XXXII. [Procedure for recovery of penalties.]
XXXIII. Provided always that this Act shall not be prejudicial to the cities of London and Norwich, or to the lawful liberties [etc.] of the same cities for the having of apprentices.
XXXIV. [Contracts of apprenticeship contrary to this Act to be void, and a penalty of 10l.]
XXXV. [Contracts of apprenticeship to hold good though made while the apprentice is under age.]
[280] This provision was repealed in 1597.
7. Proposals for the Better Administration of the Statute of Artificers [S.P.D., Eliz., Vol. 88, No. 11], 1572.
Whereas there passed an act in the Parliament holden at Westminster in the fifth year of the reign of our most gracious Sovereign Lady the Queen's Majesty that now is, touching divers good and laudable orders for artificers, labourers, servants of husbandry, and apprentices; in the which act, amongst divers and sundry good branches therein contained, there are two specially to be noted, which, as it should seem, were then and therein specially enacted for the only means of the better maintaining of the same act in the full strength and virtue, according to the true meaning thereof: which have been, and yet daily are, as well by the subtle devices of some lewd servants, as also by the disorderly dealings of some masters, mistresses, and dames, not only neglected, but also wilfully violated and broken, whereby the true, good and godly meaning of the same act, for so good and laudable an order provided in that behalf, doth and will daily grow to be accounted as frustrate and of none effect: and as it now already is the chief, or only, cause of the great number of idle vagabonds, wherewith the realm at this present is so replenished: so, without it shall please the Queen's Majesty by good advice to provide some speedy remedy therefore, it will not only be a means of the increasing of them but also of their maintenance.
The two branches to be noted are these:—
The points wherein the masters, mistresses, dames, and servants do so abuse the two foresaid branches, that they be in a manner to frustrate.
It is too manifest, that divers and sundry servants, retained as well in husbandry as in other the arts and sciences aforesaid, and others out of those sciences throughout the whole Realm do daily, notwithstanding this act, and without any fear of the penalty thereof, at their pleasures before the time of their covenanted service be expired, either purloin somewhat from their masters, mistresses, and dames, and so suddenly run away, or else, not willing to be rebuked for their faults, do quarrel with them, and so boldly depart away without any certificate[281] or testimonial for their discharge: and being thus disorderly departed do forge a testimonial, or get one to forge it for them, although they give 12d. or 2s. for the doing thereof, whereas, if they had orderly departed, [it] should have cost them but 2d.: and with such testimonial dare boldly pass from one shire to another, yea some time from one parish to another, and there be retained till they find the like means, or pick the like occasion to depart in like disorder. And the very cause why they dare thus boldly and disorderly depart, leaving their masters, mistresses, and dames destitute in their most need, is for that no order is kept, according to the Statute, in the making, signing, and delivering of the testimonials: but [they] be made by the masters themselves or by some other in their houses that can write, and being so disorderly made, do, as disorderly, sign and deliver the same without calling either parson, vicar, or other officer to the same: which is a very good cause for a very simple servant, seeing how slight a testimonial will serve him to pass with, to move him to forge the like at all times after to serve his turn. And yet if they were orderly made, signed, and delivered, according to Statute, it could no better serve his turn to pass with than one of these: for if he pass a shire or two off from the place where he last served, neither the marks nor names thereunto signed be there known scarce to one among a thousand.