Everybody\'s Business is Nobody\'s Business

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EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS


or,

PRIVATE ABUSES, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES:

EXEMPLIFIED

In the Pride, Insolence, and exorbitant Wages of our Women, Servants,
Footmen, &c.

WITH

A Proposal for Amendment of the same; as also for clearing the Streets of
those Vermin called Shoe-Cleaners, and substituting in their stead many
Thousands of industrious Poor, now ready to starve. With divers other
Hints of great Use to the Public.

Humbly submitted the Consideration of our Legislature, and the careful
Perusal of all Masters and Mistresses of Families.

BY ANDREW MORETON, Esq.

The Fifth Edition, with the Addition of a Preface.

LONDON:

Printed for W. MEADOWS, in Cornhill; and sold by T. WARNER, at the Black
Boy in Pater-Noster Row; A. DODD, without Temple Bar; and E. NUTT, at the
Royal Exchange. 1725.

Price Six Pence.]




THE PREFACE


Since this little book appeared in print, it has had no less than three
answers, and fresh attacks are daily expected from the powers of Grub-
street; but should threescore antagonists more arise, unless they say
more to the purpose than the forementioned, they shall not tempt me to
reply.

Nor shall I engage in a paper war, but leave my book to answer for
itself, having advanced nothing therein but evident truths, and
incontestible matters of fact.

The general objection is against my style; I do not set up for an author,
but write only to be understood, no matter how plain.

As my intentions are good, so have they had the good fortune to meet with
approbation from the sober and substantial part of mankind; as for the
vicious and vagabond, their ill-will is my ambition.

It is with uncommon satisfaction I see the magistracy begin to put the
laws against vagabonds in force with the utmost vigour, a great many of
those vermin, the japanners, having lately been taken up and sent to the
several work-houses in and about this city; and indeed high time, for
they grow every day more and more pernicious.

My project for putting watchmen under commissioners, will, I hope, be put
in practice; for it is scarce safe to go by water unless you know your
man.

As for the maid-servants, if I undervalue myself to take notice of them,
as they are pleased to say, it is because they overvalue themselves so
much they ought to be taken notice of.

This makes the guilty take my subject by the wrong end, but any impartial
reader may find, I write not against servants, but bad servants; not
against wages, but exorbitant wages, and am entirely of the poet's
opinion,

The good should meet with favour and applause,
The wicked be restrain'd by wholesome laws.

The reason why I did not publish this book till the end of the last
sessions of parliament was, because I did not care to interfere with more
momentous affairs; but leave it to the consideration of that august body
during this recess, against the next sessions, when I shall exhibit
another complaint against a growing abuse, for which I doubt not but to
receive their approbation and the thanks of all honest men.




EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS


This is a proverb so common in everybody's mouth, that I wonder nobody
has yet thought it worth while to draw proper inferences from it, and
expose those little abuses, which, though they seem trifling, and as it
were scarce worth consideration, yet, by insensible degrees, they may
become of injurious consequence to the public; like some diseases, whose
first symptoms are only trifling disorders, but by continuance and
progression, their last periods terminate in the destruction of the whole
human fabric.

In contradiction therefore to this general rule, and out of sincere love
and well meaning to the public, give me leave to enumerate the abuses
insensibly crept in among us, and the inconveniences daily arising from
the insolence and intrigues of our servant-wenches, who, by their
caballing together, have made their party so considerable, that everybody
cries out against them; and yet, to verify the proverb, nobody has
thought of, or at least proposed a remedy, although such an undertaking,
mean as it seems to be, I hope will one day be thought worthy the
consideration of our king, lords, and commons.

Women servants are now so scarce, that from thirty and forty shillings a
year, their wages are increased of late to six, seven, nay, eight pounds
per annum, and upwards; insomuch that an ordinary tradesman cannot well
keep one; but his wife, who might be useful in his shop or business, must
do the drudgery of household affairs; and all this because our servant-
wenches are so puffed up with pride nowadays, that they never think they
go fine enough: it is a hard matter to know the mistress from the maid by
their dress; nay, very often the maid shall be much the finer of the two.
Our woollen manufacture suffers much by this, for nothing but silks and
satins will go down with our kitchen-wenches; to support which
intolerable pride, they have insensibly raised their wages to such a
height as was never known in any age or nation but this.

