avaricious tenant, were so infamous, that nobody
would work for them by the day, and servants were afraid to engage
themselves by the year, lest any unforseen accident should leave them
parishioners in a place where they knew they must perish miserably; so
that great part of the land lay untilled for some years, which was
deemed a just reward for such diabolical proceedings.

But what, says the reader, can occasion all this? do you intend this
for children? Permit me to inform you, that this is not the book, sir,
mentioned in the title, but an introduction to that book; and it is
intended, sir, not for that sort of children, but for children of six
feet high, of which, as my friend has justly observed, there are many
millions in the kingdom; and these reflections, sir, have been
rendered necessary by the unaccountable and diabolical scheme which
many gentlemen now give in to, of laying a number of farms into one,
and very often a whole parish into one farm; which in the end must
reduce the common people to a stage of vassalage, worse than that
under the barons of old, or of the clans in Scotland, and will in time
depopulate the kingdom. But as you are tired of the subject, I shall
take myself away, and you may visit Little Margery.

I

HOW AND ABOUT LITTLE MARGERY AND HER BROTHER

Care and discontent shortened the days of Little Margery's father. He
was forced from his family, and seized with a violent fever in a place
where Dr. James's powder was not to be had, and where he died
miserably. Margery's poor mother survived the loss of her husband but
a few days, and died of a broken heart, leaving Margery and her little
brother to the wide world; but, poor woman, it would have melted your
heart to have seen how frequently she heaved her head, while she lay
speechless, to survey with languishing looks her little orphans, as
much as to say, "Do, Tommy, do, Margery, come with me." They cried,
poor things, and she sighed away her soul; and I hope is happy.

It would both have excited your pity, and have done your heart good,
to have seen how these two little ones were so fond of each other, and
how hand in hand they trotted about.

They were both very ragged, and Tommy had no shoes, and Margery had
but one. They had nothing, poor things, to support them (not being in
their own parish) but what they picked from the hedges, or got from
the poor people, and they lay every night in a barn. Their relations
took no