dies talked, a few mornings ago, of fuch a gentleman's connection with Mifs C, and fuch another's arrangement with Lady G--, with all the eafe in the world; yet these words, I find, being interpreted, mean nothing less than fornication and adultery. I fometimes remonftrate warmly, especially when I have my fon-in-law to back me, against these new-fangled freedoms; but another doctrine they have learned is, that a father and a parfon may preach as they please, but are to be followed only according to the inclination of their audience. Indeed I could not help obferving, that my Lady never mentioned her abfent Lord (who, I understand, is feldom of her parties), except fometimes to let us know how much fhe differed in opinion from him.

This contempt of authority, and affectation of fashion, has gone a ftep lower in my household. My gardener has tied his hair behind, and stolen my flour to powder it, ever fince he faw Mr. Papillot; and yesterday he gave me warning that he fhould leave me next term, if I did not take him into the houfe, and provide another hand for the work in the garden. I found a great hoyden, who washes

my daughters linens, fitting, the other afternoon, dreffed in one of their caft fly-caps, entertaining this fame oaf of a gardener, and the wives of two of my farm-fervants, with tea, forfooth; and when I quarrelled her for it, he replied, that Mrs. Dimmity, my Lady 's gentlewoman, told her all the maids had tea, and faw company of an

at

afternoon.

But I am refolved on a reformation, Mr. MIRROR, and fhall let my wife and daughters know, that I will be mafter of my own house and my own expences, and will neither be made a fool or a beggar, though it were after the manner of the greatest Lord in Chriftendom. Yet I confefs I am always for trying gentle methods firft. I beg, therefore, that you will infert this in your next paper, and add to it fome exhortations of your own to prevail on them, if poffible, to give over a behaviour, which, I think, under favour, is rather improper even in great folks, but is certainly ruinous to little ones.

I am,
&c.

JOHN HOMESPUN.

Mr. Homefpun's relation, too valuable to be fhortened, leaves me not room at prefent for any obfervations. But I have feen the change of manners among fome of my countrywomen, for several years paft, with the most fenfible regret; and I intend foon to devote a paper to a serious remonftrance with them on the subject.

Z

N° 26. SATURDAY, April 24, 1779.

N°

OTHING can give a truer picture of the manners of any particular age, or point out more ftrongly thofe circumstances which diftinguish it from others, than the change that takes place in the rules established as to the external conduct of men in fociety, or in what may be called the fyftem of politeness.

It were abfurd to fay, that, from a man's external conduct, we are always to judge of the feelings of his mind; but, certainly, when there are rules laid down for men's external behaviour to one another, we may conclude, that there are fome general feelings prevalent among the people which dictate thofe rules, and make a deviation from them be confidered as improper. When at any time, therefore, an alteration in thofe general rules takes place, it is reasonable to fuppofe that the change has been produced by fome alteration in the feelings, and in the ideas of propriety and impropriety of the people.

Whoever confiders the rules of external behaviour established about a century ago, muft be convinced, that much less attention was

then

then paid by men of high rank to the feelings of thofe beneath them, than in the prefent age. In that æra, a man ufed to measure out his complaifance to others according to the degree of rank in which they flood, compared with his own. A Peer had a certain manner of addrefs and falutation to a Peer of equal rank, a different one to a Peer of an inferior order, and, to a commoner, the mode of addrefs' was diversified according to the antiquity of his family, or the extent of his poffeffions; so that a ftranger who happened to be prefent at the levee of a great man, could, with tolerable certainty, by examining his features, or attending to the lowness of his bow, judge of the different degrees of dignity among his vifitors.

Were it the purpofe of the prefent paper, this might be traced back to a very femote period. By the Earl of Northumberland's houfehold-book, begun in the year 1512, it appears, that my Lord's board-end, that is to fay, the end of the table where he and his principal guests were feated, was served with a different and more delicate fort of viands, than thofe allotted to the lower end. "It is "thought good," says that curious record," that

(c по