Many and fierce were the struggles, for several years, in the meetings of the corporation about introducing Servants to families.' As all the laws required an invitation from the family, when any person was nominated, a neighbouring court would fend a deputation to the family, to afk them whether they would take fuch a one for their Servant or not. Sometimes they wheedled and flattered, and fometimes threatened them, if they would not comply. If any confented, their names were fet down three or four times, to fwell the number; if any were angry and spoke impertinently, they were fuppofed to be out of their fenfes, and incapable of judging. After thefe arts were used they would fit down gravely to determine the matter, and FIND, that there was in this instance a most agreeable and harmonious invitation.

It is impoffible to help fmiling, when one reflects upon the various methods ufed in conducting this bufinefs. Sometimes they could not get a fingle perfon in a house to accept of the Servant who had been nominated. When this happened, they used to fend for all the relations of the family, even the afk their confent, which was eafily obtained, because it was nothing to them whether the family. were well ferved or ill. When they had obtained it, if a complaint was made, they endeavoured to prove by very ingenious reafonings that these diftant relations had as good a title to invite a

most distant cousins, and

Servant

K

Servant as any perfon whatever. Matters however drove on very heavily for a while; but in order to facilitate them, many gentlemen of estates, who knew not much either about fervice or Servants, procured themfelves to be chofen to the office of helpers Not that they helped to do any thing; but getting in to be members of the courts of the corporation, they contributed to provide Servants in places. By this means many were provided with a piece of bread, who had been poor fneaking fellows, and had followed them in their youth, in hunting, fishing, and other diverfions.

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Such was the fituation of affairs when my informer went into the country, and, as the cafe was very fingular, the reader may cafily guess how much it engaged his attention. He refided chiefly in this Northern province, and, therefore, his remarks were moftly confined to what happened among them. It would be endless to mention all that he told me, but the principal obfervations fhall be communicated to the world in the following chapters.

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CHAP. VI.

Of the great impropriety often seen in the appointment of Servants; and the fentiments of the inhabitants on that fubject.

TH

HERE is commonly, in every fociety, fome radical principle which governs and modifies the reft, and gives a tincture to all the meafures that are carried on, whatever be their particular fubject, or feeming intention. In the cafe before us, the fundamental error appears to have been the power of nomination which was given to great mèn. The confequence of this was, an exceffive impropriety in the appointment of Servants to different families. If a poor ordinary family wanted a houfhold Servant, fometimes a Lord would fend them a foreign cook out of his own kitchen. This fellow would speak fuch minced broken language, that they could not understand him; and the meat he dreffed for them they could not endure to look upon. When they defired him to provide plain folid food, fuch as they had been in use to eat, and in fufficient quantity to fill their bellies, he would ferve them up a courfe of flimfy difhes, finely garnifhed, but entirely difguised, fo that the poor people could not imagine what they contained. If at any time they made complaint of this, he triumphed over

their clownish ignorance and unrefined taste, and would offer to prove, to the fatisfaction of all men of fenfe, that he perfectly understood his art.

In innumerable fuch inftances they went in-tirely in the face of common fenfe, in the choice and appointment of Servants. Sometimes, if a family wanted a plowman or a gardiner, they would fend them a huntfinan, or a running footman. If a confiderable merchant wanted a bookkeeper, they would fend him a ftupid ignorant fellow who could neither write nor read. For this prepofterous conduct, there was no remedy. The great men counted the right of nomination as a precious jewel, which no confideration could induce them to part with. And as the power of determination, in all disputed cafes, lay in courts composed of Servants, they strenuously supported the most unreasonable appointments. This was naturally to be expected, because a contrary conduct would have been a filent impeachment of many of themselves, as unfit for their prefent fta-tions.

Befides, it happened in this cafe, as I obferved. had happened in a former age, many loved to have it fo. The people of better rank, and those who would be thought to be of better rank by an unaccountable fafcination, not only approved but admired thefe meafures. To allow families, they faid, to choofe Servants for themfelves, would be a fource of endlefs confufion; but that the prefent was plainly a fimple, rational, uniform and, peaceable

Ff3

method of proceeding. It was a common and Fashionable topick of converfation to despise the folly and impudence of the common people, who had always a ftrong inclination to choofe their own Servants, and looked with a very evil eye upon those who were thus billeted upon them aainst their wills. If any perfon, in a company, had but fignified that he thought this conduct inconfistent with equity or good policy, he was not thought fit to be reafoned with, but a great and loud laugh was immediately raised against him, fo that he was not only put to filence, but to confufion. Nay, there were not wanting many who affirmed, that no body could be fincerely of that opinion, but that it was only pretended from bafe and finifter views.

I must observe here, that when my informer was on this part of the fabject, which indeed he often refumed, as what had made a great impreffion upon his own mind, I could not help again difcovering marks of aftonifhment. I told him, I very well knew the abfurdities of which the human mind is capable, yet this feemed to be the most incredible of any thing that I had ever read or heard of; that it should be laughed down as á ridiculous notion, that families ought to be at liberty to choose their own Servants. On this he was not a little offended, and speaking with fome acrimony, fays, It was to gratify your curiofity, fir, that, in this and former converfations, I have given an account of my

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