442 THE INSOLENCE OF OFFICE. 



some men conceive that the more arrogant their ser- 

 vants are, the more they add to their own eclat^ as if 

 they meant to say and let it be thought, that " though 

 the fellow may show impertinence to some poor devil 

 of only a few hundreds a year, he dare not do so to 

 me.'" Xo doubt me is a most uncommonly fine fellow ; 

 but where he permits his servants or his pet tiger to 

 be insolent to all but himself and immediate friends, 

 Mr. Ti2;er should cjet a sound thrashino- for his trouble ; 

 and if his conduct was defended, I know somebody else 

 who would well deserve the same attention. There can 

 be no doubt that superior persons require superior ser- 

 vants, and of course must give superior wages ; but 

 where wages are given to the amount they sometimes 

 are, and where idleness and impertinence are permitted 

 to the extent they are, the effect on a common mind is 

 to convert that most useful, valuable, and respectable 

 character, a trusty servant, into a dishonest, insolent 

 profligate. Nor does it end here: not content with 

 being this himself, if he comes in contact with a re- 

 spectable and valuable servant, the latter is made the 

 butt of the former vagabond and his companions, with 

 Mr. Tiger at their head. Good servants (and there 

 are plenty of them to be had if we get them from the 

 right school) are inestimable treasures ; as much so as 

 good friends. We ought to be the friends of such, and 

 consult their real comforts, and even feelings, much 

 more than I suspect is often done : but the place to 

 consult the feelings of the servants of many of our 

 families of fashion is the carfs tail : such servants are 

 the pest of the public. Show me the servants, I will 

 pretty accurately guess at the habits of the family they 

 serve (T should ratlier say are cmplojT-d by). 



I remember an anecdote told me of a gentleman's 



