FOLLY OF PROFANE SWEARING. 11 



beauty to it.) I was by, and answered, 



" It's my bed-place, sir." " The it is ! 



said he. " Why didn't you complain to me 

 about it ?" I began to tell him that I had 

 once asked for a little more wages, when he 



had only said, " That be ." But before I 



had said as much he moved away. Now he 

 was not a bad-hearted man, but he never 

 looked into such things as he did into things 

 about his dogs and horses ; and if he used 

 foul language, in " the good old times," I 

 suppose, it was thought " the thing." This I 

 know, every man and boy about the premises 

 did the same, and tried to improve upon it ; 

 and that's another thing I've learnt, that 

 let servants try to imitate " their betters" 

 in any thing else, they were always beat; 

 but at swearing and the like Jack was as 

 good as gentleman ; and if nothing else 

 didn't make the quality leave off the habit, 

 I wonder that didn't; for such-like persons 

 as our squire like to see a distinction as much 

 as any of the florists. 



In the afternoon the butler came to me, 

 and said I was to go and lodge at a cottage 

 on the green. It belonged to our master, 

 and he let a widow-woman live in it rent-free, 



