How Mrs. Bull sat still and heard a great deal more on this subject.
We cannot well tell how it happened, that although Mrs. Bull was considering only, what answer should be given to sister Peg’s letter, yet John’s own affairs were brought in head and shoulders, and it seemed as if people were afraid to hurt Peg, except through John’s sides. The truth was, that though some people did not like to see the humour spreading, they did not chuse to stop it by objections peculiar to Peg, in which they could have been contradicted; and as the state of disparity to her brother, in which she was put, could by no means be glossed over, they chose to keep away from it as far as possible, and speak only in general terms, Peg’s clerks found themselves obliged to do the same thing. One of them told Mrs. Bull, that he came there to sollicite a piece of justice for an aged parent, and was surprized to find so many people ready to dissuade her from granting it.
If there are, says he, sufficient objections to the use of arms in a family, discontinue it in your own; if there are not, why disgrace one part of your house, by refusing what all mankind know to be the great distinction between masters and slaves?
I am surprized, however, to hear so much concerning the absolute inconveniencies of this measure. It may be inconvenient for a man to do any thing at all for his own defence; but if it be necessary for his preservation, to what purpose talk of inconveniencies? It is certainly meant by people who speak in this strain, that the method now in question is more inconvenient than that by game-keepers, which is the only other one that I have heard of. If this is their opinion, they should have entered somewhat farther into the question, than at present they appear to have done.
This family has been for some time in the practice of committing their defence intirely to a certain class of people, whom they call game-keepers. Those are the only persons about the house, supposed to know any thing at all of the use of arms; they are set apart from the rest of the family, and by their manner of life, are made to shake off all connection with them as much as possible; and this, I suppose, that they may be at all times ready to go any where, or do any thing that their profession may require, without any regret of their own, or incumbrance from other people.
They are taught, for the same reason, to obey their leader implicitly, and to know no law but his commands; to all which conditions they bind themselves for life; and in the mean time, do no work either in seed-time or harvest, but are fed at the expence of the family.
This, I apprehend, to be a very fair description of a game-keeper, as that profession is now maintained. Every body knows that Mr. Bull has chosen this expedient with great reluctance. He was always apprehensive, that whoever was master of the only arms in a house, might soon become master of the house itself. The practice, however, stole upon him, and for ought I know he might have gone all lengths in the use of it, if he had not been ashamed of a sudden, to find himself and all his family afraid to look any enemy in the face. He bethought himself of the wretched condition he must be in, either if his game-keepers should turn against him, should desert him, or even be out of the way at an unlucky time. And to fortify himself against those calamities, he has distributed a certain quantity of arms among his children; a certain number are to be named in their turns; to learn the use of those arms, under the direction of a person, to whom all his other affairs are so happily intrusted. The people who receive this instruction live in the family, and mind their business, with the single interruption, which some days of practice, or necessary service may occasion. When they have taken their turn, they leave that station to others, and live as before; with this only difference, that if the house is alarmed, they are readier to act a part, in which they have already had some practice.
We have heard enough of the impossibility of putting this scheme in execution; but, I think, it is found sufficiently practicable, when we want to have somebody in place of the game-keepers, whom we employ so liberally elsewhere; and therefore, I shall not now say any thing at all upon that point.
Has it then any inconveniencies which do not attend every other method of self-defence? The expence, the interruption of business, the trouble attending it, do certainly not exceed what is found of the same kind, in maintaining the profession of game-keepers. In point of expence, it is evident we can afford a much more numerous body of men in this way than in any other, if instead of augmenting our game-keepers without end, to vie with our neighbours, we are satisfied with a moderate number in ordinary times, and prepare this resource for ourselves, against any sudden alarm.
With respect to the interruption of work, it must be allowed, that nobody can possibly work less than a game-keeper. To have so many people idle in succession, or the same number of individuals idle for their whole lives, appears to me precisely the same thing, with this only difference, that a game-keeper is idle, whether there be occasion to employ him in his profession or no, the other is not.