The True Life of Betty Ireland | Page 3

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