WilliamalsogavethetownofNorthampton，withthehundredofFackley，asafieftoSimonSt。Liz，inconsiderationofhisprovidingshoesforhishorses。*
[footnote……
MEYRICK，i。11。
Butthoughthepracticeofhorse-shoeingissaidtohavebeenintroducedtothiscountryatthetimeoftheConquest，itisprobablyofanearlierdate；as，accordingtoDugdale，anoldSaxontenantincapiteofWelbeckinNottinghamshire，namedGamelbere，heldtwocarucatesoflandbytheserviceofshoeingtheking’spalfreyonallfourfeetwiththeking’snails，asoftasthekingshouldlieattheneighbouringmanorofMansfield。
AlthoughwehearofthesmithmostlyinconnexionwiththefabricationofinstrumentsofwarintheMiddleAges，hisimportancewasnolessrecognizedintheordinaryaffairsofruralandindustriallife。Hewas，asitwere，therivetthatheldsocietytogether。Nothingcouldbedonewithouthim。Wherevertoolsorimplementswerewantedforbuilding，fortrade，orforhusbandry，hisskillwascalledintorequisition。Inremoteplaceshewasoftenthesolemechanicofhisdistrict；and，besidesbeingatool-maker，afarrier，andagriculturalimplementmaker，hedoctoredcattle，drewteeth，practisedphlebotomy，andsometimesofficiatedasparishclerkandgeneralnewsmonger；forthesmithywastheveryeyeandtongueofthevillage。HenceShakespeare’spictureofthesmithinKingJohn：”Isawasmithstandwithhishammer，thus，Thewhilsthisirondidontheanvilcool，Withopenmouthswallowingatailor’snews。”
Thesmith’stoolswereofmanysorts；butthechiefwerehishammer，pincers，chisel，tongs，andanvil。Itisastonishingwhatavarietyofarticlesheturnedoutofhissmithybythehelpoftheserudeimplements。Inthetooling，chasing，andconsummateknowledgeofthecapabilitiesofiron，hegreatlysurpassedthemodernworkman；forthemediaevalblacksmithwasanartistaswellasaworkman。Thenumerousexquisitespecimensofhishandicraftwhichexistinouroldgateways，churchdoors，altarrailings，andornamenteddogsandandirons，stillserveastypesforcontinualreproduction。Hewas，indeed，themost”cunningeworkman”ofhistime。Butbesidesallthis，hewasanengineer。Ifaroadhadtobemade，orastreamembanked，oratrenchdug，hewasinvariablycalledupontoprovidethetools，andoftentodirectthework。Hewasalsothemilitaryengineerofhisday，andaslateasthereignofEdwardIII。wefindthekingrepeatedlysendingforsmithsfromtheForestofDeantoactasengineersfortheroyalarmyatthesiegeofBerwick。
Thesmithbeingthustheearliestandmostimportantofmechanics，itwillreadilybeunderstoodhow，atthetimewhensurnameswereadopted，hisnameshouldhavebeensocommoninallEuropeancountries。”FromwhencecameSmith，allbeheknightorsquire，Butfromthesmiththatforgethinthefire?”*
[footnote……
GILBERT，Cornwall。
HencethemultitudinousfamilyofSmithsinEngland，insomecasesvainlydisguisedunderthe”Smythe”or”DeSmijthe；”inGermany，theSchmidts；inItaly，theFabri，Fabricii，orFabbroni；inFrance，theLeFebresorLefevres；inScotland，theGows，Gowans，orCowans。
WehavealsoamongustheBrownsmiths，ormakersofbrownbills；theNasmyths，ornailsmiths；theArrowsmiths，ormakersofarrowheads；
theSpearsmiths，orspearmakers；theShoosmiths，orhorseshoers；
theGoldsmiths，orworkersingold；andmanymore。TheSmithproperwas，however，theworkeriniron——themakerofirontools，implements，andarms——andhencethisnameexceedsinnumberthatofalltheotherscombined。
Incourseoftimethesmithsofparticulardistrictsbegantodistinguishthemselvesfortheirexcellenceinparticularbranchesofiron-work。Frombeingmerelytheretainerofsomelordlyorreligiousestablishment，thesmithworkedtosupplythegeneraldemand，andgraduallybecameamanufacturer。Thusthemakersofswords，tools，bits，andnails，congregatedatBirmingham；andthemakersofknivesandarrowheadsatSheffield。ChaucerspeaksoftheMillerofTrompingtonasprovidedwithaSheffieldwhittle：-”AShefeldthwytelbareheinhishose。”*
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Beforetable-kniveswereinvented，inthesixteenthcentury，theknifewasaveryimportantarticle；eachguestattablebearinghisown，andsharpeningitatthewhetstonehungupinthepassage，beforesittingdowntodinner，Someevencarriedawhetstoneaswellasaknife；andoneofQueenElizabeth’spresentstotheEarlofLeicesterwasawhetstonetippedwithgold。
ThecommonEnglisharrowheadsmanufacturedatSheffieldwerelongcelebratedfortheirexcellenttemper，asSheffieldironandsteelplatesarenow。ThebattleofHamildon，foughtinScotlandin1402，waswonmainlythroughtheirexcellence。ThehistorianrecordsthattheypenetratedthearmouroftheEarlofDouglas，whichhadbeenthreeyearsinmaking；andtheywere”sosharpandstrongthatnoarmourcouldrepelthem。”ThesamearrowheadswerefoundequallyefficientagainstFrencharmouronthefieldsofCrecyandAgincourt。
