the Terms strange Persons, People one
does not know, the Creature, Wretches, Beasts, Brutes, and many other
Appellations evidently demonstrate; which Mrs. Slipslop having often heard her
Mistress use, thought she had also a Right to use in her turn: and perhaps she
was not mistaken; for these two Parties, especially those bordering nearly on
each other, to-wit the lowest of the High, and the highest of the Low, often
change their Parties according to Place and Time; for those who are People of
Fashion in one place, are often People of no Fashion in another: And with regard
to Time, it may not be unpleasant to survey the Picture of Dependance like a
kind of Ladder; as for instance, early in the Morning arises the Postillion, or
some other Boy which great Families no more than great Ships are without, and
falls to brushing the Clothes, and cleaning the Shoes of John the Footman, who
being drest himself, applies his Hands to the same Labours for Mr. Second-hand
the Squire's Gentleman; the Gentleman in the like manner, a little later in the
Day, attends the Squire; the Squire is no sooner equipped, than he attends the
Levee of my Lord; which is no sooner over, than my Lord himself is seen at the
Levee of the Favourite, who after his Hour of Homage is at an end, appears
himself to pay Homage to the Levee of his Sovereign. Nor is there perhaps, in
this whole Ladder of Dependance, any one Step at a greater distance from the
other, than the first from the second: so that to a Philosopher the Question
might only seem whether you would chuse to be a great Man at six in the Morning,
or at two in the Afternoon. And yet there are scarce two of these, who do not
think the least Familiarity with the Persons below them a Condescension, and if
they were to go one Step farther, a Degradation.
    And now, Reader, I hope thou wilt pardon this long Digression, which seemed
to me necessary to vindicate the great Character of Mrs. Slipslop, from what low
People, who have never seen high People, might think an Absurdity: but we who
know them, must have daily found very high Persons know us in one Place and not
in another, To-day, and not To-morrow; all which, it is difficult to account
for, otherwise than I have here endeavour'd; and perhaps, if the Gods, according
to the Opinion of some, made Men only to laugh at them