RULES

THAT CONCERN

All SERVANTS in general.

W

HEN your Master or Lady calleth a Servant by Name, if that Servant be not in the Way, none of you are to answer, for then there will be no End of your Drudgery: And Masters themselves allow, that if a Servant cometh when he is called, it is fufficient. When

you have done a Fault, be always pert and infolent, and behave yourself, as if you were the injured Perfon; this will immediately put your Mafter or Lady off their Mettle.

If you fee Mafter wronged by any of

your

your Fellow-fervants, be fure to conceal it, for, fear of being called a Tell-tale: However, there is one Exception, in cafe of a favourite Servant, who is justly hated by the whole Family; who therefore are bound in Prudence. to lay all the Faults they can upon the Fa

vourite.

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The

The Cook, the Butler, the Groom, the Mar ketman, and every other Servant who is concerned in the Expences of the Family, fhould act as if his Mafter's whole Eftate ought to be applied to that Servant's particular Bufinefs. For Inftance: If the Cook computeth his Mafter's Eftate to be a thousand Pounds a Year, he reasonably concludes that a thousand Pounds a Year will afford Meat enough; and therefore, he need not be faving: The Butler makes the fame Judgment; fo may the Groom and the Coachman: And thus And thus every Branch of Expence will be filled to your Mafter's Honour.

When you are chid before Company, (which with Submiffion to our Masters and Ladies, is an unmannerly Practice) it often happens that fome Stranger will have the Good-nature to drop a Word in your Excufe; in fuch a Cafe, you have a good Title to juftify yourself, and may rightly conclude, that whenever he chideeth you afterwards on other Occafions, he may be in the wrong; in which Opinion you will' be the better confirmed, by ftating the Cafe to your Fellow-fervants, in your own Way; who will certainly decide in your Favour: Therefore, as I have faid before, whenever you are chidden, complain as if you were injured.

It often happens, that Servants fent on Meffages, are apt to ftay out fomewhat longer than the Meffage requireth, perhaps, two, four, fix, éight Hours, or fome fuch Trifle; for the Temptation to be fure was great, and Flesh and

· Blood

All SERVANTS in general.

21

Blood cannot always refift. When you return, the Master storms, the Lady fcoldeth, ftripping, cudgelling, and turning off, is the Word: But, here you ought to be provided with a Set of Excufes, enough to ferve on all Occafions: For Inftance; your Uncle came fourfcore Miles to Town this Morning, on Purpose to see you, and goeth back by Break of Day To-morrow: A Brother-fervant that borrowed Money of you when he was out of Place, was running away to Ireland: You were taking Leave of an old Fellow-fervant, who was fhipping for Barbados: Your Father fent a Cow to you to fell, and you could not find a Chapman until Nine at Night: You were taking Leave of a dear Coufin, who is to be hanged on Saturday: You wrenched your Foot against a Stone, and was forced to ftay three Hours in a Shop, before you could ftir a Step: Some Naftinefs was thrown on you out of a Garret Window, and you were afhamed to come home before you were cleaned, and the Smell went off; You were preffed for the Sea-fervice, and carried before a Justice of Peace, who kept you three Hours before he examined you; and you got off with much a-do: A Bailiff, by Miftake, feized you for a Debtor, and kept you the whole Evening in a Spunging-houfe: You were told your Mafter had gone to a Tavern, and came to fome Mifchance; and your Grief was fo great, that you inquired for his Honour

in an hundred Taverns between Pall-Mall and Temple-Bar.

Take all Tradesmens Parts against your Master; and when you are fent to buy any Thing, never offer to cheapen it, but generoufly pay the full Demand. This is highly for your Mafter's Honour, and may be fome Shillings in your Pocket; and you are to confider, if your Mafter hath paid too much, hẹ can better afford the Lofs than a poor Tradef

man.

Never fubmit to ftir a Finger in any Business, but that for which you were particularly hired, For Example; if the Groom be drunk or abfent, and the Butler be ordered to fhut the Stable Door, the Answer is ready, An please your Honour, I don't understand Horfes: If a Cor ner of the Hangings wanteth a fingle Nail to fasten it, and the Footman be directed to tack it up, he may fay, he doth not understand that Sort of Work, but his Honour may fend for the Upholsterer.

Mafters and Ladies are ufually quarrelling with the Servants for not fhutting the Doors after them: But neither Mafters nor Ladies confider that thofe Doors must be open before they can be shut, and that the Labour is double to open and fhut the Doors; therefore the beft, fhorteft, and easiest Way, is, to do neither. But, if you are so often teized to shut the Door, that you cannot eafily forget it, then

give the Door fuch a Clap as you go out, as will shake the whole Room, and make every Thing rattle in it, to put your Mafter and Lady in Mind that you obferve their Directions.

If you find yourself to grow into Favour with your Mafter or Lady, take fome Opportunity in a very mild Way, to give them Warning; and when they ask the Reason, and seem

loth to part with you, anfwer, that you would rather live with them, than any Body elfe, but a poor Servant is not to be blamed if he striveth to better himself; that Service is no Inheritance; that your Work is great, and your Wages very fmall: Upon which, if your Mafter hath any Generofity, he will add five or ten Shillings a Quarter, rather than let you go: But, if you are baulked, and have no Mind to go off, get fome Fellow-fervant to tell your Mafter, that he had prevailed upon you to Stay.

Whatever good Bits you can pilfer in the Day, fave them to junket with your Fellowfervants at Night; and take in the Butler, provided he will give you Drink.

Write your own Name, and your Sweetheart's, with the Smoak of a Candle, on the Roof of the Kitchen, or the Servants Hall, to fhew your Learning.

If

you are a young fightly Fellow, whenever you whisper your Mistress at the Table, run your Nofe full in her Cheek; or, if your Breath be good, breathe full in her Face: This I C 4

have