世界名著Everybodys Business is Nobodys Business.docx

世界名著Everybodys Business is Nobodys Business.docx

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世界名著EverybodysBusinessisNobodysBusiness

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Everybody'sBusinessisNobody'sBusiness

byDanielDefoe

EVERYBODY'SBUSINESSISNOBODY'SBUSINESS

or,

PRIVATEABUSES,PUBLICGRIEVANCES:

EXEMPLIFIED

InthePride,Insolence,andexorbitantWagesofourWomen,

Servants,Footmen,&c.

byDanielDefoe

WITH

AProposalforAmendmentofthesame;asalsoforclearingthe

StreetsofthoseVermincalledShoe-Cleaners,andsubstitutingin

theirsteadmanyThousandsofindustriousPoor,nowreadyto

starve.WithdiversotherHintsofgreatUsetothePublic.

HumblysubmittedtheConsiderationofourLegislature,andthe

carefulPerusalofallMastersandMistressesofFamilies.

BYANDREWMORETON,Esq.

TheFifthEdition,withtheAdditionofaPreface.

THEPREFACE

Sincethislittlebookappearedinprint,ithashadnolessthan

threeanswers,andfreshattacksaredailyexpectedfromthepowers

ofGrub-street;butshouldthreescoreantagonistsmorearise,

unlesstheysaymoretothepurposethantheforementioned,they

shallnottemptmetoreply.

NorshallIengageinapaperwar,butleavemybooktoanswerfor

itself,havingadvancednothingthereinbutevidenttruths,and

incontestiblemattersoffact.

Thegeneralobjectionisagainstmystyle;Idonotsetupforan

author,butwriteonlytobeunderstood,nomatterhowplain.

Asmyintentionsaregood,sohavetheyhadthegoodfortuneto

meetwithapprobationfromthesoberandsubstantialpartof

mankind;asfortheviciousandvagabond,theirill-willismy

ambition.

ItiswithuncommonsatisfactionIseethemagistracybegintoput

thelawsagainstvagabondsinforcewiththeutmostvigour,agreat

manyofthosevermin,thejapanners,havinglatelybeentakenup

andsenttotheseveralwork-housesinandaboutthiscity;and

indeedhightime,fortheygroweverydaymoreandmorepernicious.

Myprojectforputtingwatchmenundercommissioners,will,Ihope,

beputinpractice;foritisscarcesafetogobywaterunlessyou

knowyourman.

Asforthemaid-servants,ifIundervaluemyselftotakenoticeof

them,astheyarepleasedtosay,itisbecausetheyovervalue

themselvessomuchtheyoughttobetakennoticeof.

Thismakestheguiltytakemysubjectbythewrongend,butany

impartialreadermayfind,Iwritenotagainstservants,butbad

servants;notagainstwages,butexorbitantwages,andamentirely

ofthepoet'sopinion,

Thegoodshouldmeetwithfavourandapplause,

Thewickedberestrain'dbywholesomelaws.

ThereasonwhyIdidnotpublishthisbooktilltheendofthelast

sessionsofparliamentwas,becauseIdidnotcaretointerfere

withmoremomentousaffairs;butleaveittotheconsiderationof

thataugustbodyduringthisrecess,againstthenextsessions,

whenIshallexhibitanothercomplaintagainstagrowingabuse,for

whichIdoubtnotbuttoreceivetheirapprobationandthethanks

ofallhonestmen.

EVERYBODY'SBUSINESSISNOBODY'SBUSINESS

byDanielDefoe

Thisisaproverbsocommonineverybody'smouth,thatIwonder

nobodyhasyetthoughtitworthwhiletodrawproperinferences

fromit,andexposethoselittleabuses,which,thoughtheyseem

trifling,andasitwerescarceworthconsideration,yet,by

insensibledegrees,theymaybecomeofinjuriousconsequencetothe

public;likesomediseases,whosefirstsymptomsareonlytrifling

disorders,butbycontinuanceandprogression,theirlastperiods

terminateinthedestructionofthewholehumanfabric.

Incontradictionthereforetothisgeneralrule,andoutofsincere

loveandwellmeaningtothepublic,givemeleavetoenumeratethe

abusesinsensiblycreptinamongus,andtheinconveniencesdaily

arisingfromtheinsolenceandintriguesofourservant-wenches,

who,bytheircaballingtogether,havemadetheirpartyso

considerable,thateverybodycriesoutagainstthem;andyet,to

verifytheproverb,nobodyhasthoughtof,oratleastproposeda

remedy,althoughsuchanundertaking,meanasitseemstobe,I

hopewillonedaybethoughtworthytheconsiderationofourking,

lords,andcommons.

Womenservantsarenowsoscarce,thatfromthirtyandforty

shillingsayear,theirwagesareincreasedoflatetosix,seven,

nay,eightpoundsperannum,andupwards;insomuchthatanordinary

tradesmancannotwellkeepone;buthiswife,whomightbeuseful

inhisshoporbusiness,mustdothedrudgeryofhouseholdaffairs;

andallthisbecauseourservant-wenchesaresopuffedupwith

pridenowadays,thattheyneverthinktheygofineenough:

itisa

hardmattertoknowthemistressfromthemaidbytheirdress;nay,

veryoftenthemaidshallbemuchthefinerofthetwo.Our

woollenmanufacturesuffersmuchbythis,fornothingbutsilksand

satinswillgodownwithourkitchen-wenches;tosupportwhich

intolerablepride,theyhaveinsensiblyraisedtheirwagestosuch

aheightaswasneverknowninanyageornationbutthis.

