Page:Pretty Story.djvu/24

 the old Lady and the ſteward had ſet themſelves againſt the people of the new farm; and began to deviſe ways and means to impoveriſh and diſtreſs them.

prevailed on the Nobleman to ſign an edict againſt the new ſettlers, in which it was declared that it was their duty as children to pay ſomething towards the ſupplying their fathers table with proviſions, and to the ſupporting the dignity of his family; for that purpoſe it was ordained that all their ſpoons, knives and forks, plates and porringers, ſhould be marked with a certain mark, by officers appointed for that end; for which marking they were to pay a certain ſtipend: and that they ſhould not, under ſevere penalties, preſume to make uſe of any ſpoon, knife or folk, plate or porringer, before it had been ſo marked, and the ſaid ſtipend paid to the officer.

inhabitants of the new farm began to ſee that their father’s affections were alienated from them; and that their mother was but a baſe mother-in-law debauched by their enemy the ſteward. They were thrown into great confuſion and diſtreſs. They wrote the moſt ſupplicating letters to the old Gentleman, in which they acknowledged him to be their father in terms of the greateſt