Instructions for apprentices and servants·

SECT. III. Of Fidelity, in managing what is entrusted with them. (Book 3)

Q. HOW are Servants to satisfie the other part of Fidelity, which is that, Of managing with Care, whatever is entrusted with them?

A. They satisfie this, by being so Care∣ful and Just in all they undertake, that their Master be not a Loser in any Way, thro' their Fault.

By this then Servants are oblig'd, First, To be so careful of whatever Goods are under their Charge, that they be not injur'd, lost or stoln, by their Sloth or Neglect. You know how many things require the Care of Servants, as in all belonging to Furniture, Cloaths, to Eat∣ing and Drinking, &c. Without this due Care, some of them are very much prejudiced, others become wholly Use∣less, and the Masters are often great Sufferers, by Servants not being diligent in what they undertake, and is their Du∣ty to do.

Secondly, They are oblig'd to see, there be no Waste of any thing under their

Charge, but must manage all with as much Care and Frugality, as if it were their own. I need not here mention Par∣ticulars; they, who know what belongs to a Family, know likewise, there is scarce any thing in it, but what is sub∣ject to Waste; and that tho' the Concern seems not much, yet at the Years end 'tis a great Expence to the Master, if in the Use and Care of every thing, there be not that due Management in Servants, which is necessary to prevent the Waste of them.

Thirdly, They are oblig'd to see, that nothing under their Care be mis-spent, broken or lost. And they are to reckon all that mis-spent, which is not employ'd according to their Order, whom they serve. Whence it cannot be allow'd them, either to give away, or to treat Companions or Friends, with what be∣longs to their Master, any further, than they have his Order, or have sufficient Reason to presume of his Consent. And as they are not to do this themselves, so neither are they to give Opportunity to others of doing it, thro' their Neglect, by carelesly leaving the Keys of things under their Charge, in publick, or by letting Doors or Boxes be open, which they ought to keep lockt. For whatever

comes thus to be taken away, must be charg'd to them, as occasion'd by their Neglect. Tho' all Servants are, in some degree or other, concern'd in this, yet none more than Apprentices, who have the Care of a Shop left to them; and therefore, if these, by Carelesness, or by talking with Companions, or by leaving the Shop, are the Occasion of their Ma∣ster being defrauded or robb'd, they must answer for the Wrong done; since the Care of Goods being entrusted with them, 'tis the same thing to the Master, whe∣ther he be robb'd by his own Servants, or by such as are invited and encourag'd by their Carelesness.

Fourthly, They are oblig'd to be just in all Accompts of Money; so as neither to take Money from those, whom they serve, nor set down to their Accompt a∣ny more, than has been laid out by their Order. In this they ought to be very Just, notwithstanding the fairest Oppor∣tunities of defrauding the Master, with∣out any Possibility of his coming to the Knowledge of it. As they are not to wrong him, by taking Money, so neither by keeping what is his in their Hands, un∣known to him: And therefore nothing of this can be done, without an evident Injustice, which tho' hid from Man, is

known to God, and will be severely pu¦nish'd by him, even more than common Theft, since the Trust repos'd in Ser∣vants makes their Crime worse than that of Robbers.

Fifthly, They are oblig'd to be Just, in whatever Money they lay out for their Master, and never to make such Bargains, in which they themselves may be Gain∣ers by their Master's Loss. They must not therefore, by the Encouragement of Bribes, be perswaded, either to give more for what they Buy, or take less for what they Sell, than they would do, were the Concern altogether their own. They must not Buy at a Shop, which allows them something for their Custom, when they might buy either better Goods, or better Cheap at another Place, which gives no such Encouragement. If by their Industry or Art, they have made a better Bargain in Buying or Selling, than their Master expects, the Advan¦tage is to be their Master's, and not their own: If he will reward them for it, he may; but they must not reward themselves, by either setting down more than what the thing cost, in Buy∣ing, or reserve any part to themselves of the Price receiv'd in Selling.

Q. Are Servants then to have no Encou∣ragement for being Industrious?

A. This must depend wholly on the Master: And if he should be so hard, as not to give them so much as good Words for what they do in his Service, yet still they are to be Industrious in all they do for him, to the best of their Skill and Power. The reason is, because 'tis their Duty to be Faithful in their Service; this God requires of them, and it is to be done for his and their own sake, tho' the Master may seem not to deserve it: For they are to do their Service with good Will, as to the Lord, and not as to Men. Whence those Servants have a great Ac∣count to give, who being put out of Hu∣mor by the undue or severe Reproofs of their Master, are, upon this, Careless in his Service, neglect their Duty, and matter not how much they mis-spend his Money, or waste his Goods. For in this they are wanting in that Fidelity, which God de∣mands of them, and is therefore due, not only to the Gentle and Meek, who give Encouragement, and seem to deserve it, but likewise to those of the most Harsh and Froward Temper.

Q. In relation to what you have said above, pray tell me: May not Servants take any thing, which is usually given by

those Shopkeepers, where they are Customers all the Year?

A. If such Shopkeepers rate their Goods accordingly, and make the Master pay what they are to give to their Servants, it is not then fair dealing on either side. But if Servants are Industrious to examin the Price of things, and do not keep to a Shop, but where things are as Good, and at as low a Rate, as they can buy any where else; then I see no Reason, but they may take what is given them. But this is a Point, in which Servants ought to be very Jealous of themselves; because in the Business of Money, every one is apt to judge too favorably of what is for their own Interest: And therefore if they do not often try the Price of things at other Places, I fear the Hopes of their own Gain will lessen their Industry, and make them pay in their Master's Wrong.