Creatures were thus Loving, and pleafing their Imagina tions with their Nearness and Distance, till the Windows were fo transparent that the Beauty of the Female made the Man-Servant impatient of beholding it, and the whole Houfe befides being abroad, he ran in, and they romped out of my Sight. It may be imagined thefe Oglers of no Quality made a more fudden Application of the Intention of kind Sighs and Glances than those whofe Education lays them under greater Restraints, and who are confequently more flow in their Advances. I have often obferved all the low Part of the Town in Love, and taking a Hackney Coach have confidered all that paffed by me in that Light, as these Cities are compofed of Crowds wherein there is not one who is not lawfully or unlawfully engaged in that Paffion. When one is in this Speculation, it is not unpleasant to obferve Alliances between thofe Males and Females whofe Lot it is to act in Publick. Thus the Woods, in this middle of Summer, are not more entertaining with the different Notes of Birds, than the Town is of different Voices of the several Sorts of People who act in Publick; they are divided into Claffes, and Crowds made for Crowds. The Hackney Coachmen, Chair-men, and Porters, are the Lovers of the Hawker-Women, Fruitereffes and Milk-maids. They are a wild World by themselves, and have Voices fignificant of their private Inclinations, which Strangers can take no notice of. Thus a Wench with Fruit looks like a Mad-Woman, when the cries Wares you fee she does not carry, but thofe in the Secret know that Cry is only an Affignation to an Hackney Coach-man who is driving by, and understands her. The whole People is in an Intrigue, and the undifcerning Paffengers are unacquainted with the Meaning of what they hear all round them; They know not how to feparate the Cries of mercenary Traders from the Sighs and Lamentations of languishing Lovers. The common Face of Modefty is loft among the ordinary part of the World, and the general Corruption of Manners is vifible from the lofs of all deference in the low People towards thofe of Condition. One Order of Mankind trips faft after the next above it, and by this Rule you may trace. Iniquity from the Conversa tions of the moft Wealthy to thofe of the humbleft De gree. It is an act of great Resolution to pass by a Crowd of polite Foot-men, who can rally, make love, ridicule, and obferve upon all the Paffengers who are obliged to go by the Places where they wait. This Licence makes different Characters among them, and there are Beaux, Partymen and Free-thinkers in Livery. I take it for a Rule, that there is no bad Man but makes a bad Woman, and the Contagion of Vice is what should make People cautious of their Behaviour. Juvenal fays, there is the greatest reverence to be had to the Prefence of Children; it may be as well faid of the Prefence of Servants, and it would be fome kind of Virtue if we kept our Vices to our felves. It is a feeble Authority which has not the support of Perfonal Refpect, and the Dependance founded only upon their receiving their Maintenance of us, is not of force enough to fupport us against an habitual Behaviour, for which they contemn and deride us. No Man can be well ferved, but by those who have an Opinion of his Merit, and that Opinion cannot be kept up but by an Exemption from those Faults which we would restrain in our Dependants. THOUGH our Fopperies imitated are Subjects of Laughter, our Vices transferred to our Servants give matter of Lamentation. But there is nothing in which our Families are fo docile, as in the Imitation of our Delights. It is therefore but comman Prudence to take care that our Inferiors know of none but our Innocent ones. It is methinks, a very arrogant thing to expect that the fingle Confideration of not offending us fhould curb our Servants from Vice, when much higher Motives cannot moderate our own Inclinations. But I began this Paper with an Obfervation that the lower World is got into fashionable Vices, and above all to the understanding the Language of the Eye. There is nothing but writing Songs which the Foot-men do not practise as well as their Mafters. Spurious Races of Mankind, which pine in Want, and perifh in their first Months of being, come into the World from this Degeneracy. The Poffeffion of Wealth and Affluence feems to carry fome faint Extenuation of his Guilt who is funk by it into Luxury; but Poverty and Servitude Creatures were thus Loving, and pleafing their Imagina tions with their Nearness and Distance, till the Windows were so transparent that the Beauty of the Female made the Man-Servant impatient of beholding it, and the whole Houfe befides being abroad, he ran in, and they romped out of my Sight. It may be imagined thefe Oglers of no Quality made a more fudden Application of the Intention of kind Sighs and Glances than thofe whofe Education lays them under greater Restraints, and who are confequently more flow in their Advances. I have often obferved all the low Part of the Town in Love, and taking a Hackney Coach have confidered all that paffed by me in that Light, as these Cities are compofed of Crowds wherein there is not one who is not lawfully or unlawfully engaged in that Paffion. When one is in this Speculation. it is not unpleasant