quors: Thus all Pretenders advance, as fast as they can, to a Feaver or a Diabetes. I must repeat to you, that I do not look with an evil Eye upon the Profit of the Idols, or the Diverfions of the Lovers; what I hope from this Remonftrance, is only that we plain People may not be ferved as if we were Idolaters; but that from the time of publishing this in your Paper, the • Idols would mix Ratsbane only for their Admirers, and 'take more Care of us who don't love them. I am, SIR, Yours, Quid Domini facient, audent cum talia Fures? Virg. Mr. SPECTATOR, very May 30, 1711. Have no fmall Value for your Endeavours to lay before the World what may efcape their Obfervation, and yet highly conduces to their Ser< vice. You have, I think, fucceeded very well on many Subjects; and feem to have been converfant in different Scenes of Life. But in the Confiderations of Mankind, as a SPECTATOR, you fhould not ⚫omit Circumstances which relate to the inferior Part of the World, any more than those which concern the greater. There is one thing in particular which I wonder you have not touched upon, and that is the general Corruption of Manners in the Servants of "Great Britain. I am a Man that have travelled and feen many Nations, but have for feven Years last past refided conftantly in London, or within twenty Miles of it: In this Time I have contracted a numerous Acquaintance among the beft Sort of People, and have hardly found one of them happy in their SerThis is Matter of great Aftonishment to Foreigners, and all fuch as have vifited Foreign Countries; efpecially fince we cannot but obferve, That vants. B. 4. there there is no Part of the World where Servants have thofe Privileges and Advantages as in England: They have no where elfe fuch plentiful Diet, large Wages, or indulgent Liberty: There is no Place wherein they labour lefs, and yet where they are fo little refpectful, more wasteful, more negligent, or where they fo frequently change their Mafters. To this I attribute, in a great measure, the frequent Robberies and Loffes which we fuffer on the high Road and in our own Houfes. That indeed which gives me the prefent Thought of this kind, is, that a careless Groom of mine has fpoiled me the prettiest Pad in the World with only riding him ten Miles; and I affure you, if I were to make a Regifter of all the Horfes I have known thus abused by Negligence of Servants, the Number would mount a Regiment. I wish you would give us your Obfervations, that we may know how to treat thefe Rogues, or that we Masters may enter into Measures to reform them. Pray give us a Speculation in genéral about Servants, and you make me Yours, Philo-Britannicus. P. S. PRAY do not omit the Mention of Grooms in particular. THIS honest Gentleman, who is fo defirous that I fhould write a Satyr upon Grooms, has a great deal of Reafon for his Refentment; and I know no Evil which touches all Mankind fo much as this of the Misbehaviour of Servants. THE Complaint of this Letter runs wholly upon Men-Servants; and I can attribute the Licentiousness which has at prefent prevailed among them, to nothing but what an hundred before me have afcribed it to, The Cuftom of giving Board-Wages: This one Inftance of falfe Oeconomy is fuflicient to debauch the whole Nation of Servants, and makes them as it were but for fome Part of their Time in that Quality. They are either attending in Places where they meet and run into Clubs, or elfe, if they wait at Taverns, they eat after their Masters, and and referve their Wages for other Occafions. From hence it arifes, That they are but in a lower Degree what their Mafters themselves are; and ufually affect an Imitation of their Manners: And you have in Liveries, Beaux, Fops, and Coxcombs, in as high Perfection as among People that keep Equipages. It is a common Humour among the Retinue of People of Quality, when in their Revels, that is when they are out of their Masters Sight, to affume in a humorous Way the Names and Titles of those whofe Liveries they wear. By which means Characters and Diftinctions become fo familiar to them, that it is to this, among other Causes, one may impute a certain Infolence among our Servants, that they take no Notice of any Gentleman though they know him ever fo well, except he is an Acquaintance of their Master's. MY Obfcurity and Taciturnity leave me at Liberty, without Scandal, to dine, if I think fit, at a common Ordinary, in the meaneft as well as the moft fumptuous Houfe of Entertainment. Falling in the other Day at a Victualling-Houfe near the Houfe of Peers, I heard the Maid come down and tell the Landlady at the Bar, That my Lord Bishop swore he would throw her out at Window if fhe did not bring up more Mild Beer, and that my Lord Duke