misapplications or embezzlements which are discovered, and can be
proved, but extend to no secret concealed mischiefs: neither, thirdly,
do those securities reach to the negligence, idleness, or debaucheries
of servants; but, which is still more than all the rest, they do not
reach to the worst of robbery between the servant and his master, I mean
the loss of his time; so that still there is as much reason for the
master's inspection, both into his servants and their business, as ever.

But least of all does this security reach to make the master any
satisfaction for the loss of his business, the ill management of his
shop, the disreputation brought upon it by being committed to servants,
and those servants behaving ill, slighting, neglecting, or disobliging
customers; this does not relate to securities given or taken, nor can
the master make himself any amends upon his servant, or upon his
securities, for this irrecoverable damage. He, therefore, that will keep
up the reputation of his shop, or of his business, and preserve his
trade to his own advantage, must resolve to attend it himself, and not
leave it to servants, whether good or bad; if he leaves it to good
servants, they improve it for themselves, and carry the trade away with
them when they go; if to bad servants, they drive his customers away,
bring a scandal upon his shop, and destroy both their master and
themselves.

Secondly, As to the receiving great premiums with their apprentices,
which, indeed, is grown up to a strange height in this age, beyond
whatever it was before, it is an unaccountable excess, which is the ruin
of more servants at this time than all the other excesses they are
subject to, nay, in some respect it is the cause of it all; and, on the
contrary, is far from being an equivalent to their masters for the
defect of their service, but is an unanswerable reason why the master
should not leave his business to their management.

This premium was originally not a condition of indenture, but was a kind
of usual or customary present to the tradesman's wife to engage her to
be kind to the youth, and take a motherly care of him, being supposed to
be young when first put out.

By length of time this compliment or present became so customary as to
be made a debt, and to be conditioned for as a demand, but still was
kept within bounds, and thirty or forty pounds was sufficient to a very
good merchant, which now is run up to five hundred, nay, to