agreeable to him, and
suited to his gay and thoughtless temper. He found a plentiful table
and a good cellar. There was, indeed, a great deal of work to be
done, though it was performed with much disorder and confusion. The
family in the main were not unkind to him, though they often
contradicted and crossed him, especially when things went ill with
themselves. This, William never much liked, for he was always fond
of having his own way. There was a merry, or rather a noisy and
riotous servants' hall; for disorder and quarrels are indeed the
usual effects of plenty and unrestrained indulgence. The men were
smart, but idle; the maids were showy but licentious, and all did
pretty much as they liked for a time, but the time was commonly
short. The wages were reckoned high, but they were seldom paid, and
it was even said by sober people, that the family was insolvent, and
never fulfilled any of their flattering engagements, or their most
positive promises; but still, notwithstanding their real poverty,
things went on with just the same thoughtlessness and splendor, and
neither master nor servants looked beyond the jollity of the present
hour.

In this unruly family there was little church-going, and still less
praying at home. They pretended, indeed, in a general way, to
believe in the Bible, but it was only an outward profession; few of
them read it at all, and even of those who did read still fewer were
governed by it. There was indeed a Bible lying on the table in the
great hall, which was kept for the purpose of administering an oath,
but was seldom used on any other occasion, and some of the heads of
the family were of opinion that this was its only real use, as it
might serve to keep the lower parts of it in order.

William, who was fond of novelty and pleasure, was apt to be
negligent of the duties of the house. He used to stay out on his
errands, and one of his favorite amusements was going to the parade
to see the soldiers exercise. He saw with envy how smartly they were
dressed, listened with rapture to the music, and fancied that a
soldier had nothing to do but to walk to and fro in a certain
regular order, to go through a little easy exercise, in short, to
live without fighting, fatigue, or danger.

O, said he, whenever he was affronted at home, what a fine thing it
must be to be a soldier! to be so well dressed, to have nothing to
do but to move to the pleasant sound of fife and drum, and to have
so many p