The Apprentice’s Vade-Mecum or, The Young Man’s Pocket Companion

Samuel Richardson, The Apprentice’s Vade-Mecum or, The Young Man’s Pocket Companion. Dublin: 1734, 11–23.

Richardson’s advice to apprentices in this “pocket book” (just over 2 x 5 inches) is divided into three parts. The first includes duties and responsibilities involved in the master/apprentice relationship. It also includes “occasional remarks upon the Play-houses,” primarily in the form of warning about attending with the notable exception of The London Merchant. The other two sections address the rules for apprenticeship and cautions against skepticism. The majority of the first section is included in this excerpt.

PART I.

 
Containing useful Comments and Observations on the Covenants entered into between Master and Servant, by way of Indenture; wherein that wise Obligation is considered Article by Article. With some occasional Remarks on Play-Houses, and particularly on one lately erected.

We shall begin with a short Definition of the Words Indenture and Apprentice, which are very expressive of the Sense in which they are used.

The first is derived from the French Endenter to Tag, or Notch, and signifies a Writing, which contains an Agreement between different Persons, whereof there are two Copies, which being cut, waved or notched, tally to one another when put together, and prove the Genuineness of both.

The Word Apprentice is derived also from the French Apprentisse, from the Latin Apprehendere, which signifies to apprehend or to learn, which is the Duty of a young Man entering into an Engagement to learn or apprehend the Art or Mystery to which he is bound Apprentice.

We shall now pursue our Design in the first Part and give the Words of this Covenant, and make some brief and useful Observations thereon Paragraph by Paragraph.

This INDENTURE witnesseth, That N.M. the Son of N.N. of—Gent. doth put himself Apprentice to A.B. Citizen and—of London, to learn his Art, and with him, after the Manner of an Apprentice] i.e. in a faithful, dutiful, and obliging Manner, as a good Servant and willing Learner ought) to serve from the Day of the Date of the Presents, until the full End and Term of Seven Years from thence next following, to be fully complete and ended.

During which Term the said Apprentice his said Master faithfully shall serve, his Secrets keep] i.e. All those Secrets which relate to his Family-Affairs or Business, or to any Part of his Concerns, which being revealed, might be detrimental to his Master’s Reputation or Interest. There is a good English Proverb, That a Man’s House should be his Castle, intimating the inviolable Regard which Servants taken into a Man’s Family, and who are become Part of it, ought to have to whatever may tend to the Reputation or Profit thereof. There cannot be a more infamous Breach of the Rules of sound Morality, than for a Person to betray his Master’s Secrets which, but for the Confidence placed in his Integrity, and the just Expectations his Master had of his Fidelity and bounden Duty, had never come to his Knowledge; and which therefore is so vile a Breach of Trust, so high a Degree of Treachery, that ought to make him odious to all Men.

His lawful Commandments, every where, gladly (i.e. chearfully and willingly, without Hesitation, Murmuring, or Reluctance) do.

He shall do no Damages to his said Master, nor see to be done of others, but that he, to his Power, shall let (or prevent it) or forthwith (without Delay) give Warning to his said Master of the same.] This is a very important Rule, and ought very particularly to be attended to: Nor is the next of less Weight, viz. He shall not waste the Goods of his said Master, nor lend them unlawfully to any.

