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。
Buttheprincipalironminesworkedbythatpeoplewerethosewhichweremostconvenientlysituatedforpurposesofexportation，moreespeciallyinthesoutherncountiesandonthebordersofWales。Theextensivecinderheapsfoundinthe——ForestofDean——whichformedthereadiestresourceofthemoderniron-smelterwhenimprovedprocessesenabledhimtoreducethem——showthattheirprincipalironmanufactureswerecarriedoninthatquarter*
[footnote……”IntheForestofDeanandthereaboutstheironismadeatthisdayofcinders，beingtheroughandoffalthrownbyintheRomantime；
theythenhavingonlyfoot-blaststomelttheironstone；butnow，bytheforceofagreatwheelthatdrivesapairofBellowstwentyfeetlong，allthatironisextractedoutofthecinderswhichcouldnotbeforcedfromitbytheRomanfoot-blast。AndintheForestofDeanandthereabouts，andashighasWorcester，thereavegreatandinfinitequantitiesofthesecinders；someinvastmountsaboveground，someunderground，whichwillsupplytheironworkssomehundredsofyears；andthesecindersavetheywhichmaketheprimeandbestiron，andwithmuchlesscharcoalthandoththeironstone。”——A。YARRANTON，England’sImprovementbySeaandLand。
London，1677。
Itisindeedmatterofhistory，thataboutseventeenhundredyearssinceA。D。120theRomanshadforgesintheWestofEngland，bothintheForestofDeanandinSouthWales；andthattheysentthemetalfromthencetoBristol，whereitwasforgedandmadeintoweaponsfortheuseofthetroops。AlongthebanksoftheWye，thegroundisinmanyplacesacontinuousbedofironcinders，inwhichnumerousremainshavebeenfound，furnishingunmistakeableproofsoftheRomanfurnaces。Atthesametime，theironoresofSussexwereextensivelyworked，asappearsfromthecinderheapsfoundatMaresfieldandseveralplacesinthatcounty，intermixedwithRomanpottery，coins，andotherremains。Inabedofscoriaeseveralacresinextent，atOldLandFarminMaresfield，theRev。Mr。TurnerfoundtheremainsofRomanpotterysonumerousthatscarcelyabarrow-loadofcinderswasremovedthatdidnotcontainseveralfragments，togetherwithcoinsofthereignsofNero，Vespasian，andDioclesian。*
[footnote……
M。A。LOWER，ContributionstoLiterature，Historical，Antiquarian，andMetrical。London，1854，pp。88-9。
IntheturbulentinfancyofnationsitistobeexpectedthatweshouldhearmoreoftheSmith，orworkeriniron，inconnexionwithwar，thanwithmorepeacefulpursuits。Althoughhewasanail-makerandahorse-shoer——madeaxes，chisels，saws，andhammersfortheartificer——spadesandhoesforthefarmer——boltsandfasteningsforthelord’scastle-gates，andchainsforhisdraw-bridge——itwasprincipallybecauseofhisskillinarmour-workthathewasesteemed。
Hemadeandmendedtheweaponsusedinthechaseandinwar——thegavelocs，bills，andbattle-axes；hetippedthebowmen’sarrows，andfurnishedspear-headsforthemen-at-arms；but，aboveall，heforgedthemail-coatsandcuirassesofthechiefs，andweldedtheirswords，onthetemperandqualityofwhich，life，honour，andvictoryinbattledepended。HencethegreatestimationinwhichthesmithwasheldintheAnglo-Saxontimes。Hispersonwasprotectedbyadoublepenalty。Hewastreatedasanofficerofthehighestrank，andawardedthefirstplaceinprecedency。Afterhimrankedthemakerofmead，andthenthephysician。IntheroyalcourtofWaleshesatinthegreathallwiththekingandqueen，nexttothedomesticchaplain；andevenatthatearlydaythereseemstohavebeenahotsparkinthesmith’sthroatwhichneededmuchquenching；forhewas”entitledtoadraughtofeverykindofliquorthatwasbroughtintothehall。”
Thesmithwasthusamightyman。TheSaxonChronicledescribesthevaliantknighthimselfasa”mightywar-smith。”Butthesmithwasgreatestofallinhisforgingofswords；andthebardswerewonttosingthepraisesoftheknight’s”goodsword”andofthesmithwhomadeit，aswellasoftheknighthimselfwhowieldeditinbattle。
