BESIDES this, the money which is given to the men fervants by vifiters, makes the place of a domestic a more confiderable thing, than many small trades; this expence however is not the greatest mischief: the fervants have very little attachment to thofe they ferve; this difpofition feems to take place, from the minifter, to the fervants of fervants of fervants; felf is the fole motive, and that never makes a true union between those who serve, and those who are ferved. That intereft which keeps them with you, will in a greater degree feparate them from you; a fervant fecretly gets a better place, that is, where there are better vales, than with his prefent mafter, and leaves him in a month; this is not esteemed a fault, because it is become the general acknowledgment, that intereft ought to be the sole ruling principle of human kind. The fervant hears this whilft he ftands behind his mafter's chair; he fees him practise it in life, and like a good pupil follows his example. This + • method of leaving a mafter fuddenly being no D 4 fing A fing those he ferves; it is from other hands he receives his chief income, and the mafter is but little regarded. ww - IN: Italy, fervants having no dependance but on those they ferve, muft. ftudy to obey and please their masters; that domestic who changes his place often, lofes his character, and is re duced to great extremity. He who continues long in one house, has besides his prefent wages the hopes of a future fupply, by a penfion in old age, or at the death of his mafter thus the French and Italians, tho' not half fo well paid as the English in their wages, not confider. ing their vales, are ten times better, and more bedient in their fervice; they ftrive to pleafe for the fake of being approved of, and finding provifion when they are no longer able to work. Whereas, an English fervant knowing he has no future expectations from his master, enjoys the present time, diffipates, and finds no folace by an annual penfion in his declining days. In my opinion, those of our nation and France are happier than the English; they have every thing for their fupport which is neceffary, and the ambition of their mafters clothes them well I ; their hearts are at eafe, and their actions encouraged by knowing that faithful fervice always obtains a reward for old age. I NEED not write a farther comment, or notes, to illuftrate the truth of what has been faid; to prove that the English nobility and nobility and gentry ruin their being well ferved, by a licentious and miftaken habit of fuffering their fervants to receive money from any other perfon but themfelves. In fact, the domeftic fcarce conceives himself the menial servant of him who supplies him with his daily bread and apparel, and in ge neral has very little good-will towards him: C } FROM this one evil habit of giving money to fervants, the I nts, the nobility of 'no nation appear so " ww "2 mean as the English, my lord looks on whilfe his guest discharges the Houfe, by paying the fervants; and no fervants are in any comparifon fo infolent and inattentive in their fervice, be cause they know that it is not his lordship's hands from which they receive their money. 1 f THE reformation of these abufes will arrive with the general reformation of the nation; when when the public funds being no more able to. fupply the minifterial, demand, the whole takes a new turn, and the want of money brings purer, manners and more œconomy. THIS is not fo far off as the day of judg ment, to my eyes. The kingdom appears to me 皇 PYT Hopi : like those fruits which are extremely fair to the eye, and rotten at the core; the malady has begun from the heart; or like a body, which has long lain interred and unmoved, which, appearing firm and fubftantial to the view, is fure to tumble into duft the very first shake which it re ** ! ceives... THO' an alien and fojourner in the land, I fincerely pray, that this may be prevented; there are yet an infinity of worthy people remaining amongst those who are neither the very highest nor very lowest; and indeed fome in the firft, tho' they are hindered from their country's fervice, and as it were exiled for their virtues. Adieu, * V 1:0 I am yours most affectionately. 10 X241 L'ENT LETTER XXXII. To the Reverend Father BATISTAS GUARINI, at Rome. IT " T is not in medicine alone, that quackery takes place in this island above all others; it is in every other art and science; the painters even make their fortune in proportion, as they mix more or lefs of that with their profef fion and colours; fome chufe a new manner of ** 8 f colouring, others of painting drapery, and one who would paint his figures upfide-down, would fucceed to a miracle; but laftly here is a prodigy arrived from Paris; a wonder who has carried all before him, and all this by dint of beard. This man being extremely well acquainted with the prevailing paffion of this nation, and their manner of reafoning, which is, that if a man is extraordinary in any thing, he must be in all; has made the best use of a beard, that any man has made of it fince the days of Adam. He goes dreft in the Perfian or Turkish habit, type of wisdom reaching to his middle. with this THIS |