He shall not commit Fornication, nor contract Matrimony within the said Term.] Fornication and Matrimony are very wisely prohibited to the young Man in his Indenture. The first is a heavy Sin forbidden in the holy Scriptures under severe Penalties, and is moreover generally attended with a sad Train of Mischiefs from the Company of lewd Women, who have been the Bane and Ruin of many an hopeful young Man; of which there are Multitudes of Instances within the Knowledge of every one. The second, tho’ a lawful Engagement, in a Person who is his own Master, and has a Right to dispose of himself, is often of very fatal Consequence to a young Man, who is an Apprentice. In the first Place, it is hardly possible that such a one should marry upon advantageous, or even equal Terms, since it must necessarily be done in a private and clandestine Manner, contrary to the Rules of Prudence, contrary to Duty, and express Stipulation. Secondly, It is very possible, that such an one may come to have a Family of Children while he himself is but a Boy, and while he is deprived of all honest Means of maintaining them, which may put him upon vile and base Practices to support it. Thirdly, His Hopes of preferring himself, when he is out of his Time, by marrying a Person of Credit or Fortune, which joining with what he might have, or with his own industrious Improvement, might be a means to make his life to come easy and happy, would be entirely baffled and frustrated. Fourthly, As a natural Consequence of his Indiscretion, he would very probably be forced to drudge on in the lowest Part of his Business, a Servant to Servants and, what is still worse, his innocent Children would be involved in all the Misfortunes of their imprudent Parents, they would be forced, as they grew up, to be let out at a poor and despicable Pittance, perhaps for their Food only, as Shop-Boys, Errand-Boys, or Livery-Servants; or at best obliged to an Hospital or a Parish, or to the Charity of some well-disposed Persons, to be educated in some inferior Business, and so are enrolled among the Scum of the People; and their own Indiscretion, perhaps, being of a Piece with those of their precipitate Parents, when Men, they help to fill the Army, and so become at once the most profligate Part of Mankind, as well in Morals as Employment.

Many other Mischiefs might be enumerated to be usual Consequences of too early Marriages: But what we have said is enough to any Youth of the least Consideration, who will perceive that this prohibited Part of his Engagement is most prudently inforc’d on him for his own present and future Benefit; and that ‘tis not possible his Master, or any other Persons (the miserable Woman with whom he ingages excepted) can be half so much affected by the Breach of this important Article as himself.

He shall not play at Cards, Dice, Tables, or other unlawful Games, whereby his said Master may have any Loss.] This is a most useful and necessary Restriction for the Good of Youth; to whom Gaming must be of the most pernicious Consequence, as Multitudes have been utterly ruin’d by it. ‘Tis a did, and, whenever it runs high, an unjust Amusement. For what is it, as every Man hopes to win, but a coveting to possess what is another’s? All manner of Tricks and mean Artifices, and even the most shocking Villanies, having taken their Rise from the ignoble Passion. It is bad in Persons of all Ages and Qualities; but worst of all in an Apprentice or Servant who when given to the Love of Gaming, is generally lost to all Improvement, and to a Sense of Industry. All his Time for learning his Business and improving his Mind will be miserably misspent. What he set out with as an Amusement, becomes an Habit, and then he is on the Verge of Ruin. Many a Noble-man’s ample Possessions have been reduc’d to nothing by this wicked Diversion. Many a fine Lady’s Honour destroy’d by this Means: Many a wealthy Family undone by it: And what shall the Apprentice, the Learner, the unthinking and unwary Youth expect must be the Consequence to himself of this unhappy Itch? His first Sacrifice is this his solemn Engagement, and his Master’s Time; and his next, too probably, will be his Fidelity, his Honesty, in order to support the Extravagancies and Profusion into which this pernicious Habit will run him. And as none but Persons of the most infamous Characters can be his Companions in this iniquitous Practice, he becomes, ’tis very likely, intirely abandon’d of the best Company, and devoted to the worst. And let any Youth judge for himself, if such a one be not in the high Road to Perdition?

