LETTER I.
Original State of the Forest.—The Ad­ventures of WALTER PIPEWEED, and CECILIUS PETERSON.

TO perform the promise which I made to you before I began my journey, I will give you such an account of this, once forest, but now cultivated and pleas­ant country, as I can collect from my conversation with its inhabitants, and from the perusal of their old family pa­pers, which they have kindly permit­ted [Page 4] me to look into for my entertain­ment. By these means I have acquaint­ed myself with the story of their first planting, consequent improvements and present state; the recital of which will occupy the hours which I shall be able to spare from business, company and sleep, during my residence among them.

IN reading the character of John Bull, which was committed to paper some years ago by one who knew him well, you must have observed, that though "he was in the main an honest, plain dealing fellow, yet he was choleric and inconstant, and very apt to quarrel with his best friends." This observation you will find fully ver­ified in the course of the narrative; and as the opinions and manners of superiors have a very great influence in forming the character of inferiors, you need not be surprised if you find a family likeness prevailing among the persons whose his­tory I am about to recite, most of whom [Page 5] were formerly residents in Mr. Bull's house, or apprentices in his shop.

THERE was among the appendages to John's estate, a pretty large tract of land, which had been neglected by his ances­tors, and which he never cared much a­bout, excepting that now and then some of his family went thither a hunting, and brought home venison and furs. Indeed this was as far as I can find the best pre­tence that John had to call the land his; for he had no legal title to it. It was then a very woody country, in some parts rocky and hilly, in other parts level; well watered with brooks and ponds, and the whole of it bordered on a large lake, in which were plenty of fish, some of which were often served up at John's table, on fast days.

THE stories told by one and another of these adventurers, had made a deep im­pression [Page 6] on the mind of Walter Pipe weed, ^* one of John's domestics, a fellow of a rov­ing and projecting disposition, and who had learned the art of surveying. Walter having frequently listened to their chat, began to think within himself, "If these fellows make so many pence by their ex­cursions to this wild spot, what might not I gain by sitting down upon it? There is plenty of game and fish at hand, for a present supply; plenty of nuts and acorns to fatten pigs, and with some small labour I may be able to raise corn and feed poultry, which will fetch me a good price at market.—I can carry bisket enough in my pockets, to keep me alive till my first crop comes in, and my dog can live upon the offals of the game that I shall kill.—Besides, who knows what treasures the land itself may contain—perhaps some rich mines!—od zounds!—then I am made for this world.

[Page 7] FULL of this dream, Walter applied to his master one day for a lease of part of the forest, as it was called. Bull at first laughed at the proposal, and put him off; but Walter followed it up so close, and told what advantages might be gained by settling there, and promised, if he should succeed, to turn all his trade into his mas­ter's hand, and give him the refusal of whatever he might bring to market, and withal shewed him some draughts, which he had made with chalk, from the reports of the huntsmen, that Bull began to think of the matter in good earnest, and con­sulted his lawyer upon the subject, who, after due consideration of the premises, and stroking his band, advised him as follows. "Why yes, Mr. Bull, I don't see why you ought not to look about you as well as your neighbours. You know that old Lord Peter lays claim to the whole country, and has assumed to parcel it out among his devotees. He has given all the western part of it, where this forest [Page 8] lies, to Lord Strut, and he has a large manor adjoining to your forest, which, they say, yields him a fine rent, and who knows but this may bring you in as much, or more?—Then there is old Lewis, the cudgel player, and Nic Frog, the draper, who have, perhaps, (I say perhaps, Mr. Bull, because there may be a little doubt on both sides, and in that case, you know sir, it would not become gentlemen of our cloth, to speak positively) as good a claim as your honor to this land; but then it is a maxim, you know, that possession is e­leven points of the law, and if you once get your foot upon it, they cannot oust you without a process, and your honor knows that your purse is as long as theirs, and you are as able to stand a suit with them as they are with you. I therefore advise you to humour your man Walter, and give him a lease, and a pretty large one—you may find more advantages in it than you are aware of—but lease it, lease it at any rate." Upon this he was order­ed [Page 9] to make out a lease; and Walter be­ing thus invested with as good authority as could be obtained, filled his pockets with bread and cheese, took his gun, powder flask, and shot of various kinds, with a parcel of fishing lines and hooks, his surveying instruments, and a bag of corn on his shoulders, and off he trotted to his new paradise.

IT was some time before he could fix upon a spot to his liking, and he at first met with some opposition from the bears and wolves, and was greatly exposed to the weather, before he could build him a hut; once or twice the savage animals had almost devoured him, but being made of good stuff, he stood his ground, cleared a little spot, put his seed into the earth, and lived as well as such adventurers can ex­pect, poorly enough at first, but support­ed as all new planters are, by the hope of better times. After a while he began to thrive, and his master Bull recommended [Page 10] a wife, ^* whom he married, and by whom he had a number of children. Having found a new sort of grain in the forest, and a certain plant of a narcotic quality, he cultivated both, and having procured a number of black cattle, he went on pretty gaily in the planting way, and brought his narcotic weed into great repute, by sending a present of a quantity of it to his old master, who grew excessively fond of it, and kept calling for more, till he got the whole trade of it into his own hands, and sold it out of his own ware house to old Lewis, Nic Frog and all the other trades­men around him. In return he supplied Walter with cloths and stuffs for his fam­ily, and utensils for his husbandry; and as a reward for being the first, who had courage to make a settlement in his forest, and in token of his high esteem of him as a customer, as well as for certain other reasons, he made it a practice every year, to present him with a waggon load of or­dure,^* [Page 11] the sweepings of his back yard, the scrapings of his dog kennel, and contents of his own water closet. This was a mark of politeness which John valued himself much upon. "It may seem odd (said he one day to a friend) that I make such a kind of compliment as this to my good customer; but if you consider it aright you will find it a piece of refined policy—for by this means I get rid of a deal of trash and rubbish that is necessarily made in such a family as mine; I get a cursed stink removed from under my nose, and my good friend has the advantage of it upon his farm, to manure his grounds, and make them produce more plentifully that precious weed in which we all so much delight." Walter was often seen, on the arrival of Bull's waggon, to clap his handerchief to his nose; but as he knew his old master was an odd sort of a fellow, and it was his interest to keep in with him, he generally turned off the [Page 12] compliment with a laugh, saying, good naturedly enough, "Let him laugh that wins," without explaining his meaning, though it might admit of a double enten­dre—and calling some of his servants, he ordered them to shovel out the dung, and make his black cattle mix theirs with it—and when spread over the land, the air took out most of the scent, and the salts were of some advantage to the soil.

AFTER Walter Pipeweed had got his affairs into tolerable order, he was visited in his retirement by Cecilius Peterson, ^* a­nother of Bull's apprentices, who had taken a fancy to the same kind of life, from a disgust to some things that had happened in the family. He had not been long with Walter before he found it would not do for him to remain there. Peterson was supposed to be a natural son [Page 13] of old Lord Peter, after whom he was nick named. He had the same affected airs, and a tincture of the high flying no­tions of his reputed father. These made him rather disgustful to Walter, who had learned his manners of Mr. Bull's mother, when she was in her sober senses, and be­tween her and Lord Peter there had been a long variance. When Peterson per­ceived that his company was not desired, he had so much good sense as to leave Walter's plantation, and paddling across a creek, seated himself on a point of land that ran out into the lake. Of this he ob­tained a lease of his old master, and went to work in the [...] manner as Walter had done, who, liking his company best at a distance, was willing to supply him with bread and meat till he could scramble for himself. Here he took to husbandry, raising corn and the narcotic weed, and buying up black cattle, and after a while turned his produce into his old master's ware house, and received from him the [Page 14] annual compliment of a waggon load of dung, excepting that when there had not been so much as usual made, he and Wal­ter were to share a load between them.

To ingratiate himself still farther with his old master, he accepted of a girl out of his family for a wife, (for John was al­ways fond of his tenants marrying for fear of their doing worse) he took as little no­tice as possible of his reputed father, and dropping, or disowning his nick name of Peterson, he assumed that of Marygold, which old Madam Bull understood as a compliment to one of her daughters. He also made his court to the old lady by kneeling down and kissing the fringe of her embroidered petticoat, as was the fashion of that day. This ceremony, though a trifle in itself, helped much to recommend him to Mr. Bull, who was a very dutiful son, and took his mother's advice in most parts of his business. In short, Cecilius was too much of a politi­cian [Page 15] to suppose that filial affection ought to stand in the way of a man's interest, and in this he judged as most other men would have done in the same circum­stances.

LETTER II.
Sickness and delirium of Mr. BULL'S moth­er.—Adventures of PEREGRINE PIC­KLE.—JOHN CODLINE.—HUMPHRY PLOUGHSHARE.—ROGER CARRIER, and TOBIAS WHEATEAR.

ABOUT the time in which these first attempts were making, and the same of them had raised much jealousy among some, and much expectation among oth­ers, there happened a sad quarrel in John Bull's family. His mother,^* poor wo­man, [Page 16] had been seized with hysteric sits, which caused her at times to be delirious and full of all sorts of whims. She had taken it into her head that every one of the family must hold knife and fork and spoon exactly alike; that they must all wash their hands and face precisely in the same manner; that they must sit, stand, walk, kneel, bow, spit, blow their noses, and perform every other animal function by the exact rule of uniformity, which she had drawn up with her own hand, and from which they were not allowed to vary one hair's breadth. If any one of the family com­plained of a lame ancle or stiff knee, or had the crick in his neck, or happened to cut his finger, or was any other way so disabled as not to perform his duty to a tittle, she was so far from making the least allowance, that she would frown and scold and rave like a bedlamite; and John was such an obedient son to his mother, that he would lend her his hand to box their [Page 17] ears, or his foot to kick their backsides, for not complying with her humours. This way of proceeding raised an uproar in the family; for though most of them complied, either through affection for the old lady, or through fear, or some other motive, yet others looked sour, and grum­bled; some would openly find fault and attempt to remonstrate, but they were an­swered with a kick or a thump, or a cat­o'nine tails, or shut up in a dark garret 'till they promised a compliance. Such was the logic of the family in those days!

AMONG the number of the disaffected, was Peregrine Pickle, ^* a pretty clever sort of a fellow about his business, but a great lov­er of sour crout, and of an humour that would not bear contradiction. However, as he knew it would be fruitless to enter into a downright quarrel, and yet could not live there in peace; he had so [Page 18] much prudence as to quit the house, which he did by getting out of the win­dow in the night. Not liking to be out of employ, he went to the house of Nic Frog, ^* his master's old friend and rival, told him the story of his sufferings, and got leave to employ himself in one of his workshops till the storm should be over. After he had been here a while, he thought Nick's family were as much too loose in their manners as Bull's were too strict; and having heard a rumour of the Forest, to which Nick had some kind of claim, he packed up his little all, and hired one of Nick's servants who had been there a hunting, to pilot him to that part of the Forest to whick Nick laid claim. But Frog had laid an anchor to windward of him; for as Pickle had said nothing to him about a lease, he supposed that when Peregrine had got into the For­est he would take a lease of his old mas­ter, Bull, which would strengthen his title, [Page 19] and weaken his own; he therefore bribed the pilot to shew Peregrine to a barren part of the Forest instead of that fertile place^* to which he had already sent his surveyors, and of which he was contriving to get possession. Accordingly the pilot having conducted Pickle to a sandy point which runs into the lake,^† it being the dusk of the evening,^‡ bade him good night, and walked off. Peregrine, who was fatigued with his march, laid down and went to sleep, but waking in the morning, saw himself alone in a very drea­ry situation, where he could get nothing to live upon but clams, and a few acorns which the squirrels had left. In this pit­eous plight the poor fellow folded his arms, and walking along the sandy beach, fell into such a soliloquy as this. "So much for travelling! Abused by Bull, cheated by Frog, what am I at last come to? Here I am alone, no creatures but [Page 20] bears, and wolves, and such vermin around me! Nothing in the shape of an human being that I know of, nearer than Pipe­weed's plantation, and with him I cannot agree; he is so devoted to old Dame Bull that he and I cannot live together any more than I could with the old woman. But, why should I despair? That is un­manly; there is at least a possibility of my living here, and if I am disappointed in my worldly prospects, it is but right, for I professed not to have any. My wish was to have my own way without disturbance or contradiction, and surely I can here enjoy my liberty. I have nobody here to curse me, or kick me, or cheat me. If I have only clams to eat, I can cook them my own way, and say as long a grace over them as I please. I can sit or stand, or kneel, or use any other posture at my devotions, without any cross old woman to growl at me, or any hectoring bully to cuff me for it. So that if I have lost in one way I have gained in another. I had better [Page 21] therefore reconcile myself to my situation and make the best of a bad market. But company is good! Apropos! I will write to some of my fellow-apprentices; I know they were as discontented as myself in old Bull's family, though they did not care to speak their minds as plainly as I did. I'll tell them how much happiness I en­joy here in my solitude. I'll point out to them the charms of liberty, and coax them to follow me into the wilderness; and by and by, when we get all together, we shall make a brave hand of it." Full of this resolution, he sat down on a wind­fallen tree, and pulling out his inkhorn and paper, wrote a letter to John Codline, Humphry Ploughshare, and Roger Carrier, three of his fellow-apprentices, informing them of the extreme happiness he enjoy­ed in having liberty to eat his scanty meals in his own way, and to lay his swelled ancles and stiff knee in whatever posture was most easy to him, conjuring them by their former friendship, to come [Page 22] to join them in carrying on the good work so happily begun, &c. &c. As soon as he had finished the letter, (which had deep­ly engaged his attention) a huntsman happened to come along in quest of game. This was a lucky circumstance indeed, for Peregrine had not once thought of a con­veyance for his letter; it proved also fa­vourable to him in another view, for the huntsman taking pity on his forlorn situ­ation, spared him some powder and shot and a few biscuit which he happened to have in his pocket; so taking charge of the letter, he delivered it as it was direct­ed.

THIS letter arrived in good season, for old Madam had grown much worse since Pickle had left the family: her vapours had increased, and her longings and aver­sions were much stronger. She had a strange lurch for embroidered petticoats and high waving plumes; her Christmas pies must have double the quantity of [Page 23] spice that was usual; the servants must make three bows where they formerly made but one, and they must never come into her presence without having curled and powdered their hair in the pink of the mode, for she had an aversion to every thing plain, and an high relish for every thing gaudy. Besides, she had an high mettled chaplain^* who was constantly at her elbow, and said prayers night and morning in a brocaded vest with a gilded mitre on his head; and he exacted so ma­ny bows and scrapes of every one in the family, that it would have puzzled a French dancing master to have kept pace with him. Nor would he perform the service at all unless a verger stood by him all the while with a yard-wand in his hand; and if any servant or apprentice missed one bow or scrape, or made it at the wrong time, or dared to look off his book, or said Amen in the wrong place, rap went the stick over his head and ears or knuc­kles. It was in vain to appeal from the [Page 24] chaplain or the old Dame to their master, for he was so obedient a son that he suf­fered them to govern him as they pleas­ed; nay, though broad hints were given that the chaplain was an emissary of lord Peter, and was taking advantage of the old lady's hysterics to bring the whole family into his interest, John gave no heed to any of these insinuations.

As soon as the letter of Peregrine Pic­kle arrived, the apprentices, to whom it was directed, held a consultation what they should do. They were heartily tir­ed of the conduct of the chaplain; they lamented the old lady's ill health, and wished for a cure; but there was at pres­ent no hope of it, and they concluded that it was best to follow Pickle's advice, and retire with him into the Forest. Though they were infected with the spirit of adventure, yet they were a set of wary fellows, and knew they could not with safety venture thither unless they had a [Page 25] lease of the land. Happily, however, for them, Bull had a little while before that put the affairs of the Forest into the hands of a gentleman of the law,^* with orders to see that the matter was properly managed, so as to yield him some certain profit. To this sage they applied, and for the proper fees, which they clubbed for between them, they obtained a lease, under hand and seal; wherein, for "sun­dry causes him thereunto moving, the said Bull did grant and convey unto John Codline and his associates, so many acres of his Forest, bounded so and so, and which they were to have, hold, and enjoy for ever and ever, yielding and paying so and so, and so forth." When this grand point was gained by the assistance of the lawyer and his clerks, who knew how to manage business, the adventurers sold all their superfluities to the pawn brokers, and got together what things they sup­posed they should want, and leaving be­hind [Page 26] them a note on the compter,^* to tell their master where they were bound, and what were their designs: they set off all together and got safe into a part of the Forest adjoining to Pickle, who hearing of their arrival, took his oaken staff in his hand and hobbled along as fast as his lame legs could carry him to see them, and a joyful meeting indeed they had. Hav­ing laid their heads together, it was a­greed that Codline should send for a girl whom he had courted,^† and marry her, and that he should be considered as the lord of the manor, that Pickle should have a lease of that part which he had pitched upon, and that Ploughshare and Carrier should for the present be considered as members of Codline's family. John had taken a great fancy to fishing, and thought he could wholly or chiefly subsist by it; but Humphry had a mind for a farm; [Page 27] so after a while they parted in friendship. Humphry, with a pack on his back and a spade in his hand, travelled across the For­est till he found a wide meadow with a large brook^* running through it, which he supposed to be within John's grant, and intended still to consider himself as a dis­tant member of the family. But as it fell out otherwise, he was obliged to get a new lease, to which Mr. Frog made some objections, but they were over ruled; and soon after another old fellow servant, TOBIAS WHEATEAR,^† came and sat down by him. They being so much a­like in their views and dispositions, agreed to live together as intimates, though in two families, which they did till Wheat­ear's death, when Ploughshare became his sole heir, and the estate has ever since been his. This Humphry was always a very industrious, frugal, saving husband; and his wife, though a formal strait laced sort [Page 28] of a body, yet always minded her spinning and knitting, and took excellent care of her dairy. She always clothed her chil­dren in homespun garments, and scarcely ever spent a farthing for outlandish trink­ets. The family and all its concerns were under very exact regulations: not one of them was suffered to peep out of doors af­ter the sun was set. It was never allow­ed to brew on Saturday, lest the beer should break the Fourth Commandment by working on Sunday: and once it is said the stallion was impounded a whole week for having held crim. con. with the mare while the Old Gentleman was at his devotions. Bating these peculiarities, (and every body has some) Humphry was a very good sort of man, a kind neighbor, very thriving, and made a respectable figure, though he lived a retired life, and did not much follow the fashions, yet he raised a good estate, and brought up a large family, who knew how to get their living wherever they could find land.