would have a double Mug of Purle. My Surprize was encreafed, in hearing loud and ruftick Voices fpeak and answer to each other upon the publick Affairs, by the Names of the most Illuftrious of our Nobility; till of a fudden one came running in, and cry'd the Houfe was rifing. Down came all the Company together, and away! The Ale-Houfe was immediately filled with Clmour and scoring one Mug to the Marquifs of fuch a Place, Oyl and Vinegar to fuch an Earl, three Quarts to my new Lord for wetting his Title, and fo forth. It is a Thing too notorious to mention the Crowds of Servants, and their Infolence, near the Courts of Justice, and the Stairs towards the Supreme Affembly, where there is an univerfal Mockery of all Order, fuch riotous Clamour and licentious Confufion, that one would think the whole Nation lived in Jeft, and there were no fuch thing as Rule and Distinction among us. THE next Place of Refort, wherein the fervile World are let loofe, is at the Entrance of Hide-Park, while the Gentry are at the Ring. Hither People bring their Lacquies out of State, and here it is that all they fay at their Tables, and act in their Houses, is communicated to the whole Town. There are Men of Wit in all Conditions of Life; and mixing with these People at their Diverfions, I have heard Coquets and Prudes as well rallied, and Infolence and Pride expofed, (allowing for their want of Education) with as much Humour and good Senfe, as in the politeft Companies. It is a general Obfervation, That all Dependants run in fome meafure into the Manners and Behaviour of thofe whom they ferve: You fhall frequently meet with Lovers and Men of Intrigue among the Lacquies, as well as at White's or in the Side-Boxes. I remember fome Years ago an Inftance of this Kind. A Footman to a Captain of the Guard ufed frequently, when his Mafter was out of the Way, to carry on Amours and make Affignations in his Master's Cloaths. The Fellow had a very good Perfon, and there are very many Women that think no further than the Outfide of a Gentleman; befides which, he was almoft as learned a Man as the Colonel himfelf: I fay, thus qualified, the Fellow could fcrawl Billets-doux fo well, and furnish a Converfation on the common Topicks, that he had, as they call it, a great deal of good Bufinefs on his Hands. It happened one Day, that coming down a Tavern Stairs in his Master's fine Guard Coat, with a well-drefs'd Woman masked, be met. the Colonel coming up with other Company; but with a ready Affurance he quitted his Lady, came up to him, and faid, Sir, I know you have too much Refpect for your felf to cane me in this honourable Habit: But you fee there is a Lady in the Cafe, and I hope on that Score alfo you will put off your Anger till I have told you all another time. After a little Paufe the Colonel cleared up his Countenance, and with an Air of Familiarity whispered his Man apart, Sirrah, bring the Lady with you to ask Pardon for you; then aloud,, Look to it, Will, I'll never forgive you elfe. The Fellow went back to his Mistress, and telling her with a loud Voice and an Oath, That was the honefteft Fellow in the World,. conveyed her to an Hackney-Coach. BUT BUT the many Irregularities committed by Servants in the Places above-mentioned, as well as in the Theatres of which Mafters are generally the Occafions, are too various not to need being refumed on another Occafion. R 跃 N° 89. Tuesday, June 12. Petite hinc juvenefque fenefque Finem animo certum, miferifque viatica canis. Cras hoc fiet. Idem cras fiet. Quid? quafi magnum. A Per.' S my Correfpondents upon the Subject of Love are very numerous, it is my Defign, it poffible, to range them under feveral Heads, and address my felf to them at different Times. The firft Branch of them, to whofe Service I fhall dedicate this Paper, are those that have to do with Women of dilatory Tempers, who are for fpinning out the Time of Courtship to an immoderate Length, without being able either to close with their Lovers, or to difmifs them. I have many Letters by me filled with Complains against this fort of Women. In one of them no lefs a Man than a Brother of the Coif tells me, that he began his Suit Viceffimo nonó Caroli fecundi, before he had been a Twelve-month at the Temple; that he profecuted it for many Years after he was called to the Bar; that at present he is a Serjeant at Law; and notwithstanding he hoped that Matters would have been long fince brought to an Iffue, the Fair One ftill demurrs. I am fo well pleafed with this Gentleman's Phrafe, that I fall diftinguifh this Sect of Women by the Title of Demurrers. I find by another Letter from one that calls himself Thirfis, that his Mistress has been demurring above thefe feven Years. But among all |