With his own Goods or others, during the said Term, without Licence of his said Master, he shall neither buy nor sell.] As an Apprentice has no Time that he can properly call his own, but is accountable to his Master for every Hour, it is very reasonable that he should be restrained from trading or dealing for himself, either with what his own Fortune may happen to furnish Means to do, or with what may be intrusted to him, for that Purpose, by others. This might otherwise be an Inlet to many great Inconveniencies to the Master, who might, according as he repos’d a Confidence on his Servant, be robbed of the Profits of his Business, and a clandestine Trade be carry’d on in his name, and at his Expence, as it might happen: Or if the young man should take upon himself to buy or sell, in any other Part of Business, with other Persons, tho’ not in the clandestine Manner hinted at, the Knowledge which he has of his Master’s Affairs, and those of others, by means of the Confidence placed on him, may make his Traffick of very ill Consequence to his Master in many respects; besides, the Damage that may accrue to him by Loss of Time, and by that want of Attention to his Master’s Business, which Self-Love and Self-Interest must beget in the Servant, when has one of his own to mind. It is therefore a very reasonable Part of the Contract, and an indispensable one too, that he be prohibited, during the Term of Apprenticeship, either to buy or sell, without his Master’s Knowledge and Allowance.
He shall not haunt Taverns or Play-houses.] The importance of this double Restriction is so great, that I shall speak to it in two Parts; And first, as to haunting of Taverns; under which Head, the young Man is to take Notice that all Publick-Houses are included, where his Master’s Time may be mis-spent, or any bad habits, with regard to his own present or future Welfare, may be contracted. It is well known of what Consequence the haunting of a Tavern is to the Master himself, who has at least the Pretence of meeting his Customers, and treating of Business there, who really very often promotes his Business by a discreet use of it, and a good Choice of his Companions. But to an Apprentice, who can have no Pretence of that kind, to haunt or much to frequent a Tavern or Publick-house, it must be generally productive of far worse Effects. In the first place it will subject him to a large Expence, which very few Apprentices can afford or support which it may lead him into great Inconveniencies, and be a Snare to his Virtue and his Fidelity. Secondly, It will give an early Beginning to a bad Habit which may grow up in him, and with him, and become strong to conquer when his Time shall be his own, he has perhaps enter’d into those Family-Engagements which may require his utmost Application and Industry to answer properly. Thirdly, it must be unavoidably more or less occasion the Loss of his Master’s Time, and Neglect of his Business, and be moreover a great Temptation to ill Hours and ill Company; for who but such as himself will keep an Apprentice company, when he knows he contributes to a Robbery at the same time? for what else can an Abuse of this kind, where the Master is defrauded of his Apprentice’s Time, and of his Application to his Business, be called? Nay, as it may happen, it may be in its Effects a Robbery of the worst Sort, both to the Master and Servant; to the one in his Interest, to the other in his Morals. Add to these the fatal Consequences of that often flow from the Union of those two powerful Incentives to Mischief, Youth and Wine; to which the utter Destruction of many a hopeful Person, both in Mind and Body, has been so often owing, that almost every Day, and every Man’s Experience, afford a Multitude of terrible Instances of it; some of which we of this great City, find every Month recorded in the Sessions Paper.

The other Part of this double Restriction, viz. “Not to haunt Play-house.”] is likewise of great importance, and deserves to be consider’d very attentively. As many sober People are Advocates for this Diversion, we shall take up a little more of our Reader’s Time on this Article, than we have found it necessary to do on some others, where the Duty, and the Reasons of it, are supposed to be more obvious.

We would not, like some narrow Minds, argue against the Use of any thing, because of the Abuse of it: and therefore shall frankly acknowledge it as our Opinion, that under proper Regulations, the Stage may be made subservient to excellent Purposes, and be an useful Second to the Pulpit itself: Even as it is connected, which every sober Person I believe will allow—far from being done in an unexceptional Manner, the Stage may be a tolerable Diversion to such as know not how to pass their Time, and who perhaps would spend it much worse, either in Drinking, Gaming, &c. if they did not go to the Play-house. But for a young Tradesman himself, much more an Apprentice, make this a favourite Diversion, and to haunt or frequently to go to a Play-house, who can bestow his time much more to the Advantage of his Business, which ’tis probable will suffer by it, it must be allowed to be of very pernicious Consequence in several Respects, some of which I shall enumerate.

In the first Place, all our modern Plays are calculated for Persons in upper Life, and the good Instructions, if any are design’d to be convey’d by the Representation to the Minds of the Auditory, lie much above the common Case and Observation of the Class of Persons to which I am addressing myself.

2ndly, The Loss of Time and Expence of Money which naturally follow the haunting of a Play-house are Points that well become the Reflection of a Person in Business. But as we shall more particularly touch upon this Article by and by, we shall say the less of it here.

