become engaged in a brawl, we should have given some of them lessons
in manners."

"They are free in speech," Dame Swindon said, "and are an impudent
set of varlets. They have quick eyes and ready tongues, and are no
respecters of persons save of their masters and of citizens in a
position to lay complaints against them and to secure them punishment.
They hold together greatly, and it is as well that you should not
become engaged in a quarrel with them. At times they have raised
serious tumults, and have even set not only the watch but the
citizens at large at defiance. Strong measures have been several
times taken against them; but they are a powerful body, seeing that
in every shop there are one or more of them, and they can turn out
with their clubs many thousand strong. They have what they call their
privileges, and are as ready to defend them as are the citizens of
London to uphold their liberties. Ordinances have been passed many
times by the fathers of the city, regulating their conduct and the
hours at which they may be abroad and the carrying of clubs and
matters of this kind, but the apprentices seldom regard them, and
if the watch arrest one for a breach of regulations, he raises a
cry, and in two or three minutes a swarm of them collect and rescue
the offender from his hands. Therefore it is seldom that the watch
interferes with them."

"It would almost seem then that the apprentices are in fact the
masters," Geoffrey said.

"Not quite as bad as that," Master Swindon replied. "There are the
rules which they have to obey when at home, and if not they get a
whipping; but it is difficult to keep a hand over them when they