太子爷小说网 > 英语电子书 > industrial biography >

第7节

industrial biography-第7节

小说: industrial biography 字数: 每页4000字

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页,按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页,按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部!
————未阅读完?加入书签已便下次继续阅读!




 。。。'

It is indeed matter of history; that about seventeen hundred years

since (A。D。 120) the Romans had forges in the West of England; both

in the Forest of Dean and in South Wales; and that they sent the

metal from thence to Bristol; where it was forged and made into

weapons for the use of the troops。  Along the banks of the Wye; the

ground is in many places a continuous bed of iron cinders; in which

numerous remains have been found; furnishing unmistakeable proofs of

the Roman furnaces。  At the same time; the iron ores of Sussex were

extensively worked; as appears from the cinder heaps found at

Maresfield and several places in that county; intermixed with Roman

pottery; coins; and other remains。  In a bed of scoriae several acres

in extent; at Old Land Farm in Maresfield; the Rev。 Mr。 Turner found

the remains of Roman pottery so numerous that scarcely a barrow…load

of cinders was removed that did not contain several fragments;

together with coins of the reigns of Nero; Vespasian; and

Dioclesian。*

 'footnote。。。

M。 A。 LOWER; Contributions to Literature; Historical; Antiquarian;

and Metrical。  London; 1854; pp。 88…9。

 。。。'

In the turbulent infancy of nations it is to be expected that we

should hear more of the Smith; or worker in iron; in connexion with

war; than with more peaceful pursuits。  Although he was a nail…maker

and a horse…shoermade axes; chisels; saws; and hammers for the

artificer  spades and hoes for the farmerbolts and fastenings for

the lord's castle…gates; and chains for his draw…bridgeit was

principally because of his skill in armour…work that he was esteemed。

He made and mended the weapons used in the chase and in warthe

gavelocs; bills; and battle…axes; he tipped the bowmen's arrows; and

furnished spear…heads for the men…at…arms; but; above all; he forged

the mail…coats and cuirasses of the chiefs; and welded their swords;

on the temper and quality of which; life; honour; and victory in

battle depended。  Hence the great estimation in which the smith was

held in the Anglo…Saxon times。  His person was protected by a double

penalty。  He was treated as an officer of the highest rank; and

awarded the first place in precedency。  After him ranked the maker of

mead; and then the physician。  In the royal court of Wales he sat in

the great hall with the king and queen; next to the domestic

chaplain; and even at that early day there seems to have been a hot

spark in the smith's throat which needed much quenching; for he was

〃entitled to a draught of every kind of liquor that was brought into

the hall。〃



The smith was thus a mighty man。  The Saxon Chronicle describes the

valiant knight himself as a 〃mighty war…smith。〃  But the smith was

greatest of all in his forging of swords; and the bards were wont to

sing the praises of the knight's 〃good sword 〃 and of the smith who

made it; as well as of the knight himself who wielded it in battle。

The most extraordinary powers were attributed to the weapon of steel

when first invented。  Its sharpness seemed so marvellous when compared

with one of bronze; that with the vulgar nothing but magic could

account for it。  Traditions; enshrined in fairy tales; still survive

in most countries; illustrative of its magical properties。  The weapon

of bronze was dull; but that of steel was brightthe 〃white sword of

light;〃 one touch of which broke spells; liberated enchanted

princesses; and froze giants' marrow。  King Arthur's magic sword

〃Excalibur〃 was regarded as almost heroic in the romance of

chivalry。*

 'footnote。。。

This famous sword was afterwards sent by Richard I。 as a present to

Tancred; and the value attached to the weapon may be estimated by the

fact that the Crusader sent the English monarch; in return for it;

〃four great ships and fifteen galleys。〃

 。。。'

So were the swords 〃Galatin〃 of Sir Gawain; and 〃Joyeuse〃 of

Charlemague; both of which were reputed to be the work of Weland the

Smith; about whose name clusters so much traditional glory as an

ancient worker in metals。*

 'footnote。。。

Weland was the Saxon Vulcan。  The name of Weland's or Wayland's Smithy

is still given to a monument on Lambourn Downs in Wiltshire。  The

place is also known as Wayland Smith's Cave。  It consists of a rude

gallery of stones。

 。。。'

