CCXI sociable letters written by the thrice noble, illustrious, and excellent princess, the Lady Marchioness of Newcastle.

LXI.

MADAM,

I Am sorry to hear you have lost so Good a Ser∣vant as E. L. was, for she was Faithful, Trusty, Loving, Humble, Obedient, Industri∣ous,

Thrifty, and Quiet, Harmlesly Merry and Free, yet full of Respect and Duty, which Few Servants are in this Age, for most are Idle, Cou∣sening, Wastful, Crafty, Bold, Rude, Murmu∣ring, Factious and Trecherous, and what not that is Evil? But truly, Madam, the Fault ought to be laid on the Masters and Mistresses, who either give their Servants ill Examples by their Evil or Idle Life, or through a Creduluos Trust, which is a Temptation to a Poor Ser∣vant, and it is a part of our Prayer, Lead us not into Temptation; or through a Neglect of Go∣verning, for there is an old true Saying, The Masters Eye makes the Horse Fat; or through a Timorous Fear of Commanding, for many Masters are Afraid to Command a Peremptory Servant, being more in Aw of the Servant than the Servant of the Master; or through much Clemency, giving their Servants their Wills so much as they neglect their Duties; or through their Prodigality, when to Inrich their Servants they make themselves Poor, so as the Ser∣vant becomes Greater than the Master, which makes them so Proud, that they Slight their Commands and Neglect their Services, Forget∣ting who Advanced them, and are apt to Rebel against them, just like the Devils, when they were Angels, who perceiving they were so Glo∣rious Creatures, Rebell'd against their Creator, and would be as God himself; Just so are Poor Servants when their Master gives them fine Cloaths to Adorn them, or Money to Inrich

them, or Offices to Advance them, they streight would be their Masters, nay, they will Envy their Master if they see him have any thing Bet∣ter than they. This I have Known by Expe∣rience, but They will not Know it, untill they become to be like Devils, that is, in a miserable Condition, which they deserve for their Ingra∣titude; but a Good Servant is a Treasure, sayes Solomon; and so I think is a Good Master to a Servant, if the Servant have Wit to perceive it, But a Good Master is to know How to Com∣mand, When to Command, and What to Com∣mand; also When to Bestow, What to Bestow, & How much to Bestow on a Good Servant; also to fit Servants to Imployments, and Imployments to Servants; also to know How and When to Restrain them, and when to give them Liberty; also to observe, which of his Servants be fit to be Ruled with Austerity or Severity, and which with Clemency, and to Reward and Punish them Properly, Timely and Justly; Likewise when to make them Work, and when to let them Play or Sport; as also when to Keep them at a Di∣stance, and when to Associate Himself with them; And truly, I should sooner chuse to Asso∣ciate my Self with the Company of my Ser∣vants, had they good Breeding, or were Capable to Learn and Imitate what did belong to good Behaviour, than with Strangers, for Good Ser∣vants are Friends as well as Servants, nay, Ser∣vants are a Guard to their Masters, for Good & Faithfull Servants will Dye for the Safeguard of

their Masters Life, and they will indure any Torments rather than Betray their Masters; and it is the Duty of Servants so to Do, for Servants ow almost as much Duty to their Ma∣sters, as Children to their Parents, or Subjects to their Natural Prince, for Servants are not on∣ly Govern'd, but Instructed, Fed, and Main∣tain'd; and what greater Crime is there, than to be a Traitor to their Governour, Tutor, and Nourisher of their Life? And every Master, the Meanest that is, is a Father and a King in his own Family, Wherefore to my Reason they are very unwise that will go out of their own Do∣minions, and leaving their own Obedient Sub∣jects, which are their Servants, Travel into o∣ther Kingdoms, which are other Families, wherein they have neither Power nor Obedi∣ence, leaving their own Servants without Rule or Guide, for when a Master is from Home, his Family is like a Body without a Head, like as a King should Travel into Forein Countries, and leave his Subjects and Kingdom and State-Af∣fairs at Random, or to a Deputy, 'tis likely his Subjects would Rebell against him through Dislike to the Deputy, as Scorning to be Ruled or Govern'd by a Fellow-Subject, or else the Deputy will get away their Love from their Prince, and then will strive to thrust the Right Owner out; The same is with a Master and his Servants; where∣fore a Wise, Loving Master will keep Home, and go no oftener Abroad than Occasion re∣quires,

but will Entertain himself with his own Family, and his Family will Entertain him with Sports and Pastimes, like as Subjects do their Princes, and whenas a Servant doth Rebell, al∣though the Master hath not Power to Banish him the Country or Kingdom, as Princes have, yet hath he Power to turn him out of his Ser∣vice, and Banish him from his House, if his Fault do deserve it; but some may think it strange, that there are as few Masters that know how to Govern their Families Wisely, as there are Kings that know how to Rule their Kingdoms Wisely; but that is no wonder, for first, where there is One King of a Kingdom, there are Thousands Masters of Families, and a King is the Master of all those Families, insomuch as a King hath more Masters to Govern and Rule, than the Richest Master of his Kingdom hath Servants; but if Servants were as they should be, Masters would not onely Thrive by the Trusty Labours of their Servants, and Servants by the Wealth of their Master, but Masters and Ser∣vants would live Easily, by the Diligence of the One, and the Prudence of the Other; also they would live Delightfully, by their Sports and Pa∣stimes, where the Master would sit as a Kingly Spectator, whilst his Servants were Pleasant Actors, in all which both Masters and Servants would be very Happy, so as this World would seem an Earthly Paradise. But, Madam, if I write any more, I shall go near to make you a Servant to your Servant, in a Laborious reading

her Long Letter, but it was your Command in your last Letter, that I should write you Long Letters, and I believe in this I have Fully O∣bey'd you, which is my Desire to all your Com∣mands, to let you Know that there is none more Truly and Faithfully

Your Ladiships Servant than I.