THE FIRST DUKE 



came and there expired, except what for plenty or 

 unfitness were sold or disposed of. He had about 

 two hundred persons in his family all provided for, 

 and in his capital house nine original tables covered 

 every day ; and for the accommodation of so many 

 a large hall was built with a sort of alcove at one 

 end for distinction, but yet the whole lay in view 

 of him that was chief, and who had power to do 

 what was proper for keeping order among them, 

 and it was his charge to see it done. The tables 

 were properly assigned, as, for example, the chief 

 stewards with the gentlemen and pages, the master 

 of the horse with the coachman and liveries, and 

 under steward with the bailiffs and some husband- 

 men, the clerk of the kitchen with the bakers, 

 brewers and all together, and other more inferior 

 people under these in places apart. The women 

 had their dining-room also, and were distributed in 

 like manner — my lady's chief woman with the 

 gentlewomen, the housekeeper with the maids and 

 some others. The method of governing the great 

 family was admirable and easy, and such as might 

 have been a pattern for any management whatever. 

 For if the Duke or Duchess — who concerned her- 

 self much more than he did, for every day of her 

 life in the morning she took her tour and visited 

 every office in the house, and so was her own 

 superintendent — observed anything amiss or sus- 

 picious, as a servant riding out or the like, nothing 

 was said to that servant, but his immediate 



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