LETTER III.
JOHN CODLINE quarrels with ROGER CARRIER, and turns him out of doors. CARRIER retires to another part of the Forest. CODLINE surveys his Land; takes ROBERT LUMBER under his pro­tection—Begins a suit with the Fisher­men of LEWIS, which, with other inci­dents, excites the jealousy of Mr. BULL.

AFTER Ploughshare's depar­ture, John Codline with his family kept on their fishing and planting, and some­times went a hunting, so that they made out to get a tolerable subsistence. John's family grew, and he settled his sons as fast as they became of age, to live by them­selves; and when any of his old acquaint­ance came to see him, he bade them welcome, and was their very good friend, [Page 30] as long as they continued to be of his mind, and no longer; for he was a very prag­matical sort of a fellow, and loved to have his own way in every thing. This was the cause of a quarrel between him and Roger Carrier, for it happened that Roger had taken a fancy to dip his head into water,^* as the most effectual way of washing his face, and thought it could not be made so clean in any other way. John, who used the common way of taking water in his hand, to wash his face, was displeased with Roger's innovation, and remonstrat­ed against it. The remonstrance had no other effect, than to fix Roger's opinion more firmly, and as a farther improve­ment on his new plan, he pretended that no person ought to have his face washed till he was capable of doing it himself, without any assistance from his parents. John was out of patience with this addi­tion, and plumply told him, that if he did not reform his principles and practice, he [Page 31] would fine him, or flog him, or kick him out of doors. These threats put Roger on inventing other odd and whimsical o­pinions. He took offence at the letter X, and would have had it expunged from the alphabet.^* He would not do his duty at a military muster, because there was an X in the colours. After a while he be­gan to scruple the lawfulness of bearing arms, and killing wild beasts. But, poor fellow! the worst of all was, that being seized with a shaking palsy,^† which af­fected every limb and joint of him, his speech was so altered that he was unable to pronounce certain letters and syllables as he had been used to do. These oddities and defects rendered him more and more disagreeable to his old friend, who, how­ever, kept his temper as well as he could, till one day, as John was saying a long grace over his meat, Roger kept his hat on the whole time. As soon as the cere­mony [Page 32] was over, John took up a case knife from the table, and gave Roger a blow on the ear with the broad side of it, then with a rising stroke turned off his hat. Roger said nothing, but taking up his hat put it on again; at which John broke out into such a passionate speech as this—"You impudent scoundrel! is it come to this! Have I not borne with your whims and fidgets these many years, and yet they grow upon you? Have I not talked with you time after time, and proved to you as plain as the nose in your face that your notions are wrong? Have I not or­dered you to leave them off, and warned you of the consequence, and yet you have gone on from bad to worse? You began with dipping your head into water, and would have all the family do the same, pretending there was no other way of washing the face. You would have had the children go dirty all their days, under pretence that they were not able to wash their own faces, and so they must have [Page 33] looked like the pigs till they were grown up. Then you would talk your own balderdash linguo, thee and thou, and nan forsooth—and now you must keep your hat on when I am at my devotions, and I suppose would be glad to have the whole family do the same! There is no bearing with you any longer—so now—hear me, I give you fair warning, if you don't mend your manners, and retract your errors, and promise reformation, I'll kick you out of the house. I'll have no such re­fractory fellows here: I came into this for­est for reformation, and reformation I will have."

"FRIEND John (said Roger) dost not thou remember when thou and I lived to­gether in friend Bull's family, how hard thou didst think it to be compelled to look on thy book all the time that the hooded chaplain was reading the prayers, and how many knocks and thumps thou and I had for offering to use our liberty, which we [Page 34] thought we had a right to? Didst thou not come hitherunto for the sake of en­joying thy liberty, and did not I come to enjoy mine? Wherefore then dost thou assume to deprive me of the right which thou claimest for thyself?"

"DON'T tell me (answered John) of right and of liberty—you have as much liberty as any man ought to have. You have liberty to do right, and no man ought to have liberty to do wrong."

"WHO is to be judge (replied Roger) what is right or what is wrong? Ought not I to judge for myself? or, Thinkest thou it is thy place to judge for me?"

"WHO is to be judge (said John) why the book is to be judge—and I have prov­ed by the book over and over again that you are wrong, and therefore you are wrong, and you have no liberty to do any thing but what is right."

[Page 35] "BUT friend John (said Roger) who is to judge whether thou hast proved my opinions or conduct to be wrong—thou or I?"

"COME, come, (said John) not so close neither—none of your idle distinctions: I say you are in the wrong, I have proved it, and you know it; you have sinned against your own conscience, and therefore you deserve to be cut off as an incorrigible heretic."

"How dost thou know (said Roger) that I have sinned against my own con­science? Canst thou search the heart?"

AT this John was so enraged that he gave him a smart kick on the posteriors, and bade him be gone out of his house, and off his lands, and called after him to tell him, that if ever he should catch him there again he would knock his brains out. Roger, having experienced the logic of the foot, applied to the seat of honor, [Page 36] walked off, with as much meekness as hu­man nature is capable of, on such occa­sions; and having travelled as far as he supposed to be out of the limits of John's lease, laid himself down by the side of a clear rivulet, which flowed down a hill; here he composed himself to sleep, and on his awaking found several bears about him, but none offered him any insult. Upon which he said, and minuted it down in his pocket book, "Surely the beasts of the wilderness are in friendship with me, and this is designed by Providence ^* as my resting place; here, therefore, will I pitch my tabernacle, and here shall I dwell more in peace, though surrounded by bears and wolves, than when in the midst of those whom I counted my brethren."

ON this spot he built an hut, and hav­ing taken possession, made a visit to his old master Bull, who gave him a lease of the [Page 37] place, with an island or two in an adjoin­ing cove of the great lake, and recom­mended to him a wife, by whom he had a few children; but his plantation was chief­ly increased by the flocking of strangers to him; for he was a very hospitable man, and made it a rule in his family not to refuse any who should come, whether lame or blind, short or tall, whether they had two eyes or one, whether they squint­ed or stammered, or limped, or had any other natural defect or impediment; it was another rule that every one should bear with the infirmities of his neigh­bours, and help one another as they were able. Once as I was passing through Roger's plantation I saw one man carry­ing another on his shoulders, which, at first, I thought a very odd sight; upon coming up to them, I perceived that the lower one was blind, and the upper one was lame, so as they had but one pair of eyes, and one pair of legs between them, the lame man availed himself of the blind [Page 38] man's legs, and he of the other's eyes, and both went along very well together. I remember also, that as I passed along, the fences were in some places made of very crooked, knotty rails; but the crooks and knots were made to say into each other so cleverly, that the fences were as tight as if they had been made of stuff sawed ever so even; a circumstance which convinced me that very crooked things might be put together, to advantage, if proper pains were taken.

WHEN John Codline had settled the [...]troversy with Roger, by kicking him out of doors, he began to look about him to see what his neighbours were doing. Having found a young fellow on his north eastern limits, who had come thither with­out his knowledge or permission, he took it into his head to survey the extent of his grounds. The words of his lease were rather ambiguous, and by virtue thereof he thought it convenient to extend his [Page 39] claims over the lands on which Robert Lumber (for that was the name of the young fellow) had settled.^* It seems that Bob had been sent by some of John Bull's family to erect a fishing stage on the bor­ders of the lake, and the lawyer who had the care of the forest not being acquainted so much as he ought to have been with the situation of the lands, or having no knowledge of the art of surveying, had made out a lease which lapped over Cod­line's; so that each of them had a claim upon the same land. In some circum­stances this might have been deemed un­fortunate, but as it happened it proved lucky for poor Bob—his employers had left him in the lurch, and he would have starved to death if John had not taken him under his wing and sent him provis­ions to keep him alive. He also lent him a hand to clear up the bushes, and fur­nished him with materials to build a saw [Page 40] mill. This set Bob on his own legs, and he proved a sturdy faithful fellow. He was of great service to John in killing bears and wolves that infested his planta­tion; and when he himself was in dan­ger, John lent him powder, shot, and flints, and sent hands to help him, and in so doing he served himself as well as his neighbour, which was no breach of moral­ity. Thus they lived pretty peaceably together, till after a while Bob's old own­ers found the land was grown good for something, and then (without paying John for his assistance in making it so) appealed to Mr. Bull, and got it away, and took a large slice of John's land into the bargain.^* This was a matter which stuck in John's throat a great while, and if I am rightly informed he has hardly swallowed it yet. He did not think him­self fairly dealt by, though he had all Per­egrine Pickle's land put into a new lease [Page 41] which Bull gave him. To be short, John Codline and John Bull never heartily loved one another; they were in their temper and disposition too much alike; each was eternally jealous of the other: and this jealousy was kept alive by a va­riety of incidents which it would be too tedious to enumerate. One of them, however, was of so singular a nature that I think it deserves to be remembered. It was this. Old Lewis had erected a fish­ing stage and ware house^* on the north east, which interfered with Codline's fa­vorite employment. Without consult­ing his old Master Bull, or waiting for his advice or orders, Jack sent a bailiff with a writ of intrusion to the fishermen and began a suit in law; Mr. Bull hearing of it, was glad to take advantage of the cir­cumstance and fee council in the cause, which finally went in his favour. But though the issue of the cause was of so much advantage to him; yet he ever af­ter [Page 42] looked upon Codline as a forward, saucy fellow, for running on that errand before he was sent; and there were not wanting persons who were continually buzzing in his ear, to keep a good look out on that impudent jackanapes, or he would soon begin to think himself as good a man as his master.

LETTER IV.
Attempt of NICOLAS FROG and GUSTA­VUS the Ironmonger, to intrude into the Forest.—Their quarrel.—Mr. BULL'S sickness and delirium.—His policy in paying his debts.—His quarrel with FROG, and its termination by comprom­ise.—Plantation of CART-RUT and BARE-CLAY, called CAESAREA.—Lease to CHARLES INDIGO.

IN my last letter I had got a lit­tle too forward in my story, in point of time; but as I write by piecemeal, and often in a hurry, you must excuse chro­nological inaccuracy. I now go back to tell you, that between the lands occupied by Marygold, and those on which Plough­share had made his settlement, was a large tract of waste, where none of Mr. Bull's [Page 44] family had ever been; but the report of the plantations which one and another of them had made, drew the attention of Bull's neighbours. Among these, Nico­las Frog ^* was not an idle spectator. He was as sly a fellow as you will meet with in a summer's day, always attentive to his interest, and never let slip an opportunity to promote it. Observing that Mr. Bull was rather careless of the Forest, and trusted his lawyers and servants with the management of it, and knowing there was a large slice of it unoccupied, he clandestinely sent out some surveyors in the disguise of hunters, to make a descrip­tion of the country, and report to him at their return. Another good neighbour, Gustavus the ironmonger^† was gaping af­ter it, and gave out word among his jour­neymen, that if any of them would ad­venture thither and set up their trade, he would uphold them in their pretensions, and lend them any assistance in his power. [Page 45] Accordingly one of them, by the name of Casimir, ventured to make a beginning on the shore of a navigable creek;^* but did not care to penetrate far into the country, on account of the wolves and bears, which were very numerous thereabouts. As soon as Frog heard of this, he picked a quarrel with Gustavus, and insisted that the land was his by possession, because he had already sent surveyors thither. It happened, however, that the place which Frog's people had pitched upon was at the mouth of another creek,^† at a considerable distance; where they had built a hut, on a point of land, and far­ther up the creek had erected a kind of lodge or hunting house,^‡ for the conven­ience of collecting game. On this plant­ation Frog had placed Peter Stiver, a one­legged fellow, as his overseer. As soon as Peter heard of the quarrel between his master and Gustavus, he thought the quickest way of ending it was the best; [Page 46] and therefore, without waiting for orders or ceremony, he went and commanded Casimir off the ground; and with one of his crutches beat his house to pieces a­bout his ears. The poor fellow stared at this rough treatment; but was glad to es­cape with whole bones, and humbly re­quested leave to remain there with his tools, promising to follow his business quietly, and become an obedient servant to Mr. Frog; upon these conditions he was permitted to remain, and the whole tract was reputed Frog's property.

While these things were doing, John Bull was confined to his house with a vi­olent fever and delirium,^* under which he laboured for a long time, and his im­agination was the seat of every wild freak and strange vagary. One while he fan­cied himself an absolute monarch; then, a presbyterian clergyman; then a general of horse; then a lord protector: His noddle [Page 47] was filled with a jumble of polemic divin­ity, political disputes, and military ar­rangements, and it was not till after much blood letting, blistering, vomiting and purging, that he began to mend. Under this severe, but wholesome regimen, he at length grew cool and came to himself, but found on his recovery that his affairs had gone behind hand during his sick­ness. Beside the loss of business, he had physicians' and apothecaries' bills to pay, and those who had attended upon him as nurses, watchers, porters, &c. all ex­pected wages or douceurs, and were con­tinually haunting him with, How does your honour do? I am glad to see your honour so well as to be abroad. Some one or more were continually putting themselves in his way, and if they did not directly dun him for payment, their looks were so significant that a man of less pen­etration could easily have guessed what was their meaning.

[Page 48] BULL was somewhat perplexed how to answer all their demands and expecta­tions. He was too far behind hand to be able to satisfy them, and withal too generous to let them remain unpaid. At length he hit on this expedient: "These fellows, said he to himself, have served me well, and may be of use to me again. There is yet a considerable part of my forest unoccupied. I'll offer to lease them tracts of land which cost me nothing, and if they will accept them at a low rent, they may prove useful servants, and I shall be a gainer as well as they." Hav­ing come to this resolution, he began to enquire into the affairs of his forest, and found that his neighbours had intruded up­on his claim. Lewis had taken possession at one end;^* Lord Strut at the other;^† and Nic Frog in the middle,^§ and his own tenants had been quarrelling with their new neighbours, as well as among them­selves. [Page 49] "Hey day! says John, this will never do; I must keep a good look out upon these dogs, or they will get the ad­vantage of me." Away he goes to Frog, and begun to complain of the ill treat­ment which he had received. Frog, who had no mind either to quarrel, or to cry peccavi, like a sly, evasive whore son as he was, shrugged up his shoulders, dis­owned what his servants had done, and said, he supposed they only meant to kill game, and did not intend to hold posses­sion. Bull was not to be put off so; his blood was up and he determined to treat Frog's servants as they had treated Casi­mir. So, calling a trusty old stud out of his compting house, "Here Bob,^* said he, take one of my servants with a couple of blood hounds, and go to that part of the forest where Peter Stiver has encroached, give him fair warning; tell him the land is mine, and I will have it; if he gives up [Page 50] at once, treat him well and tell him I'll give him leave to remain there; but if he offers to make any resistance, or hesitates about an answer, set your dogs at him and drive him off; kill his cattle and set his house on fire; never fear, I'll bear you out in it." Away goes Bob and deliver­ed his message; Peter at first thought it a matter of amusement, and began to divert himself with it; but as soon as the dogs opened upon him he found his mistake, and rather than run the risk of being driven off, he quietly submitted to the conditions proposed. "Hang it, said he to himself, what care I who is my land­lord? Gain is my object; I have already been at great expense, and have a pros­pect of getting an estate. To remove will ruin me; I'll therefore stay here, and make money under Bull, or Frog, or any other master that will let me stay."

IN a subsequent quarrel which happen­ed between Bull and Frog—the latter [Page 51] seized upon this plantation again, and Peter recognized his old master; but up­on a compromise it was given up to Bull in exchange for a tract of swamp^* which lay far to the southward. Peter contin­ued on the ground through all these changes, and followed his business with great diligence, collecting game and pelts, and vending them sometimes to Mr. Bull, and sometimes to Mr. Frog. How­ever, Bull thought it best, that in token of subjection, Stiver should change his name; to which he consented, and partly to please his new master, and partly to re­tain the remembrance of his old one, he assumed the name of Bullfrog.

THE whole tract which was thus got­ten from Frog, was thought too large for one plantation, and therefore Mr. Bull, in pursuance of the plan which he had formed appropriated the rents of the plantation, on which Bullfrog was seat­ed, to his brother, and the other was leas­ed [Page 52] to two of his servants, CARTRUT and BARECLAY, and sometime after another tract was set off to WILLIAM BROAD­BRIM, whose father had been an assidu­ous ratcatcher in Mr. Bull's family; but more of this hereafter.

