Anonymous

“ Blanch will be wiser, for her own sake, than lay Stresses on her Sister, from whom she gets more than by all the World beside, only to humour a Set of grumbling Churls, who don’t know what they would be at; and so extremely senseless, that it’s Matter of Wonder, their Oxen don’t ride them to the Market, and sell them. ’Tis true, a Linen-weaver, one of Blanch’s Tenants, prevailed on her lately to withdraw some Encouragement she had given Betty, and transfer it to a Stranger. ”

“ Blanch has a good Understanding, but does not know the World, and is commonly choused by her Neighbours. Betty has no Opportunity of knowing the World, as her Sister won’t let her go [36] much abroad or converse with the Neighbours; she has but little Experience, and, to be sure, is not very wise, but is the quickest in the World at finding out a Fool. ”

“ 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. ”

“ People must be generous, as well as brave, to forgive those that frighten them.
There’s another Cause of Dislike among [32] such as have Dealings with Betty’s Tenants who come on Business, or to visit her Sister, that they run in debt with them, and don’t pay. So do all their Neighbours, for that matter; but they complain of none but Betty, though it is very well known they make ample Reprisals on her; and one Bite of theirs, is worth a hundred of Betty’s, who are none but such as are despised at home, and can get neither Credit or Company there ”

“ The Office of a Steward was now abolished for a Time, and the elder Sister resolved to take her Affairs entirely into her own Hands, and have neither Steward or Guardian for the future. The Condition, indeed, of both was deplorable. There had been nothing during the late Quarrel, but Riot and Plunder, Rents unpaid, and Soldiers quartered at Discretion; so that, in order to retrieve their Affairs, it seemed necessary to put things on a new Footing, and trust none but themselves to manage them. ”

“ Now, the Servants bear hard on Betty, to curry Favour with her Sister’s Tenants, who would go half Way to the D——l to have Betty d——d, are for ever cursing her, and laying all their Misfortunes at her Door. If the Clothier loses his Business, or has his [30] Goods on Hand, ’tis all ’long of Betty: Wheat bears no Price, for Betty has glutted the Market. Whereas, in Fact, they never keep the same Markets. But they forget, they are all so idle and debauched, such gobling and drinking Rascals, and so expensive in blew Beer, that they are forced to put a double Price on every thing goes to Market ”

“ Blanch is by much the taller, neat, timbersome, and well made, a lively Look and a sprightly Air. Betty’s Face is full out as handsome as her Sister’s, tho’ not so regular, has more variety and striking Beauties, and, with equal Dressing, would appear more lovely than the other ”

“ The elder is cautious, and hides carefully every Fault she is conscious of; the younger is not conscious of any Fault of Folly whatever; so they all come out in her communicative Fits, which seize her as often as she gets a Stranger to talk to. Blanch is the more censorious, and Betty the greater Liar. ”

“ Has Blanch a Favourite whom she cannot readily provide for, a poor Relation on hand, or Retainer to the Family, a broken Projector, or cast Serving-man; she has no more to do but acquaint Betty with it, who quickly puts him on a creditable Pension, and never refuses, though she run herself in Debt by it. Is Blanch engaged in a Brangle with her Tenants, (who, by the way, are cursedly litigious) and hard put to it for Hands to do her [29] Business, Betty makes an Offer of sending her People to help her, and maintaining them abroad at her own Charges. ”

“ 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. ”

“ But when they found they had nothing to [23] fear, either at home or abroad, they began in earnest to improve their Concerns, as they were sure they were working for themselves, and in no Danger of being dispossessed, by Virtue of chimerical Claims, and Antediluvian Proprietors.
The Blacks, indeed, immediately made a Riot on this new Settlement, but could not get Possession; and, lately, a young Jackanapes pretended a Right to be Steward to both Sisters, by Virtue of a Patent he had got from the last Steward, as if he had a Right to dispose of a Place he had been turned out of himself. ”

“ Accordingly, from time to time, they sent Proxies, to let Leases, keep her Courts, and force Possession, where the Tenants held over. Little, however, was done for Betty, though they put her Sister to great Charges; nor did she thrive in the World to any Purpose, ’till she came under the Care of a good orderly Gentlewoman, who was also Guardian to Blanch, a notable [8] Manager, and very affectionate to her Wards, understood their Business to a hair, and was never to be imposed on or over-reached. Every thing she put her hand to prospered, and every thing against her miscarried. ”

“ Betty all the while was minding Business [22] at home, and her Affairs prospered amain. Her Tenants became industrious, and her Estate improved; yet she never thought herself sufficiently secure till she got under the new Protection her Deliverer had provided. Her Situation is particular. She has a strange Mixture of People on her Estate, who are always at Daggers drawing with one another, and a mighty Hindrance to her Business. They are Whites, Blacks, and Black and White. The Whites only are allowed to be Land-holders ”

“ But she unfortunately died, more, however, to her Sister’s Disadvantage than hers; for the Guardian had chalked out a Track of Proceeding for Betty, which she could hardly miss to follow. The Elder, however, was inconsolable for the Loss of her Guardian, and resolved, for the future, to manage her Concerns by the Assistance of a Steward, a Sort of a Cousin to her Guardian deceased, but no way allied to her, in Worth or Understanding. ”

“ So unnatural a Quarrel between near Relations must make them despised by all the Neighbours around, who are hourly taking the Advantage of it, and profiting themselves by the Hindrance the Sisters give to each other. ”

“ But in every other Respect, she desires to keep up a good Correspondence with her, and is daily doing every thing in her Power, to gain her Favour, and procure her Regards. Whatever she can spare from her ordinary Expences, she, in some Shape or other, makes a Present of to her Sister, in Acknowledgement for Services done, and Kindnesses receiv’d in her Minority. ”

“ 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 [15] was a going. It became a Fashion to be Bankrupt; to be Rich, was to lose all Credit ”

“ The first are dreadfully maligned by the Blacks, who are unhappily the more numerous, lay old Claims to her Lands, and are ever watching for an Opportunity to make a Riot, and take forcible Possession. ”

“ But their Manners and Disposition are so different, that it’s next to impossible they should ever love one another; tho’, for mutual Interest, and to make that Figure in the Eye of the World which two Ladies of their Distinction and Fortune ought to assume, their Friends may agree to promote jointly their Interests, and never heed how peevish and untoward either of them may be, or pay any Regard to the [34] fanciful Aversions, and ungrounded Jealousies, which are always inseparable from a female Breast. ”