The heroes of the Northmen in like manner wielded magic swords。  Olave

the Norwegian possessed the sword 〃Macabuin;〃 forged by the dark

smith of Drontheim; whose feats are recorded in the tales of the

Scalds。  And so; in like manner; traditions of the supernatural power

of the blacksmith are found existing to this day all over the

Scottish Highlands。*

 'footnote。。。

Among the Scythians the iron sword was a god。  It was the image of

Mars; and sacrifices were made to it。  〃An iron sword;〃 says Mr。

Campbell; really was once worshipped by a people with whom iron was

rare。  Iron is rare; while stone and bronze weapons are common; in

British tombs; and the sword of these stories is a personage。  It

shines; it cries out  the lives of men are bound up in it。  And so

this mystic sword may; perhaps; have been a god amongst the Celts; or

the god of the people with whom the Celts contended somewhere on

their long journey to the west。  It is a fiction now; but it may be

founded on fact; and that fact probably was the first use of iron。〃

To this day an old horse…shoe is considered a potent spell in some

districts against the powers of evil; and for want of a horse…shoe a

bit of a rusty reaping…hook is supposed to have equal power; 〃Who

were these powers of evil who could not resist ironthese fairies

who shoot STONE arrows; and are of the foes to the human race? Is all

this but a dim; hazy recollection of  war between a people who had

iron weapons and a race who had notthe race whose remains are found

all over Europe? If these were wandering tribes; they had leaders; if

they were warlike; they had weapons。  There is a smith in the Pantheon

of many nations。  Vulcan was a smith; Thor wielded a hammer; even

Fionn had a hammer; which was heard in Lochlann when struck in

Eirinn。  Fionn may have borrowed his hammer from Thor long ago; or

both may have got theirs from Vulcan; or all three may have brought

hammers with them from the land where some primeval smith wielded the

first sledge…hammer; but may not all these 'smith…gods be the smiths

who made iron weapons for those who fought with the skin…clad

warriors who shot flint…arrows; and who are now bogles; fairies ; and

demons? In any case; tales about smiths seem to belong to mythology;

and to be common property。〃CAMPBELL; Popular Tales of the West

Highlands; Preface; 74…6。

 。。。'

When William the Norman invaded Britain; he was well supplied with

smiths。  His followers were clad in armour of steel; and furnished

with the best weapons of the time。  Indeed; their superiority in this

respect is supposed to have been the principal cause of William's

victory over Harold; for the men of both armies were equal in point

of bravery。  The Normans had not only smiths to attend to the arms of

the knights; but farriers to shoe their horses。  Henry de Femariis; or

Ferrers; 〃prefectus fabrorum;〃 was one of the principal officers

entrusted with the supervision of the Conqueror's ferriery

department; and long after the earldom was founded his descendants

continued to bear on their coat of arms the six horse…shoes

indicative of their origin。*

 'footnote。。。

BROOK; Discovery of Errors in the Catalogue of the Nobility; 198。

 。。。'

William also gave the town of Northampton; with the hundred of

Fackley; as a fief to Simon St。  Liz; in consideration of his

providing shoes for his horses。*

 'footnote。。。

MEYRICK; i。 11。

 。。。'

But though the practice of horse…shoeing is said to have been

introduced to this country at the time of the Conquest; it is

probably of an earlier date; as; according to Dugdale; an old Saxon

tenant in capite of Welbeck in Nottinghamshire; named Gamelbere; held

two carucates of land by the service of shoeing the king's palfrey on

all four feet with the king's nails; as oft as the king should lie at

the neighbouring manor of Mansfield。



Although we hear of the smith mostly in connexion with the

fabrication of instruments of war in the Middle Ages; his importance

was no less recognized in the ordinary affairs of rural and

industrial life。  He was; as it were; the rivet that held society

together。  Nothing could be done without him。  Wherever tools or

implements were wanted for building; for trade; or for husbandry; his

skill was called into requisition。  In remote places he was often the

sole mechanic of his district; and; besides being a tool…maker; a

farrier; and agricultural implement maker; he doctored cattle; drew

teeth; practised phlebotomy; and sometimes officiated as parish clerk

and general newsmonger; for the smithy was the very eye and tongue of

the village。  Hence Shakespeare's picture of the smith

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的