CHAPTER II
_First Day of a London 'Prentice his Life_
Thou mayest marvel, _Hew_, that I remember so well the minutestCircumstances of that, my first Day on the Bridge; but by Reason of ayoung, quick Apprehensiveness of Novelty, I remember that Day betterthan any other (but one) in the Year; and that Year better than manythat came after it.
Early as I rose the next Morning, it would seem that some one was yetearlier than I; for my Master's large Bible lay open on the Table, asthough some one had been a reading it. And, whereby my good Mother hadearly taught me, during the Famine of GOD'S Word, to snatch a Mouthfulof it whenever it came in my Way, albe it were but a single Sentence tochew the Cud upon pleasantly at my Work, I cast mine Eye upon the Page,and lighted by Hap on the Saying, "Whatsoever thine Hand findeth to do,_do it with thy Might_,"—when my Master's Hand was laid upon myShoulder, and made me start.
"My Lad," quod he, "a Mind sequestering itself to the Exercises ofPiety, lies very open to the farther Discoveries of divine Light andLove, and invites CHRIST to come and dwell in it." I louted low, tothank him for his Grace, albeit it seemed to me he took me for a betterand wiser Lad than I was. But good Praise takes root and spreads; andthere was no great Damage in his giving me a little more Credit than Ideserved; inasmuch as we are not born good, but made good.
Thereafter, Master _Hewet_ taketh me to the very topmost Floor of ourHouse, next the 'Prentices' Loft, and openeth a creaking Door; whereonwe enter a low, longish Attick, containing two Looms, at one of whichsate a Man weaving. There was a Lattice almost the entire Length of theAttick, looking down upon the bright shining _Thames_, then sparkling inthe Morning Sun, and all in a Tremble beneath a smart Breeze, whileheavy Barges and light Boats full of Garden Stuff for the Markets werepassing to and fro. The Chamber, though abject to look at, wasdelightsome to look from; and the Air was so clear that I could see aHousewife in a Stamel Petticoat cheapening Neats' Feet on the_Bankside_, and the _Easterlings_ unloading their Cargoes at the_Steelyard_. But the Man at the Loom had no Eye for these Things; heseemed not much under fifty Years of Age, and had a pale, pain-wornFace, and patient, gentle, though not happy Aspect. A Blackbird in aWicker Cage hung at the open Window; there were some two or three oldBooks on a Shelf, and a dozen Flowerpots or so on a little Ledge outsidethe Attick, between the Roofs, which was railed in and made into a Sortof little Garden.
"Here's a Man, now," quod my Master to me in a low Voice, "hath solittle Care for aught beyond these four Walls, as never e'en to havespared Time to look on _Fisher's_ Head at the Bridge End all the Whilethe Strete was so thronged with the gazing Rabble as that scarcely aHorse nor Cart could pass. Nor do I believe he would have cast a Look upat poor Sir _Thomas More_, save on his Way to the Burreller's. A fairMorning, _Tomkins_!"
"A fair Morning, as you say, Master," returned _Tomkins_, "I wish youJoy of it."
"Here's your new Scholar," quod my Master; "you will set him going, andare scarce likely to find him more awkward than _Miles_."
"I hope I shall find him a good Deal less so, and less froward, too, orI sha'n't count him good for much," quod _Tomkins_, turning about, andlooking hard at me. "I like his Face, Master," quod he.
"Here, give him the Shuttle, and let us see how he will handle it," quodMaster _Hewet_.
"Not mine, he may have _Miles's_," interposed _Tomkins_, rising withsome Difficulty and going to the other Loom; and I then observed he wasvery Lame. "Here, Lad, see, this is the Way," quod he.
So I tried, awkwardly enough, and made them both laugh; and laughed too.But I went to it with a Will, and anon they said I was mending.
"_Miles_ might have done an Hour's Work by this Time," observed_Tomkins_, "but I've seen nought of him."
"Because Mistress _Fraunces_ hath sent him to _Trolop's_ Milk-farm forCurds and Cream," quod my Master; "don't be hard upon him."
"I wish he may not do what he did, the last Time I sent him of anErrand," quod _Tomkins_ dryly—"tarry by the Way to see a Horse-dealerhanged."
"That would have spoiled my Relish for Curds and Cream," quod Master_Hewet_, "I think he must have returned ere this—_Ned_ shall bring upyour Breakfast, _Tomkins_."
