had done fa, one was immediately difpatched to inform against him and let the family he belonged to know how he had been spending his time, fo that he was no better than his neighbours. Whenever they difcovered a Servant in a field after the ufual time of labour, they would get behind the hedges and pelt him unmercifully. with ftones, fo that he returned home, not only fatigued with his work, but feverely fmarting with the wounds he had received,

Such

1

Such was not only the conduct of individuals, but the very fame fpirit prevailed in the meetings of the corporation, from the lowest to the higheft. None met with fo fevere, treatment from them as honeft induftrious fervants, who were beloved in the families where they were placed ; neither was there any crime fo heinous, as being more diligent than the generality of other Servants. If any family accufed a fervant of pilfere ing, negligence, drunkennefs, or wantonnefs among the maids, thefe were all human infirmities, no way atrocious in their nature. They were alfo hard to be afcertained; fo that it was almoft impoffible to bring a proof of the facts to the fatisfaction of the court. But, if one happened to be accused of doing any uncommon fervice to the family at their defire, or working when others were allowed to play, this was high treafon against the conftitution; and he was condemned without mercy, and fometimes without hearing.

But, of all the crimes of this fort, the moft unpardonable was whatever tended to impeach the wisdom, or weaken the authority of the annual meetings of the corporation. When an inferior court was ordered to introduce a fervant into a family who had refused to receive him, fometimes a member or two would humbly reprefent, that the terms of the oath appeared to them abfurd and profane, in that inftance, and beg to be excufed. Whenever this happened,

སྨ

they