AlthoughScotlandisnowoneoftheprincipalsourcesfromwhichoursuppliesofironaredrawn，itwasinancienttimesgreatlydistressedforwantofthemetal。Thepeoplewereasyettoolittleskilledtobeabletoturntheirgreatmineralwealthtoaccount。
EveninthetimeofWallace，theyhadscarcelyemergedfromtheStoneperiod，andwereunderthenecessityofresistingtheiriron-armedEnglishadversariesbymeansofrudeweaponsofthatmaterial。Tosupplythemselveswithswordsandspearheads，theyimportedsteelfromFlanders，andtheresttheyobtainedbymaraudingincursionsintoEngland。ThedistrictofFurnessinLancashire——thenasnowaniron-producingdistrict——wasfrequentlyravagedwiththatobject；
andonsuchoccasionstheScotchseizedandcarriedoffallthemanufacturedirontheycouldfind，preferringit，thoughsoheavy，toeveryotherkindofplunder。*
[footnote……
TheearlyscarcityofironinScotlandisconfirmedbyFroissart，whosays，——”InScotlandyouwillneverfindamanofworth；theyarelikesavages，whowishnottobeacquaintedwithanyone，areenviousofthegoodfortuneofothers，andsuspiciousoflosinganythingthemselves；fortheircountryisverypoor。WhentheEnglishmakeinroadsthither，astheyhaveveryfrequentlydone，theyordertheirprovisions，iftheywishtolive，tofollowcloseattheirbacks；fornothingistobehadinthatcountrywithoutgreatdifficulty。Thereisneitherirontoshoehorses，norleathertomakeharness，saddles，orbridles：allthesethingscomereadymadefromFlandersbysea；
andshouldthesefail，thereisnonetobehadinthecountry。’
Aboutthesameperiod，however，ironmusthavebeenregardedasalmostapreciousmetaleveninEnglanditself；forwefindthatinEdwardtheThird’sreign，thepots，spits，andfrying-pansoftheroyalkitchenwereclassedamonghisMajesty’sjewels。*
[footnote……
PARKER’SEnglishHome，77
ThesamefamineofironprevailedtoastillgreaterextentintheHighlands，whereitwasevenmorevalued，astheclanslivedchieflybyhunting，andwereinanalmostconstantstateoffeud。HencethesmithwasamanofindispensableimportanceamongtheHighlanders，andthepossessionofaskilfularmourerwasgreatlyvaluedbythechiefs。ThestoryistoldofsomedelinquencyhavingbeencommittedbyaHighlandsmith，onwhomjusticemustbedone；butasthechiefcouldnotdispensewiththesmith，hegenerouslyofferedtohangtwoweaversinhisstead！
AtlengthagreatarmoureraroseintheHighlands，whowasabletoforgearmourthatwouldresistthebestSheffieldarrow-heads，andtomakeswordsthatwouldviewiththebestweaponsofToledoandMilan。
ThiswasthefamousAndreadeFerrara，whoseswordsstillmaintaintheirancientreputation。ThisworkmanissupposedtohavelearnthisartintheItaliancityafterwhichhewascalled，andreturnedtopractiseitinsecrecyamongtheHighlandhills。Beforehim，nomaninGreatBritainissaidtohaveknownhowtotemperaswordinsuchawayastobendsothatthepointshouldtouchthehiltandspringbackuninjured。TheswordsofAndreadeFerraradidthis，andwereaccordinglyingreatrequest；foritwasofeveryimportancetothewarriorthathisweaponshouldbestrongandsharpwithoutbeingunwieldy，andthatitshouldnotbeliabletosnapintheactofcombat。Thiscelebratedsmith，whosepersonalidentity*
[footnote……
TheprecisetimeatwhichAndreadeFerraraflourishedcannotbefixedwithaccuracy；butSirWaiterScott，inoneofthenotestoWaverley，saysheisbelievedtohavebeenaforeignartistbroughtoverbyJamesIV。orV。ofScotlandtoinstructtheScotsinthemanufactureofsword-blades。Thegenuineweaponshaveacrownmarkedontheblades。
hasbecomemergedintheAndreadeFerraraswordsofhismanufacture，pursuedhiscraftintheHighlands，whereheemployedanumberofskilledworkmeninforgingweapons，devotinghisowntimeprincipallytogivingthemtheirrequiredtemper。Heissaidtohaveworkedinadarkcellar，thebettertoenablehimtoperceivetheeffectoftheheatuponthemetal，andtowatchthenicetyoftheoperationoftempering，aswellaspossiblytoserveasascreentohissecretmethodofworking。*
[footnote……
Mr。Parkes，inhisEssayontheManufactureofEdgeTools，says，”Hadthisingeniousartistthoughtofabathofoil，hemighthaveheatedthisbymeansofafurnaceunderneathit，andbytheuseofathermometer，totheexactpointwhichhefoundnecessary；thoughitisinconvenienttohavetoemployathermometerforeverydistinctoperation。Or，ifhehadbeeninthepossessionofaproperbathoffusiblemetal，hewouldhaveattainedthenecessarycertaintyinhisprocess，andneednothaveimmuredhimselfinasubterraneanapartment——PARKES’Essays，1841，p。495。
LongafterAndreadeFerrara’stime，theScotchswordswerefamousfortheirtemper；JudgeMarshalFatten，whoaccompaniedtheProtector’sexpeditionintoScotlandin1547，observingthat”theScotscamewithswordsallbroadandthin，ofexceedinggoodtemper，anduniversallysomadetoslicethatIneversawnonesogood，soI