CARTRUT and Bareclay agreed to di­vide their land into two farms, which they called the east and west farms;^* but when they came to run the division line, their compasses differed so much that they could not fix the boundary. This was one cause of dissention. Another was the different humors and dispositions of their families. Those on the East farm were brought up under Mr. Bull's sister PEG,^† and as it is well known that she and her brother had long been at variance, so their domestics had got tinctured with the no­tions and prejudices of their respective families. The family on the West farm was made up of persons who were subject [Page 53] to the epidemic ague or shaking palsy;^* with some struggles from Bullfrog's and Casimir's families. From this diversity of constitutions and humours arose bick­erings and quarrels, a disinclination to work and submit to family government. These disorders continued a long while, and business went on very slowly, till at length the heads of both families agreed to give up their separate leases, and take a new one of the whole, and let Mr. Bull appoint an overseer. By these means peace was restored, and the new overseer, who was supposed to be a descendant of JULIUS CAESAR, gave the name of his an­cestor to the farm, which has ever since been called CAESAREA.

THERE was another portion of the for­est, which lay southward of Walter Pipe­weed's plantation, and which no person had yet taken up, though some had made attempts and had been driven off by the [Page 54] numberless musquitoes and sand flies, which abounded in those places. Mr. Bull was still desirous to reward his friends in the cheapest manner, and at the same time to keep his neighbors from en­croaching upon him, and secure the pos­session of the forest to himself. In pur­suance of his plan, and to make short work of it at once, he leased the whole of this southern extremity to CHARLES INDI­GO,^* who was expressly ordered to take under his care and into his family all per­sons who had attended Mr. Bull, in his late sickness, in quality of nurses, drug­gists, apothecaries, laundresses, uphol­sters, porters, watchers, &c. &c. By this order Charles found himself at once sur­rounded by a large body of retainers of various ranks and qualities, and being a speculator himself, he employed a specu­lative man, Mr. Padlock, who had writ­ten a large treatise upon Ideas, to draw up some rules, for the management of such a family, intending when he should [Page 55] build [...] house, to paste it up in the par­lour, as a directory to his wife. Accord­ingly Mr. Padlock went to work, and with an exquisite mixture of political and met­aphysical knowledge, distinguished be­tween the hall, the parlour, the dressing room, the gallery, the music room, the bed chambers, the chapel, the kitchen, the water closet, &c. shewing what was to be done in each, and the proper subordina­tion of one to the other, all which would have been of excellent service in a palace, and among people who had got to a high degree of refinement, but was ill suited to the circumstances of new adventurers in a forest. They rather needed to be in­structed in the method of felling trees, draining swamps, digging clams, guard­ing against misquitoes, killing wolves and bears, and erecting huts to keep off the weather. To these necessary affairs they were obliged to attend, and Mr. Padlock's fine spun rules were laid by and little thought of.

[Page 56] CHARLES had pitched upon a sandy point, between two brooks, for his man­sion house, and had made a small begin­ning, when his repose was disturbed by one AUGUSTINE,^* a lubberly fellow, who had taken a lease of Lord Strut, and liv­ed farther southward. This Strut was the largest landholder in the country, and was never satisfied with adding field to field. He had already got much more than he could manage, and had greatly impoverished his homestead by attending to his extra territories. His tenants were infected with the same land fever, and wished to have no neighbors within sight or call. From this envious disposition Augustine collected a rabble of lousy fel­lows, and was coming to dispossess Charles, thinking him too weak to make a defence; but Charles was a lad of too much spunk to be brow beaten. He armed all his people with some weapon or other, and advanced till he came within sight of the [Page 57] place where Augustine was, who on see­ing him, took wit in his anger, and went back, without attempting any mischief.

ANOTHER difficulty which Charles ex­pected to encounter was from the wild beasts; but luckily for him, these crea­tures got into a quarrel among them­selves, and fought with each other till they had thinned their numbers consider­bly, so that Charles and his companions could venture into the woods, where they caught some few and tamed them, as was the usual practice among all Mr. Bull's ten­ants at that day. Of this practice a more particular account shall be given in my next letter.

ADIEU.

LETTER V.
Mr. BULL's project of taming wild ani­mals.—Its execution by his tenants.—Their different notions and conduct in this matter.

YOU must have remarked in your acquaintance with the life and character of Mr. John Bull, that he is very whim­sical, and as positive as whimsical. Among other advantages which he expected from the settlement of his Forest, one was, that the wild animals whom nature had made ferocious and untractable in the highest degree, would be rendered tame and ser­viceable, by receiving instruction and edu­cation from the nurturing hand of hu­manity. He had conceived a notion that every creature has certain latent princi­ples and qualities which form a founda­tion [Page 59] for improvement; and he thought it a great piece of injustice that these quali­ties should be suffered to remain unculti­vated: he had a mind that experiments should be attempted to discover how far this kind of cultivation was practicable, and what use could be made of the ani­mal powers under the direction and con­trol of rational government. Full of this idea, he came to a resolution, that it should be the duty of every one of his tenants to catch wild beasts of various sorts, and discipline them so as to find out their several properties and capacities, and use them accordingly; and this kind of service was mentioned in their respective leases as one condition of the grants.

SOME of the tenants, particularly Pere­grine Pickle, John Codline, and Hum­phry Ploughshare, entered zealously into the measure from principle. They had, during Mr. Bull's sickness and delirium, before spoken of, formed an association [Page 60] for their mutual safety.^* The object of their union was two fold: first, to endea­vour by all fair means to tame and disci­pline the wild beasts; and secondly, in case of their proving refractory, to defend themselves against their attacks. The other tenants did something in the same way; some from one principle, and some from another. Peter Bullfrog, who was as cunning as any of them, made use of those which he had tamed as his caterers, to provide game for his table, of which the feathers and furs served him as arti­cles of traffic, and brought him in a pro­fitable return.

THE principal consideration (setting aside interest) which induced the more zealous of the Foresters to enter into this business, was an idea, that these animals were a degenerated part of the human species, and might be restored to their proper rank and order if due pains were taken. The grounds of this opinion were [Page 61] these: Among the traditions of the ancient Druids there was a story, that out of twelve families which inhabited a certain district by themselves, ten had been lost, and no account could be given of them; and, Where, said they, is it more likely to find them than in this forest, in the shape of some other creatures? especially, if the doctrine of TRANSMIGRATION, which the Druids held be true. Another tra­dition was, that one of Mr. Bull's great great uncles, by the name of Madok, had many years ago disappeared, and the last accounts which had been received of him was, that he had been seen going towards this forest; hence it was concluded that his descendants must be found there. In confirmation of this argument, it was al­leged, that the sounds which some of these creatures made in their howlings, resembled the language spoken in that day: nay, some were positive that they had heard them pronounce the word Madokawando; ^* and one hunter roundly [Page 62] swore that he had seen in the den of a bear, an old book which he supposed to be a Bible written in the Celtic language, and this book they concluded must have been left there by Madok, who could read and speak no other language. Another very material circumstance was the discovery of a rock by the side of a brook,^* in­scribed with some characters which bore no resemblance to any kind of writing, ancient or modern; the conclusion from hence was, that it must be of the remot­est antiquity: this rock was deemed an unaccountable curiosity, till a certan vir­tuoso took into his noddle, first to ima­gine, and then to become extremely po­sitive that the characters were Punic; and finally this inscription was translated, and affirmed to be nothing less than a treaty of alliance and commerce between the Phenicians and the first inhabitants of this forest. From all these premises it was [Page 63] inferred, with some plausibility, and more positiveness, that one species at least of the savage animals was descended from Madok, and that the others were the posterity of the long lost ten families, who were well known to have had a commercial con­nexion with the Phenicians, and that these probably found out their haunt, and followed them for the sake of their former friendship. What happy light do modern discoveries and conjectures throw on the dark pages of antiquity!

FROM these principles, as well as from motives of humanity and of interest, some of the Foresters entered with zeal on the consideration and practice of the best methods to fulfil this condition of their grants, the disciplining the savage ani­mals, and they certainly deserve praise for their honest endeavours; but, others who prete [...]d to the same zeal, it is to be la­mented, made use of this pretence to cov­er their vanity or their avarice. Had [Page 64] none but gentle means been used, it is probable more good might, on the whole, have been produced; but as it often happens that many a good project has been ruined for want of prudence in the execution, so it fared with this; for while the new comers were busy in putting up their huts, and preparing the land for cultivation, both which were necessary before they could attend to any other business, some of the savage tribe would be a little impertinent, either by peeping into the huts, or breaking up a nest where the poultry were hatching, or carrying off a chick or a gosling. These impertinencies bred frequent quarrels, and the poor creatures were sometimes driven off with bloody noses, or obliged to hop on three legs, or even laid sprawl­ing and slyly covered with earth, no ser­vice or ceremony being said over the car­cass, and no other epitaph than "Poh, they are nothing but brutes, and where's [Page 65] the harm of killing them!" or in rhyme thus:

WHATEVER plausible excuses might have been made for these proceedings, they served to render the creatures jealous of their new neighbors; but instead of a­bating their appetite for mischief, it sharp­ened their invention to take more sly methods of accomplishing it. The more wary of them kept aloof in the day time, and would not be enticed by the arts which were used to draw them in; how­ever, they were sometimes pinched for food, and the new inhabitants used to throw crusts of bread, handfuls of corn, and other eatables, in their way, which allured them by degrees to familiarity. After a while it was found that nothing succeeded so well as molasses. It was there­fore thought a capital manoeuvre to drop a train of it on the ground, which the [Page 66] creatures would follow, licking it, till they had insensibly got up to the doors of the houses, where, if any body held a bowl or a plate besmeared with the liquor, they would come and put their noses into it, and then you might pat them on the back and sides, or stroke them, saying, "Poor Bruin, poor Isgrim, poor Reynard, poor Puss," and the like, and they should suf­fer themselves to be handled and fondled till they dropped asleep. When they a­waked they would make a moan and wag their tails as if they were asking for more, and if it was denied them, they would retire to the woods in disgust, till the scent of the molasses operating on their deprav­ed appetites, invited them to return where it was to be had. This was upon repeat­ed trial found to be the most effectual way of taming them, as they might be taught to imitate any kind of tricks and gestures if a dish of molasses was held out as a re­ward.

[Page 67] THE Foresters knew that they could not ingratiate themselves better with their old master Bull, than by humouring his itch for projects. They therefore took care to raise reports and write letters from time to time concerning the wonderful success which they had met with in civil­izing the savage animals. Bull was great­ly pleased with these reports, and made a practice of sending presents of trinkets to be distributed among them; such as col­lars, earrings, and nosejewels. Several times some of the most stately and best instructed of them were carried to his house for a show, where he had them dressed up in scarlet and gold trappings, and led through all his apartments for the entertainment of his family▪ and feasted with every nicknack which his cook and confectioner could procure. He was so fond of being thought their patron and protector, that he usually spoke of them as his red children, from the colour of their hides. It is not many years since one of [Page 68] them, after being led through several fam­ilies and plantations of the tenants, was carried home to Mr. Bull's own house, dressed in the habit of a clergyman, hav­ing been previously taught to lift his paw and roll his eyes as if in the act of devo­tion. This trick was so well carried on that the managers of it picked up a large pocket full of pence, by exhibiting him for a raree show, and the money was ap­plied toward building a menagerie, where beasts of all kinds might be brought and tamed. This project, like many such whims, has made more noise than profit; for most of those who were supposed to be tamed and domesticated, after they had been sent back to their native woods, with a view to their being instrumental in taming their fellow savages, have returned to their former ferocious habits, and some of them have proved greater rogues than ever, and have done more mischief than they could otherwise have been capable of.

[Page 69] MR. Bull himself was once so full of the project, that he got his chaplain and some others to form themselves into a club; the professed object of which, was to propa­gate knowledge among these savage crea­tures. After some trials which did not answer expectation, old Madam Bull con­ceived that the money which was collect­ed might as well be expended in teaching Mr. Bull's own tenants themselves a lit­tle better manners; for some of them were rather awkward and slovenly in their deportment, while others were decent and devout in their own way. Madam, as we have before observed, was a great zealot in the cause of uniformity, and had a vast influence over her son, by virtue of which the attention of the club was principally directed to the promoting this grand ob­ject. Accordingly, every one of the ten­ants was furnished with a Bible and a Prayer Book, a clean napkin, bason, plat­ter, and chalice, with a few devotional tracts, and some young adventurers who [Page 70] had been educated in the family, were recommended as chaplains; who had also by orders to keep a look out toward the savage animals, when they should fall in their way.

THE chaplains were tolerably well re­ceived in most of the families; but some, particularly Codline and Ploughshare, who gloried in being able to say their prayers without book, always looked sour upon them, and would frequently say to them, "Go, take care of the savage ob­jects of your mission, and don't come here to teach us, till you have learned better yourselves." The chaplains in disgust, and perhaps in revenge, for they were but men of like passions, would pout and swell and call schismatic and other canonical nick names, of which there is extant a large vocabulary, and would frequently write letters, much to the disadvantage of their opponents. It is not many years since they, with the club which sent them, were [Page 71] pretty severely handled by one of Cod­line's own chaplains, and it is supposed that they have ever since been more mod­est; certain it is that they are now on better terms with their neighbors than formerly; this may, in part, be owing to Mr. Bull's deserting them and refusing to pay them for their services ever since the time that he began to quarrel with his tenants. On that occasion some of them removed their quarters; others kept their old places and have got along as well as they could without the help which they formerly received.

LETTER VI.
Adventures of CHARLES INDIGO and PE­TER PITCH.—Character of WILLIAM BROADBRIM.—His projects, principles, and a specimen of his harrangues.

I HAVE observed, in a former letter, that the lease which Mr. Bull gave to Charles Indigo, obliged him to receive into his family all such persons as had been attendants on Mr. Bull during his sickness, and for whom he had no other means of providing. This general indul­gence procured to Charles the reputation of a very friendly, hospitable person, and induced great numbers of other people of various characters, views, and interests, to seek an asylum within his limits. A­bout this time old Lewis had grown sick and peevish, and had severely cudgelled some [Page 73] of his apprentices, because they did not make their P's and Q's exactly to his mind.^* The poor fellows, to prevent worse treatment, fled from his house, and took refuge with Mr. Bull, who treated them civilly, and recommended them to the Forest, where they dispersed them­selves in the several families of his tenants, and a large party of them took up their abode with Charles, to whom they prov­ed an industrious, profitable acquisition, though some of the family looked a little sourly upon them.

THIS facility of admitting strangers pro­duced an effect which had almost proved fatal to the reputation of the family; for a number of highwaymen^† also sought shelter there, and by means of their gold and silver, which they had in plenty, made friends in the house, and were ad­mitted by night at a back door. After a [Page 74] while they grew more bold, and came in the day time, under the disguise of ped­lars, with packs on their shoulders. One of them actually took his stand behind a corner of one of the fences, from whence he sallied out on travellers; this corner ob­tained, from that circumstance, the name of Cape Fear; and as the first names of places are not easily got rid of, it retains the name to this day, and perhaps will ev­er retain it. Here the rascal intended to have built himself a lodge, and taken up his quarters for life; but the matter was now grown so public, that Charles, for the honour of his family, ordered all strag­glers to be seized, and this fellow in par­ticular, after a severe struggle, was appre­hended and brought to justice.

THE same spot was afterward taken possession of by PETER PITCH,^* a poor fellow who got his living as he did his name, from collecting the resinous juice [Page 75] of the numerous pines which grew there­abouts. He had to work hard and fare hard, and go a great way for his victuals and clothes; but after he had lived alone for some time, he picked up one or two acquaintances of his own stamp, and they formed a family, which was at first rather disorderly. Farther discovery of the lands, and the advantage of the water car­riage, induced some other people to sit down by him, and in process of time he became so respectable as to be noticed by Mr. Bull, who, though he never gave him a lease in form, yet let him have cloth and haberdashery upon credit and took his pitch in payment as fast as he could col­lect it. This kept him in a dependent state, and subjected him to impositions from Bull's clerks and journeymen. About twenty years ago, Bull sent him a taylor to try on a new coat,^* which was so strait that it split in several places, and never could be altered so as to sit him; but he [Page 76] was obliged to wear it rather than quarrel with his patron. This same taylor was remarkable for cabbaging, as Peter Bull­frog and Humphry Ploughshare have since had large experience.

To finish what relates to Charles Indi­go, I shall observe, that the land on which he began his plantation, was in general so wet and miry, that it was unfavourable to the production of wheat, and it was for some time doubtful whether he would be able to raise his own bread. Chance at length effected what labour and ingenui­ty could not: a bird of passage having dropped some kernels of rice in his dung, it was found to thrive exceedingly well; from whence the hint was taken, and rice became the standard grain of the planta­tion. By the cultivation of this, and of a weed which was useful to the dyers, he grew rich, and made a sightly figure a­mong his neighbours in point of dress and equipage; though his countenance is [Page 77] rather sallow, and he is subject to frequent returns of the intermittent fever.

BY the extensive lease given to Indigo and his associates, most of Mr. Bull's de­pendants and attendants were provided for, and their services recompensed with a shew of generosity on his part, and of sat­isfaction on theirs. I have before just hinted at a grant made to WILLIAM BROADBRIM,^* of which I shall now give a more particular account.

HIS father had been an old servant of Mr. Bull, and had been employed in the very laborious and necessary business of catching and killing rats. In this employ­ment he was so very dexterous and suc­cessful, that he recommended himself highly to his master, who not only allow­ed him large wages, but promised him farther recompense. During Mr. Bull's sickness, the care and diligence of this faithful servant had been unremitted, and [Page 78] his merits were thereby increased, so that Mr. Bull, on his recovery, found himself deeply indebted to him, and he still con­tinued his services; till worn out with age and infirmity, he died and had an honor­able funeral.