As we went down, "Do all thou canst, _Ned_," quod my Master, "in the Wayof small Kindnesses, for that poor Journeyman Freeman.—A few Yearssince, a Horse trod upon his Foot and lamed him for Life. My Wife, whowas his Foster-sister, and felt a Kindness for him, had him here tonurse; and, by the Time he had recovered as much as he was ever likelyto do, he had become so fond of us and of his Attick, that, albeit ourOrdinances are somewhat stringent against Master Clothworkers keepingWeavers at Journeywork in their own Houses, the Wardens have overlookedit in his Case, and let him abide on Sufferance. And though I don'texpect to make my Fortune by any Weaving I get out of you or _Miles_,and have indeed Plenty of very different Work for you, yet 'tis well youshould know somewhat of the Practice of your Craft, and I look to you toattend to it whenever you would otherwise be in Idleness."
When we reached the Ground-floor, there was Mrs. _Fraunces_ buying Rosesand Gilly-flowers at the Door, which she afterwards set in Midst of theBreakfast-table; for 'twas a notable Way of hers I always observed fromthe first, to contrive to give e'en the simplest Meal the Air of alittle Banquet, whether by a Posy, a Dish of Fruit, or whatever it mightchance, to grace her plain, plenteous Providings.
The first Note I had of _Miles Hackathrift_ being at Hand, was when Ireturned from carrying up to _Tomkins_ his fried Fish and Bracket. Hecame behind me, took me by the Shoulders, and gave me a smart shaking.
"Come, now," quod I, when he had done, "art thou going to be civil ortroublesome?"
"Troublesome," replied he decidedly.
"Oh! well," quod I, "then we shall not come to a good Understanding, itseems, till I have given you a Beating; but for your Sake I'll put itoff as long as I can."
"Your Time is mine, sir," quod he, "don't be in a Hurry, nor yet put itoff too long. The smallest Favour shall be cheerfully accepted."
"Ah," quod I, "if that were a true Word of yours, how pleasantly wemight get on together."
"Pleasantly! quite the other Way, I think," quod he. "Why, quarrelling'sthe very Spice of Life!"
"Keep Spice for rich Men's Tables, then," quod I, "I can eat myBreakfast very well without it."
"Ah!" saith he, "you've been brought up by your Mother!"
"And what if I have?" quod I quickly.
"_Have_ you, though?" quod he, laughing. "Marry, you have now told Talesof yourself! Though I could have guessed it."
"May there never be a worse Tale to tell of you," quod I. "How meanyou?" quod he, bristling up. "Just what I say and no more," quod I; "mymeaning is full simple, I think." "Like yourself, then," quod he; "Idon't believe you could say Bo! to a Goose." "Nor Pruh! to a Cow,perhaps," quod I. "Lads! Lads! be quiet there!" cries Mistress_Fraunces_ from the Parlour.
"What would be the Effect of that, though?" quod _Miles_, withoutminding her, as soon as he had done Coughing by reason of a Fish-bonethat stuck in his Throat. "To set them scampering," quod I, "as I didone Day, into the midst of a Pleasure Party." "Ha, ha, ha!" cries he,"I'll try that in _Trolop's_ Fields; there are Lots of Cows there, andPleasure Parties too on Summer Evenings. Lovers and Loveresses, a eatingof Curds and Whey!"
—"Really, Brother," saith Mistress _Fraunces_, the next Time my Masterwent into the Parlour,—for though her Voice was low and sweet, it wasso distinct that oft-times I could not help hearing what she wassaying,—"truly, Brother, those Boys of yours wrangle so when they'retogether, that it is Misery to hear them."
"Boys will be Boys," quod he, peaceifyingly, "I was one myself a longwhile ago. However, if they have said anything punishable, I must beatthem; but, if not, put a little Cotton Wool into your Ears, Sister_Fraunces_."
"Nay," quod she, relenting, "there was nothing punishable in aught theysaid; and, as to getting them a Beating, they'll give each other enoughof that, I'm thinking. 'Twas such give and take, snip a
nd snap, parryand thrust, as that I could scarce forbear laughing."
"Don't stop your Ears with Cotton Wool, then," quod my Master cheerily,for a hearty Laugh is worth a Groat. "They'll have little Time forFighting, this Morning, for I have Plenty for them to do."
