146 THE RURAL SOCRATES- 



faid, ^* Do you know Kliyogg, that thcfe pcrfons arc 

 '' catholics ?'' — He anfwered, fmiling, * And what does 

 ' thatfignify, provided they are virtuous ; and of this I 

 ^ do not doubt, judging from the friendly manner in 



* which they aredilpofed to converfe with pealants and 

 ^ to inform thcmfelves of their occupations. lefleem them 

 ^ the more, fiuce though flrangerSjthey fhewme affe^lion. 



* It is not their fault that they arc not of the reformed 



* religion. I alfo fliould be a catholic, had I been born of 

 ^ catholic parents. I (hould efteem a Turk or a Pagan^ 

 ^ provided he were virtuous : I Ihould even love him bet- 

 ^ ter, fince it his harder for thefe to pradicc virtue. 

 ' than for Chriftians to do fo.* 



p. 28-29. To difcover whether Kliyogg was con- 

 tented with his condilion, the companions of JDr.Hirze! 

 a^cd him '' whether he would exchanoe his fituation 

 ^ for that of a nobleman ; and if he would not rather 

 ^ command than obey ; afTuring him, that a good fath- 

 ^ er of a family like himfelf, who ruled his houfiiold 

 ^ with fo much zeal and tirmnefs, v/ould be very capa* 

 ^ ble of condu£ling a much larger fociety." — '^ God 

 ^ preferve me from this, (laid he) : 1 would rather an 

 ^ hundred times be a peasant than a lord." — ^ And 

 '- what is yourreafon, when it is fo pleafant and praiie- 

 ^ worthy to render men happy by good law^s ?' — ' I 

 " have nothhig to objetft to this ; but it is a fatiguing 

 ^ employment ; and i find in my condition, much fewer 

 ^ obftacles to doing what is good and ufeful, than you 

 ^ do in yours. Whiit occafionsi me mofl: vexation and 

 ^ trouble in my labors, is the obftinacy of my fervants y 



* whom yet I have the power of difmifiing whenever 

 ^ they ceale to obey me. For you gentlemen, who alio 



* have need of perlbns to aflill and work for you ; I 

 ^ know that thefe, like my own fervants, are fometimes 

 ^ fufficiently ignorant and obliinate to oppofe the moll 

 ^ ufeful of your enterprizes ; and yet you cannot al* 

 '■' ways drive them from vour fervicc ; But yielding ta 



their 