Letustracethisfromthebeginning,andsupposeapersonhasa

servant-maidsenthimoutofthecountry,atfiftyshillings,or

threepoundsayear.Thegirlhasscarcebeenaweek,nay,aday

inherservice,butacommitteeofservant-wenchesareappointedto

examineher,whoadvisehertoraiseherwages,orgivewarning;to

encouragehertowhich,theherb-woman,orchandler-woman,orsome

otheroldintelligencer,providesheraplaceoffourorfive

poundsayear;thissetsmadamcock-a-hoop,andshethinksof

nothingnowbutvailsandhighwages,andsogiveswarningfrom

placetoplace,tillshehasgotherwagesuptothetip-top.

Herneat'sleathernshoesarenowtransformedintolacedoneswith

highheels;heryarnstockingsareturnedintofinewoollenones,

withsilkclocks;andherhighwoodenpattensarekickedawayfor

leathernclogs;shemusthaveahooptoo,aswellashermistress;

andherpoorscantylinsey-woolseypetticoatischangedintoagood

silkone,forfourorfiveyardswideattheleast.Nottocarry

thedescriptionfarther,inshort,plaincountryJoanisnowturned

intoafineLondonmadam,candrinktea,takesnuff,andcarry

herselfashighasthebest.

Ifshebetolerablyhandsome,andhasanyshareofcunning,the

apprenticeorhermaster'ssonisenticedawayandruinedbyher.

Thusmanygoodfamiliesareimpoverishedanddisgracedbythese

pertsluts,who,takingtheadvantageofayoungman'ssimplicity

andunrulydesires,drawmanyheedlessyouths,nay,someofgood

estates,intotheirsnares;andofthiswehavebuttoomany

instances.

Somemoreartfulshallconcealtheircondition,andpalmthemselves

offonyoungfellowsforgentlewomenandgreatfortunes.Howmany

familieshavebeenruinedbytheseladies?

whenthefatheror

masterofthefamily,preferringtheflirtingairsofayoung

prinkedupstrumpet,totheartlesssincerityofaplain,grave,

andgoodwife,hasgivenhisdesiresaloose,anddestroyedsoul,

body,family,andestate.Buttheyareveryfavourableifthey

wheedlenobodyintomatrimony,butonlymakeapresentofasmall

livecreature,nobiggerthanabastard,tosomeofthefamily,no

matterwhogetsit;whenachildisbornitmustbekept.

Oursessions'papersoflatearecrowdedwithinstancesofservant-

maidsrobbingtheirplaces,thiscanbeonlyattributedtotheir

devilishpride;fortheirwholeinquirynowadaysis,howlittle

theyshalldo,howmuchtheyshallhave.

Butallthiswhiletheymakesolittlereserve,thatiftheyfall

sicktheparishmustkeepthem,iftheyareoutofplace,theymust

prostitutetheirbodies,orstarve;sothatfromcloppingand

changing,theygenerallyproceedtowhoringandthieving,andthis

isthereasonwhyourstreetsswarmwithstrumpets.

Thusmanyofthemrovefromplacetoplace,frombawdy-houseto

service,andfromservicetobawdy-houseagain,everunsettledand

nevereasy,nothingbeingmorecommonthantofindthesecreatures

oneweekinagoodfamily,andthenextinabrothel.This

amphibiouslifemakesthemfitforneither,forifthebawduses

themill,awaytheytriptoservice,andifthemistressgivesthem

awryword,whiptheyareatabawdy-houseagain,sothatineffect

theyneithermakegoodwhoresnorgoodservants.

Thosewhoarenotthusslipperyinthetail,arelightoffinger;

andofthesethemostperniciousarethosewhobeggaryouinchmeal.

Ifamaidisadownrightthiefshestripsyou,itonce,andyou

knowyourloss;buttheseretailpilfererswasteyouinsensibly,

andthoughyouhardlymissit,yetyoursubstanceshalldecayto

suchadegree,thatyoumusthaveaverygoodbottomindeednotto

feeltheilleffectsofsuchmothsinyourfamily.

Tea,sugar,wine,&c.,oranysuchtriflingcommodities,are

reckonednothefts,iftheydonotdirectlytakeyourpewterfrom

yourshelf,oryourlinenfromyourdrawers,theyareveryhonest:

Whatharmisthere,saythey,incribbingalittlematterfora

junket,amerryboutorso?

Nay,therearethosethatwhenthey

aresenttomarketforonejointofmeat,shalltakeuptwoon

theirmaster'saccount,andleaveonebytheway,forsomeofthese

maidsaremightycharitable,andcanmakeashifttomaintaina

smallfamilywithwhattheycanpurloinfromtheirmastersand

mistresses.

Ifyousendthemwithreadymoney,theyturnfactors,andtake

threepenceorfourpenceintheshillingbrokerage.Andhereletme

takenoticeofoneveryheinousabuse,nottosaypettyfelony,