Despite of this, however, _Miles_ found Time for a little more "snip andsnap," as Mistress _Fraunces_ called it, before Dinner. Seeing me startforth on an Errand as he returned from one, he quietly saith in passing,"See how pretty he looks with his Cap on!" whereon it struck me thatevery 'Prentice Boy I had seen running about had gone bareheaded; and,smiling, I put my Cap in my Pocket.
In those Times, _Hew_, the Saturday Afternoon was somewhat between aHoliday and a holy Day. People went to Evening Service at three o'Clock,and, after that, there was no Business done, save in preparation for theSabbath; and thoughtful People enjoyed an holy Pause, and young lightHearts took their Pastime.
_Miles_, with Mischief in his Eye, proposed to me a Row on the River,which I, nothing afeard, agreed to, for I had been in a Punt aforetime,if not in a Wherry. He refused the Aid of a Waterman, saying lightly,"This young Gentleman knows the Use of a Scull;" and, running hastilyalong the Boat to secure the Stroke-oar, his Foot tripped against aThwart, and he lost his Balance and fell into the River. I guessed wherehe would come up, and, sitting on the further Gunnel to trim the Boat,held the Oar to him, and guided his Hand to the Side, which enabled himto scramble in. The Watermen, who had run down to us as soon as they sawhim fall over, laughed when they saw him safe, and cheered me; and he,looking rather foolish, sayth, "Well, I told them thou knewest the Useof a Scull." I asked him which Way we should pull; howbeit, he was sodrenched that he must needs go Home to change his Clothes, and bade megive the Waterman a Penny, saying he had not so much as a _Genoa_Halfpenny about him just then to buy a Custard at Mother _Mampudding's_.When he had changed his Under-garments, and hung his Gown at the KitchenFire, he amused himself by dropping Pellets from the Window on thePeople in the Boats that shot the Arch beneath; and _Tib_, with her Headstretched forth of the other Half of the Lattice, offered to Rehearseunto me the Name and Calling of every Dweller on the Bridge, from theParson and Clerk at the one End, to the old Lady that lived all alone byherself with her Cats at the other. Howbeit, _Miles_, tiring of waitingfor his Gown to dry, put on another, and bade me bear him Company to_Finsbury Fields_. But first he lay in Wait behind the Door, and thenstole subtilly forth, like a Cat that had been stealing Cream; and on myasking him why, he laughed and said, only that Mistress _Fraunces_ mightnot see him in his Sunday-gown of a Saturday, for that would be contraryto Rules and Regulations.
J.Jellicoe "Held the oar to him"]
Arrived at _Finsbury Fields_ I saw what was certainly the finest andbusiest Sight I had ever yet seen in my Life; which indeed is not sayingmuch. The Fields themselves were open and pleasant, with plenty ofWindmills in full Rotation in the Distance; their white Sails playingafore a dark Rain-cloud; and the Stretes that led to them beyond _MoorGate_, full of Shops kept by Bowyers, Fletchers, and Stringers. Here, onthe open Ground, we found, I say not Crowds, but Shoals of lithe andlimber 'Prentices; and of athletic Freemen, too, and grave and weightyCitizens, where was Room for all—with Archers' Butts set up in variousDirections; and an infinite Number of the finest young Men the Citycould turn out, practising at them with their long Bows; none of thembeing allowed to shoot at a Mark nearer than eleven score Yards. Numbersof the Masters, standing by, were watching, encouraging, and applaudingthem, to their great Increase of Emulation. Others again were usingtheir Wasters and Bucklers, others kicking the Football; in the moreopen Ground, Citizens' Sons were racing on Horseback, and some of thempractising Feats of War; others were wrestling, leaping, and casting theStone. And on every Hand, Venders of Cakes and Suckets. On the Field, wecame unawares upon Master _Hewet_, who spake us kindly, and noted notthe Matter of _Miles'_ Sunday-gown. And so the Day ended.
As we went Home, _Miles_ told me how the Mayor, Aldermen, and Sheriffswere accustomed on St. _Bartholomew's_ Day to see the City Officerswrestle with all Comers, at a set Place in _Clerkenwell_; and, two orthree Days after, to witness the shooting of the broad Arrow, both ofwhich I thought I should much delight to behold; but was quite unfit forwhen the Time came; as thou, in due Course, shalt know.