He seemed, indeed, to mend Matters in the Beginning, but, in reality, did unrepairable Damage to Blanch, though considerable Services to Betty. The Neighbours all around thought they were thriving apace, and began to envy their Greatness. The Reason of which was, that he always took care to have the Girls well dressed, especially when they went a visiting, and sent Word before-hand (for he was d——d proud) that all the World should Cap to them as they passed along. He stinted them in every thing else, but spent all he could rap and run to make them fine. Betty was bashful, and kept pretty much at home; but when Blanch went abroad, she made a flaming Appearance, held up her Head among the Highest, and insulted the Proudest with her Braveries.
But all the while Things were but uncomfortable at home, though she made such a tearing Figure when abroad. Nothing to be had for Farms, by reason the Soldiers put in and out as they pleased. No Leets or Manor Courts were minded. No taxing for Repairs and Bounds, but the Soldiers taxed for Contingencies as much Money as they could hear any one had. So that the Tenants found themselves in a worse Pickle than ever they had been under the Management of a Steward. They longed for Courts and Inquests, and to have every thing set on the old Bottom again.
They heard of a poor Boy, a Son of the late Steward’s, who had run away from the Lands the Time his Father was hanged, and was now grown up to Years of Discretion. As he had bit a good while on the Bridle, they thought he might be tamed, more careful than his Father, and do them more Justice and Kindness. They brought him home in a Hurry; and, as it’s natural to run from one Extreme to another, were sure they were all made when they got him into the Stewardship.
It must be owned, he was a pleasant, good-humoured Fellow as ever broke Bread, civilly behaved, and by no means wanted Capacity for the Business. But he was idle to a Degree, followed W——ng and Horse-racing; and provided he could borrow Money enough from the Tenants, or get Presents from the Neighbours, to treat his Wenches and buy them Top-knots, never heeded how Accounts were settled, how he held the Courts, or how he paid the Servants. Farm-houses went to decay, and Strangers forestalled the Markets. Few People, however, could find in their Heart to hate him. They had a Love for him, though he was daily undoing them: For it was always their Humour to like a boon Companion; and instead of crossing his Prodigality, they followed his Example, wh——ed it away from the highest to the lowest, revelled and caroused for dear Blood, and were never better pleased than when the last Penny was a going. It became a Fashion to be Bankrupt; to be Rich, was to lose all Credit; and to be Just, was the Mark of a Scoundrel.
But though the elder Sister was well-nigh undone by him, he did a good Turn by Betty, and sent one of his Cousins to take care of her Concerns, who had a good Farm of his own under her, and was well-beloved over the whole Estate. He kept Leet and Court-Baron, presented Vagabonds at the Sessions, and gave Rewards for apprehending Out-laws. He set the Tenants to Work, lived constantly among them, and looked himself into every thing. Betty began to thrive, and was less expensive to her Sister, who had wasted huge Sums to keep her Head above Water. She stuck to Business, and prospered mainly, ’till the Steward’s Brother got himself into the Place, who played H——ll with every thing, and brought the two Sisters to the Brink of Ruin.
He was rash, senseless, obstinate, and ill-minded; none of the Neighbours would deal with him, or the Tenants trust him, as there was no believing one Word he said, or promise that he made; for he had taken an Oath when he was young never to speak Truth. He began his Vagaries by putting the Curate in the Stocks, for refusing to teach a new Catechism of his own Invention. He entered into a Plot to secure the Elder Sister in the House of Correction, and make her do Penance in the Church, under Pretence of Carnal Conversation. He agreed to sell Betty to a Cousin of his, a great Lord in the Neighbourhood, who longed to have her for a Waiting-woman to his Wife. So the Tenants made short Work with him, rose one and all, and sent him a-packing to his Cousin, where he was fain to be a Serving-man, since he could not send Betty to be a Serving-maid.
Both the Sisters took an Oath never more to have a Steward again, and to abolish the very Name from among them, with a reserve to his Daughters, who had married abroad, and were good sort of Women, in their Way.
Here it was that both the Sisters had their Affairs put on a sure and lasting Footing. The Rights of the Tenants were narrowly examined, and all pretended Powers of the Steward abolished by a Rule on the Court Manor Books. There was, indeed, some Difficulty in bringing it about, and a power of Money laid out on the Occasion. But it was well bestowed had it been twice as much.
There was a Stripling among the neighbouring Fens, who had married a Daughter of the Steward’s, and had got the best Estate there by the Diligence of his Ancestors, who were the principal Engineers in draining and banking the Country. They had often borrowed Money from Blanch to carry on the Work, to stem the Water when the Fen-men were in despair, and prevailed on her to send a strong Posse of her Tenants to keep off some malicious Neighbours, who would ever and anon be boring Holes in the Dikes, and endangered the Overflowing of all the Land they had gained. If ever these wretched People shewed any thing that looked like Gratitude, it was to the Family of their Engineers; and this young Man improved it to his own Advantage, and that of Blanch, whom he acknowledged the Preserver of the Fen-men, who deserved Preservation on no other Account than to make them Pack-horses and Carriers. They were, indeed, a middle Species between Men and Brutes, and chiefly compounded of the latter. But this young Adventurer had got the Ascendant over them, and, as we ordinarily say of vicious Horses, had made the D——l come out of them. He ringed them by the Nose, and bled them with the Spur, and so throughly
broke them (for he was a special Horseman) that they never kicked or plunged when he was in the Saddle; but, as the Nature of Beasts is, became the fonder of him the rougher he handled them.