The records on clerks, which were the result of close scrutiny of their private lives, and naturally also their public work, are documents which, through analysis of the "sins" committed by sundry individuals, present an interesting illustration of life and the social norms of the time. Naturally, the ancient (and still present) vices of drunkenness and adultery were viewed as the most abhorrent of these sins, and although the accused clerks writhed and pleaded when cautioned repeatedly by their superiors, and promised never to transgress again, their vices usually only dissembled for a while, in order to seize their hapless victims by the throat again as soon as the interrogator's back was turned. Despite these examples, however, one must not overlook the positive contributions made by the modern clerks of Joseph II towards the development of the bourgeoisie.