Trumpet Guild Articles, 1714

At the assumption of his articles, for the sake of correctness, the following compacts and points are read to the pupil, which he must swear to live up to faithfully:

• No one shall be admitted to the noble, knightly art of trumpet playing who was not conceived in a chaste, pure marriage bed.
• No military kettle drummer or field trumpeter shall presume to take on an apprentice except after the elapsing of seven years following his own training, and duly performed campaigns.
• Should a trumpeter who has not been in the field dare to contract an apprentice; he is by all means to be prohibited from doing so. Because of his violation of the gracious Imperial and Royal Privileges, he must also utterly surrender his trumpet as a penalty, until there has been fulfilment of the matter and the attainment of due satisfaction.
• If a trumpeter should be contracted to a regiment and also participate in campaigns during his two years of apprenticeship, these campaigns are nevertheless to be declared null and void, being valid only from the moment in which he is released from apprenticeship.
• No assumption to or release from apprenticeship shall be performed, unless three or four members of a trumpet corps abide thereby.
• All those devoted to the noble, knightly art of trumpet playing shall not presume to instruct a pupil without levy of 100 thalers, half of which is to be paid in cash at assumption, and the other fifty thalers at release.
• A master, after releasing an apprentice whom he has taught, is to wait two years before taking on a new pupil.
• If during an apprenticeship the apprentice shall have completed a full year and his master should depart this life, then the remaining 50 thalers, which are due, are to be paid without a single contradiction, to friends of the master. Or to whomever the master has otherwise empowered.
• In case the apprentice should die within the period, it being more than a year, then the remaining 50 thalers are likewise paid to the master.
• If an apprentice should allow himself to be seduced by dissolute company during his period of training so that he deserts his apprenticeship, he is neither to be tolerated at court nor in the armies of friend or foe, in the face of his offences, even though he may already have attained perfection in the playing of field pieces. As far as it is possible to receive such a person once again, he shall be obliged to commence his apprenticeship anew. In any event, if he cannot be retained, the full apprentice’s fee is nonetheless to be paid.
• Inasmuch as an apprentice also mingles with womenfolk and should thereby make one pregnant, whether or not a year of apprenticeship has elapsed, not only shall the 100 thalers be lost, but he shall by no means ever again admitted to the noble, knightly art of trumpet playing.
• An apprentice is also required to serve all accomplished court and field trumpeters, as well as military kettledrummers, during the period of his training.
• No apprentice shall presume to associate with city pipers or horn players, much less teach them field pieces; nor shall he use his trumpet at the beer-bench or at other peasants’ revels, but rather reserve his art for emperors, kings, princes, counts, and sovereigns, as well as for all distinguished military officials.

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