COMPANIK*. 



COMPASS, HISTORY OF T1IK. 



100 



in many of the greater towns, the subdivision of the general community 

 into >tUtlt of particular trades, called, in many instances since the 

 Norman era, tompamitt, which thus became avenues for admission to 

 the general franchise of the municipality. In their greatest prosperity 

 these fraternities, more especially in the metropolis, became important 

 bodies, in which the whole community was enrolled; each had it* 

 distinct common-hall, made bye-laws for the regulation of its particular 

 trade, and had it* common property ; while the rights of the individuals 

 composing them, u members of the great general community, re- 

 mained the same. 



Nearly thirty years after the express recognition by charter, of 

 the IS Edward III., of the power in the citizens of London to 

 make bye-laws, it was, by consent of all the commons of the city 

 ordained that each of the myttrriet, that is, each of the trading compa- 

 nies, should choose certain persons to assent to and ordain, with the lord 

 mayor and aldermen, whatever they should deem advisable ; to elect 

 the mayor and sheriffs ; and to give counsel in all cases where it was 

 formerly sought of the commons. This was in the 43 or 44 Edw. III., 

 and was confirmed in the 60th of the same reign : but the common- 

 hall or court of hustings of the whole community still retained the 

 right of re-modelling the municipal legislature ; and in the 7 Richard 

 II., the common-council was placed on its present footing by an act of 

 common-hall, passed in the presence of the " immense community," to 

 the effect that, as in such huge assemblies things had been done more 

 by clamour than by reason, the aldermen, when, on St. Gregory's day 

 in each year, they were appointed for the year ensuing, should be 

 firmly charged, fifteen days after the said day, to assemble their respec- 

 tive wards, and, by good deliberation, charge them to choose four of 

 the most sufficient persons in their word, to be of the common-council 

 for the year ensuing, &c., provided that of the whole number no more 

 than eight should be of one myttrry. Except as to the prescribed 

 numbers, which were not strictly adhered to, this act of common-hall 

 took full effect ; the whole administrative powers of the community 

 were transferred to the legislative body, composed of mayor, aldermen, 

 and common-councilmen, all subject to annual election ; and the ancient 

 hustings-court fell into comparative desuetude ; although, on one sub- 

 sequent occasion, hi the 28 Henry VII., we find the mayor, aldermen, 

 common-council, and commons, acting together as one great common 

 hall, in accordance with the original constitution. 



Such was the natural origin of the court* of aldermen and common- 

 council in the city of London ; and how closely analogous was their 

 rise hi other communities, is abundantly testified by existing docu- 

 ments. 



In those instances where the whole of the citizens or burgesses were 

 numbered in the several trading companies, these, for convenience* 

 sake, sometimes formed the basis of the internal polity of the com- 

 munity, and the election of borough officers and members of the 

 common council became vested hi them. London itself presents at 

 this day a remarkable instance of incomplete progression from the 

 household franchise to the adoption of that of the guilds ; the inha- 

 bitant freemen elect the aldermen and common-councilmen ; while the 

 Hcfri/men, or members of the several companies (so denominated from 

 the distinguishing peculiarities of costume adopted by each fraternity), 

 resident or non-resident, elect the mayor, sheriffs, chamberlain, and 

 other officers. But, in many boroughs, this basis of the guilds wholly 

 superseded the original scot-and-lot franchise, and in the changes ol 

 society which have gradually reduced the guilds from their original 

 position, that thorough substitution has been one constantly growing 

 cause of unfair exclusion. The richest and most influential persons, too, 

 being generally chosen by the inhabitants at large to the highest places 

 in the municipal councils, were often tempted to seek the perpetuation 

 of their authority without the necessity of frequent appeals to the 

 popular voice, and even to usurp powers which it had not delegated at 

 all. Such usurpations however were often vigorously resisted by the 

 community at large ; and the contests were sometimes so violent anc 

 obstinate as to lead to bloodshed. But in course of time, the Crown 

 itself, so long indifferent to the details of municipal arrangement* 

 found sufficient motives for encouraging these endeavours of interim 

 parties to form close ruling bodies, irresponsible to the general com 

 munity. 



In many towns, as still in London, it was necessary, in order to 

 complete his title, that the party should be first admitted a member 

 of certain guilds or trading companies of ancient institution within tin 

 borough, and still preserving various degrees of connection with, and 

 subordination to the municipal corporation ; a practice which seems to 

 have been formerly still more prevalent. The derivative title con 

 ferring a right of admission to these guilds was usually of the same 

 kind as that by which the municipal corporation itaebf was 

 These guilds were also accustomed to admit by purchase ; but such 

 purchasers neither acquired nor could convey any absolute right to 

 admission into the municipal corporation. Occasionally, an incorpo 

 rated guild has continued to exist after it* connection with the muni 

 cipal corporation has been almost or wholly dissolved. 