Let us trace this from the beginning, and suppose a person has a servant-
maid sent him out of the country, at fifty shillings, or three pounds a
year. The girl has scarce been a week, nay, a day in her service, but a
committee of servant-wenches are appointed to examine her, who advise her
to raise her wages, or give warning; to encourage her to which, the herb-
woman, or chandler-woman, or some other old intelligencer, provides her a
place of four or five pounds a year; this sets madam cock-a-hoop, and she
thinks of nothing now but vails and high wages, and so gives warning from
place to place, till she has got her wages up to the tip-top.

Her neat's leathern shoes are now transformed into laced ones with high
heels; her yarn stockings are turned into fine woollen ones, with silk
clocks; and her high wooden pattens are kicked away for leathern clogs;
she must have a hoop too, as well as her mistress; and her poor scanty
linsey-woolsey petticoat is changed into a good silk one, for four or
five yards wide at the least. Not to carry the description farther, in
short, plain country Joan is now turned into a fine London madam, can
drink tea, take snuff, and carry herself as high as the best.

If she be tolerably handsome, and has any share of cunning, the
apprentice or her master's son is enticed away and ruined by her. Thus
many good families are impoverished and disgraced by these pert sluts,
who, taking the advantage of a young man's simplicity and unruly desires,
draw many heedless youths, nay, some of good estates, into their snares;
and of this we have but too many instances.

Some more artful shall conceal their condition, and palm themselves off
on young fellows for gentlewomen and great fortunes. How many families
have been ruined by these ladies? when the father or master of the
family, preferring the flirting airs of a young prinked up strumpet, to
the artless sincerity of a plain, grave, and good wife, has given his
desires aloose, and destroyed soul, body, family, and estate. But they
are very favourable if they wheedle nobody into matrimony, but only make
a present of a small live creature, no bigger than a bastard, to some of
the family, no matter who gets it; when a child is born it must be kept.

Our sessions' papers of late are crowded with instances of servant-maids
robbing their places, this can be only attributed to their devilish
pride; for their whole inquiry nowadays is, how little they shall do, how
much they shall have.

But all this while they make so little reserve, that if they fall sick
the parish must keep them, if they are out of place, they must prostitute
their bodies, or starve; so that from clopping and changing, they
generally proceed to whoring and thieving, and this is the reason why our
streets swarm with strumpets.

Thus many of them rove from place to place, from bawdy-house to service,
and from service to bawdy-house again, ever unsettled and never easy,
nothing being more common than to find these creatures one week in a good
family, and the next in a brothel. This amphibious life makes them fit
for neither, for if the bawd uses them ill, away they trip to service,
and if the mistress gives them a wry word, whip they are at a bawdy-house
again, so that in effect they neither make good whores nor good servants.

Those who are not thus slippery in the tail, are light of finger; and of
these the most pernicious are those who beggar you inchmeal. If a maid
is a downright thief she strips you, it once, and you know your loss; but
these retail pilferers waste you insensibly, and though you hardly miss
it, yet your substance shall decay to such a degree, that you must have a
very good bottom indeed not to feel the ill effects of such moths in your
family.

Tea, sugar, wine, &c., or any such trifling commodities, are reckoned no
thefts, if they do not directly take your pewter from your shelf, or your
linen from your drawers, they are very honest: What harm is there, say
they, in cribbing a little matter for a junket, a merry bout or so? Nay,
there are those that when they are sent to market for one joint of meat,
shall take up two on their master's account, and leave one by the way,
for some of these maids are mighty charitable, and can make a shift to
maintain a small family with what they can purloin from their masters and
mistresses.

If you send them with ready money, they turn factors, and take threepence
or fourpence in the shilling brokerage. And here let me take notice of
one very heinous abuse, not to say petty felony, which is practised in
most of the great families about town, which is, when the tradesman gives
the house-keeper or other commanding servant a penny or twopence in the
shilling, or so much in the pound, for everything they send in, and
which, from thence, is called poundage.