to obferve Alliances between thofe Males and Females whofe Lot it is to act in Publick. Thus the Woods, in this middle of Summer, are not more entertaining with the different Notes of Birds, than the Town is of different Voices of the feveral Sorts of People who act in Publick; they are divided into Claffes, and Crowds made for Crowds. The Hackney Coachmen, Chair-men, and Porters, are the Lovers of the Hawker-Women, Fruitereffes and Milk-maids. They are a wild World by themselves, and have Voices fignificant of their private Inclinations, which Strangers can take no notice of. Thus a Wench with Fruit looks like a Mad-Woman, when the cries Wares you fee fhe does not carry, but those in the Secret know that Cry is only an Affignation to an Hackney Coach-man who is driving by, and understands her. The whole People is in an Intrigue, and the undifcerning Paffengers are unacquainted with the Meaning of what they hear all round them: They know not how to feparate the Cries of mercenary Traders from the Sighs and Lamentations of languishing Lovers. The common Face of Modefty is loft among the ordinary part of the World, and the general Corruption of Manners is vifible from the lofs of all deference in the low People towards thofe of Condition. One Order of Mankind trips faft after the next above it, and by this Rule you may trace. Iniquity from the Conversa tions of the moft Wealthy to thofe of the humbleft De gree. It is an act of great Resolution to pafs by a Crowd of polite Foot-men, who can rally, make love, ridicule, and obferve upon all the Paffengers who are obliged to go by the Places where they wait. This Licence makes different Characters among them, and there are Beaux, Partymen and Free-thinkers in Livery. I take it for a Rule, that there is no bad Man but makes a bad Woman, and the Contagion of Vice is what should make People cautious of their Behaviour. Juvenal fays, there is the greatest reverence to be had to the Prefence of Children; it may be as well faid of the Prefence of Servants, and it would be fome kind of Virtue if we kept our Vices to our felves. It is a feeble Authority which has not the fupport of Perfonal Refpect, and the Dependance founded only upon their receiving their Maintenance of us, is not of force enough to fupport us against an habitual Behaviour, for which they contemn and deride us. No Man can be well ferved, but by those who have an Opinion of his Merit, and that Opinion cannot be kept up but by an Exemption from those Faults which we would restrain in our Dependants. It THOUGH our Fopperies imitated are Subjects of Laughter, our Vices transferred to our Servants give matter of Lamentation. But there is nothing in which our Families are fo docile, as in the Imitation of our Delights. It is therefore but comman Prudence to take care that our Inferiors know of none but our Innocent ones. is methinks, a very arrogant thing to expect that the fingle Confideration of not offending us fhould curb our Servants from Vice, when much higher Motives cannot moderate our own Inclinations. But I began this Paper with an Obfervation that the lower World is got into fashionable Vices, and above all to the understanding the Language of the Eye. There is nothing but writing Songs which the Foot-men do not practife as well as their Masters. Spurious Races of Mankind, which pine in Want, and perish in their firft Months of being, come into the World from this Degeneracy. The Poffeffion of Wealth and Affluence feems to carry fome faint Extenuation of his Guilt who is funk by it into Luxury; but Poverty and Servitude Servitude accompanied with the Vices of Wealth and Licentioufnefs is, I believe, a Circumftance of Ill peculiar to our Age. This may, perhaps, be matter of Jeft, or is over-looked by thofe who do not turn their Thoughts upon the Actions of others. But from that one Particular, of the Immorality of our Servants arifing from the Negligence of Mafters of Families in their Care of them, flows that irrefiftible Torrent of Difafters which spreads it felf through all Human Life. Old Age oppreffed with Beggary, Youth drawn into the Commiffion of Murders and Robberies, both owe their Difafter to this Evil. If we confider the Happiness which grows out of a fatherly Conduct towards Servants, it would encourage a Man to that Sort of Care, as much as the Effects of a Libertine Behaviour to them would afright us. LYCURGUS is a Man of that noble Difpofition, that his Domesticks, in a Nation of the greatest Liberty, enjoy a Freedom known only to themfelves, who live under his Roof. He is the Banker, the Council, the Parent of all his numerous Dependants, Kindness is the Law of his House, and the way to his Favour is being gentle and well-natured to their Fellow-Servants. Every one recommends himself, by appearing officious to let their Patron know the Merit of others under his Care. Many little Fortunes have ftreamed out of his Favour, and his Prudence is fuch, that the Fountain is not exhaufted by the Channels from it, but its way cleared to run into new Meanders. He beflows with fo much Judgment, that his Bounty is the Increase of his Wealth; all who fhare his Favour are enabled to enjoy it by his Example, and he has not only made, but qualified many a Man to be Rich. 88888 Monday, |