THE CRAFT GUILDS OF FRANCE.
2o8
and the scarcity of labour. This caused considerable embarrassment to employers
forced
of labour and others, and the evils of an extensive system of monopoly momentarily
issued an ordinance in
the attention of the authorities. King John, therefore,
themselves
pro-s-isious
upon
than 252
February 1350,i which, in no
less
attempting to force those to
work who
articles,
felt
endeavoured to regulate everything, even
men and women. It
otherwise inclined, both
class of artisan, and, to remedy the monopoly
regulated the future pay of nearly every
and
exercised by the guilds, permitted a master to take as many apprentices as he liked ;
of all restrictions to every one who knew the trade (meaning, of
opened the mastership free
Titre
who had served his time), provided always he produced good and loyal work.
"
Masons and tylers (^recouvreurs de maisons)
XXXVIII. treats of the masons and tylers.
course,
have between St Martin in winter and Easter more than 26 pence a day,
and their journeymen (aides) 16 pence and not more, and from Easter to Martinmas no more
And lilcewise stonemasons and carpenters and their journeymen also not
than 32
shall neither take nor
pence.
Titre LII., in general terms, forbids
they take more they shall be fined," etc.
"
the money he received before the mortality and
any one to take more than one-third beyond
And
more.
if
epidemic."
In 1356, Charles V. confirmed the preceding, and in so doing he employed words which
"
Piules which have been made rather
show unusual enlightenment at that remote period.
"
Therefor the profit of the tradesman (dcs personnes dii mesticr) than for the common good."
fore during the last ten years
many
made which modify them, and which
who can produce good work may exercise their
ordinances have been
contain, amongst other matters, that all those
craft in the city of Paris."
We
have already seen that, in 1383, Charles VI. abolished everything, as far as Paris was
concerned, even to the very municipality, how four years later the butchers were formally
—
reinstated
privileges
;
:
and in a short time aU the trades found themselves in possession of their old
so much so, that on the 1st November 1394, an ordinance conceded even to the
journeymen permission to erect a confraternity. Under Charles VII., from 1437 to 1461,
charters were granted to all trades, the rule of the king making itseK more immediately felt
by a series of fines and penalties.^
In 1498, the parliament prohibited all banquets and confHries, and at the same time
which measures proving inoperative, led to further
enacted laws to regulate the guilds
In 1501, however, the parliament had to content itself with forbidding
legislation in 1500.
;
new associations.
In 1535, the prohibition was renewed; but mean1529 and 1534, fresh laws regulating the guilds were passed.*
This constant
see-saw brings us to the statute of Francis I. of the 1st August 1539. French Masonic
the formation of
while, in
writers have signally failed to imderstand this enactment, from which they have drawn
the most absurd conclusions; but non- masonic authors have escaped these errors, Levasseur,
Louandre, Heckethorn, and others,
that
a
it
abolished
all
trade
guilds.
all
true light.
Thory broadly states
Eebold says,—" The Masonic corporations were in
it
seeing
in
its
large measure dispersed and dissolved in France at the beginning of the sixteenth
'
This ordinance bears a curious reseniblauce in date, ])urport, and actuatiug cause to the English Statutes of
Edward III., c. 1-5 (1349) and 25 Edward III., c. 3-5 (1350-51).
Labourers, 23
;
*
Lavasseur, Histoire des Classes Ouvrieres en France, vol.
3
Ibid., p. 435.
•
i.,
p. 397.
Ibid., vol.
ii.,
pp. 113-117.