HIS son William then became his heir, and solicited for payment of the ar­rears due to his father, which Mr. Bull, according to the maxim he had laid down for himself, and urged by the necessity of the occasion, proposed to discharge by a lease of part of the Forest. This hap­pened to fall in, exactly, with William's views, which were of a singular nature.

ABOUT this time a nervous disorder appeared in Bull's family, which went by the name of the shaking palsy. ^* We shall not pretend to trace the causes of it, as the origin of such things is often obscure and impenetrable; but the effects were, a trembling of the nerves, a stiffness in the [Page 79] neck and shoulders, and a hesitancy in the speech, so that it was impossible for the patients to pronounce certain words and syllables, such as Sir, Madam, your Hon­or, my Lord, &c. nor could one of them raise his hand to take off his hat, or hold it on the book when an oath was to be administered.

MR. Bull's choleric temper misinter­preted this natural infirmity into a sullen disrespect. When he found a change in the behaviour of these domestics; that instead of bowing to him they stood up­right as a maypole, and instead of Sir, and your Honor, they could utter nothing but Friend, he grew angry, and made a pretty free use of his fist; and when he found that they could not be cured by such means, he thrust some of them into a dark closet, and shut them up till they should, as he termed it, "learn better manners;" and it is supposed he would have carried his resentment much further, but for this [Page 80] circumstance; William Broadbrim, who had himself strong symptoms of the dis­order, whispered to Mr. Bull, that if he would give him time to ripen a project, which he had conceived, he would rid him of all trouble with these people. William had a plodding genius, and the scheme with which his head was pregnant at this time, was nothing more or less than to make a settlement in the forest, and take all these people with him. Bull, who was glad to get rid of them, and of the debt which he owed to William, read­ily fell in with the project; and a grant was made out under hand and seal, where­in William Broadbrim, and his heirs, were invesied with the right of soil, and all other privileges of proprietorship, in a certain part of the forest, between the plantation of Marygold and that of Cart­rut and Bareclay, being in the neighbor­hood of the spot where Casimir had re­built his hut, and lived in an ambiguous situation, not knowing who was his land­lord. [Page 81] With him William made a peace­able compromise, saying, "Friend, I will do thee no violence, there is room enough for us both." Casimir was glad of so good a neighbor, and he had reason to be, for he throve more rapidly after this than before.

WILLIAM pitched upon a level piece of ground, where two large brooks met, for the situation of his mansion house, and went to work to draw up rules for the government of his family. One of which was, that no person should be re­fused admittance into it, or disturbed in it, or cast out of it, on account of any natural infirmity. Another was, that no arms, nor ammunition, should ever be made use of on any pretence whatever. The first of these rules gained William great reputation among all sensible men; the latter was a notion which candor would lead us to suppose proceeded from a love of peace, and the exercise of good will to­ward [Page 82] his fellow creatures; though some were so illnatured as to imagine that it was an effect of the disorder in his nerves.

WHEN any of William's neighbors, who were of a different way of thinking, spake to him of the impolicy of this rule, and asked him how he expected to defend himself and his family against the wild beasts, if they should attack him; Wil­liam, who was fond of harangue, would answer thus—"There is in all crea­tures a certain instinct, which disposeth them to peace. This instinct is so strong and fixed, that upon it, as upon a foun­dation, may be erected a complete system of love and concord, which all the powers of anarchy shall not be able to overthrow. To cultivate and improve this instinct is the business of every wise man, and he may reasonably expect that an example of this kind, if steadily and regularly ad­hered to, will have a very extensive and beneficial influence, on all sorts of crea­tures; [Page 83] even the wild beasts of the forest will become tame as the lambs, and birds of prey as harmless as doves. Dost thou not see, friend, what influence my exam­ple has already had on those creatures which are deemed savage? I go into their dens with safety, and they enter my hab­itation without fear. When they are hungry I feed them, when they are thirsty I give them drink, and they in return bear my burdens, and do such other kind offices as they are capable of, and I require of them. I have even tamed some of them so far, that they have sold me the land on which they live, and have ac­knowledged the bargain by a mark made with their toe nails on parchment. They are certainly some of the best natured crea­tures in the world; their native instinct leads them to love and peace, and socia­bility, and as long as I set them a good example I have no doubt they will follow it. When such is my opinion and expec­tation, why should I be anxious about [Page 84] what may, and I trust never will happen? Why should I put myself in a posture of defence against those who may never at­tack me? or, why should I, by the ap­pearance of jealousy and distrust on my part, offend those who now put confi­dence in me? No, no, I will not suppose that they will ever hurt me. I will not suffer the carnal weapon to be seen in my house, nor shall one of my family ever learn the detestable practice of pulling the trigger. I leave the instruments of de­struction to the offspring of Cain and the seed of the serpent; while I meekly imi­tate the gentleness of the lamb, and the innocence of the dove."

WITH such harrangues William would frequently entertain himself and his friends, and he was so sanguine in his be­nevolent project, that instead of having his own name, as was usual, written over his door, he had the words BROTHERLY LOVE, translated into the Greek language, [Page 85] and inscribed in golden characters, as a standing invitation to persons of all na­tions and characters to come and take shelter under his roof.

LETTER VII.
Dissentions in BROADBRIM'S family.—His aversion to fire arms and its consequence. Mr. BULL's second sickness, and second marriage.—His project of making a new plantation.—The care of it committed to GEORGE TRUSTY.—Trout fishery es­tablished at the plantation of ALEXAN­DER SCOTUS.

THE general invitation which William Broadbrim had given to all per­sons who were destitute of a home, to come and take shelter under his roof, and the gentle humane treatment which those who accepted the invitation met with, spread his fame abroad, and brought him much company. His family was some­times compared to the Ark of Noah, be­cause there was scarcely any kind of be­ing, [Page 87] of whatever shape, size, complexion, disposition, or language, but what might be found there. He had also the art to keep them pretty well employed. In­dustry, frugality, and temperance, were the leading principles of his family; and their thriving was in a ratio compounded of these three forces. Nothing was want­ing to make them as happy a family as any in the world, but a disposition among themselves, to live in peace. Unluckily, however, this desirable blessing, on ac­count of the variety of their humours and interests, was seldom found among them. Ambition, jealousy, avarice, and party spirit, had frequent out breakings, and were with difficulty quelled. It is need­less to enter into a very particular discus­sion of the grounds or effects of these dis­sentions: family quarrels are not very entertaining either at home or abroad, un­less to such as delight in scandal. But there was one cause of dissention which it would be improper not to notice, because [Page 88] I have already hinted at the principle from which it proceeded. William's aversion to fire arms was so strong, that he would not suffer any of his family to molest the wild inhabitants of the forest, though they were ever so mischievous. While the family was small, the savage animals who lived in the neighborhood being well fed, were tolerably tame and civil, but when the increased number of the family had penetrated farther into the forest, the haunts of the natives were dis­sturbed, and the straggling labourers were sometimes surprised, and having nothing to defend themselves with, fell a sacrifice to savage resentment. Remonstrances were presented to Mr. Broadbrim one after another, but he always insisted on it that the sufferer must have been the aggressor, and that "they who take the sword must expect to perish by the sword." At length the dead corpse of one of the labourers, mangled and torn in a dread­ful manner, was brought and laid at the [Page 89] door of William's parlour^* with a label affixed to the breast, on which were writ­ten these words, "Thou thyself must be accounted my murderer, because thou didst deny me the means of defence." At fight of this horrid spectacle, Broadbrim turned pale! the eye of his mind looked inward! Nature began to plead her own cause within him! he gave way in some degree to her operations, though contrary to his preconceived opinion, and with a trembling hand signed a permission for those to use the carnal weapon, ^† who could do it without scruple; and when they asked him for money to buy guns, pow­der and ball, he gave them a certain sum to provide the necessaries of life, leaving them to put their own construction on the words. By degrees his squeamishness de­creased, and though it is imagined he has still some remainder of it, yet necessity has so often overcome it, that there is not [Page 90] much said on the subject, unless it be very privately and among friends.

DURING the time of which we have been speaking, Mr. John Bull had under­gone another sickness,^* not so long nor so violent as the former, but much more beneficial in its effects. His new physi­cians had administered medicines which composed his nerves; he eat, drank, and slept more regularly; and he was advised to marry again, for his former wife had died of a consumption a little before this sickness came on. By these means his vigour was renewed, but still his whimsi­cal disposition remained, and broke out on several occasions. When he viewed his extensive forest, now planted and thriving, under the honest hand of indus­try, he thought within himself that still greater advantages might be derived from that territory. There was yet a part of it unsettled between the plantation of Charles Indigo, and the dominions of Lord Strut; [Page 91] and Bull thought it a pity to let so much remain a wilderness. The other planta­tions had been made by discontented ser­vants and needy adventurers, who, strug­gling with hardships, a steady perse­verance had surmounted many difficul­ties, and obtained a comfortable living. "Now, said Bull, if these fellows have done so well, and got so far aforehand, without having any capital of their own to begin with, what cannot be done by the force of my great capital? If they have performed such wonders, what greater wonders may be brought into view by my own exertions, with all the advantages which it is in my power to command? To it, boys, I vow I'll have a farm of my own that shall beat you all!"—Having hit upon this project, his brains immedi­ately became pregnant with ideas; but according to the rule which he had lately prescribed to himself, he communicated the matter to his wife. This good lady was not free from an ambitious turn of [Page 92] mind. She was extremely fond of hav­ing it thought that she had great influence over her husband, and would sometimes gratify his humour at the expense of her own judgment, rather than not keep up this idea. His expectations from his new project were very sanguine. The land on which he had cast his eye was enough for a large farm; it had a southern ex­posure, it was warm, rich and fertile in some parts, and in others boggy or sandy▪ He had conversed with some foreigners, who told him that it was proper for the cultivation of wine and silk, and he im­agined that if he could but add these ar­ticles to the list of his own productions, there would be a great saving in the fam­ily. Mrs. Bull too was pleased with the idea of having her silk gowns and ribbands of her own growth, and with the expecta­tion of having the vaults filled with wine, made on her own plantation; for these and other good reasons, her thereunto mov­ing, madam gave her consent to the proj­ect. [Page 93] The person appointed to carry it into execution was George Trusty, ^* a sens­ible well bred merchant, but one who had only speculated in the science of agricul­ture, and knew nothing of it by experi­ence. Having collected a number of poor people who were out of employment, he sent them to the spot, with strict orders to work six days in seven, to keep their tools free from rust, and their fire arms in read­iness for their defence. Whatever they should earn was to be their own as long as they lived, and after their death their pos­sessions were to descend to their sons, and in default of male issue to revert to the o­riginal grantor. They were not allowed to use black cattle in the labour of the field; and were expressly forbidden to drink grog. Their business was to culti­vate vines and mulberry trees, and to manufacture wine and silk. Upon this project another was grafted by the very sagacious Doctor Squintum, who chose this new plantation as the most convenient [Page 94] spot in the world for a charity school, where Orphans might receive the best ed­ucation and be fitted to be the pillars of church and state.

BUT notwithstanding the sums which Bull so freely lavished out of his bags for the support of the vine and mulberry plantations; and notwithstanding the col­lections which Squintum made among his numerous devotees, these projects were either so impracticable in themselves, or so ill conducted in the execution, that neither of them answered the expectations of the projectors. For want of black cat­tle, the soil could not be properly tilled; and for want of grog, the labourers faint­ed at their work; the right of inheritance being limited to the male line, women and girls were not fond of living there, and the men could not well live without them; land, cattle, women and grog, were to be had elsewhere, and who would be confined to such a place? The land, [Page 95] too, was claimed by Lord Strut, who sent them writs of ejectment. As to the Charity school, it was, on trial, found that the cost was more than the profit, and the building which had swallowed up thousands of charity money, was finally consumed by fire. Poor George Trusty was discouraged, and begged Mr. Bull to take the plantation into his own hands; however, Bull continued to supply him with cash, and he kept making attempts. Alterations were made in the terms of set­tlement, the restrictions were removed, cattle and grog were allowed, Lord Strut was ousted, and possession held; the swamps were drained; rice and indigo were cultivated instead of silk and wine; and upon the whole, considerable im­provements were made, though at such a vast expense, that Mr. Bull never saw a­ny adequate returns.

THE ill success of this adventure did not deter him from another project. He [Page 96] was extremely fond of Trout, ^* and thought if he could have them regularly catched and brought to his table, he should ex­ceed all his neighbours in delicate living; and now and then be able to send a mess to his particular friends. Lord Peter's family too, he thought, would be glad to buy them, as they were very useful in the long lents, and frequent meagre days ob­served by them. There was a part of the forest on the north-east quarter, which was very conveniently situated for this employment.^† It had been occupied by ALEXANDER SCOTUS, a purblind fel­low, who had straggled thither no one could tell how; and it was matter of doubt whether he derived his right from Bull, or Lewis; for both of them laid claim to the land, and their claims had not been fairly decided in law. To make sure of the matter, Mr. Bull, by advice of his wife, sent a waggon to bring off the family of Scotus, whom he distributed a­mong [Page 97] the other families of his tenants; and in their room sent thither^* a parcel of naked, half starved people, who could live no where else, and supported them for several years with provisions, furnish­ed them with skiffs, lines, hooks and oth­er implements to carry on the fishery; but every trout which they catched, cost him ten times as much as if he had bought it in the common market; no [...] could he, after all, get half what he wanted for his own consumption. His trout fishery, and his mulberry plantation, rendered him the laughing stock of his neighbours, nor could he ever gain even the interest of the money he had laid out upon them; while the foresters who had settled at their own expense, grew rich and became re­spectable. He had indeed, the benefit of their trade, which kept his journeymen at work, and obliged him to enlarge their number; for the foresters had a respect [Page 98] for their old master and landlord, and when they had any thing to sell, they al­ways let him have the refusal of it, and bought all their goods of him. But though he called himself their father, and his wife their mother, yet he began to a­bate of his parental affection for them; and rather looked on them with a jealous eye, as if they were aiming to deprive him of his claim and set up for independence. Had he been contented with the profits of their trade, as was certainly his interest, they might have remained his tenants to this day; but ambition, avarice, jealousy and choler, inflamed by bad counsellors, have wrought such a separation, that it is thought Mr. Bull will go mourning all the remainder of his days, and his grey hairs will be brought down with sorrow to the grave.

LETTER VIII.
Mr. BULL's quarrel and lawsuit with LEWIS and Lord STRUT.—He gains possession of the whole Forest.

IN my former letters I have endeavoured to trace the several steps by which the forest became cultivated and peopled. Mr. Bull had no less than fourteen tenants who held under him, and were settled on lands which he claimed as his own, and which he had granted to them in separate parcels. Their names, and the enigmatical letters by which they distinguished themselves, were as follows:

IT was observed, that of all the adven­turers, those generally were the least thriving, who received most assistance from their old master. I cannot tell whether it was owing to their being em­ployed in business to which they had not served a regular apprenticeship, or to a natural indolence, and a disposition to continue hangers on where they had got a good hold; for it must be noted, that Mr. Bull was very generous to some per­sons, and on some occasions where it suit­ed his fancy, and this disposition in him [Page 101] was so prevalent, that they who kenned him, and would humor his whims, could work him out of any thing which they had a mind to.

ON the other hand, those adventurers who came into the forest on their own hook, and had no assistance at all from their old master, nor any thing to help themselves with, but their four limbs and five senses, proved to be the most indus­trious and thriving, and after a while told up a good estate. They all seemed to have an affection for Mr. Bull, and it was generally believed to be sincere. His house was usually spoken of by them as their home. His ware house was the cen­tre of their traffic; and he had the ad­dress to engross the profits of their labour and draw their earnings into his own fob. To some of them he would now and then make a present, to others he would lend a pack of his hounds,^* when he was out of [Page 102] the humor of hunting; but they were generally useless to them for the purpose of scouring the woods, those who could afford it kept dogs of their own, who were better trained to the game, and could bet­ter scent the forest, being native curs, and not so spruce and delicate a breed as Bull's grey-hounds.

IT has been before observed, that each end of the forest was occupied by Bull's rivals. His old neighbour Lewis had got the north end, and Lord Strut the south. Bull's tenants had seated themselves chief­ly on or near the shore of the lake, and had not extended very far back, because of the beasts of prey; but Lewis, like a cunning old fox, had formed a scheme to get foot­ing in the interior parts of the country, and prevent these planters from penetrat­ing beyond the limits which he intended to assign them. His emissaries had been sent slily into the distant parts of the for­est, under pretence of taming these beasts [Page 103] of prey; but in fact they had halved the matter with them, and had themselves become as savage as the beasts had become tame. They would run, leap and climb with them and crawl into their dens, im­parting to them a lick of melasses out of their calabash, and teaching them to scratch with their paws the sign of a cross. They had built several hunting lodges on the most convenient passes of the brooks and ponds, and though thus scattered in the wood, were all united under one o­verseer, called Onontio,^* who lived in the mansion-house of St. Lewis's Hall.

