’The Bearer hereof is so uneasie to me, that it will be an Act of Charity in you to take him off my Hands; whether you prefer him or not, it is all one, for I have no manner of Kindness for him, or Obligation to him or his; and do what you please as to that.’

As negligent as Men are in this respect, a point of Honour is concerned in it; and there is nothing a Man should be more ashamed of, than passing a worthless Creature into the Service or Interests of a Man who has never injured you.  The Women indeed are a little too keen in their Resentments, to trespass often this Way:  But you shall sometimes know that the Mistress and the Maid shall quarrel, and give each other very free Language, and at last the Lady shall be pacified to turn her out of Doors, and give her a very good Word to any body else.  Hence it is that you see, in a Year and Half’s time, the same Face a Domestick in all parts of the Town.  Good-breeding and Good-nature lead People in a great Measure to this Injustice:  When Suitors of no Consideration will have Confidence enough to press upon their Superiors, those in Power are tender of speaking the Exceptions they have against them, and are mortgaged into Promises out of their Impatience of Importunity.  In this latter Case, it would be a very useful Enquiry to know the History of Recommendations:  There are, you must know, certain Abettors of this way of Torment, who make it a Profession to manage the Affairs of Candidates:  These Gentlemen let out their Impudence to their Clients, and supply any Defective Recommendation, by informing how such and such a Man is to be attacked.  They will tell you, get the least Scrap from Mr. Such-a-one, and leave the rest to them.  When one of these Undertakers have your Business in hand, you may be sick, absent in Town or Country, and the Patron shall be worried, or you prevail.  I remember to have been shewn a Gentleman some Years ago, who punish’d a whole People for their Facility in giving their Credentials.  This Person had belonged to a Regiment which did Duty in the West-Indies, and by the Mortality of the Place happened to be commanding Officer in the Colony.  He oppressed his Subjects with great frankness, till he became sensible that he was heartily hated by every Man under his Command.  When he had carried his Point, to be thus detestable, in a pretended Fit of Dishumour, and feigned Uneasiness of living where he found he was so universally unacceptable, he communicated to the chief Inhabitants a Design he had to return for England, provided they would give him ample Testimonials of their Approbation.  The Planters came into it to a Man; and in proportion to his deserving the quite contrary, the Words Justice, Generosity, and Courage, were inserted in his Commission, not omitting the general Good-liking of People of all Conditions in the Colony.  The Gentleman returns for England, and within few Months after came back to them their Governour on the Strength of their own Testimonials.