Themostextraordinarypowerswereattributedtotheweaponofsteelwhenfirstinvented。Itssharpnessseemedsomarvellouswhencomparedwithoneofbronze，thatwiththevulgarnothingbutmagiccouldaccountforit。Traditions，enshrinedinfairytales，stillsurviveinmostcountries，illustrativeofitsmagicalproperties。Theweaponofbronzewasdull；butthatofsteelwasbright——the”whiteswordoflight，”onetouchofwhichbrokespells，liberatedenchantedprincesses，andfrozegiants’marrow。KingArthur’smagicsword”Excalibur”wasregardedasalmostheroicintheromanceofchivalry。*
[footnote……
ThisfamousswordwasafterwardssentbyRichardI。asapresenttoTancred；andthevalueattachedtotheweaponmaybeestimatedbythefactthattheCrusadersenttheEnglishmonarch，inreturnforit，”fourgreatshipsandfifteengalleys。”
Soweretheswords”Galatin”ofSirGawain，and”Joyeuse”ofCharlemague，bothofwhichwerereputedtobetheworkofWelandtheSmith，aboutwhosenameclusterssomuchtraditionalgloryasanancientworkerinmetals。*
[footnote……
WelandwastheSaxonVulcan。ThenameofWeland’sorWayland’sSmithyisstillgiventoamonumentonLambournDownsinWiltshire。TheplaceisalsoknownasWaylandSmith’sCave。Itconsistsofarudegalleryofstones。
TheheroesoftheNorthmeninlikemannerwieldedmagicswords。OlavetheNorwegianpossessedthesword”Macabuin，”forgedbythedarksmithofDrontheim，whosefeatsarerecordedinthetalesoftheScalds。Andso，inlikemanner，traditionsofthesupernaturalpoweroftheblacksmitharefoundexistingtothisdayallovertheScottishHighlands。*
[footnote……
AmongtheScythianstheironswordwasagod。ItwastheimageofMars，andsacrificesweremadetoit。”Anironsword，”saysMr。
Campbell，reallywasonceworshippedbyapeoplewithwhomironwasrare。Ironisrare，whilestoneandbronzeweaponsarecommon，inBritishtombs，andtheswordofthesestoriesisapersonage。Itshines，itcriesout——thelivesofmenareboundupinit。Andsothismysticswordmay，perhaps，havebeenagodamongsttheCelts，orthegodofthepeoplewithwhomtheCeltscontendedsomewhereontheirlongjourneytothewest。Itisafictionnow，butitmaybefoundedonfact，andthatfactprobablywasthefirstuseofiron。”
Tothisdayanoldhorse-shoeisconsideredapotentspellinsomedistrictsagainstthepowersofevil；andforwantofahorse-shoeabitofarustyreaping-hookissupposedtohaveequalpower，”Whowerethesepowersofevilwhocouldnotresistiron——thesefairieswhoshootSTONEarrows，andareofthefoestothehumanrace?Isallthisbutadim，hazyrecollectionofwarbetweenapeoplewhohadironweaponsandaracewhohadnot——theracewhoseremainsarefoundalloverEurope?Ifthesewerewanderingtribes，theyhadleaders；iftheywerewarlike，theyhadweapons。ThereisasmithinthePantheonofmanynations。Vulcanwasasmith；Thorwieldedahammer；evenFionnhadahammer，whichwasheardinLochlannwhenstruckinEirinn。FionnmayhaveborrowedhishammerfromThorlongago，orbothmayhavegottheirsfromVulcan，orallthreemayhavebroughthammerswiththemfromthelandwheresomeprimevalsmithwieldedthefirstsledge-hammer；butmaynotallthese’smith-godsbethesmithswhomadeironweaponsforthosewhofoughtwiththeskin-cladwarriorswhoshotflint-arrows，andwhoarenowbogles，fairies，anddemons?Inanycase，talesaboutsmithsseemtobelongtomythology，andtobecommonproperty。”——CAMPBELL，PopularTalesoftheWestHighlands，Preface，74-6。
WhenWilliamtheNormaninvadedBritain，hewaswellsuppliedwithsmiths。Hisfollowerswerecladinarmourofsteel，andfurnishedwiththebestweaponsofthetime。Indeed，theirsuperiorityinthisrespectissupposedtohavebeentheprincipalcauseofWilliam’svictoryoverHarold；forthemenofbotharmieswereequalinpointofbravery。TheNormanshadnotonlysmithstoattendtothearmsoftheknights，butfarrierstoshoetheirhorses。HenrydeFemariis，orFerrers，”prefectusfabrorum，”wasoneoftheprincipalofficersentrustedwiththesupervisionoftheConqueror’sferrierydepartment；andlongaftertheearldomwasfoundedhisdescendantscontinuedtobearontheircoatofarmsthesixhorse-shoesindicativeoftheirorigin。*
[footnote……
BROOK，DiscoveryofErrorsintheCatalogueoftheNobility，198。