IT was matter of wonder among Bull's tenants, for some time, what could be the reason that the wild beasts had grown more surly and snappish of late than for­merly; but after a while, some hunters made a discovery of the new lodges, which the emissaries of Onontio had erected, and the design of them being apparent, a gen­eral alarm was raised in the plantations. [Page 104] On the first news, Walter Pipeweed sent his grandson George, ^* a smart, active, live­ly youth, across the hills, with his compli­ments to the intruders, desiring them to move off, and threatening them with a writ in case of non compliance. This modest warning being ineffectual, it was thought that if an Union could be formed among the tenants, they might make a stand against these encroachments. A meeting was held at Orange Hall, ^† but no efficient plan could be hit on, without a previous application to their landlord, who hearing of this meeting, conceived a jealousy with regard to this union which seemed to be their object, and thought it was better to retain the management of the matter in his own hands, and keep them divided among themselves, but u­nited in their dependence on him. He therefore sent them word that "he had a very great affection for them, and would take care of their interest, which was also [Page 105] his own; that he would not suffer old Lewis to set his half tamed wild beasts upon them, nor eject them from their pos­sessions, but that he would immediately take advice of his council, learned in the law, conjuring them by the affection which they professed to bear towards him, to be aiding and assisting in all ways, in their power, towards bringing the controversy to an issue.

AT this time, the steward, to whom Mr. Bull entrusted the care of his busi­ness, was not a person of that discernment and expedition which the exigency of af­fairs required. He had committed divers blunders in his accounts, and it was sus­pected that he was a defaulter in more respects than one. It cannot, therefore, be expected, that in conducting a contro­versy of this magnitude, he should exactly hit on the right methods, nor employ the best council which could be had. The first step which was taken was to send [Page 106] Broadoak ^* the bailiff, with a writ of in­trusion, which he was ordered to serve volens nolens, upon one of the messuages or hunting seats of Lewis. This bailiff, proceeding rashly and against the best ad­vice into the forest, not a step of which he was acquainted with, found his progress impeded in a way wholly unexpected. For Onontio had taken care to place a number of his half tamed wild cats and wolverenes on the boughs of trees, which hung over the path, and as soon as the bailiff came within reach, having first wetted their tails with their own urine, they whisked it into his eyes till they blinded him. This manoeuvre put a stop to the process for that time.

SEVERAL other attempts of the like kind were made without success, and Lew­is at one time had almost got possession of Orange Hall. ^† Not only the foresters themselves, but even Bull's own domes­tics, [Page 107] complained bitterly of these ineffec­tual measures, and their clamors at last prevailed to make him discharge his old steward, and put another into his place. The new officer^* soon changed the face of affairs; he employed no attorneys, nor bailiffs, but those of tried and approved abilities, men of enterprize and resolution, by whom the suit was prosecuted in good earnest. In every action Bull recovered judgment, and got possession. When Lord Strut came in to the aid of Lewis, Bull cast him also, and took away his ma­nor of Augustine, which, with the whole tract of land, where Onontio presided, was annexed to his estate. The agents who had been employed in this arduous service, were not only well paid for doing their duty, but, with the steward, who em­ployed them, were honored according to the ancient, but whimsical custom of Bull's family, by having their effigies portrayed on sign boards, pocket handkerchiefs, snuff [Page 108] boxes, and punch bowls; so that while the fit lasted, you could not walk the streets, nor blow your nose, nor take a pinch of snuff, nor a draught of punch, but you were obliged to salute them.

WHENEVER Bull's steward called up­on the foresters for their quotas of aid, to­wards carrying on this heavy lawsuit, they always readily afforded it; and some of them were really almost exhausted by the efforts which they made, to do more than their share. The steward was so sensible of their merit, that on due consultation with Mr. Bull's wife, and her taking him in the right mood, he was prevailed upon to reimburse the extra expense to them, and mutual complacency reigned between the landlord and tenants all the time this steward remained in office. But these times were too good to last long; there were some who envied the steward his reputation, and raised stories to his disad­vantage, which highly affronted him. At [Page 109] this time Mr. Bull was so much off his guard, as to give heed to these reports, and take a rash step in a hurry, which he had occasion to repent of at his leisure. He accepted the resignation of this trusty servant, and put one of his^* sister Peg's cast off footmen into his place; whereby he laid a foundation for his own disgrace, and the dismemberment of his estate, of which I shall give you a particular ac­count hereafter.

ADIEU.

LETTER IX.
Mr. BULL gets into debt, and by the ad­vice of his new wife and her gambling companions, begins a quarrel with his tenants.

TO trace with precision all the causes, great and small, which operated to the dismemberment of John Bull's estate, would be no easy task; some of them per­haps, were secret, but of such, as were open to observation, we shall endeavour to sketch out the principal.

IT is well known that he was of a cho­leric habit, and that those who were ac­quainted with his humor and passions, could manage and impose upon him at their pleasure. Had he been let alone to pursue his own business himself, his plain, [Page 111] natural good sense, and generosity of mind, would have kept him clear of many difficulties; but he had his advisers, his hangers on, his levee hunters, his toad eaters, and sycophants, forever about him, who, like a parcel of blood suckers, could never have enough to glut their voracity.

WHEN the forest was first occupied by the tenants, Bull had a wife^* who minded her own domestic business, and did not concern herself with his landed interest. The leases and grants were made out in his name, and he was supposed to be the owner or proprietor; but the lady whom he had married after his second sickness was very assuming, and insisted on having her hand in the management of all his af­fairs. She visited the compting house, and made the clerks shew her their books; she overhalled the steward's accounts, and inspected his correspondence; she not only looked after the rents and incomes of the forest, but even intruded into the [Page 112] household concerns of the tenants, and affected to call herself their mother, be­cause she had taken some care of one or two of them in their first setting out, al­though most of them scarcely ever had seen her face, or had any acquaintance with her, but by hearsay.

IT must be observed, also, that this woman had engaged Mr. Bull in some expensive lawsuits and speculations, which had got him deeply into debt, and he was obliged to hire money of usurers to car­ry her schemes into execution. Had she, at the same time, introduced that frugal­ity and economy into the family, which her duty ought to have prompted her to, this debt might have been kept down; but the swarm of harpies which were con­tinually about her, and the course of gambling which was carried on under her connivance and direction, swallowed up all the profits of the trade, and incomes of the land; while the luxury and dissi­pation [Page 113] of the family increased, in propor­tion as the means of discharging the debt decreased. In short, Mr. Bull was reduc­ed to that humiliating condition, which, by whatever fashionable name it may now go, was formerly called petticoat-govern­ment.

DURING the lawsuit with Lewis and Lord Strut,^* concerning the forest, there had been a great intercourse with the tenants. Many of Bull's servants and retainers, who were employed as bailiffs and attornies and their deputies, had been very conversant with them, and were entertained at their houses, where they al­ways found wholesome victuals, jolly fire sides, and warm beds. They took much notice of every thing that passed, asked many questions, and made many remarks on the goodness of the land, the pleasant situation of the houses, the clean and thriving condition of the children, who [Page 114] were always ready to writ them, to clean their boots, hold their stirrups, open and shut the gates for them, and the like lit­tle necessary services, as well bred children in the country are wont. The remarks which these persons made, when they got home, savored rather of envy, than of gratitude or affection. Some of them would say: "Those fellows live too well in the forest; they thrive too fast; the place is too good for them; they ought to know who is their master; they can afford to pay more rent; they ought to pay for the help they have had; if it had not been for Master Bull, and the assistance which he has lent them, they would have been turned out of doors; and now they are to reap the benefit of his exertions, while he, poor man, is to pay the cost."

THERE were not wanting some, in the families of the Foresters themselves, who had the meanness to crouch to these fel­lows, and supplicate their favour and in­terest [Page 115] with Mr. Bull, to recommend them to some posts of profit, as understewards, collectors of rent, clerks of receipts, and the like pretty offices. These beggarly curs would repeat the same language, and hold correspondence with the bailiffs, at­tornies, &c. after they had got home. Whenever any trifling quarrel happened in the families of the tenants, they would magnify it and fill their letters with com­plaints of the licentiousness of the people, and plead for a tighter hand to be held over them.

SUCH speeches as those were frequent­ly made, and such letters read, in the hear­ing of Mr. Bull's wife and steward. Their language grew by degrees to be the current language of the family, and Bull himself listened to it. His choler rose upon the occasion, and when his hangers on observed it, they plied him with stronger doses, till his jealousy and hatred were excited, and a complete re­volution in his temper, with regard to [Page 116] his tenants, took place, agreeably to the most sanguine and malevolent wishes of his and their enemies.

THE first effect of this change was, that his clerks were ordered to charge not on­ly the prices of the goods, which the ten­ants should purchase, but to make them pay for the paper ^* on which their bills of parcels and notes of hand were written, and that at a very exorbitant rate. This was so intolerable an abuse, and withal so mean, pitiful, and beggarly an expedient to pick their pockets, that they held a meeting among themselves, and resolved not to buy any more of his goods, as long as this imposition lasted; and by way of contempt, they hanged and burned the effigies of the steward, and other persons who were suspected of having advised to these new measures.

THE resentment shewn by the tenants on this occasion was quite unexpected. [Page 117] The secret favourers, and real authors of the mischief, began to be afraid that they had gone too far for the first attempt. Bull's journeymen were in an uproar a­bout it, lest by the failure of his trade, they should be out of bread; and to shorten the story, he was obliged to give up the point of making them pay for the paper, though Madam had the singular modesty to make a declaration, that it was a mere matter of expediency, and that she had the sole power and right of dominion over them, notwithstanding Mr. Bull's most gracious concession at that time.^*

THIS was considered by the tenants as a most impudent and barefaced assump­tion; for whatever rights Mr. Bull might pretend to have, as their old master and landlord, yet they never had any idea of a mistress over them; and though they very complaisantly returned him their thanks for his present goodness, yet as [Page 118] they suspected that there was more mis­chief hatching, they began to inquire more narrowly than ever into his right and ti­tle to the land, on which they lived. They looked over old parchments and memorandums, consulted council learned in the law, and after due deliberation, they were fully convinced, that their own title was, at least, as good as his, and that they had a right to refuse him any rent or acknowledgment, if it were prudent for them to exercise it.

MR. Bull's jealousy was now increased with regard to their intentions, and his scribbling retainers frequently accused them of ingratitude and disobedience, and a long premeditated design to set up for independence; a thing which they had not yet thought of, and probably never would, if this abusive treatment had not put it into their heads.

BUT though by those means they were led into an inquiry, and a train of think­ing, [Page 119] which were quite new to them; yet as old habits are not easily broken, and their affection for their master was very strong, they endeavoured, with a candor which did them honor, to transfer the blame from him to his wife and steward, to whose machinations they knew he was a dupe. These bad counsellors soon re­newed their attempts in another shape, by raising the rent, and putting an advanced price upon the goods, and by means of additional clerks, packers, porters, watch­men, draymen, &c. who were continually in waiting, and to all of whom fees were to be paid, the trade laboured under great embarrassments, and some of the foresters were quite discouraged, others were vexed and impatient, while some of the better tempered of them, endeavoured to per­suade the rest to keep up the communi­cation as long as they could. They were loth to quarrel with their old master, and yet could not pocket the affronts and a­buses to which they were daily exposed.

[Page 120] DURING this sullen interval, many let­ters passed, many books and precedents were examined, and much ink was shed, in a controversy, which, however incapable of a decision in this way, might have been compromised, if Mr. Bull's first thoughts had been as good as his second▪ but he was so completely under management, as not to see his true interest. It was a com­mon saying among his neighbors, "John Bull's wit comes afterward;" and in fact it did not come in this case, till too late, for, when a cause once gets into the law, there are so many quirks, evasions, de­murs, and procrastinations, that it is im­possible to make a retreat, till one or both of the parties have severely smarted for their temerity.

LETTER X.
Mr. BULL attempts a new mode of traffic which disgusts his tenants.—They refuse to receive his presents.—His singular resentment against JOHN CODLINE, and the effects which it produced.

I SUPPOSE you are by this time impatient for the story of the law­suit; how it began and how it was carried on and ended. I will give it to you as briefly as so long and intricate a matter will bear to be told; and I am apprehen­sive you will think that Mr. Bull was so ill a politician, or so badly advised, as ac­tually to pick a quarrel with his best cus­tomers. But facts will speak for them­selves. Know then, that by the advice of his dear wife and her gambling junto, Mr. [Page 122] Bull was prevailed upon to send a dozen pounds of tea to each of his tenants, as a present, in token of his extreme good will to them, and because he knew that they loved it, and at the same time to order his clerks to charge three pence per pound for the paper and pack thread in which this ex­hilarating weed was wrapped. This tri­fling sum he expected would be paid on demand, in acknowledgment of their good will to him as their kind and generous landlord, who had protected and defended them against all opposers, and would still continue to protect and defend them as his beloved children and obedient humble servants.

THE knowledge of his intention hap­pened to come to them sooner than the present, and they began to argue thus a­mong themselves—"Ha! how comes this? What is freer than a gift? If Mr. Bull really intends the tea as a present, why does he exact three pence? Had he [Page 123] offered it to us as an article of merchan­dise as usual, we might have taken it if we had liked the price, or left it if we had not; but this is a new way of trading to which we have not been accustomed. There is a design in this. If we receive this pres­ent and pay the trifling acknowledgment of three pence, by and by we shall have a present with six pence annexed, and an­other with a shilling, and so on. If we once establish a precedent there is no know­ing where to stop, and by these presents we may be gulled out of all our loose corns, and afterwards our real estates may be demanded! No, it is better to prevent an evil than to cure it. We will have none of your presents, Mr. Bull, if this is to be the consequence. We have paid our debts well—you have had the exclu­sive benefit of our trade, and have be­come rich by it, and now in your old age you are grown trickish—It is time for us to be on our guard and keep a sharp look out, for if a man does not take care of [Page 124] himself who can he expect will take care of him?" Fortified with these arguments they waited for the approach of the mes­sengers which were on the road with the present.

ONE of them came to Charles Indigo's house, and with Mr. Bull's compliments begged his acceptance of a package of tea—"Throw it into that cellar, said Charles, and let it lie there till I have considered of the matter."

ANOTHER came to William Broad­brim—but as the way to William's man­sion was through a long, crooked, miry lane, he had ordered the porter to stop him, and give him liberty to return with­out delivering his message.

PETER BULLFROG did the same, but some part of the tea being smuggled into the house, as soon as Peter knew it he threw it into the gutter.

[Page 125] JOHN CODLINE had the greatest dif­ficulty about Mr. Bull's present. He would gladly have sent back the messen­ger, but unluckily for him the gate which led to his house was held fast by Bull's under steward, who constantly watched and attended there to observe who went in and out, which service he was more particularly fond of, because he expected a douceur for opening and shutting the gate. Having admitted the messenger and received his penny, he stiffly refus­ed to let him out again without having delivered the present. The fee was tendered, but this could not prevail; the family were uneasy, they were loth to affront Mr. Bull, and yet determined not to receive his present. They could not account for the conduct of the under­steward on any other principle than this, that he expected to get a share of the three pence per pound, and of all other profits arising from future presents; and was afraid he should lose it if he let the [Page 126] messenger return. The family was called together [...] chapel, where they held a long [...], sent several messages to the under steward, who held fast the gate, and finally refused to open it. They were driven at length to an extremity and threw the tea into the vault, where it perished, at the same time protesting that the whole blame ought to be charged on the under steward, as they had no inten­tion of injuring Mr. Bull if they could have avoided it.

As soon as this was known in Mr. Bull's family, his wife fell into a violent hysteric fit, and in her raving phrenzy denounced all the vengeance which it was in her power to execute, on these refractory, un­grateful tenants, who would not accept a present when it was so freely offered to them. But when she came a little to her­self, she was persuaded by her gambling companions not to attempt any thing a­gainst the whole body of the tenants, left [Page 127] they should be driven by necessity to [...] an union among themselves, [...] defeat the plan; she therefore prop [...] to Mr. Bull to single out one of the most re­fractory of them, and shew his resentment in a particular manner to him, hoping that the others would be intimidated and let him suffer alone, and be glad to get off so well themselves. The person singled out for the object of resentment was John Codline, and the mode of resentment was as ridiculous as it was malicious, for it was nothing more nor less than to send a bai­liff, with a pack of blood hounds, to stand before the great gate that led to the front of his house. This, it was thought, would strengthen the authority of the under steward who had the key of the gate, and would reduce the family to this dilemma, either to receive no company and carry on no business, or else to submit to Mr. Bull's new mode of trading.

[Page 128] THE reason assigned for this particular mode of revenge was, that Mr. Bull, as lord of the manor, claimed a kind of sovereign right to the high way. He had for a long time exacted an acknowledg­ment from all passengers; whenever they happened to meet any of his horses or car­riages on the road, whether he was there himself or not, they were obliged to douse the hat, or they might be sure of receiving a stroke of the whip, if not of being run down by his servants, who had special or­ders not to let any omission of this nature pass unpunished.

IN consequence of this manoeuvre on the part of Mr. Bull, every person who had any business to do with John Codline was stopped in the road, and ordered to go back, or pass by like the Priest and Levite, on the other side. However, those who had a mind to see him, found means to climb over the fence, or to go up a narrow lane, which, by the help of a [Page 129] stile and a foot path, led them to Cod­line's back door.

THIS species of punishment exposed Mr. Bull to the ridicule of all his neigh­bors. It also proved quite ineffectual to the purpose for which he designed it. In­stead of hindering company from coming to Codline's house, it brought more; and he received many letters from those who could not come in person. But, what was of more service to him than letters or vis­its was this, that many who were indebted to him came and made payment, and those who had at various times received favo [...]rs from him when they were in dis­tress, sent him presents, and encouraged him to keep up a good heart, promising to stand by him to the last extremity, if he should be reduced to it.