3rdly, The great Resort of lewd Women to those Places where the Temptation is made the stronger by the Impressions which the Musick and the Entertainment are liable to make on young and unguarded Minds is another strong Reason against frequenting these Houses.

4thly, Most of our modern Plays, and especially those written in a late licentious Reign, which are reckon’d the best, and are often acted, are so far from being so much as intended for the Instruction to a Man of Business, that such Persons are generally made Dupes and Fools of the Hero of it. To make a Cuckold of a rich Citizen, is a masterly Part of the Plot; and such Persons are always introduced under the meanest and most contemptible Characters. All manner of Cheats, and Frauds, and Villanies, committed against such, are incourag’d, and inculcated upon the Audience; the genteeler Part of which are too ready to take the Hint, as the Men of Trade throughout the Kingdom every Day find to their Cost. And this Kingdom which owes its Support, and the Figure it makes abroad, intirely to Trade; the Followers which are infinitely of more Consequence, and deserve more to be incourag’d, than any other Degree or Rank of People in it. Can it then be prudent, or even decent, for a Tradesman to encourage by his Presence or support by the Effects of his Industry, Diversions so abusive of the Profession by which he lives, and which not only these Caterpillars themselves, but the whole Nation, is supported?—Besides, in the best Plays, the Moral lies so deep and hidden as if the Play were not written for the Sake of it: And now few Persons are there who are capable of pursuing thro’ the glittering, the dazzling Scene, the useful Application?—And even this, when found, seldom falls within the Compass of the Tradesman’s sphere, as I hinted above.

5thly, Another strong Reason against Plays, not only to the Tradesman but to all Ranks, is, their deplorable depravity at this Time, which is greater than ever was known. A good Dramatick Writer, is a Character that this Age knows nothing of; and I would be glad to name the Person living who is fit to be made an Exception to this general Censure. Most of our mosttaking Performances are such, as our Progenitors even of Charles the Second’s Reign, would have been asham’d of. Genteel Comedy (even in which sound Morals were seldom enough consider’d) has long left the Stage, as well as the nobler Tragic Muse: And all our late Heroes and Heroines of the Drama, have been fetch’d from Newgate and Bridewell. The celebrated Congrave’s Niky, Horner, and others that I might name, were odious and detestable Characters with regard to the Point to which we are speaking; but then there was so much Wit mingled with Immorality, as made it pass when we could get no better. But now the horrid Pantomime and wicked Dumb Show, the infamous Harlequin Mimicry, introduc’d for nothing but to teach how to cozen, cheat, deceive, and cuckold; together with the wretched Group of Rogues, form’d from the Characters of Shepherd, Jonathan Wild, Blueskin, and, in fine, from every Rogue that has made a Noise in the World by his superlative Wickedness, has yielded the principal Characters exhibited, and that not for the Sake of Poetical Justice, in their Execution, but to divert the Audience by their Tricks and Escapes; and if they have been brought to Justice at last, it has been in such a Manner, as to move the Pity of the Audience for them. These are, and have been for some time, the edifying Subjects that have given Delight to crowded Audiences, to the Disgrace both of the British Taste and Stage.

6thly, and lastly, Instead of gently relaxing the Mind from the Fatigues of Business, which in most Cases gives it a greater Edge on the Return of it, frequent visiting of Play-houses (were even in the Company and Entertainment better suited to a young Mind’s Circumstances and Situation) must too much detatch his Mind from his Business, and fill it with light and airy Amusements. His Thoughts and Conversation will generally turn upon what had so strongly impressed him in its favour; and he may be taught in time to loose to those narrow Ties to which his Business necessarily binds him. If he has any Taste for those Distractions, the Musick will always play upon his Ears, Dancers will constantly swim before his Eyes. This or that Part of an applauded Actor will perpetually take up his Attention, and he will be desirous of seeling him shine in others; and so will want to trace one Play or other tho’ every Scene, and every Season. Let it be judg’d how necessary it is for the Wisdom of a Contract to exert itself in prohibiting the young Man to haunt a play-house, which will if the greatest care not be not taken, not only become an Inlet to very great Inconveniencies, but may entirely unhinge his Mind from Business, make his Trade undelightful to him and will allow, at most, but a second Place to his Duties; which by the Way can never prosper, if the whole Mind and Application be not ingross’d by them, preferably to any other Considerations.

