世界名著Everybodys Business is Nobodys Business.docx
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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,
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