This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1897 edition. Excerpt: ... II THE GOLDSMITH'S APPRENTICE 71/1 ASTER MAXWELL was reputed to.. be one of the wealthiest and cleverest goldsmiths living in Cheapside; and indeed, there was no one to deny the excellence of his goods, which were exposed for sale on stalls, very much like those used to this day at country fairs. Those old-world shops, with their long painted signs swinging to the touch of the wind, must surely have looked very quaint; and I think, too, that the shopkeepers had a quaint way of selling, for they stationed their apprentices outside, and the apprentices yelled at the top of their lusty voices to the passers-by, "What d' ye lack? What d' ye lack?" at the same time holding up some article which they thought might perhaps induce the stranger to become a buyer. "This is what you lack, master!" they cried; "a goblet, none finer in the kingdom. A bodkin of silver, gentle lady; a lookingglass, costly beyond all words! A clock, noble sir, to grace any palace--what d' ye lack, what d' ye lack?" Sometimes when the passers-by refused the tempting offers, the apprentices, who were a reckless set of beings, jeered at them, and if their jeers were resented by any act of violence, why, then Cheapside swarmed with apprentices, who had armed themselves with their clubs, and had rushed out of every shop eager to join the skirmish. Sometimes they all combined and fought with strangers, and at other times, on the slightest provocation, they fought with each other, --the goldsmiths, for instance, attacking the saddlers, or the fishmongers attacking the snippers of cloth. I suppose this gave rise to the old song--"Up then rose the 'prentices all, Living in London, both proper and tall." Well, Master Maxwell's apprentice, Nicholas Aldewyn, was certainly one...