IT has been observed, that one advan­tage which Mr. Bull expected would arise from this specimen of his refined policy [Page 130] was, that it would disunite the tenants, and frighten some or perhaps all the oth­ers into a compliance with the new mode of traffic. This expectation was ground­ed on one of the Fables of Esop, which relates, that a fox who had been caught in a trap, and disengaged himself by the loss of his tail, whenever he appeared among the foxes, was the object of their ridicule; upon which he endeavoured to persuade them that he had been travelling to learn fashions, and that the newest fashion was for foxes to cut off their tails as a useless and burdensome appendage, and boasted how much more light and nimble he had become since he had parted with that en­cumbrance; to which an old fox replied, that if he would do justice to his argu­ment he ought to produce the shears with which he had cut off his tail, for the con­viction of his brethren.

THIS fable, and the moral couched un­der it, raised a great deal of vain expecta­tion [Page 131] and triumph in the family of Mr. Bull; but the foresters had another of their own making, which was a match for it. A man meeting a serpent in the field, struck at him with a stick, and there being but one in his view he thought to kill him immediately; but the snake set up such a hiss as brought a dozen more out of their holes, who attacked the proud murderer in front, rear, and flank, and obliged him to take to his heels for safety. This fable was so much admired among the foresters at that time, that they had an engraving made on all their message cards, of a wounded serpent, with this motto, Join or die.

ADIEU.

LETTER XI.
The quarrel begins in earnest and is carried into the Law.—Conduct of the Managers on both sides.—The first verdict in fa­vour of the Foresters given at Saratoga Hall.

THE insult which the foresters supposed to be put on them by the ob­struction of the road, as mentioned in my last, caused a serious alarm, and induced them to call a meeting of the heads of the several families to consult for their own safety. The result of this meeting was to endeavour by all peaceable means in their power to effect an accommodation; but if that should fail, to prepare, in the best manner they could, to assert and maintain their rights, possessions and properties.

[Page 133] IN prosecution of the former part of their plan, they wrote letters to Mr. Bull, and to several members of his family; and with respect to the latter part, they came to a resolution to buy nothing more of him till he should change his mode of conduct, and treat them as he had for­merly done.

IN the letters which they wrote on this occasion, though they professed a great deal of respect and affection for the old gentleman himself; they omitted to send their compliments to his wife. This was more than madam could bear. She therefore, after consulting with her gam­bling companions, determined upon the two following points; first, that no an­swer at all should be given to the letter; and secondly, that an action at law should be entered, and the tenants ejected from their possessions. She would not how­ever have come to this latter determina­tion, if she had not been assured by per­sons [Page 134] who pretended thoroughly to under­stand their family secrets, that the fores­ters would not dare to defend their title in law; but on the first appearance of a le­gal process, would submit to any terms of accommodation which her ladyship might think proper to impose. Full of this idea, she roundly swore that she would see them prostrate at her feet, before she would make up the matter with them on any terms whatever.

INFLUENCED by her passions, Mr. Bull's choler rose to the highest pitch. As lord of the manor, he placed bailiffs and blood hounds in the high way, and denied all passage to any persons without his license. He then called upon all the counsellors and attornies to whom he had given a retaining fee, and who were very numerous, to exert all their learning and eloquence in maintaining his cause, prom­ising them not only a regular payment of their fees, but a generous allowance for [Page 135] disbursements and incidental charges, to be paid at sight by a draught on his banker.

THESE sagacious gentlemen, many of whom were of Madam's own junto, find­ing that they had a fat client, contrived to husband the job, and spin out the cause secundum artem. They were old profic­ients in the science, and knew very well how to take double receipts of their sta­tioners, bailiffs, messengers, and other re­tainers, i. e. one receipt for the exact sum paid, and another for double the same sum; these latter were always produced as vouchers in the settlement of accounts, and in the glorious uncertainty of the law were admitted under the name of dupli­cates. It would divert you to see the numberless items which they crouded into their bills of costs, and the various pleas and pretences which were formed for de­murring and continuing the cause from one session to another; while they were [Page 136] feeding their client with the hope that in every next session it would be decided.

ON the other hand, the foresters find­ing that Mr. Bull had retained so many learned counsellors, sergeants and barristers in his service, and that he had by far the longest purse, were obliged to use the greatest economy in conducting their de­fence. On looking round to see who was the most prudent, the most deliberate, and the most determined among them, and to whom they might with safety commit their cause, they unanimously pitched upon Walter Pipeweed's grandson George; who, being elected their chief attorney, modestly accepted the office on this generous condi­tion, that they should not insist on his re­ceiving any fee or reward, because he con­ceived that in serving them he was doing no more than his duty. This instance of magnanimity was interpreted by them as a sure omen of success.

[Page 137] GEORGE was a man of good under­standing and true spunk; he had made considerable progress in the study of the law for his own amusement, and had prac­tised at the bar in the defence of his own family claims against the encroachments of old Lewis. His abilities were of such a nature as to rise and shine with the op­portunities which called them into action. This was also the case with divers other persons in the families of the foresters; who would perhaps never have thought of engaging in the study of the law, had not this controversy been agitated; but would have remained in the state which is thus elegantly described by the poet.

THIS circumstance was predicted in the hearing of Mr. Bull's wife, by a very learned and honest gentleman, who would [Page 138] have dissuaded her from giving her hus­band such bad advice as to plunge him­self into that "deep ditch," the law, out of which there is no coming till the last farthing be paid. "If there are any seeds of genius, said this faithful adviser, they are drawn into action by public ferments and troubles; but might have remained in time of tranquillity forever useless and unknown, perhaps at the plough, under a shed, or among the lowest class of me­chanics."^* This sage hint was totally disregarded, because, as I before observ­ed, too much confidence was placed in a set of advisers, who pretended to know all the family secrets of the foresters. But the prediction was fully verified when this lawsuit brought to the bar one from his farm, and another from his merchandise, one from his shed, and another from his shop,^† till in fact they became a match, [Page 139] in point of numbers at least, for the whole host of Mr. Bull's attornies.

THE first action was brought against John Codline, who was deemed the most surly and refractory of the whole number. It was thought if he could be cast, the others would of course submit. In this way of proceeding, Mr. Bull acted like that species of dog which bears his name, and which is known to attack his enemy by the head.

[Page 140] THE cause was learnedly argued at the Court of Bunker hall, and the arguments in favour of the foresters made a very un­expected and very deep impression on the managers for Mr. Bull. They found it a much more serious affair than they had imagined, and thought it best to stop short and have the case hung up, that they might consult their books over again, and prepare themselves by better authorities and allegations at the next hearing. Af­ter a long time they contrived to shift their ground, ^* and let John alone. They ad­vised Mr. Bull to send for some lawyers out of Germany, who had been more used to this game, and to lay an attachment on the estate of Peter Bullfrog, and the farm called Caesarea; where they expected to gain some greater advantage, partly be­cause the tenancy was different, being founded on courtesy and not on lease, and partly because of the dissentions which they heard were subsisting in these fami­lies. [Page 141] In this interval also Madam Bull's resentment was raised so high, that she swore point blank that not one of these refractory scoundrels should enter her husband's doors nor have the least con­nection with him, but that she would drive them off from the land, and repeople the forest with another set of men.

WHEN they had heard of this resolu­tion, the heads of all the families in one of their consultations, came to a determi­nation to publish an advertisement, setting forth the various abuses and grievances which they had suffered from Mr. Bull, his wife, and her junto; and declaring that they looked upon the country as their own, and themselves as free from any ob­ligations to him, and at liberty to look out for other markets, and invite other mer­chants to form connexions with them. This transaction was so important an era in the controversy, that the fourth of July, the day on which the advertisement was [Page 142] dated, has ever since been celebrated as a day of festivity. The morning of that anniversary is ushered in with a firing of guns and fluttering of pigeons. At noon you may hear some young lad spouting a declamation in favour of free trade; which is generally followed by a bowl of punch and a rump of beef, and the day is concluded with a song and a dance.

IN the progress of the action, several points of law were argued at different times with much skill and learning. On one of these occasions George was reduc­to a dilemma, and his opponents thought him absolutely silenced; but suddenly recollecting himself, he rose superior to them,^* and compelled them again to move for a continuance. Thus the cause was kept suspended till the third year was almost closed. At length a vaunting braggadocio of a barrister on Mr. Bull's side, who thought to carry all before him, [Page 143] was so completely answered and confut­ed in an obstinate argument, that a verdict was given at Saratoga hall in favour of those plantations, which had been sued for in the northern part of the manor. This verdict relieved the foresters in some degree, and it was hoped would prove a good precedent for the decision of the other suits which were meditating a­gainst their brethren in the southern part.

THE unfortunate barrister was severely reflected on by Mr. Bull's wife, for not doing his duty; and he was obliged to justify himself by producing his instruc­tions, and by telling a number of serious truths respecting the forest and the fores­ters, which Mrs. Bull had often heard be­fore but would not believe. The rela­tion of these truths was so very offensive, that she influenced her husband never more to employ him; and as he could get [Page 144] no other business in the law, he has since betaken himself to writing plays and ro­mances.

LETTER XII.
The Foresters apply for help to Mr. LEW­IS—are first treated with evasion—af­terward obtain their request—Alarm in Mr. BULL'S family—His conference with his wife—Her manoeuvres upon the occasion—Disappointed by the inflex­ibility of the Foresters.

YOU may well suppose that a three years lawsuit was a very expensive undertaking on both sides; and you will wonder how the foresters, circumstanced as they were, could struggle with such an antagonist; especially when the high way was so obstructed that they could not car­ry their provisions to market to procure them cash. The truth is, that though they were served gratis by their prime counsellor, yet they were obliged to give [Page 146] promissory notes to the attornies, scriven­ers, bailiffs, and messengers, whom they employed under him [...] but as the pros­pect of payment was distant, the notes passed at a discount, and the only remedy in their power was to issue more, which instead of lessening increased the diffi­culty.

THEY had early foreseen this difficulty, and applied privately to Mr. Lewis, Mr. Frog, and Lord Strut, to borrow money on interest. These old curmudgeons, though each of them looked with an en­vious eye on Mr. Bull, and secretly wish­ed he might lose the cause, yet were in­duced by various considerations to evade the question proposed to them by the foresters. "We must, said they, keep up appearances with our old neighbour; we have accounts open with him, as well as claims upon some portions of land, to which our title is no better than his; we may draw ourselves into a scrape, and set [Page 147] our own tenants a bad example, for who knows but the same arguments may avail with them to refuse their rents to [...]. Be­sides, how do we know whether these fel­lows will ever be able to pay P They of­fer to mortgage the manor to us, but the title is yet in dispute, and how do we know whether it be theirs or Mr. Bull's?" Those were the secret reasons which in­duced them to evade a direct answer to the messengers; and, like true courtiers,

BUT as soon as the verdict was given at Saratoga hall, they began to change their mind, and wish not only to make them debtors, but even to enter into contracts to a large amount.

MR. Lewis was the first to make ad­vances, and meeting the messengers one day on 'change, he accosted them thus: "Your servant gentlemen—I congratulate you on your success; you are welcome to [Page 148] my house, and warehouse, and table. I will lend you a few livres to help you to finish the controversy; and if Mr. Frog will advance a few stivers, I will give him my bond for security. Besides, I will consent that my own counsellors, barris­ters, and attornies, whom I have retained, shall assist you at the next session, and I will see if I cannot open the high way, that you may bring your produce to mar­ket. When you see Lord Strut, give my compliments to him, and tell him what I have promised, and I dare say he will, out of friendship to me, and for the sake of our old family compact, give you some assistance; for look ye, gentlemen, I will be honest with you. I mean to promote my own interest by serving you, and I am sure he has the same meaning."

THIS change in the sentiments and lan­guage of Mr. Lewis was immediately made known to Mr. Bull, by means of some running footmen, who frequently carried [Page 149] news from one house to the other. Con­sternation seized the whole family, and Mrs. Bull herself began to think it a very serious matter, and that it was necessary to do something immediately to prevent worse consequences. She therefore held a curtain conference with Mr. Bull on the subject, thus—

Mrs. B. Well, my dear, what do you think of the conduct of your neighbour Lewis?

Mr. B. Why I think he is a deceit­ful dog and means to ruin me. If these fellows get him for their friend, he will draw in Lord Strut and Nic Frog, and I shall have them all to contend with at once; and therefore I think we had bet­ter compromise the matter with the ten­ants and let them take the land, if they will, and go to the D—l▪ why should I keep on throwing away good money after bad; I am damnably in debt now, and [Page 150] I wish to stop where I am, without getting any deeper into the law.

Mrs. B. I agree with you, my dear, that he is a deceitful dog, and I wish the tenants could know his true character; if they did, I am persuaded they would not put any confidence in him. There is a number of very sensible persons among them, and by the discourse which I have had with some who know their secrets, I believe that means might yet be found to divide them, and to detach them from the interest of Lewis; and if you will let me manage the matter, I have no doubt that I shall be able to accomplish it.

POOR John fetched a deep sigh, and said inwardly—Ah, I have let you manage my matters so long, that you have almost brought me to ruin! Then raising his voice and wiping his eyes, he replied, Well, my dear, I have told you my mind plainly, but if you think you can do any thing to [Page 151] save me, pray be speedy; I would gladly keep the tenants attached to me, for the benefit of their trade, which is a matter of more consequence than their rent, and if I should finally lose the land, I wish to be again connected with them in business.

Mrs. B. Never fear, I do not doubt but we shall find means to keep the land and have the trade too. I know how to sweeten them and bring them to good humour again.

As soon as this conference was ended, she wrote a billet in a very complaisant stile, but in a hand scarcely legible,^* and was in such a hurry to send it, that she could not wait for one of the clerks to copy it, pre­senting Mr. and Mrs. Bull's compliments to the gentlemen tenants, informing them that it was not intended to trouble them any farther for the payment of paper and pack thread, which had been the occasion of the controversy; but to settle all mat­ters [Page 152] by a reference, and that suitable per­sons should soon be deputed to confer with them, or any of them, on the prem­ises. This billet was hurried away by an express, and actually arrived before the foresters had heard of Mr. Lewis's in­tended kindness to them. But they re­ceived it with contempt, and gave no other answer to it than this, "Let Mr. Bull withdraw his action and clear the road, and we will talk with him; but as to his wife, we will have nothing to do with her."

AFTER they had given this answer, word was brought them of the good will of Mr. Lewis, which was received with the greatest joy imaginable. He was ac­counted the finest gentleman in the whole country, and all the stories which they had heard of him through the medium of Bull's family, were set down as lies. He was regarded as the protector of the in­jured, [Page 153] the helper of the distressed, and the friend of the rights of mankind.

WHILE the praises of Lewis were thus echoed from house to house, the deputies of Madam Bull arrived. They were in­structed by her ladyship to enter into free conversation with the foresters, or any of them, publicly or privately; to tell them that they were greatly deceived if they took Mr. Lewis for their friend; that he was an arch, sly, deceitful fellow, and that no trust ought to be put in him; that Mr. and Mrs. Bull were very amicably disposed toward them, and willing to for­get and forgive all that was past, to renew the former intercourse, to take off all the charges and burdens which had been complained of; to help them pay the debt which they had incurred by the law­suit; and as the greatest proof imaginable of Mrs. Bull's particular favour to them, she would admit any of them to visit her in her own drawing room, and give [Page 154] them a seat at her card table. As a token of her sincerity in these professions, she sent several presents to their wives and daughters, and gave the deputies a large purse of money to be distributed privately among the most influential persons in the several families.

THE deputies had scarcely alighted be­fore they sent their footman to the door of the house where the heads of the fami­lies were assembled, with a message of compliments to announce their arrival, and ask permission to make a friendly vis­it. The porter refused entrance to the footman; and he returned, without having delivered his message. The deputies then wrote the purport of their errand and sent it to the porter, who delivered it, and the following answer was returned—

"GENTLEMEN, we cannot hear any invectives against our good friend Mr. Lewis. If your master is in earnest, tell [Page 155] him that he must withdraw his action and clear the road. This is all from your humble servants,

The FORESTERS."

DISAPPOINTED and chagrined, but not wholly discouraged, the deputies attempt­ed privately to get into some of the houses; but they were refused entrance. They wrote letters and threw them in at the windows, or put them into the key holes, but all to no purpose. The firm­ness and inflexibility of the foresters as­tonished them, and they were obliged to return with aching hearts, and tell their master and mistress that the forest was lost forever.

AND now was verified the old saying,

[Page 156] BUT Madam's fury and its conse­quences, will be the subject of my next.

Adieu.

LETTER XIII.
Mrs. BULL'S rage, and its effect on the neighbours.—Several families associate to defend their right to the high way.—Quarrel opens with Lord STRUT and Mr. FROG.—The Foresters prosecute their controversy and obtain a second verdict.—Mr. BULL'S real friends in­terpose, and convince his wife of her er­ror.—She advises him to compromise the matter—He signs a quitclaim of the Forest.

NOTHING could exceed the rage into which Mrs. Bull was thrown by this disappointment. "O these cursed, stubborn, ungrateful, disobedient wretch­es, to refuse all my invitations, and spurn at my offers of friendship and reconcilia­tion! [Page 158] What, not admit my deputies into their houses! Did ever any woman suf­fer such disgrace? Well, faith I will be revenged, and they shall feel the power of my vengeance. I will prosecute them to the utmost extremity of the law; ay, and beyond law too, for I will set their houses on fire over their heads, and drive them off the land! And as to that deceitful dog of a Lewis, I will raise such a hornet's nest about his ears, that he shall repent his bargain! If Lord Strut attempts to help him, I'll lay an attachment upon his richest farms. And as for Nic Frog, if he lends them money, I will break up his warehouse, and sell all his goods by auc­tion. I will satiate my vengeance on the whole pack of them, and if I fall myself among the general wreck, I shall have the glory of dying like Samson in the ruin of my enemies."

