magistracy begin to put the
laws against vagabonds in force with the utmost vigour, a great many of
those vermin, the japanners, having lately been taken up and sent to the
several work-houses in and about this city; and indeed high time, 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 you know your
man.

As for the maid-servants, if I undervalue myself to take notice of them,
as they are pleased to say, it is because they overvalue themselves so
much they ought to be taken notice of.

This makes the guilty take my subject by the wrong end, but any impartial
reader may find, I write not against servants, but bad servants; not
against wages, but exorbitant wages, and am entirely of the poet's
opinion,

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 last
sessions of parliament was, because I did not care to interfere with more
momentous affairs; but leave it to the consideration of that august body
during this recess, against the next sessions, when I shall exhibit
another complaint against a growing abuse, for which I doubt not but to
receive their approbation and the thanks of all honest men.

EVERYBODY'S BUSINESS IS NOBODY'S BUSINESS

This is a proverb so common in everybody's mouth, that I wonder nobody
has yet thought it worth while to draw proper inferences from it, 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 continuance and
progression, their last periods terminate in the destruction of the whole
human fabric.

In contradiction therefore to this general rule, and out of sincere love
and well meaning to the public, give me leave to enumerate the abuses
insensibly crept in among us, and the inconveniences daily arising from
the insolence and intrigues of our servant-wenches, who, by their
caballing together, have made their party so considerable, that everybody
cries out against them; and yet, to verify the proverb, nobody has
thought of, or at least proposed a remedy, although such an undertaking,
mean as it seems to be, I hope will