TheRomansthemselvesusedweaponsofbronzewhentheycouldnotobtainironinsufficientquantity，andmanyoftheRomanweaponsdugoutoftheancienttumuliareofthatmetal。Theypossessedtheartoftemperingandhardeningbronzetosuchadegreeastoenablethemtomanufactureswordswithitofaprettygoodedge；andinthosecountrieswhichtheypenetrated，theirbronzeimplementsgraduallysupplantedthosewhichhadbeenpreviouslyfashionedofstone。GreatquantitiesofbronzetoolshavebeenfoundindifferentpartsofEngland，——sometimesinheaps，asiftheyhadbeenthrownawayinbasketfulsasthingsoflittlevalue。IthasbeenconjecturedthatwhentheRomanscameintoBritaintheyfoundtheinhabitants，especiallythosetothenorthward，inverynearlythesamestateasCaptainCookandothervoyagersfoundtheinhabitantsoftheSouthSeaIslands；thattheBritonspartedwiththeirfoodandvaluablesfortoolsofinferiormetalmadeinimitationoftheirstoneones；
butfindingthemselvescheatedbytheRomans，asthenativesofOtaheitehavebeencheatedbyEuropeans，theBritonsrelinquishedthebadtoolswhentheybecameacquaintedwitharticlesmadeofbettermetal。*
[footnote……
SeeDr。Pearson’spaperinthePhilosophicalTransactions，1796，relativetocertainancientarmsandutensilsfoundintheriverWithambetweenKirksteadandLincoln。
TheRomancolonistswerethefirstmakersofironinBritainonanylargescale。Theyavailedthemselvesofthemineralrichesofthecountrywherevertheywent。Everyyearbringstheirextraordinaryindustrialactivitymoreclearlytolight。Theynotonlyoccupiedthebestsitesfortrade，intersectedthelandwithacompletesystemofwell-constructedroads，studdedourhillsandvalleyswithtowns，villages，andpleasure-houses，andavailedthemselvesofourmedicinalspringsforpurposesofbathstoanextentnotevenexceededatthisday，buttheyexploredourminesandquarries，andcarriedonthesmeltingandmanufactureofmetalsinnearlyallpartsoftheisland。Theheapsofminingrefuseleftbytheminthevalleysandalongthehill-sidesofNorthDerbyshirearestillspokenofbythecountrypeopleas”oldman，”orthe”oldman’swork。”Yearbyyear，fromDartmoortotheMorayFirth，theploughturnsupfreshtracesoftheirindefatigableindustryandenterprise，inpigsoflead，implementsofironandbronze，vesselsofpottery，coins，andsculpture；anditisaremarkablecircumstancethatinseveraldistrictswheretheexistenceofextensiveironbedshadnotbeendreamtofuntilwithinthelasttwentyyears，asinNorthamptonshireandNorthYorkshire，theremainsofancientworkingsrecentlydiscoveredshowthattheRomancolonistswerefullyacquaintedwiththem。