The titles from birth, marriage, and apprenticeship, were very various 



admission at ain 

 time conferred the inchoate right on all his children wherever born 



n others, only on those born after, and in many, only on the first son 

 bora alter his admission. Less variety is found in the nature of the 

 itle which a freeman's daughter or widow must posse**, to enable her 

 to convey the privilege. The right by apprenticeship has usually 

 accrued by service under Indentures for seven years to a freeman 

 within the borough : service at sea has generally been considered in 

 he light of service within the borough where the vessel belonged to 

 ts port : in some boroughs having trading companies, the binding and 

 service must be to one of the company in the trade peculiar to that 

 company. 



COMPANY, in military affair*, U the body of men which constitutes 

 one of the principal divisions of a battalion of infantry, and which 

 correspond* to the troop in a regiment of cavalry. The strength of a 

 company in the regiment of artillery is 120 men, in the guards and line 

 80 men. In each battalion there is one which is called the grenadier 

 company, and another the light company ; and these are called flank 

 companies from their stations, which, when the battalion i* drawn up 

 n line, are at it* extremities. The grenadiers acquired that denomi- 

 nation from the grenades, or small shells, which they were trained to 

 throw by hand into an enemy's works ; and the light companies were 

 so called from their being required to act as the skirmishers of the 

 battalion. Every company of the line and militia is commanded by a 

 captain, under whom are a lieutenant and an ensign, besides the non- 

 commissioned officers; formerly in the regiment of Artillery, the Hitle 

 Brigade, the corps of Royal Engineers and Marines, and the Fusilier 

 regiments, each company hod, instead of an ensign, a second lieutenant. 

 The rank of second lieutenant has now, however, been done away 

 with, being changed to that of ensign in the case of the Rifle Brigade 

 and Fusilier Regiments ; and to that of lieutenant in the Royal Artil- 

 lery, Royal Engineers, and Marines. The rank, however, does not cany 

 the pay of lieutenant with it to any besides the established number ; 

 those who would under the former regulations have received the pay 

 of second lieutenant, still only receive it 



In France, the first formation of bodies of men under the denomi- 

 nation of companies, may be said to have taken place in 1 "!''. 

 [C.vv \uiT.l But the institution in that country of what approaches 

 nearer to the present signification of the word, occurred in 1557, when 

 Henry II. divided a French legion into fifteen bodies of 400 men; 

 each of which, except the two first divisions or companies, was com- 

 manded by a captain, a lieutenant, and an ensign, besides two Serjeants 

 and eight corporals. Those two companies were considered as being 

 immediately under the command of the colonel himself, and tin 

 had no officer of higher rank than lieutenant. This regulation seems 

 to have been followed in the British service, since formerly in each 

 regiment there were two, called the colonel's companies, which were 

 commanded by lieutenants only, who, however, were by courtesy 

 entitled captains. 



It is observed by Grose, that probably from the time of the Conquest 

 the English infantry was divided into corps, consisting of lOOti men, 

 which were subdivided into hundreds and tens. And he remarks that 

 in the list of the army engaged at the siege and battle of St. Qucntin, 

 in 1557, each company is stated to consist of 100 men, and to be com- 

 manded by a captain, a lieutenant, and an ensign, as at present, besides 

 a Serjeant, a harbinger or quartermaster, and a drummer. 



COMPASS, HISTORY OF THE. The knowledge of the directive 

 power of the magnet was unknown to the Greeks, the Romans, and to 

 European nations generally till late in the 12th century; and does 

 not appear even then to Lave been brought into common use for 

 nautical purposes. It has however been so known and so used in rl.ina, 

 Japan, India, and Arabia from periods of high antiquity. Doubts, 

 indeed, have been often expressed of the validity of the claims of the 

 Chinese, and of the authenticity of the dates attributed to the notices 

 of it in the grand annals of their empire; but the most careful 

 nation of the Chinese claims does not warrant our scepticism on one 

 point or the other. The Jesuit missionary - li<> v.,-nt to China in the 

 beginning of the 17th century, were of course little likely to admit the 

 high antiquity claimed by those annals without rigorous inquiry ; nor, 

 without evidence of great force, to give up in any degree, even 

 implicitly, the chronological authority of the Vulgate Scriptures : yet 

 this was not only the case, but upon their return they unanimouah 

 agreed in the conviction that those records were authentic, and several 

 of them published that conviction to the world, at no small degree of 

 risk to their reputation for orthodoxy. No exact translation into any 

 European language of the passages from which they dre\v their 

 t-i of the directive properties of the maj;; owever. been 



given till the year when Klaproth published his 'Lettre a M. H. llum- 

 boldt sur I'lnveution de la Boussole,' at Paris ; and a trau>l 

 passage in question has been again given in Englinh by Mr 

 in his 'Early History of the Mariner's Compass,' pubM-he,! in the 

 'British Annual for 1887.' The circumstance, fn>m it- in< 



n, seems to give greater authority to the passage. It relates to 

 the date 2684 years before our en. 



" Houong-ti punishes Tchi-ycou at Tchou-lou. 



" The Wai-ki iid : Tchi-yeou bore the name of Khi.ing ; he was 

 related to the Emperor Yan-ti. He delighted in war and turmoil. He 

 made swords, lances, and largo cross-bows to oppress and devastate the 

 empire. He culled and brought together the chiefs of provinces : his 

 grasping disposition and avarice exceeded all bounds. Yan ti yu- 