THE rage which Mrs. Bull indulged on this occasion, and the noise which she [Page 159] made in her raving fits, raised a great a­larm in the family, and as hysterics are said to be catching, so the distemper spread into the two next families, viz. in­to those of sister Peg and brother Patrick. The former imagined that it was Mr. Bull's intention to call in Lord Peter to his aid, because he had been of late some­what complaisant to those of his natural children, which resided in the family; and the latter expected that he should be treated in the same manner as the fores­ters, because he had complained of some restraints and impositions from his brother John Bull, in respect to his trade and bus­iness, which was that of a linen draper. Old jealousies and grudges were revived on this occasion, and the whole neigh­bourhood was in confusion. The dogs in Peg's family kept a constant howling and barking, and were answered by those of Mr. Bull. Several of them actually ran mad,^* and Bull was obliged to place guards at [Page 160] his doors and gates, who attacked the curs with clubs and killed several on the spot. In the midst of this hurly burly, his house was set on fire, and was actually seen blazing in thirty six places at once▪ ^* the fire even penetrated madam's drawing room, and her card party were obliged to hand buckets and pump the engine; and it was not without the greatest exertions that the whole mansion was saved from utter destruction.

A DIFFICULTY also arose from another quarter, where it was little expected. The measure which Mr. Bull had adopt­ed of stopping the high way provoked all the neighbours, who thought it a great infringement of their common rights; but as he was a person of so much wealth and power, they were afraid openly to contest that point with him. At length an elderly widow lady, of large property, with whom he had always lived on friend­ly [Page 161] terms, and who generally went by the name of Madam Kate, took the liberty to tell him, that she could no longer suffer her neighbours and herself to be so im­posed upon; that the high way was com­mon to all; that he had no right to stop passengers and examine them, but that every body ought to go about their law­ful business without let or hindrance, and that she was determined to form a com­bination^* with Mr. Frog, Mr. Lewis, Lord Strut, and all the other neighbours, to remove the incumbrances which Mr. Bull had thrown in the way, and clear the passage.

THIS combination extended to other objects, besides clearing the high way. They were all disposed to help the fores­ters against Mr. Bull, though in different ways. Lewis had already lent them money and feed lawyers to plead for them. [Page 162] Lord Strut, though rich in landed inter­est, yet generally anticipated his revenues, (or as the vulgar phrase is, ate the calf in the cow's belly) he therefore had no money to spare; but to oblige his friend Lewis, he laid an attachment on a south­erly corner of the forest, which formerly belonged to him, and which from the nu­merous flowers with which it abounds, had got the name of Terra Florida. At the same time he attached one of Mr. Bull's favourite hunting seats,^* which commanded an extensive prospect, and was situate extremely convenient for hunting, fowling, and fishing. It had formerly belonged to Strut, but he had foolishly lost it by staking it in a game of whist, which he played with Mr. Bull. It was a doubt in law whether real estate could be held by such tenure, but Bull had possession, and that you know [...] e­leven points of the law. At any rate, it would oblige Bull to defend; and that [Page 163] would cost him money, and divert some at least of his lawyers from the business of the forest.

A SECRET correspondence had for some time been carried on between the foresters and Mr. Frog, for a loan of cash and a mercantile contract. Bull had sus­pected it, but could not prove it, till one night, his myrmidons caught a messenger from the forest and searched his pockets,^* in which were found certain letters and other papers, which were supposed to a­mount to full evidence.

UPON this occasion an advertisement was published, according to fashion, justi­fying the measures about to be taken, and deploring the evils which were connected with them. However small a share of credit these publications obtain, it is gen­erally as much as they deserve.

[Page 164] To make short work with Frog, Mr. Bull got a search warrant, and sent a bai­liff to his richest warehouse,^* who entered it, per fas aut nefas, tumbled over the merchandise under pretence of searching for stolen goods; and having taken away as many as he pleased, by a writ of ven­ditioni exponas, he put them up at auc­tion, and it is said made a fortune by this job. Mr. Lewis was so exasperated at the outrage thus committed on his friend Frog, that by a writ of scire facias he laid claim to the ware house and its contents, and brought in Bull for dam­ages.

IN short, Mr. Bull now found himself soused over head and ears in that "deep ditch," the law. Like Ishmael of old, his hand was against every man, and ev­ery man's hand against him. Look which way soever he would he found enemies, and his own family were continually buz­zing [Page 165] in his ears that he would bring his affairs to ruin.

BY the assistance derived from the loans which they had negotiated with Lewis and Frog, and the additional counsellors and attornies which Lewis employed for them, the foresters pursued the contro­versy with as much vigor as the forms, delays, and uncertainty of the law would permit. No less than four years longer were consumed in this expensive quarrel, and Mr. Bull's numerous retinue of law­yers were employing themselves in the various chicanery and tergiversations of their profession, all the while fattening on the profits of the suit; whilst his debt was growing at such a rate that he was at his wit's end to keep the interest from ac­cumulating as well as the principal. At length, by a capital manoeuvre of Pipe­weed's grandson George, aided by the counsellors of Lewis, the cause was brought to a hearing at York court, and [Page 166] the arguments were of such efficacy that a second verdict was given in favour of the foresters, with large damages. This ver­dict came so near to a final decision, that all Mr. Bull's friends were convinced he could no longer maintain an action against the foresters; and some trusty old ser­vants ventured to whisper in madam's ear that it was high time to end the contro­versy, for that it could not possibly be carried any farther without bringing the family and the trade to total ruin.

"LOOK ye, madam, said they, how all the schemes which you have laid have been uniformly defeated; you have pro­fessed to know the family secrets of these foresters; but those fellows who pretend­ed to give you this information have de­ceived you. In fact they have no such secrets as your ladyship imagines. What has been openly told you all along is the truth, and you ought long ago to have be­lieved it. Now the conviction has forc­ed [Page 167] itself upon you, and you can no longer withstand it. The foresters have been defending their title in the law, and they have made it appear so plainly, that no jury in the world will ever give a verdict against them. All who are acquainted with new lands know that the labour at­tending the improvement of them is worth ten times more than the land; and in fact gives the best title to it. If our master will now end the matter by a compromise, he may yet save some part of the manor at the northward, where is the best of hunting and fishing; but if he pursues the matter any farther he will lose it all."

THESE faithful remonstrances, enforced by the necessity of the case, began to have some effect on the turbulent mind of madam. She saw that it was in vain to contend against the opinions of all man­kind, and therefore in her next curtain lecture she held a short dialogue with Mr. Bull, thus—

[Page 168] Mrs. B. MY dear, I have been think­ing whether it would not be best for you to come to a settlement of this long con­troversy.

Mr. B. (groaning inwardly) So then you have changed your mind, have you?

Mrs. B. YES, my dear, I find I have been deceived with false information, or I would never have advised you to prose­cute the matter so far.

Mr. B. WELL, but how like a fool shall I appear to the world, if, after I have threatened and hectored these fellows, and spent so much money to recover my right, I should give it up at this time of day?

Mrs. B. WHY you know, my dear, that you have formerly made conces­sions to them, because I judged it expe­dient.

[Page 169] Mr. B. AY, then I retained my claim of right; but that will not do now

Mrs. B. TRUE, my dear, you must give up your right and title to about two thirds of the forest; but you may still hold the other third, and I dare say no­body will contest your right to that. And as for that part which you give up, you may say by it as old Lewis did of that which you once took from him. "Hang it, it is not worth the keeping; it has al­ways been a bill of cost to me," and the like.

Mr. B. I WISH, my dear, you had given me this advice some years sooner, I should have saved my money and my credit too.

Mrs. B. WHY, my dear, I tell you I was deceived; I am as sorry as you are for the loss of the money and of the forest, but as the case is now circumstanced, I think a compromise would be best.

[Page 170] Mr. B. WELL, I will consider of it.

WHEN Mr. Bull had taken the matter into consideration, he thought it best to wait the issue of the suit with Lord Strut about the hunting seat, for he was loth to lose that; and happily for him, when that cause came to tryal, it was argued so forc­ibly by his lawyers, that Strut was obliged to give it up. As soon as Bull heard of that, he cried out, "Now is the moment of victory—now is the time for peace." So calling one of his clerks, "Here, says he, go and settle the matter with the for­esters, or their deputies, on the best terms that you can." The deputies and the clerk soon came to an agreement, and a quitclaim deed was drawn, describing the butts and bounds of the forest, and dis­tinguishing what he gave up to them from what he retained. This quitclaim being properly engrossed, he with a trembling hand and aching heart subscribed it, while madam, standing behind him, [Page 171] could not help shedding a tear at the sight of a transaction to which she would never have consented but from dire ne­cessity.

LETTER XIV.
The Foresters form a partnership.—It proves deficient and ineffectual.—Their Clock out of order.—Their strong box empty.—Disturbances in some of the families.—A meeting is called to revise and amend the partnership.

I WAS loth to break the thread of my narration in my former letters, and you know that we prattling folks love to tell our stories in our own way, which we are under great advantage to do when we are writing letters. But I will now go back to tell you something of the manner in which the foresters managed their do­mestic affairs during the controversy with Mr. Bull, and for some time after it was closed.

[Page 173] WHEN they had broken their connex­ion with him, it was uncertain what con­nexions they might form abroad, but it was judged expedient for them to be u­nited among themselves, that no one fam­ily should connect itself in trade with any merchant or factor, without the consent of the others. In short it became necessary for them to enter into a partnership for their mutual interest and convenience. To do this was a nice point, and requir­ed much delicacy. It was to them a new subject, and they had an untrodden path before them. After much consultation and inquiry, their ingenuity suggested to them the idea of an original social com­pact [...]. Why should we, said they, look abroad for precedents, when we have e­nough among ourselves? See the beavers in our own brooks and meadows, how they work in complete partnership, each family has its own cell, and a number of cells are placed in one pond. They car­ry on their operations with peace and u­nanimity, [Page 174] without even the appearance of a master. Here is a perfect republic, a complete equality, a striking example of order without subordination, of liberty without jealousy, of industry without co­ercion, of economy without parsimony, of sagacity without overbearing influence. Every one knows his own business and does it, their labour goes on with regular­ity and decency; their united efforts serve the common cause, and the interest of ev­ery one is involved in that of the whole. Let us go and do likewise." The hint took, and a plan of CONFEDERATION, as it was called, was drawn up on principles of the purest equality; each family re­taining the entire control of its own do­mestic concerns, without any interference of the others, and agreeing to contribute voluntarily its proportion of labour and money to support the common interest.

THIS was, in theory, a very pretty de­vice, exactly suited to a set of people who [Page 175] thought themselves completely virtuous. But as it often happens that great inge­nuity exists without much judgment or policy, so it proved here. These fores­ters did not consider that their intellects were not, like those of the beavers, con­fined to a few particular objects; that they were not like the beavers, void of passions and prejudices, void of ambition, jealousy, avarice and self interest. With all the infirmities and vices of humanity, they were expecting to establish a com­munity on a plan similar to that in which no such deformities can possibly find ad­mittance.

THOUGH for a while, and during the period of the lawsuit, when common dan­ger impelled them to keep themselves close together, this plan answered the end better than none; yet in fact the notion of independence had so intoxicated their minds, that having cast off their depen­dence on Mr. Bull, they thought them­selves [Page 176] independent of all the world beside. When they had got entirely clear of the controversy with him, they were in the condition of a young heir just come of age, who feels proud of his freedom, and thinks he has a right to act without con­trol. Each family felt its own import­ance, and expected a degree of respect from the others in proportion to its num­bers, its property, its exertions, its antiq­uity, and other trifling considerations, which ought never to have had any place in a partnership of complete equality; and in consequence of this intoxicating idea of independence, each family claimed the right of giving or withholding its con­sent to what was proposed by any or all of the others.

IN the club room, among a number of ingenious devices, there was a clock, of a most curious and intricate construction, by which all the common concerns of the partnership were to be regulated. It had [Page 177] one bell, on which thirteen distinct ham­mers struck the hours. Each hammer was moved by independent wheels and weights, each set of wheels and weights was enclosed in a separate case, the key of which was kept, not as it ought to have been, by the person who represented the family at club, but in each mansion house; and every family claimed a right either to keep the key at home or send it to club, when and by whom they pleased. Now as this clock, like all other automatons, needed frequently to be wound up, to be oiled and cleaned, a very nice and partic­ular adjustment of circumstances was nec­essary to preserve the regularity of its motions, and make the hammers perform their functions with propriety. Some­times one or two of the hammers would be out of order, and when it came to the turn of one to strike it would be silent; then there must be a running or sending home for the key, and the houses being at a considerable distance, much time was [Page 178] spent in waiting. Sometimes the messen­ger arrived at an unseasonable hour, when the family was asleep, or abroad in the fields, and it would take up a considera­ble time to collect them, and lay the case before them, that they might deliberate and determine whether the key should be sent or not; and before this could be done, the clock would get more out of or­der. By this means, the club was fre­quently perplexed; they knew neither the hour of the day, nor the day of the month; they could not date their letters nor adjust their books, nor do business with any regularity.

BESIDES this there was another incon­venience. For though they had a strong box, yet it was filled with nothing but bills of parcels and accounts presented for payment, contracts of loans and inden­tures for services. No money could be had from any of the families but by their own voluntary consent; and to gain this [Page 179] consent there was great difficulty. Some had advanced what they supposed to be more than their proportion; others had paid less. The former would give no more till the latter had made up their quotas, and there was no authority which could call any one to account, or make him do his duty. Their whole estates were mortgaged for the money which they had borrowed of Mr. Lewis and Mr. Frog; and yet they could carry on no business in partnership. In fact they had formed such an unheard of kind of part­nership, that though they could run themselves in debt, yet they could not o­blige one another to raise any money to discharge their debts.

EACH family however carried on a sep­arate trade, and they contrived to under­sell each other, both at home and at market. Each family also had a separate debt, which some were providing means to discharge, and others neglected. In [Page 180] one or two of the families they went to loggerheads among themselves. John Codline's family was for several days a scene of confusion and disorder; nothing was seen or heard but cursing and calling names, kicking shins and pulling noses. John at first tried to silence them by gen­tle means, but finding these ineffectual, he at length drew his seymitar, and swore he would cut off the ears of the first that should dare to make any more noise. This threatening drove two or three tur­bulent fellows out of doors, after which the house was tolerably quiet. Some­thing of the same kind happened in Rob­ert Lumber's family, but he made so good a use of his fist as quelled the disturbance at once.

IN the family of Roger Carrier there seemed to be a predominant lurch for knavery, for he publicly advertised that he was ready to pay his debts by notes of hand subject to a discount, the amount of [Page 181] which was indefinite, because continually increasing; and that whoever did not take his pay when thus offered, might go with­out. The other families were alarmed at his conduct; but had no power to oblige him to deal honestly, and he carried his roguery so far as to bid them all defi­ance.

IN this state of debility and distraction, it became necessary to consult on some measures for a better plan of union. They began to be convinced that they were not beavers, nor capable of subsist­ing in such a state of society as had been adopted from them. Something more energetic was wanted to compel the lazy, to check the knavish, to direct the indus­trious, and to keep the honest from being imposed upon. It had been often in con­templation to amend the mode of partner­ship; but now the disorders in some of the families became so alarming, that though they had been quelled for the [Page 182] present, it was uncertain whether they would not break out again, especially as one whole family seemed determined o­penly to patronise roguery. These con­siderations served to hasten the change which had been contemplated. It was accordingly moved in the club, that each family should appoint one or more per­sons to meet together, and consult upon some alterations and improvements in the partnership. This meeting was accord­ingly held, and the result of it shall be the subject of my next letter.

Adieu.

LETTER XV.
A new plan of partnership is proposed.—Arguments pro and con.—It is establish­ed.—A Chief Steward appointed, with inferior officers.—Hunting too much in fashion.—A new species of rats intro­duced.—Two families added to the num­ber of apartments.

IT is not in my power to give you a particular detail of the whole pro­ceedings of the meeting which was held to reform the plan of partnership in the manner of your parliamentary journalists, who make speeches for the members, per­haps better than some of them make for themselves; but I will endeavour to give you a summary of the principles on which they proceeded.

[Page 184] THE professed design of the meeting was to reform and amend the plan; but in fact when they came to examine it they found themselves obliged to pass the same sentence on it that was once delivered concerning the famous poet, Alexander Pope, whose usual ejaculation was, G—d mend me! "Mend you," said a hackney coachman, (looking with contempt on his dwarfish form and hump back) "it would not be half so much trouble to make a new one."

