Memoirs 189 



father's death the estate was divided between my 

 mother and her sonns, paying such a sum of money 

 for portions to her daughters, either at the day of 

 their marriage, or when they should come to age; 

 yet by reason she and her children agreed with a 

 mutual consent, all their affairs were managed so 

 well, as she lived not in a much lower condition than 

 when my father lived. 'Tis true, my mother might 

 have increast her daughters' portions by a thrifty 

 sparing, yet she chose to bestow it on our breeding, 

 honest pleasures, and harmless delights, out of an 

 opinion, that if she bred us with needy necessitie, 

 it might chance to create in us sharking quallities, 

 mean thoughts, and base actions, which she knew 

 my father as well as herself did abhor: likewise we 

 were bred tenderly, for my mother naturally did 

 strive to please and delight her children, not to cross 

 or torment them, terrifying them with threats, or 

 lashing them with slavish whips. But instead of threats 

 reason was used to persuade us, and instead of lashes, 

 the deformities of vice were discovered, and the graces 

 and virtues were presented unto us, also we were bred 

 with respectful attendance, every one being severall}^ 

 waited upon, and all her servants in generall used the 

 same respect to her children (even those that were 

 very young) as they did to herself; for she suffered 

 not her servants, either to be rude before us, or to 

 domineer over us, which all vulgar servants are apt, 

 and ofttimes which some have leave to do; likewise 

 she never suffered the vulgar serving-men to be in 

 the nursery among the nursemaids, lest their rude 

 love-making might do unseemly actions, or speak 

 unhandsome words in the presence of her children, 

 knowing that youth is apt to take infection by ill 

 examples, having not the reason of ^distinguishing 



