138 ON DRAUGHT OXEN. 



implicitly relied upon by indolent mafters. Bai- 

 liffs grooms, huntfmen, farriers, and all of that 

 defcription, down to ploughmen and carters, 

 attach an abfolute infallibility to fuch peculiar 

 ufages, good or bad, as they have been origi- 

 nally taught, which they will ftruggle to main- 

 tain with unwearied zeal, either by open force 

 or private fraud. They feem to mifunderftand 

 the very principle of fervitude, obedience to 

 orders, and are imprudently allowed to attach 

 to their charader a refponfibility of a very 

 different and incompatible nature. " Oh, oh, 

 *' hr, leave it to me, and I'll warrant it," has 

 been productive of a thoufand ridiculous er- 

 rors. Many of thefe infallibles will pofitively 

 refufe to obey diretlions, alledging, very ftiffly, 

 that it mull be a hard cafe indeed, if they are 

 ftill to be taught their bufmefs. But what is 

 ftill more perplexing, fome of them will pre- 

 tend to comply, and even to be convinced, at 

 the very inltant, watching an opportunity to 

 give the knov/ing wink to their fellov/s, as a 

 fignal that they fully intend either to negleft 

 your orders, or if polTible to render your inten- 

 tions fiuitlefs. What can be more Itupid than 

 the common pra61ice in the country, of fuffer- 

 ing ignorant carters to fat their horfes as if 

 intended for the fhambles j and even to fteal 

 corn for them beyond the ftated allowance ; 

 to fluff them with various nonfenfical or harm- 

 ful 



