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providing their Breakfafts betimes both for her Men and Maid-Servants. She does not think it either healthful or reasonable, for them to go to their daily Labour fafting; but allows them a fufficient Portion of Food, to fupport them under the Drudgeries and Fatigues of it; and always finds the Business, either of her Houfe or Land, the better done by it. For what Service can fhe expect from them She pruwithout a competent Suftenance ? dently confiders the Support of their Conftitutions: fo that they never want for either Breakfast, Dinner or Supper, convenient for their Welfare and Nourishment. She feeds their

Bellies well with Plenty of good wholesome Diet, which inables their Bodies, and makes their Minds willing to work. Then the laborious Exercifes or Imployments of the Day, will furely be perform'd with greater Vigour and Alacrity. For this Reafon, the Men ought the more to exert their Strength and Diligence; as well as the Maidens, their Induftry and Cleanlinefs. Not a Slut nor a Sloven, nor a lazy Perfon, deferves to be entertain'd in her House; efpecially confidering, fhe is fo vigilantly careful as to break her own Reft in the Night, to ferve them, and make ready for them the Neceffaries of Life in due Time of the Day.

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REMARK S.

ECONOMY, which is the Art of ruling a House well, muft needs be a mof excellent and useful Knowledge. The old Phi Lofophers maintain it to be the chiefeft: Part of humane Polity. And the new Ones look upon

it as the Image of the Government of a whole Kingdom, in Miniature. For that being only a publick Society of many private Families, affembled together into one collective Body; when they are all well govern'd according to the Rules of right Reafon, found Judgment, and true Prudence in political Affairs: no doubt but it goes well with the Common Weal, according to the most wholesome Constitutions and wifeft Laws of the Land. The whole Body must needs be in good Health, when every individual Member of it does its Duty, and performs the most flourishing Operations of Life. An Oeconomist then, in particular, who may be call'd either a King or Queen, a Lord or Lady, a Mafter or Mistress, a Father or Mother, or, in one Word, the Head of a Family; ought to be very careful of his Duty, exact in his Office, faithful in his Truft, prudent in his Administration, and obfervant of his Honour, by the good Management of his Houfe. In the firft Place, he is oblig'd to make fuitable Provifion in all Refpects for his Houthold, either Wife, Children or Servants, according to that facred Injunction of the holy Apostle, 1. Tim. Chap. v. Ver. 8. as the Words import. If there be any that provideth not for his own, and namely for them of his Houfhold, he denieth the Faith, and is worse than an Infidel. A fevere Reprimand to fome negligent Housholders! Every Man has a Right of ruling his own Houfe, fays Homer; but Virtue and Prudence muft render him deferving of that Character, and intitle him to the Honour of their Obedience. Anacharfis obferves, that we must judge of the Goodness of a House, and the Happiness of a Family; not

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by that Statelinefs which is without, but by that Goodliness and Wisdom of humane Policy which is within, among the Domestick People. upon this, without Question, we may properly make use of that noble Motto, fic fiti letantur Lares; when all is well within Doors. A Family well-manag'd, and wifely order'd, is a great Felicity to the Governour. Hefiod places it among his firft Works, as a principal Precept of Oeconomy, or a dal, to fet his Houfe in good Order, and govern it well with Difcretion. The Head maft begin firft to give Spirit to the Nerves, Senfe to the Si news, and Motion to the whole Body. A wife Houfholder therefore must commence his Government at himself, and fet the first Example of being juft, fober, chaft, peaceable and religious. He fhould ufe no ill Language, harth Threat'ning, or cruel Correction, towards his Children and Servants, that may either frighten them out of their Duty, or harden them in their Difobedience: but let his Words be gentle; his Menaces, mild; and his Punishments, moderate; in Order to incourage them to do well, and deferve better Ufage at his Hands.

BUT my Business in thefe Remarks, is only to touch upon the Masterly-Part of this Office, with Refpect to fervile Obligations. Reafon and Prudence are highly neceffary in House-keeping, to qualify or reftrain the Imperioufness of Power and Authority; which fo easily turns into Domestick Tyranny. A Mafter or Miftrefs then must confider, that they are ruling a free-born People, and muft not make Slaves of their Servants. To make a right Ufe of their Service, they ought to

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deal mercifully, gently or patiently with them upon all Occafions, and not treat them like Bond-Slaves or worthless Vaffals; but rather fhew them all the civil Ufage and Humanity they can reasonably expect, for the Incouragement of their Labour and Diligence. There is no fuch Thing as abfolute Servitude or Slavery in the Cafe; and they have not lost their original Liberty or Birth-Right. Going to Service is not entering into Bondage. They are not Dogs or Horfes, and ought to be more taken Care of than either our Stables or our Kitchins. They ought not to be abus'd, beaten, or over-wrought, more than other Cattle. They require as much Reft from their Labours, as other Beafts. We should use no unmanly Threats, Paffions, Outrages, Infults or Violences against their Perfons; in the due Performance of their respective Offices, to the best of their Knowledge and Ability. Their Capacities, Judgment or Skill may perhaps fail them, as well as their Strength; and then they are highly excufable. In fuch a Cafe, they ought to be both pardon'd and pity'd. They are rational Creatures as well as we; and as fociable too, with good looking after in their Bufinefs. They fhould be much made of or carefs'd, rather than kick'd, cuff'd and buffeted about. But I mean good Servants all the while; which are very rare in this Age! They are generally grown fo intolerably proud and vicious; fo haughty, difobedient and rebellious; fo untractable, difobliging and ungovernable; that if fome timely Care or Course be not taken with them, we fhall have no fmall Reason to fear, like the Romans of Old, another fervile War. They are become the very Peft

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of our Families; fly in the Face of all Government, and prove the arranteft Pilferers (not to fay Pick-Locks) in the World. It is now almost come to that Pafs of the Proverb; As many Enemies as Slaves; as many Thieves as Servants. However, faithful, true and trusty Servants require the greatest Meeknefs, Clemency and Tenderness of Affection at our Hands: nay, deferve even fome Kind of Favour and Courtesy, or at least a Sort of fevere Familiarity of us at a Diftance; to countenance their Honefty, incourage their Diligence, and reward their Fidelity. Such diligent Labourers are highly worthy of their Hire; and can hardly be call'd justly, either Hirelings or Mercenaries by their Merit. Their Wages ought to be well paid, with the most deferv'd Generofity; fo far from abating them one Peny of their full Due upon any Account, that we should rather do them fome Kindness over and above, or give them a good Chara&ter for their future Recompence and Recommendation to better Fortune. Phocylides earnestly presses this moral Precept, medov moxonoarte did reward the Labourer; and again,

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λον με βλάψης give not the Servant an ill Word, do him no Diskindness. But then to defraud him, after all his good Services, of his juft Pay, for his diligent Pains; would be the worst of Felonies, the wickedeft of Robberies.

HOUSE KEEPING, manag'd as it ought to be, is a nice Undertaking, as well as a laborious Task. The Mother or the Mistress of a Family, muft fit up late, and rife early; not go to Bed with the fleepy Lamb, and yet get up again with the airy Lark. Innumerable Anxieties of Thought in the Night, and Perplexi

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