266 TRAVELS THROUGH 

 himfelf ; and, literally fpeaking, it is very 

 true : but I have flrong reafons for the con- 

 duct; I every day fee the advantage of 

 knowing practical iy all forts of work that is 

 done on the farm, and, without being able 

 to do it ones felf, it is impoffible to know 

 either when the bailiff is not impofed upon, 

 or when, on the contrary, he is unreafon- 

 able to the workmen. There is a nicety in 

 thefe things that the generality of people 

 never dream of : I never had a bailiff to my 

 mind, mod of them take as much looking 

 after as a whole tribe of workmen, and 

 could I at all times have every bufinefs go- 

 ing on in one fpot, fo as I could have the 

 workmen under my own eye, I believe I 

 fhould keep no bailiff; but, if I had an ex- 

 ceeding good one, yet there would always 

 be complaints of his againft fome of the 

 people, and of the people againft him, 

 which, do what I could, muft be decided by 

 rnyfelf j and my decilions, if they did not 

 fhew, on the face of them, and in the rea- 

 fons I gave, that I perfectly underftood the 

 matter/ I mould fet the whole bufinefs in 

 confufion, as no perfon would know on 

 what to depend, when there was no real 



ftandard 