This, in my opinion, is the greatest of villanies, and ought to incur
some punishment, yet nothing is more common, and our topping tradesmen,
who seem otherwise to stand mightily on their credit, make this but a
matter of course and custom. If I do not, says one, another will (for
the servant is sure to pick a hole in the person's coat who shall not pay
contribution). Thus this wicked practice is carried on and winked at,
while receiving of stolen goods, and confederating with felons, which is
not a jot worse, is so openly cried out against, and severely punished,
witness Jonathan Wild.

And yet if a master or mistress inquire after anything missing, they must
be sure to place their words in due form, or madam huffs and flings about
at a strange rate, What, would you make a thief of her? Who would live
with such mistrustful folks? Thus you are obliged to hold your tongue,
and sit down quietly by your loss, for fear of offending your maid,
forsooth!

Again, if your maid shall maintain one, two, or more persons from your
table, whether they are her poor relations, countryfolk, servants out of
place, shoe-cleaners, charwomen, porters, or any other of her menial
servants, who do her ladyship's drudgery and go of her errands, you must
not complain at your expense, or ask what has become of such a thing, or
such a thing; although it might never so reasonably be supposed that it
was altogether impossible to have so much expended in your family; but
hold your tongue for peace sake, or madam will say, You grudge her
victuals; and expose you to the last degree all over the neighbourhood.

Thus have they a salve for every sore, cheat you to your face, and insult
you into the bargain; nor can you help yourself without exposing
yourself, or putting yourself into a passion.

Another great abuse crept in among us, is the giving of veils to
servants; this was intended originally as an encouragement to such as
were willing and handy, but by custom and corruption it is now grown to
be a thorn in our sides, and, like other good things, abused, does more
harm than good; for now they make it a perquisite, a material part of
their wages, nor must their master give a supper, but the maid expects
the guests should pay for it, nay, sometimes through the nose. Thus have
they spirited people up to this unnecessary and burthensome piece of
generosity unknown to our forefathers, who only gave gifts to servants at
Christmas-tide, which custom is yet kept into the bargain; insomuch that
a maid shall have eight pounds per annum in a gentleman's or merchant's
family. And if her master is a man of free spirit, who receives much
company, she very often doubles her wages by her veils; thus having meat,
drink, washing, and lodging for her labour, she throws her whole income
upon her back, and by this means looks more like the mistress of the
family than the servant-wench.

And now we have mentioned washing, I would ask some good housewifely
gentlewoman, if servant-maids wearing printed linens, cottons, and other
things of that nature, which require frequent washing, do not, by
enhancing the article of soap, add more to housekeeping than the
generality of people would imagine? And yet these wretches cry out
against great washes, when their own unnecessary dabs are very often the
occasion.

But the greatest abuse of all is, that these creatures are become their
own lawgivers; nay, I think they are ours too, though nobody would
imagine that such a set of slatterns should bamboozle a whole nation; but
it is neither better nor worse, they hire themselves to you by their own
rule.

That is, a month's wages, or a month's warning; if they don't like you
they will go away the next day, help yourself how you can; if you don't
like them, you must give them a month's wages to get rid of them.

This custom of warning, as practised by our maid-servants, is now become
a great inconvenience to masters and mistresses. You must carry your
dish very upright, or miss, forsooth, gives you warning, and you are
either left destitute, or to seek for a servant; so that, generally
speaking, you are seldom or never fixed, but always at the mercy of every
new comer to divulge your family affairs, to inspect your private life,
and treasure up the sayings of yourself and friends. A very great
confinement, and much complained of in most families.

Thus have these wenches, by their continual plotting and cabals, united
themselves into a formidable body, and got the whip hand of their
betters; they make their own terms with us; and two servants now, will
scarce undertake the work which one might perform with ease;
notwithstanding which, they have raised their wages to a most exorbitant
pitch; and, I doubt not, if there be not a stop put to their career, but
they will bring wages up to 201. per annum in time, for they are much
about half way already.

It is by these means they run away with a great part of our money, which
might be better employed in trade, and what is worse, by their insolent
behaviour, their pride in dress, and their exorbitant wages, they give
birth to the following inconveniences.

