But to return to my story: The Shoomaker standing in the street, whilest the women came in, called to me, and bid me, if any of the Truncks were open, to lock them up, and throw the keys down to him; which I accordingly did, the fear of loosing his Mammon making him to dispence with any danger that might accrew to him by taking the keys. That night was my old Master buried, and a fortnight after (the Bedding and Cloathes being aired in the mean time, and I continuing sound) I was removed to his house, where I took special notice of his great care in performing my Masters will, and first for the three pounds that was given to buy the poor Cloathes, he bestowed the same on two suits for his own Boys, proving it to be the will of the dead it should be so; for (said he) they are poor who are in want, and his sons wanting Clothes, therefore they were to be reckoned in the number of the poor, and policy bids us this, always to provide for our own poor first. Then for the bread he ordered with the Baker so, that for every ten dozen, he would have a twelve penny loaf and yet were they made fifteen to the dozen, which over-plus above twelve he also took to himself, so that the penny loaves shrunk to the bigness of half penny ones, and only for the name there was no difference. I seeing how he had dealt by the poor, thought with my self that my Legacy would shrink also like Northern Cloath in the wetting, and my twenty pound, come to twenty shillings; but whilst I had cause for my self, I would not complain of his dealing by others, and therefore expected the event with patience.
Soon after I was set to School with a fellow that went in black Cloathes, and therefore taken for a man of learning because so habited; this man and his Schollars were both of one mind, for he cared not how little he taught them for their money, and they cared not how little they learned for it; but I who had no friends to rely on for bestowing any thing upon me afterwards, resolved not to neglect opportunity, but to gain what learning I could, thinking it might stand me in great stead another day, and therefore I so plyed my book, that in a short time I could read English very perfectly, and had some skill in writing and casting accounts.
During this time that I went to School, I plyed not my book so altogether, but that I observed some practices of the Shoomaker, both in his trade and in his office; and first for his trade, I saw he used two sorts of leather, one whereof was called mens leather, which was strong, fast, and would last well; the other he called womans leather, which was not half tanned, and would scarce last ten miles going; this last sort of leather (because it was cheap) he used most, especially in womens shooes, and the inner soals of mens: and sometimes I observed that if the inner soals were too little, he would slit them in the middle to make them appear on both sides, and at other times with his teeth he would stretch his leather, as for gain he would stretch his Conscience. Then for his office, for the bread that was given to the poor at the Church on Sundayes, he had a weekly fee from the Baker for his custom; and for other gifts that were to be distributed (as there was some Quarterly) that poor man that received them, must either do a dayes work gratis for him, or else present him with some gift worth half of what he was to receive, or else he was sure to go without it; so that in respect of his office, these verses of Withers were very applicable unto him,
The poor’s neglector, O I pardon crave,
Collector I should say, may play the knave,
The fool I would have said, but chuse you whether
He may be both, and so he may be neither.
But before I had been at School long, my Guardian told me, the ten pound was out for my board (for I paid a Roast-meat price for my diet, although I fed most commonly on bread and cheese) and therefore I must prepare to go to Prentice; I thought it was in vain to contend with him, and therefore bid him provide me a Master as soon as he would, for I was willing I told him to go. He quickly heard of one (for bad Masters are as easie to be found as bad servants) one that was a true Bacchanalian, a Son of Vulcan, by profession a Lock-smith, what the Executor was to give with me I know not, but thither I went some few dayes upon liking; and indeed it was but a few dayes I was there in all, for there was found Knavery in that Trade as well as others. My new Master had belike driven an old trade with pick-pockets, house-breakers, and such kinde of people whom he furnished with store of pick-locks, and instruments to break open Shop-doors and windows; he also drave a great trade with thievish Prentices, for false keys for their Masters counting-houses and Truncks, they bringing him the print of them either in Wax or Clay, with some of which he was sharers in their purchase. He had also his Emissaries abroad, which would steal Iron bars from Cellar-windows, and sometimes fetch a short jaunt into the Countrey, and steal the Coulters and Shares from the Ploughs, as also hooks and hinges from Gates, which he bought for a small price, and used to work them out in the night for fear of discovery, yet all would not do, wicked actions have bad endings; one of these Prentices who had made use of him, and thereby much wronged his Master, spending that money riotously which he had got naughtily, his excess brought him to a surfeit that occasioned his end, when upon his death-bed, reflecting on his former vitious practises, he detected my Master, who was thereupon apprehended and carried before a Justice of the Peace, that sent him to Newgate; how he sped I know not, but if he had his deserts, I am sure he could not scape hanging.
