THE STONEMASONS OF GERMANY.
156
"
with God and honour;" and he will say, Put
one shoulder only but carry
you will abeady have the bundle hanging on
bundle, that I
may go
it
liirtlier
it
;
And
down."
not into the
on the wall where the peasants hang their baskets, or the other lads may
"
think you have many pence therein and they may chaff you and say, Smith, you must have
lots of bread and bacon in your bundle that you are afraid to put it down on the ground."
room and hang
it
;
the hammer bench {humility avd confidence) ; if tlie
readily under the bellows or
father loses not his hammer, you will not lose your bundle.
Having laid it down, if the
"
strike once or twice with them and say,
brothers are at work,
By your leave, smith, let me
But place
ask,
it
what
is
And
donation ?"
do you go round in search of work, or do you go on the
It is usage here to go round in search of work," then go to the
if he says,
I would speak to you in the name of the craft, if you would be
^Master,
the custom here
master and say,
"
;
"
"
and he will say, " Yes." Then go to
pleased to let your man go with me in search of work
"
the fellow and say,
By your leave, smith, I would speak to you in the name of the craft,
;
whether you will search me out work for eight or fourteen days according to craft usage."
But if it be the custom to go on the donation, then go between eight and eleven and from one
till four o'clock, and when you
go for the donation, go not at once into the first shop, but go
first to
the farthest, and
when you
And
master and fellows."
"
enter say,
they will
Good
and good luck God honour the craft,
"
From what part of the country,
aslv,
day,
thank you, and
;
"
by your leave, that I may ask ?" And you shall say, Leave sufficient from there and
there," where you spent the night, the nearest town or village, and do not name a place forty
"
or fifty miles off, otherwise they may laugh at you and say,
Smith, you have certainly flown
here on a cloak." And if you are on the donation, and a piece of work lie about the house,
be careful and tread not on it or spit thereon, or the smiths may say, "All! who knows
whether he himself could make it half as well." Meanwhile they may perhaps send out and
smith,
!
invite j^ou to drink
have a heat, take a
but you ask him to drink
;
hammer and
strike also
"
;
first
who
stands at the forge.
And
if
they
and having drunk twice, thank them and say,
your pledge if to-day or to-morrow one or the
With your leave, lads, I return thanks for
other come to me, where I am at work, I will pledge them
;
as far as
my
"
shop, say,
means
custom and usage."
will allow, according to craft
Master, I
thank you
for
in turn, in a can of beer or wine,
your goodwill
it
;
If the master is in the
remains at your disposal to be returned
and when you get there
the other fellows will ask j'ou,
Have they pledged you bravely ?" and you will answer,
"
Yes," even if you have not tasted a single drop and meanwhile they will also send out, and
to
you and yours to-day
or to-morrow."
Then return
to the house,
"
;
perhaps you may also have a piece
soon evening, when they go to sup.
left in order to
stand a can of beer.
And
then
it
will be
And be you ready and seat yourself at the door of the
liut if
Smith, come hither and partake," go not at once,
he say again, " Smith, come hither and partake," then go in and eat with them
but
take not your seat directly at the top of the board, but seat yourself beside the stroke
room.
And
if
the father say,
"
;
and when they begin, cut yourself a lump of bread, so that they can hardly see
it; and having eaten that, cut small pieces at a time, so that you may have
finished at the same time as the others for if the others were satisfied, and you had still a
"
Where have you learnt that with
large piece of bread before you, the master would say,
master,!
you behind
;
;
the boors?"
1
But
Tlie
if 5'ou
smith
wlio,
are satisfied, put not
with
a
up
your knife before the others have finished,
small hammer, directs the other smiths where to plant their blows.