and a medium ought to be observed
on both sides. But if they are not restrained from quitting service on
every vagary, they will throw themselves on the town, and not only ruin
themselves, but others; for example, a girl quits a place and turns
whore; if there is not a bastard to be murdered, or left to the parish,
there is one or more unwary youths drawn in to support her in lewdness
and idleness; in order to which, they rob their parents and masters,
nay, sometimes, anybody else, to support their strumpets; so that many
thieves owe their ruin and shameful deaths to harlots; not to mention
the communication of loathsome distempers, and innumerable other evils,
to which they give birth.

How many youths, of all ranks, are daily ruined? and how justly may be
dreaded the loss of as many more, if a speedy stop be not put to this
growing evil? Generations to come will curse the neglect of the present,
and every sin committed for the future may be passed to our account, if
we do not use our endeavours to the contrary.

And unless we prevent our maid-servants from being harboured by wicked
persons when out of place, or living too long on their own hands, our
streets will swarm with impudent shameless strumpets; the good will be
molested; those prone to evil will be made yet more wicked, by having
temptations thrown in their way; and, to crown all, we shall have scarce
a servant left, but our wives, &c., must do the household-work
themselves.

If this be not worthy the consideration of a legislature, I would fain
know what is. Is it not time to limit their wages, when they are grown
so wanton they know not what to ask? Is it not time to fix them, when
they stroll from place to place, and we are hardly sure of a servant a
month together? Is it not time to prevent the increase of harlots, by
making it penal for servants to be harboured in idleness, and tempted to
theft, whoredom, murder, &c., by living too long out of place? and I am
sure it is high time to begin the work, by clearing the public streets
of night-walkers, who are grown to such a pitch of impudence that peace
and common decency are manifestly broken in our public streets. I wonder
this has so long escaped the eye of the magistrate, especially when
there are already in force laws sufficient to restrain this tide of
uncleanness, which will one day overflow us.

The lewdest people upon earth, ourselves excepted, are not guilty of
such open violations of the laws