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。