A NEW one was accordingly entered upon, and the fundamental principle of it was, not to suppose men as good as they ought to be, but to take them as they are. "It is true, said they, that all men are naturally free and equal; it is a very good idea, and ought to be understood in every contract and partnership which can be formed; it may serve as a check upon ambition and other human passions, and put people in mind that they may some [Page 185] time or other be called to account by their equals. But it is as true that this equality is destroyed by a thousand causes which exist in nature and in society. It is true that all beasts, birds, and fishes are naturally free and equal in some respects, but yet we find them unequal in other respects, and one becomes the prey of another. There is, and always will be, a superiority and an inferiority, in spite of all the systems of metaphysics that ever existed. How can you prevent one man from being stronger, or wiser, or richer than another? and will not the strong o­vercome the weak? will not the cunning circumvent the foolish, and will not the borrower become servant to the lender? Is not this noble, free, and independent creature man, necessarily subject to lords of his own species in every stage of his existence? When a child, is he not under the command of his parents? send him to school, place him out as an apprentice, put him on board a ship, enrol him in a [Page 186] company of militia, must he not be sub­ject to a master? Place him in any kind of society whatever, and he has wants to be supplied, and passions to be subdued; his active powers need to be directed, and his extravagances to be controled, and if he will not do it himself, some body must do it for him. Self government is indeed the most perfect form of government in the world; but if men will not govern themselves, they must have some govern­ors appointed over them, who will keep them in order and make them do their duty. Now if there is in fact such an ine­quality existing among us, why should we act as if no such thing existed? We have tried the beaver scheme of partnership long enough, and find it will not do. Let us then adopt the practice of another kind of industrious animals which we have among us—Let us imitate the bees, who are governed by one supreme head, and under that direction conduct their [Page 187] whole economy with perfect order and regularity."

ON this principle they drew up an en­tire new plan, in which there was one chief steward, who was to manage their united interest, and be responsible to the whole for his conduct. He was to have a kind of council to advise and di­rect him, and several inferior officers to assist him, as there might be occasion; and a certain contribution was to be levied on the trade, or on the estates of the whole, which was to make a common stock for the support of the common interest; and they were to erect a tribunal among them­selves, which should decide and determine all differences. If nine of the families should agree to this plan, it was to take place; and the others might or might not adopt it; but if any one should finally refuse, or if any should adopt it and af­terward fall from it, he was to be looked [Page 188] upon as an outcast, and no person was to have any connection with him.

THE meeting having continued a long time, every body became extremely anx­ious to know what they were about; the doors were kept shut, and no person what­ever was let into the secret till the whole was completed. A copy was then sent to each family for them to consider at their leisure.

THOUGH curiosity was now gratified; yet anxiety was not relaxed. The new plan of partnership went by the name of the fiddle; those who were in favour of it called themselves fiddlers, and those who opposed it were stiled antifiddlers. The former said it was the best plan that hu­man wisdom had ever contrived. The latter imagined it pregnant with mischief of every kind. The former compared it to a strong fence about a rich field of [Page 189] wheat. The latter compared it to the whale that swallowed up Jonah.

IN each family a consultation was held on the question, Whether it should be a­dopted or not? and liberty was given for every one to speak his mind with the ut­most freedom. The objections, answers, replies, rejoinders, and rebutters, which were produced on this occasion, would make a curious collection, and form an important page in the history of man. The fiddlers were extremely fond of hav­ing it examined, because they said it was like a rich piece of plate, which the more it be rubbed shines the brighter. The antifiddlers said it was like a worm eaten bottom of a ship, the defects of which would more evidently appear the more it was ripped to pieces; they were therefore for rejecting it at once, without any ex­amination at all.

[Page 190] WHEN they were urged to point out its defects, they would say, "It is danger­ous to put so much power into the hands of any man, or set of men, lest they should abuse it. Our liberty and property will be safe whilst we keep them ourselves, but when we have once parted with them, we may never be able to get them back again."

IF the plan was compared to a house, then the objection would be made against building it too high, lest the wind should blow it down. How shall we guard it a­gainst fire? how shall we secure it against robbers? and how shall we keep out rats and mice?

IF it was likened to a ship, then it would be asked, how shall we guard it a­gainst leaking? how shall we prevent it from running on the rocks and quick­sands?

[Page 191] SOMETIMES it would be compared to a clock, then question was, how shall we se­cure the pendulum, the wheels and the balance from rust? who shall keep the key, and who shall we trust to wind it up?

SOMETIMES it was represented by a purse, and then it was said to be danger­ous to let any one hold the strings. Money is a tempting object, and the best men are liable to be corrupted.

IN short, the whole sum and substance of the arguments against it might be sum­med up in one word—JEALOUSY.

To shew the futility of these arguments it was observed by the opposite party, that it was impossible to put it into any man's power to do you good, without at the same time putting it into his power to do you hurt. If you trust a barber to shave your beard, you put it into his power to cut your throat. If you trust a baker to [Page 192] make your bread, or a cook to dress your meat, you put it into the power of each to poison you may, if you venture to be in the same bed with your wife, you put it into her power to choak you when you are asleep. Shall we therefore let our beards grow till they are long e­nough to put into our pockets, because we are afraid of the barber? Shall we starve ourselves because the baker and the cook may poison us? and shall we be a­fraid to go to bed with our wives? Fie, fie, gentlemen, do not indulge such whims: Be careful in the choice of your barbers, your bakers, your cooks, and your wives; pay them well and treat them well, and make it their interest to treat you well, and you need not fear them.

AFTER much debate and discussion, some of the families adopted it without exception, but in others the opposition was so strong that it could not be made to pass, but by the help of certain amend­ments [Page 193] which were proposed; and of these amendments every family which thought proper to make any, made as many as they pleased. The new plan, with its appendage of amendments, cut such a grotesque figure, that a certain wag in one of the families, like Jotham the son of Gideon, ridiculed it in the following par­able.

"A CERTAIN man hired a taylor to make him a pair of small clothes; the tay­lor measured him and made the garment. When he had brought it home, the man turned and twisted and viewed it on all sides; it is too small here, said he, and wants to be let out; it is too big here, and wants to be taken in; I am afraid there will be a hole here, and you must put on a patch; this button is not strong enough, you must set on another. He was going on in this manner, when his wife entered the room—Have you put on the small clothes, my dear, said she—No, said he. [Page 194] How then, replied she, can you possibly tell whether they will fit you or not? If I had made such objections to a gown or a pair of stays before I had put them on, [...] would you have laughed at my fe­male wisdom? The man took his wife's advice and saved the taylor a deal of trouble."

IN like manner, the new plan of part­nership was tried on, and was found to fit very well. The amendments were thrown by for future consideration, and if ever adopted, will be so few and so trifling as to make no essential difference.

As soon as a sufficient number of the families had adopted the plan, they began to set it in operation; and unanimously chose for their chief steward and manager, George, the grandson of Walter Pipe­weed. He had served them so faithfully and generously in conducting the lawsuit against Mr. Bull, that no person was higher [Page 195] in their confidence. As he would take no reward for his former services; so he began this new business with a declaration of the same kind, and a protestation that nothing could have induced him to quit the sweets of retirement for the toils of public business but a disposition to oblige his numerous friends who had united their suffrages in his favour. Every one who knows him is fully convinced of the sin­cerity of his declarations, and he has per­haps as large a share of the esteem and affection of the people in these families as any person ever could expect from a course of faithful and friendly offices.

BESIDES him there is an under steward, a council of advice, a chief clerk, a cashier, and a master of the hounds. The under steward is a person of a grave deportment, much reading and strict integrity, and was largely concerned in effecting the com­promise with Mr. Bull. The council of advice are chosen from the several fami­lies, [Page 196] and consist of persons of the best ed­ucation, abilities, and popularity. The chief clerk has the care of the most im­portant papers, and the cashier keeps the key of the strong box, which now has something in it besides paper. By his advice the debts of the company are put in a fair way of being paid, though some grumbling still subsists among those who were obliged to sell their notes at a dis­count. The master of the hounds is an officer, who it was at first thought would have very little business; but as the wild beasts of the forest have of late grown very troublesome, it is supposed that he will have his hands full. There is too much of a lurch for hunting among many of the foresters; and some have not been a­shamed to express their wishes that the whole race of wild creatures was extermi­nated from the face of the earth. There are others who still continue of the mind, that these animals are a degenerated part of the human species, and might yet be re­covered [Page 197] if proper methods were used to tame them; but it is greatly feared, that while the rage for hunting continues, all such benevolent projects will fail in the execution.

IN some late hunting matches, these wild animals discovered so much art and courage, that several [...] the hunters were laid to sleep in the bed of honour; and the rest were obliged to take to their heels, that they might "live to hunt a­nother day." Some persons are of the mind that it is not best▪ to seek these beasts in their dens, but rather to guard the fields and take care of the poultry at home. Others are for pursuing them to the thickest shades of the forest, and this seems at present to be the prevailing o­pinion. What the success of it will be time must determine.

[Page 198] SINCE the new partnership has been established, husbandry and trade have been carried on briskly; the houses are full of good things, and the children are well clad and healthy; but there is one inconvenience which usually attends a full house, and that is, that rats are very numerous, and a now species of them have lately found their way thither.^* Some of them are very fat and sleek, and are not afraid to appear in open day light; though it is supposed they burrow under ground, and have subterraneous commu­nications from house to house. This is an inconvenience against which no reme­dy has yet been found; though some peo­ple, from their apparent voracity, are of the mind that they will either prey upon one another, or else eat till they burst.

I HAD almost forgot to tell you that two new families have lately been added to the number of partners. One is that [Page 199] of Ethan Greenwood, ^* a stout, lusty fel­low, born in the family of Robert Lum­ber, but married into that of Peter Bull­frog, from whom, after a long dispute, he has got a good tract of land, which orig­inally belonged to his own father, but was surreptitiously taken possession of by his father in law. The other is Hunter Longknife, ^† he was bred in the family of Walter Pipeweed, and has a large share of his spirit of adventure. Having taken up his residence in the outskirts of the forest, he has had many a scuffle with the wild beasts, who are extremely fond of his green corn and young chickens, whenever they can get a taste of them.

LETTER XVI.
Present State of Mr. Bull.—His wife and his mother.—Story of the everlasting ta­per—Some account of Mr. Lewis.—His new wife and cast off mistress.—Conclu­sion.

AFTER giving you such a long detail of the affairs of these foresters, I will close my correspondence, for the present, with a brief account of the situation of the principal persons with whom they are or have been connected, and whom I have had occasion to men­tion in my other letters.

To begin with Mr. Bull. Though he has given a quitclaim of that part of the forest where his old servants and best cus­tomers [Page 201] have possession, yet he retains the northern part, together with some hunting seats which he promised to give up to the foresters. The chief produce of this northern territory is the furs, which are brought to his warehouse and wrought up by his tradesmen. Notwithstanding the loss of his title to the lands of the foresters, they have not wholly forsaken him as a trader. He keeps his fulling mills at work, and supplies them with cloths of various kinds, but they feel themselves at liberty either to purchase of him or his neighbours, or to manufacture for them­selves. He is rather more complaisant to them in his own shop than his factors are in some of his distant warehouses, where they are not allowed to carry their pro­duce to market, nor to receive coffee, cot­ton, and sugar, as formerly. However, they have found out other places where they can buy these commodities without asking his permission. And as for that capital article TEA, which was the occa­sion [Page 202] of beginning the controversy, they now fetch it directly from the original warehouse of old Cang-hi, where it is manufactured. They purchase their silks and muslins of the first makers and deal­ers, and get their wines directly from the vineyards.

I HAVE before told you that Mr. Bull formerly used to send the ordure made in his family to enrich the plantations of the foresters; but since his quarrel with them he has been somewhat at a loss how to dispose of it. At first he threw it into the gutter^* before his door. But there was such a large quantity of it, and the stench which it caused was so offensive, that this expedient would not answer the end. He then thought of sending it to a place where some of his family had been employed in botanizing, ^† in hope that by adding to the fertility of the soil, they would find more encouragement to pros­ecute [Page 203] their inquiries, and that he should in time receive some rent or recompense; but this scheme, like some others, the product of his fruitful brain, has been hitherto attended with more cost than profit. What will be his next contriv­ance to dispose of his ordure no one can conjecture.

HE has been obliged, in deference to the opinion of his neighbours, to sing small a­bout his right to stopping the high way; and it is thought that he will not revive his pretensions to an exclusive title to that kind of sovereignty.

As to his domestic affairs, his wife still rules him according to her usual maxims, and keeps up her gaming club, where she wins and loses alternately; but between the shop and the drawing room, there is enough gained to pay the interest of his debt, though it is not imagined he will ever be able to pay the principal. This, [Page 204] like a millstone about his neck, must finally sink him.

YOU may possibly be curious to know what is become of his mother, whom I have formerly mentioned to you as hav­ing had some sway in his family. The truth is, that since he married his present wife, the old lady found her influence de­creasing and retired to her chamber, where she has been for many years confined, and is now wholly bed rid. Mr. and Mrs. Bull indeed treat the old lady with much decency, and suffer none to intrude upon her but such company as she is fond of. Old Madam has all the infirmities of age about her. She will not suffer herself to be touched nor turned in her bed; nor the room to be aired, nor her linen shifted. She keeps her window shutters closed, and will not admit the least ray of light in her apartment, but what proceeds from her own candle, which having been once dip­ped in consecrated water, is supposed to [Page 205] possess all the virtues of an everlasting ta­per.

Now I have spoken of madam's taper, perhaps you will be amused with some account of it. It is a wax candle of a common size, set in an old fashioned sil­ver candlestick, richly embossed and gilt, but the rust and dust of it are so sacred, that it is never permitted to be scoured. The tradition is, that this candlestick for­merly belonged to St. Peter, and the can­dle [...] placed in it is supposed to have been lighted at the SUN, and by a myste­rious kind of uninterrupted succession, has been kept burning ever since. By the light of this taper, old madam reads her bible and books of devotion, which al­ways lie on a table by her bedside.

SOME persons of an incredulous turn of mind, have pretended to call in quest­ion this mystery; but it is still held sacred by the old lady, and by most of Mr. Bull's own family. There are some even [Page 206] among the foresters of the same opinion: and such is the liberality in these families, that no one is molested in the indulgence of any innocent whim, which does not affect the peace of the families, nor the interest of the partnership. It was not long after the reestablishment of harmony between them and Mr. Bull, that these persons sent two candles in one lantern, and one in another, to be lighted at this venerable taper, and dipt in the conse­crated water. Two of them were actu­ally lighted in old Madam Bull's pres­ence, and to her great satisfaction. The other was lighted at a taper supposed to be derived from the same original, but "hid under a bushel" in one of sister Peg's out houses, it not being permitted to burn publicly in her family, where the only candles allowed are of the manufac­ture of Geneva.

THERE has been as long a controversy between different opinionists on this sub­ject, [Page 207] as between the sectaries in Liliput, about breaking the egg at the big or little end. But it is easy enough to accommo­date the matter by granting that St. Pe­ter's candle, as well as those from Geneva, were originally lighted at the SUN; that the same source of light is open to all; and that it is of no consequence of what materials tapers are made, nor in what kind of candlesticks they are placed, nor by whose hands they are lighted, provid­ed they give so clear a light as to answer the purposes of vision.

IT remains only that I give you some account of Mr. Lewis. The adventures in his family have been very singular. I formerly told you that he feed lawyers to plead the cause of the foresters. These subtile practitioners soon found that the same arguments which they were obliged to use in favour of the foresters, would apply with equal propriety to the case of Mr. Lewis's own family. He had long [Page 208] been a widower, and the family was gov­erned by a succession of kept mistresses, who minded only their pleasures and the enriching of their own relations and de­pendants. The tenants were abused, the mansion house was dirty and out of re­pair, and though the rents were paid into the hands of the steward, yet much op­pression and embezzlement, and little e­conomy, were the constant topics of com­plaint.

AFTER the alteration, produced by the assistance of Lewis's lawyers in the forest, they began to think it was high time to do something of the same kind at home. The only peaceable remedy which they could imagine, was to persuade Mr. Lewis to marry a reputable woman, who would be agreeable to the family. After much argument he was at length brought to see the necessity of the case; and to prevent a lawsuit, with which they threatened him, he consented to take the wife^* which [Page 209] they recommended. She is a lady of good sense and polite manners, and treats him with the greatest deference and pro­priety. She has had the mansion thor­oughly repaired, the floors and windows cleaned, and the walls whitewashed, and is not afraid to let her inmost apartments be visited by the sun and air. The build­ing is now commodious, wholesome, and pleasant, and the dirty dog kennel,^* which stood near the door, is demolished.

IT is suspected by some that Lewis still has a hankering after his old connexions, but he professes love to his new wife in the strongest terms imaginable. His cast off mistress has had the audacity to insult the newly married lady, and tell her that she has no business to occupy her apart­ments; that all Mr. Lewis's professions are insincere and that she still possesses his heart. If these ladies should go to pull­ing caps, Mr. Lewis will be in a critical situation, as indeed every man is when [Page 210] two women are contending for him. It is said that some of the neighbouring gen­tlemen, who prefer concubinage to mat­rimony, have taken the part of the late mistress, and insist on her restoration to bed and board; but how this matter will terminate can be decided only by futu­rity.

HE has also been very unfortunate in some of his distant plantations and facto­ries. His black cattle have caught the horn distemper; some of his farm houses have been burnt, and it is thought that several years will intervene before his af­fairs will be set to rights.

THUS, my friend, I have endeavoured to fulfil my promise, by giving you such an account as I have been able to procure of the foresters and their connexions. I assure you I am extremely delighted with the country and its improvements, which exceed by far the expectations of every [Page 211] person who travels this way, and has form­ed what he may think a just idea of the country, by staying at home and hearing the reports of others. There is no possi­bility of conceiving what a fine country it is without actually seeing it; I therefore recommend to you a journey hither, for a two fold purpose, viz. to cure you of the spleen, and to convince you how much human industry and ingenuity can per­form in a short time, when nature has al­ready done her part toward making a good country and a happy people.