Transcribed from the 1889 George Bell & Sons edition by DavidPrice, email ccx074@coventry.ac.uk
or,
PRIVATE ABUSES, PUBLIC GRIEVANCES:
EXEMPLIFIED
In the Pride, Insolence, and exorbitant Wages of our Women, Servants,Footmen, &c.
WITH
A Proposal for Amendment of the same; as also for clearing the Streetsof those Vermin called Shoe-Cleaners, and substituting in their steadmany Thousands of industrious Poor, now ready to starve. Withdivers other Hints of great Use to the Public.
Humbly submitted the Consideration of our Legislature, and the carefulPerusal of all Masters and Mistresses of Families.
BY ANDREW MORETON, Esq.
The Fifth Edition, with the Addition of a Preface.
LONDON:
Printed for W. MEADOWS, in Cornhill; and sold by T. WARNER, at theBlack Boy in Pater-Noster Row; A. DODD, without Temple Bar; and E. NUTT,at the Royal Exchange. 1725.
Price Six Pence.]
Since this little book appeared in print, it has had no less thanthree answers, and fresh attacks are daily expected from the powersof Grub-street; but should threescore antagonists more arise, unlessthey say more to the purpose than the forementioned, they shall nottempt me to reply.
Nor shall I engage in a paper war, but leave my book to answer foritself, having advanced nothing therein but evident truths, and incontestiblematters of fact.
The general objection is against my style; I do not set up for anauthor, but write only to be understood, no matter how plain.
As my intentions are good, so have they had the good fortune to meetwith approbation from the sober and substantial part of mankind; asfor the vicious and vagabond, their ill-will is my ambition.
It is with uncommon satisfaction I see the magistracy begin to putthe laws against vagabonds in force with the utmost vigour, a greatmany of those vermin, the japanners, having lately been taken up andsent to the several work-houses in and about this city; and indeed hightime, for they grow every day more and more pernicious.
My project for putting watchmen under commissioners, will, I hope,be put in practice; for it is scarce safe to go by water unless youknow your man.
As for the maid-servants, if I undervalue myself to take notice ofthem, as they are pleased to say, it is because they overvalue themselvesso much they ought to be taken notice of.
This makes the guilty take my subject by the wrong end, but any impartialreader may find, I write not against servants, but bad servants; notagainst wages, but exorbitant wages, and am entirely of the poet’sopinion,
The good should meet with favour and applause,
The wicked be restrain’d by wholesome laws.
The reason why I did not publish this book till the end of the lastsessions of parliament was, because I did not care to interfere withmore momentous affairs; but leave it to the consideration of that augustbody during this recess, against the next sessions, when I shall exhibitanother complaint against a growing abuse, for which I doubt not butto receive their approbation and the thanks of all honest men.
This is a proverb so common in everybody’s mouth, that I wondernobody has yet thought it worth while to draw proper inferences fromit, and expose those little abuses, which, though they seem trifling,and as it were scarce worth consideration, yet, by insensible degrees,they may become of injurious consequence to the public; like some diseases,whose first symptoms are only trifling disorders, but by continuanceand progression, their last periods terminate in the destruction ofthe whole human