He was rash, senseless, obstinate, and ill-minded; none of the Neighbours would _deal_ with him, or the _Tenants_ trust him, as there was no believing one Word he said, or promise that he made; for he had taken an Oath when he was young never to speak Truth. He began his Vagaries by putting the _Curate_ in the _Stocks_, for refusing to teach a new _Catechism_ of his _own Invention_. He entered into a Plot to secure the _Elder Sister_ in the House of Correction, and make her do Penance in the Church, under Pretence of Carnal Conversation. He agreed to sell _Betty_ to a Cousin of his, a great Lord in the Neighbourhood, who longed to have her for a Waiting-woman to his Wife. So the _Tenants_ made short Work with him, rose one and all, and sent him a-packing to his Cousin, where he was fain to be a Serving-man, since he could not send _Betty_ to be a Serving-maid. Both the _Sisters_ took an Oath never more to have a _Steward_ again, and to abolish the very Name from among them, with a reserve to his Daughters, who had married abroad, and were good sort of Women, in their Way. Here it was that _both the Sisters_ had their Affairs put on a sure and lasting Footing. The Rights of the _Tenants_ were narrowly examined, and all pretended Powers of the Steward abolished by a Rule on the _Court Manor_ Books. There was, indeed, some Difficulty in bringing it about, and a power of Money laid out on the Occasion. But it was well bestowed had it been twice as much. There was a _Stripling_ among the neighbouring _Fens_, who had married a Daughter of the _Steward_'s, and had got the best Estate there by the Diligence of his _Ancestors_, who were the principal _Engineers_ in _draining_ and _banking_ the Country. They had often borrowed Money from _Blanch_ to carry on the Work, to _stem_ the Water when the _Fen-men_ were in despair, and prevailed on her to send a strong _Posse_ of her Tenants to keep off some malicious Neighbours, who would ever and anon be _boring_ Holes in the _Dikes_, and endangered the Overflowing of all the Land they had gained. If ever these _wretched People_ shewed any thing that looked like _Gratitude_, it was to the Family of their _Engineers_; and this young Man improved it to his own Advantage, and that of _Blanch_, whom he acknowledged the Preserver of the _Fen-men_, who deserved Preservation on no other Account than to make them _Pack-horses_ and _Carriers_. They were, indeed, a middle Species between Men and Brutes, and chiefly compounded of the latter. But this young _Adventurer_ had got the Ascendant over them, and, as we ordinarily say of vicious Horses, had made the D----l come out of them. He _ringed_ them by the Nose, and _bled_ them with the _Spur_, and so throughly _broke_ them (for he was a special Horseman) that they never kicked or plunged when he was _in the Saddle_; but, as the Nature of Beasts is, became the fonder of him the rougher he handled them.