THE COMPANIONAGE.
214
it is needless to state that almost every German reads the
not one of them has had the candour to even mention the French ComGartcnlaule—yei
Are we to conclude that they might have been formidable rivals of the Steinmetzen ?
panions.
In dealing with the Companionage it will be well to make its acquaintance in its full
and quoted Schauberg— and
development as
it
existed within the
Eevolution of 1848), and then
memory
of the present generation (say previously to the
back as possible into the mists of antiquity.
more particularly to the year 1841 (the date of Perdiguier's
to trace it as far
As
the following description refers
but we must not consider the institution
publication), the past tense will naturally be used
has done much to modify it the journejnnan no longer tramps
as extinct.
EaQway travelling
;
;
from one town to another, nor does he usually live so absolutely from hand to mouth many
its old enmities and feuds are especially
of its regulations have consequently fallen into disuse
;
:
out of date, but in one form or another
it still exists.^
The Companionage was composed of three great
divisions, each
of
which revered and
claimed origin from a traditionary chief, the hero of a legend, who was supposed to have
The Companions called themselves the
conferred a charge (devoir, i.e., duty) on his followers.
of this chief: hence the three classes were denominated, the Sons
sons {enfants, children)
of Solomon, the Sons of Maitre Jacques, and the Sons of ]\Iaitre Soubise.
AH
the various
handicrafts concur in conceding the earliest existence to the stonemasons. Sons of Solomon,
who admitted to a participation of their charge (devoir) the joiners and the locksmiths.
Seceders from the carpenters (enfants de M. Souhise) have lately claimed to form a fourth corps
under the same banner, but are not acknowledged by the other three. Next in date of origin
come the stonemasons. Sons of Maitre Jacques, who also admitted tlie joiners and the locksmiths,
and still later, the members of nearly all crafts. The third in order of precedence are the Sons
of Maitre Soubise, originally composed of the carpenters only,
The Sons
who have
since admitted the
Solomon and Soubise thus comprise very few trades (three
tylers.'
but the Sons of Jacques comprehend most of the
to the buUding crafts)
each, all belonging
known handicrafts. The joiners began by conferring their charge on the turners and glaziers,
plasterers and
of
;
and one by one every trade has either been admitted, or has managed to acquire possession of a
Without the possession of a charge no
charge, and to enforce acknowledgment of its claims.
claim can hold good. A few crafts have never belonged to the Companionage. Amongst these
may be
cited the
masons ^ (not
to be
confounded with the stonemasons), the apothecaries, cloth-
workers, furriers, printers, watchmakers, goldsmiths, wigmakers, bookbinders, and perfumers.*
To enumerate those that have joined Maitre Jacques would be a wearisome task, and could serve
no useful purpose
;
it
wUl be
sufficient to
remark, that this division
is
by
far the strongest of
the three.^
In whatever town of France a charge was deposited, there the craftsman found a house of
call devoted to his purposes, and a branch of the society.
In those towns where no charge
was lodged he was still able to profit by the society in a minor degree, provided he continued
^
As the
following description
is chiefly
condensed from A. Perdiguier, Le Livre
authorities will only be given in exceptional cases.
dii
Compagnonnage, references
to
All references to Perdiguier are from the second edition, 2 vols.
12mo, Paris, 1841.
-
This is the order followed by Perdiguier and the Companions ; but, for reasons
inclined to place Soubise before Jacques, and possibly before Solomon.
^
Perdiguier,
Le Livre du Compagnonnage,
vol.
ii.,
Monteil, Histoire des FrauQais des Divers Etats, 4th edit., vol.
'
The accompanying
show
will presently appear,
p. 96.
*
table will
which
v., p. 131.
this organisation at a glance,
and materially
assist future explanations.
I
am