THE RURAL SOCRATES. 47 



^^ pie ; there will not be a fervant in his hoiifliold but 

 *^ will glory to emulate their mafler's condu£t. 



*'Iwas requeftcd by a particular friend (faid KI1-. 

 " yogg lately to me) to (hew his fervant my method of 

 *' manuring with marley gravel. This lad, docs not 

 *' want capacity, and is, as you fee, ftrongand robufl ; 

 *' the misfortune is, he is not always hearty in his work, 

 *' I took the lad into the field with me : he fhared my fa- 

 ** tigue early in the morning, and worked clofe by my 

 *' fide late in thecveningc He feconded my labor bet- 

 *' ter and better evdry day ; and I could not avoid 



" admiring his vigor, dexterity, and diligence. 



** The next time I faw my friend, I could not for- 

 *' bear obferving the great injuflice he did his fervant 

 *^ in accufing him of idlencfs, fbr F had never feen any* 

 *' body fo remarkably indefatigable. — He protefted to 

 ^* me, on the contrary, that whenever he went to over- 

 '* look his laborers, he always found him'unemployed. 

 tt — Is he equally idle, faid I, when he works in the 

 *' fame fpot of ground vi^ith your (elf? — That is a point, 

 " replied my friend, I cannot determine. I hii-e him 

 *' to do the 1: lavieft part of the bufineis, in order to be 

 ** exempted from tt)o great fatigue myfelf : all that 

 *' fecms ncceffary for me to undertake is, to give proper 

 *' diredlions, and to have an eye to their execution. — * 

 " Yoii regard the rougher part of manual labor, inter- 

 *' ruptigd i, as a painful employment f — I at lead think, 

 "faid he, it is permitted us, when we are rich enough 

 ** to afford it, to enjoy a reputable and honorable rc- 

 " leafe from it. Were we denied this privilege, 

 " whatdifferencev/ould there be between opulence and 

 ** poverty I And where would be the advantage thatPro- 

 ** vidence has difpenfedto us a larger portion of wealth f 

 *' — If this is your way of thinking; 1 replied, it no lon- 

 ^' ger amazes me that your fervant is idle during your 

 *' abfence ; for, fairly fpeaking, is it not natural that 

 '^ every one (hould be folicitous to pafs hi^ time as com- 

 ** fortably as he can I But I find we think in a very dif- 

 ferent 