The Increase of Play-houses, and the Encouragement they meet with, are sad Instances among others and perhaps worse, of the Luxury of the present Age. There was a Time when publick Spectacles, Shows, Drolls, and Farces (and most of our present Theatrical Performances are no better) were exhibited once a Year to very good Purpose. Every Trade Town or populous City had it’s annual Fair, which brought to it from the adjacent Villages a great Resort of People who had been labouring for Months before harder than usual, in order to save something to spend at that Time, and to purchase Fairings for those they best affected. These annual Fairs were by this Means productive of Trade, and vast Quantities of all sorts of Manufactures were disposed of at them, and still are at some of ‘em in the Country. It was then that Bartholomew Fair for the City, and that of Southwark for the Borough, were the only Times in which the industrious Citizens indulg’d, or their well regulated families desir’d to be indulg’d in that sort of Diversion. But now we are grown much more polite forsooth; our Young Men aspire to the Taste of their Betters, and they are bless’d with a Set of Authors who have wrote down to theirs; and so there is a perfect Understanding between them, and nothing but the Play-houses will go down. No Wonder, when Authors and Audience are so much of a Piece.—But to be more serious, as the melancholy Subject requires; let us weigh the Usage of these Times against that of those, both with regard to the Trade of the Country, and the Morals of the People, and it will enable us to judge whether we ought to rejoice in, or lament for, the inexpressible Difference.

But to follow the arduous Subject a little closer: let it be consider’d how little suited to the Circumstance of this Class of Youth, is the Time which the seeing of a Play requires. The Play generally begins about Six in the Evening, and the usual Time of an Apprentice’s Business holds him (especially if his Master does him Justice, and imploys him as he ought for both their Sakes) till Eight or Nine: About which last hour, except prolong’d by some of the Modern Farce, the wretched Pantomime, the Play generally ends. So there are three Hours in every Day that the young Man sees to the Play, (which is near a Fourth Part of it) stolen from the Master, and, as it may happen, turn’d to the worst Use that can possibly be made of it, both for Master and Servant. Then again it ought to be consider’d, that most Plays are calculated, as we hinted above, for the condition of Persons in high Life, and are therefore intirely unsuitable to People of Business and Trade, who, as we also observ’d before, are always represented in the meanest and most sordid lights in which the human Species can possibly appear. I know but of one Instance, and that a very late one, where the Stage has condescended to make itself useful to the City-Youth, by a dreadful Example of the Artifices of a lewd Woman, and the Seduction of an unwary young Man; and it would favour much of Partiality not to mention it. I mean, the Play of George Barnwell, which has met with Success that I think it well deserves; and I could content to compound with the young City Gents that they should go to this Play once a Year, if they would condition, not to desire to go oftener, till another Play of an equally good Moral and Design was acted on the Stage.