First, They set an ill example to our children, our apprentices, our
covenant servants, and other dependants, by their saucy and insolent
behaviour, their pert, and sometimes abusive answers, their daring
defiance of correction, and many other insolences which youth are but too
apt to imitate.

Secondly, By their extravagance in dress, they put our wives and
daughters upon yet greater excesses, because they will, as indeed they
ought, go finer than the maid; thus the maid striving to outdo the
mistress, the tradesman's wife to outdo the gentleman's wife, the
gentleman's wife emulating the lady, and the ladies one another; it seems
as if the whole business of the female sex were nothing but an excess of
pride, and extravagance in dress.

Thirdly, The great height to which women-servants have brought their
wages, makes a mutiny among the men-servants, and puts them upon raising
their wages too; so that in a little time our servants will become our
partners; nay, probably, run away with the better part of our profits,
and make servants of us _vice versa_. But yet with all these
inconveniences, we cannot possibly do without these creatures; let us
therefore cease to talk of the abuses arising from them, and begin to
think of redressing them. I do not set up for a lawgiver, and therefore
shall lay down no certain rules, humbly submitting in all things to the
wisdom of our legislature. What I offer shall be under correction; and
upon conjecture, my utmost ambition being but to give some hints to
remedy this growing evil, and leave the prosecution to abler hands.

And first it would be necessary to settle and limit their wages, from
forty and fifty shillings to four and five pounds per annum, that is to
say, according to their merits and capacities; for example, a young
unexperienced servant should have forty shillings per annum, till she
qualifies herself for a larger sum; a servant who can do all household
work, or, as the good women term it, can take her work and leave her
work, should have four pounds per annum; and those who have lived seven
years in one service, should ever after demand five pounds per annum, for
I would very fain have some particular encouragements and privileges
given to such servants who should continue long in a place; it would
incite a desire to please, and cause an emulation very beneficial to the
public.

I have heard of an ancient charity in the parish of St. Clement's Danes,
where a sum of money, or estate, is left, out of the interest or income
of which such maid-servants, who have lived in that parish seven years in
one service, receive a reward of ten pounds apiece, if they please to
demand it.

This is a noble benefaction, and shows the public spirit of the donor;
but everybody's business is nobody's; nor have I heard that such reward
has been paid to any servant of late years. A thousand pities a gift of
that nature should sink into oblivion, and not be kept up as an example
to incite all parishes to do the like.

The Romans had a law called _Jus Trium Liberorum_, by which every man who
had been a father of three children, had particular honours and
privileges. This incited the youth to quit a dissolute single life and
become fathers of families, to the support and glory of the empire.

In imitation of this most excellent law, I would have such servants, who
should continue many years in one service, meet with singular esteem and
reward.

The apparel of our women-servants should be next regulated, that we may
know the mistress from the maid. I remember I was once put very much to
the blush, being at a friend's house, and by him required to salute the
ladies, I kissed the chamber-jade into the bargain, for she was as well
dressed as the best. But I was soon undeceived by a general titter,
which gave me the utmost confusion; nor can I believe myself the only
person who has made such a mistake.

Things of this nature would be easily avoided, if servant-maids were to
wear liveries, as our footmen do; or obliged to go in a dress suitable to
their station. What should ail them, but a jacket and petticoat of good
yard-wide stuff, or calimanco, might keep them decent and warm.

Our charity children are distinguished by their dress, why then may not
our women-servants? why may they not be made frugal per force, and not
suffered to put all on their backs, but obliged to save something against
a rainy day? I am, therefore, entirely against servants wearing of
silks, laces, and other superfluous finery; it sets them above
themselves, and makes their mistresses contemptible in their eyes. I am
handsomer than my mistress, says a young prinked up baggage, what pity it
is I should be her servant, I go as well dressed, or better than she.
This makes the girl take the first offer to be made a whore, and there is
a good servant spoiled; whereas, were her dress suitable to her
condition, it would teach her humility, and put her in mind of her duty.

