enerous, he will consider
the justice of this part, and let him into the secret of it of his own
free will, and that before his time is fully expired; but if that should
not happen, as often it does not, let the apprentice know, that it is
one of the most needful things to him that can belong to his
apprenticeship, and that he ought not to let his time run over his head,
without getting as much insight into it as possible; that therefore he
ought to lose no opportunity to get into it, even whether his master
approves of it or no; for as it is a debt due to him from his master to
instruct him in it, it is highly just he should use all proper means to
come at it.

Indeed, the affair in this age between masters and their apprentices,
stands in a different view from what the same thing was a few years
past; the state of our apprenticeship is not a state of servitude now,
and hardly of subjection, and their behaviour is accordingly more like
gentlemen than tradesmen; more like companions to their masters, than
like servants. On the other hand, the masters seem to have made over
their authority to their apprentices for a sum of money, the money taken
now with apprentices being most exorbitantly great, compared to what it
was in former times.

Now, though this does not at all exempt the servant or apprentice from
taking care of himself, and to qualify himself for business while he is
an apprentice, yet it is evident that it is no furtherance to
apprentices; the liberties they take towards the conclusion of their
time, are so much employed to worse purposes, that apprentices do not
come out of their times better finished for business and trade than they
did formerly, but much the worse: and though it is not the proper
business and design of this work to enlarge on the injustice done both
to master and servant by this change of custom, yet to bring it to my
present purpose, it carries this force with it, namely, that the advice
to apprentices to endeavour to finish themselves for business during the
time of the indenture, is so much the more needful and seasonable.

Nor is this advice for the service of the master, but of the apprentice;
for if the apprentice neglects this advice, if he omits to qualify
himself for business as above, if he neither will acquaint himself with
the customers, nor the books, nor with the buying part, nor gain
judgment in the wares he is to deal in, the loss is his own, not his
master's--and, indee