From what has been said in relation to this Article I cannot forbear observing, that however the Play-houses at the gay End of the Town may be tolerable for the Amusement of Persons in the upper Life, who would not perhaps as the World now stands, otherwise know what to do with their Time, they must be of pernicious Consequence when set up in the City or in those Confines of it, where the People of Industry generally inhabit it. The Hours of a Play-house as abovesaid, must undoubtedly interfere with the Hours of such Persons Business; and it is next to impossible but that the Minds of the Youth of such an End of that Town must be seduc’d and mis-led, be relaxed and unbent, and set above, as they think the mechanic Business by which they are to support themselves, and get an honest Livelihood. Minds of young Women (or young Ladies as they are now to be called) will be no less tainted by the Vanities they see acted on the Stage, and they will be strangely edify’d at the frequent Scenes of the pretty Gentlemen who are introduc’d with a View to debauch their Morals, and triumph over their Innocence. This must be a strange School for the Daughters of sober Citizens and Tradesmen, who can have no one View, and ought to have no higher Notion of Living than what would become the Shops and Businesses of some honest Tradesman, who by her concurrent Industry and Oeconomy, must hope to thrive and become an useful Member of the Common-wealth.—Instead of inculcating among these Persons such wholesome Rules, to have planted among them an infamous Troop of Wretched Strollers, who by our Country Laws are deemed Vagabonds, and a collected a string of abandon’d Harlots (for such an House ’tis probably, will be made up of the very Scum of the Others) impudently propagating, by heighten’d Activity and Scenical Example, to an underbred and unwary audience, Fornication, Rapes and Murders, and at best teaching them to despise the Station of Life, to which, or worse, they are inevitably destin’d; this surely must have fatal Effects on the Morals both of Men and Women so circumstanced. And it is to be hop’d, that in time this will be duly considered, (not-withstanding the Civil Power and City-Magistracy have been hitherto brav’d and insulted); and that effectual Care will be taken to remove them from a quarter so improper for such Diversions; as, indeed, they may be called literally Diversions from all useful Employments and Business.

And this is so much the rather to be wish’d, that the Stage is now so much degenerated, that the vilest Actions of the vilest Miscreants in Newgate, are commonly represented on it, and that in such a Manner, as is far from making their Vices odious and detestable. But this I have touch’d upon elsewhere, and the Reader will excuse the Repetition.

Permit me, however, on the whole, to repeat, that for a Play-house to be erected in the very midst of the middling sort of Tradesmen, who are to be alter’d also by lower Prices than are taken at others, and but just remov’d out of the Liberties of the City, to avoid the Cognizance of the Magistrates of this excellently well-govern’d Corporation; is such a nuisance, as calls aloud for a Removal, if we would have any Regard to the Morals and Happiness of the Wives, the Daughters, and Posterity of so necessary and serviceable a Set of People, who by their Industry and Labour are to be consider’d as the most useful Underwheels of the Commonwealth, that keep the great Machine of Trade and Manufacture going.

The Importance of this Head has made us dwell longer upon it than we intended; and we shall hasten to what remains. The fatal Consequences which naturally follow the haunting of Taverns and Play-houses, produce the Reason of the next Restriction. Not to be absent himself from his Master’s Service Day nor Night unlawfully. For keeping late Hours, sometimes tarrying out whole Nights, which is itself one of the most unwarrantable Things, (and more pernicious in its Effects,) that can possibly be committed by a young Man, is wholly inexcusable and yet is the natural and almost unavoidable Consequence of haunting of Taverns and Play-houses. Let us then repeat this important Restriction, on Observation so much depends. He shall not haunt Taverns or Play-houses, nor absent himself from his said Master’s Service Day nor Night unlawfully (i.e. without his Master’s Consent)—But in all Things, as a faithful Apprentice, he shall behave himself towards his said Master, and all his (that is, must demean himself not only dutifully to his Master and Mistress, but he must behave obligingly and courteously to all his, to his Children and Friends) during the said Term.

Then follows what the Master ingages for one Part, which we have nothing else to do but repeat viz.

“And the said Master, for and in Consideration of the Sum of—of lawful Money of Great Britain, to him in hand paid by—at and before the Ensealing and Delivery of these Presents a (the Receipt whereof is hereby acknowledged) his Apprentice in the same Art and Mystery which he useth, by the best Means that he can, shall teach and instruct, or cause to be taught and instructed, finding unto his said Apprentice Meat, Day Apparel, Lodging, and all other Necessaries according to the Custom of the City of London, during the said Term. And to the true performance of all and every the said Covenants and Agreements either of the said Parties binds himself unto the other by these Presents. In Witness whereof, e&c.”

We shall now proceed to the Second Part, in which we propose to lay down some Rules and Directions, that if duly observed, may be of Use to a young Man, not only in the Time of his Apprenticeship, but during the whole Course of his future Life; and this we propose to do in a Method intirely new, and we hope in a Manner that shall be equally pleasant and profitable to the attentive Reader.