The True Life of Betty Ireland | Page 3

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