ate
HISTQRY OF PRINTING.
house, bat besides gives tbem money to spend at the ale-bouse, or tavern, at n%ht; and to this feast they invite the corrector, founder, smith, joiner, and ink^uaker, who all of them severally
SKcept the corrector in his own civility) open eir purse-strings, and add their benevolence (which workmen account their duty, because they generally choose these workmen) to the master-printer's; but from the corrector they expect nothing, because the master-printer choosing him, we workmen can do him no kind- ness. These umy-gooiet arc always kept about Bartholomew-tide; and till the master-printer have given this way-goose,* the journeymen do not use to work by candle-light.
If a journeyman marry he pays half-a^srown to the Chapel.
When his wife comes to the Chapel, she pays six-pence, and then all the journeymen join their two-pence a-piece to welcome her.
If a journeyman have a son bom, he pays one shilling: if a daughter, six-pence.
The iather of the Chapel drinks first of Chapel drink, except some other joume3rman have a token, viz. some agreed piece of coin or metal, marked by consent of the Chapel, for then, producing that token, he drinks first; this token IS always ^ven to him who in the round should have drank, had the last chapel drink held out; therefore, when the Chanel drink comes in, they generally say, who has the token?
Though these customs are no solaces, yet the Chapel excommunicates the delinquent; and he shall have no benefit of Chapel-money till he have paid.
It IS also customary in some printing-houses that if the compositor or pressman make either the other stand still through the neglect of their contracted task, that then ne who neglected shall pay him that stands still as much as if he had wrought.
The compositois are jocosely called galley- slaves, because allusively they are, as it were, bound to their galleys; and the pressmen are jocosely called horse8,because of the hard labour th^ go through all day long.t
An apprentice, when he is bound, pays half- a-crown to the Chapel; and when he is made free, another half-crown, but is yet no member of the Chapel; and if he continue to work journey-work in the same house, he pays another hdf-crown, and is then a member of the Chapel.
So far the ancient cmtoms. The followmg observations are given, as relating to modern practice.
" In extensive houses, where many work- men are employed, the calling a Chapel is," says Mr. M'Creery, " a business of great im-
• The derinitlon of thi* term is not geaenSly known. It Is from the old English word wapM, stabble A stabble goose is a known dahity in our days. A wayz-g^x»e was oie head dish at the annual feast of the forefathers of oar fraternity. "WATz-eoosz, a stnbUe-goose, an enter- tainment given to Joameymen at the beginnUis of winter." BoUm's Diet. 3rd BdU.
t why not, by the same reasoning, becanse they, as it w«ie, tn bonsd to their hoiaeir —fi,—H<auari.
portance, and generally takes place -mhea a member of the office has a complaint to allege against any of his fellow-worxmen, the fint intimation of which he makes to the Father of the Chapel, usually the oldest printer in the house, who, should he conceive that the chafge can be substantiated, and the injury supposed to have been received is of such magnitude as to call for the interference of the law, summonaes the members of the Cbapel before him at the impaling ttone, and there receives the allegations and the defence in solemn assembly, and dis- penses justice with typographical rigour wad impartiality. These trius, though they aie sources of neglect of business, and other ir- regularities, oiten afford scenes of genuine hu- mour. The punishment generally conrists in the criminal providing a libation by which the offended workmen may wash away the stain that his misconduct has leit upon the body at large. Should the plaintiff not oe able to substantiate his charge the fine then falls upon himself, for having maliciously arraigned his companion, — a mode of practice which is marked with the features of sound policy, a* it never loses sight of the good of the Chanel."
The origin of applying the appellation of Cbapel to a printing-onice, has been guessed at bv many writers. Mr. M'Creery says, the title 01 Chapel to the internal regulations of a print- ing-office, originated in Caxton's exercisiag the profession in one of the chapels of Westminster, and may be considered as an additional proof, from the antiquity of the custom, of his being the first English printer.
Kaeh jointer hence, howe'er onblest his walls, E*en to this day his house a chapel calls.
The following humorous description of a modern Chapel, is taken from a very clerer poem, entitled the Compoting Room, written by Mr. George Brimmer, a printer of London, in 1833; and as it depicts a real icene, we shall be excused for inserting it at length.
THE CHAPEL.
Bat now the father damps the angry flame. And the fbll chapel empties every /rnw. Sam Brown— the plaintUT— daly has paid down. With solemn pliiz, the costomary brown; For bere, as in king William's conits of law. There must be current coin as well as Jaw. The clerk cries " Silence I" and the fri£ber spread* His hand, in view of the assembled heads. And thus commences — " Gentlemen, in yoor "ColiectiTe wisdom we must find a core " For ills— which I'm inform'd by Mr. Brown.
- Stick in his throat, and cant be bolted dowa."
At this ensaes a load and general langli. With nods and winks, and lots of umder-ek^. Order restor'd, — complainant states his case With quantum-n^f. of tremor and grimace; " I'm sorry, Oents, (his hand upon his braces.) " My case has caos'd yoa all to leave yoor cues — " But Mr. Green supposes I am Green, " Whereas the diff'rence will be shortly seen, " For you're too deep, too long upon the town. " To think that brown is green, or green is brown." Load cries of A'onseiue, ToUyi TrosA, and Stt^f Miz'd ap with QvoMm, Btmr Urn, TkafM wssMJ^'
Now Mr. Brown — to order call'd- . To tell the chapel of Green's erO deeds.
VjOOQ IC