Besides the fear of spoiling their clothes makes them afraid of household-
work; so that in a little time we shall have none but chambermaids and
nurserymaids; and of this let me give one instance; my family is composed
of myself and sister, a man and a maid; and, being without the last, a
young wench came to hire herself. The man was gone out, and my sister
above stairs, so I opened the door myself; and this person presented
herself to my view, dressed completely, more like a visitor than a
servant-maid; she, not knowing me, asked for my sister; pray, madam, said
I, be pleased to walk into the parlour, she shall wait on you presently.
Accordingly I handed madam in, who took it very cordially. After some
apology, I left her alone for a minute or two; while I, stupid wretch!
ran up to my sister, and told her there was a gentlewoman below come to
visit her. Dear brother, said she, don't leave her alone, go down and
entertain her while I dress myself. Accordingly, down I went, and talked
of indifferent affairs; meanwhile my sister dressed herself all over
again, not being willing to be seen in an undress. At last she came down
dressed as clean as her visitor; but how great was my surprise when I
found my fine lady a common servant-wench.

My sister understanding what she was, began to inquire what wages she
expected? She modestly asked but eight pounds a year. The next question
was, what work she could do to deserve such wages? to which she answered,
she could clean a house, or dress a common family dinner. But cannot you
wash, replied my sister, or get up linen? she answered in the negative,
and said, she would undertake neither, nor would she go into a family
that did not put out their linen to wash, and hire a charwoman to scour.
She desired to see the house, and having carefully surveyed it, said, the
work was too hard for her, nor could she undertake it. This put my
sister beyond all patience, and me into the greatest admiration. Young
woman, said she, you have made a mistake, I want a housemaid, and you are
a chambermaid. No, madam, replied she, I am not needlewoman enough for
that. And yet you ask eight pounds a year, replied my sister. Yes,
madam, said she, nor shall I bate a farthing. Then get you gone for a
lazy impudent baggage, said I, you want to be a boarder not a servant;
have you a fortune or estate that you dress at that rate? No, sir, said
she, but I hope I may wear what I work for without offence. What you
work, interrupted my sister, why you do not seem willing to undertake any
work; you will not wash nor scour; you cannot dress a dinner for company;
you are no needlewoman; and our little house of two rooms on a floor, is
too much for you. For God's sake what can you do? Madam, replied she
pertly; I know my business; and do not fear a service; there are more
places than parish churches; if you wash at home, you should have a
laundrymaid; if you give entertainments, you must have a cookmaid; if you
have any needlework, you should have a chambermaid; and such a house as
this is enough for a housemaid in all conscience.

I was pleased at the wit, and astonished at the impudence of the girl, so
dismissed her with thanks for her instructions, assuring her that when I
kept four maids she should be housemaid if she pleased.

Were a servant to do my business with cheerfulness, I should not grudge
at five or six pounds per annum; nor would I be so unchristian to put
more upon any one than they can bear; but to pray and pay too is the
devil. It is very hard, that I must keep four servants or none.

In great families, indeed, where many servants are required, those
distinctions of chambermaid, housemaid, cookmaid, laundrymaid,
nurserymaid, &c., are requisite, to the end that each may take her
particular business, and many hands may make the work light; but for a
private gentleman, of a small fortune, to be obliged to keep so many idle
jades, when one might do the business, is intolerable, and matter of
great grievance.

I cannot close this discourse without a gentle admonition and reproof to
some of my own sex, I mean those gentlemen who give themselves
unnecessary airs, and cannot go to see a friend, but they must kiss and
slop the maid; and all this is done with an air of gallantry, and must
not be resented. Nay, some gentlemen are so silly, that they shall carry
on an underhand affair with their friend's servant-maid, to their own
disgrace, and the ruin of many a young creature. Nothing is more base
and ungenerous, yet nothing more common, and withal so little taken
notice of. D-n me, Jack, says one friend to another, this maid of yours
is a pretty girl, you do so and so to her, by G-d. This makes the
creature pert, vain, and impudent, and spoils many a good servant.

What gentleman will descend to this low way of intrigue, when he shall
consider that he has a footboy or an apprentice for his rival, and that
he is seldom or never admitted, but when they have been his tasters; and
the fool of fortune, though he comes at the latter end of the feast, yet
pays the whole reckoning; and so indeed would I have all such silly
cullies served.