industrial biography-第8节

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the　village。　　Hence　Shakespeare's　picture　of　the　smith　in　King　John：　　



　　　〃I　saw　a　smith　stand　with　his　hammer；　thus；

　　　　The　whilst　his　iron　did　on　the　anvil　cool；

　　　　With　open　mouth　swallowing　a　tailor's　news。〃



The　smith's　tools　were　of　many　sorts；　but　the　chief　were　his　hammer；

pincers；　chisel；　tongs；　and　anvil。　　It　is　astonishing　what　a　variety

of　articles　he　turned　out　of　his　smithy　by　the　help　of　these　rude

implements。　　In　the　tooling；　chasing；　and　consummate　knowledge　of　the

capabilities　of　iron；　he　greatly　surpassed　the　modern　workman；　for

the　mediaeval　blacksmith　was　an　artist　as　well　as　a　workman。　　The

numerous　exquisite　specimens　of　his　handicraft　which　exist　in　our　old

gateways；　church　doors；　altar　railings；　and　ornamented　dogs　and

andirons；　still　serve　as　types　for　continual　reproduction。　　He　was；

indeed；　the　most　〃cunninge　workman〃　of　his　time。　　But　besides　all

this；　he　was　an　engineer。　　If　a　road　had　to　be　made；　or　a　stream

embanked；　or　a　trench　dug；　he　was　invariably　called　upon　to　provide

the　tools；　and　often　to　direct　the　work。　　He　was　also　the　military

engineer　of　his　day；　and　as　late　as　the　reign　of　Edward　III。　we　find

the　king　repeatedly　sending　for　smiths　from　the　Forest　of　Dean　to　act

as　engineers　for　the　royal　army　at　the　siege　of　Berwick。



The　smith　being　thus　the　earliest　and　most　important　of　mechanics；　it

will　readily　be　understood　how；　at　the　time　when　surnames　were

adopted；　his　name　should　have　been　so　common　in　all　European

countries。



　　　　〃From　whence　came　Smith；　all　be　he　knight　or　squire；

　　　　　But　from　the　smith　that　forgeth　in　the　fire？〃*



　＇footnote。。。

GILBERT；　Cornwall。

　。。。＇



Hence　the　multitudinous　family　of　Smiths　in　England；　in　some　cases

vainly　disguised　under　the　〃Smythe〃　or　〃De　Smijthe；〃　in　Germany；　the

Schmidts；　in　Italy；　the　Fabri；　Fabricii；or　Fabbroni；　in　France；　the

Le　Febres　or　Lefevres；　in　Scotland；　the　Gows；　Gowans；　or　Cowans。

We　have　also　among　us　the　Brownsmiths；　or　makers　of　brown　bills；　the

Nasmyths；　or　nailsmiths；　the　Arrowsmiths；　or　makers　of　arrowheads；

the　Spearsmiths；　or　spear　makers；　the　Shoosmiths；　or　horse　shoers；

the　Goldsmiths；　or　workers　in　gold；　and　many　more。　　The　Smith　proper

was；　however；　the　worker　in　ironthe　maker　of　iron　tools；

implements；　and　armsand　hence　this　name　exceeds　in　number　that　of

all　the　others　combined。



In　course　of　time　the　smiths　of　particular　districts　began　to

distinguish　themselves　for　their　excellence　in　particular　branches　of

iron…work。　　From　being　merely　the　retainer　of　some　lordly　or　religious

establishment；　the　smith　worked　to　supply　the　general　demand；　and

gradually　became　a　manufacturer。　　Thus　the　makers　of　swords；　tools；

bits；　and　nails；　congregated　at　Birmingham；　and　the　makers　of　knives

and　arrowheads　at　Sheffield。　　Chaucer　speaks　of　the　Miller　of

Trompington　as　provided　with　a　Sheffield　whittle：　　…



　　　　〃A　Shefeld　thwytel　bare　he　in　his　hose。〃*



　＇footnote。。。

Before　table…knives　were　invented；　in　the　sixteenth　century；　the

knife　was　a　very　important　article；　each　guest　at　table　bearing　his

own；　and　sharpening　it　at　the　whetstone　hung　up　in　the　passage；

before　sitting　down　to　dinner；　Some　even　carried　a　whetstone　as　well

as　a　knife；　and　one　of　Queen　Elizabeth's　presents　to　the　Earl　of

Leicester　was　a　whetstone　tipped　with　gold。

　。。。＇



The　common　English　arrowheads　manufactured　at　Sheffield　were　long

celebrated　for　their　excellent　temper；　as　Sheffield　iron　and　steel

plates　are　now。　　The　battle　of　Hamildon；　fought　in　Scotland　in　1402；

was　won　mainly　through　their　excellence。　　The　historian　records　that

they　penetrated　the　armour　of　the　Earl　of　Douglas；　which　had　been

three　years　in　making；　and　they　were　〃so　sharp　and　strong　that　no

armour　could　repel　them。〃　　The　same　arrowheads　were　found　equally

efficient　against　French　armour　on　the　fields　of　Crecy　and　Agincourt。



Although　Scotland　is　now　one　of　the　principal　sources　from　which　our

supplies　of　iron　are　drawn；　it　was　in　ancient　times　greatly

distressed　for　want　of　the　metal。　　The　people　were　as　yet　too　little

skilled　to　be　able　to　turn　their　great　mineral　wealth　to　account。

Even　in　the　time　of　Wallace；　they　had　scarcely　emerged　from　the　Stone

period；　and　were　under　the　necessity　of　resisting　their　iron…armed

English　adversaries　by　means　of　rude　weapons　of　that　material。　　To

supply　themselves　with　swords　and　spearheads；　they　imported　steel

from　Flanders；　and　the　rest　they　obtained　by　marauding　incursions

into　England。　　The　district　of　Furness　in　Lancashirethen　as　now　an

iron…producing　districtwas　frequently　ravaged　with　that　object；

and　on　such　occasions　the　Scotch　seized　and　carried　off　all　the

manufactured　iron　they　could　find；　preferring　it；　though　so　heavy；　to

every　other　kind　of　plunder。*

　＇footnote。。。

The　early　scarcity　of　iron　in　Scotland　is　confirmed　by　Froissart；　who

says；〃In　Scotland　you　will　never　find　a　man　of　worth；　they　are　like

savages；　who　wish　not　to　be　acquainted　with　any　one；　are　envious　of

the　good　fortune　of　others；　and　suspicious　of　losing　anything

themselves；　for　their　country　is　very　poor。　　When　the　English　make

inroads　thither；　as　they　have　very　frequently　done；　they　order　their

provisions；　if　they　wish　to　live；　to　follow　close　at　their　backs；　for

nothing　is　to　be　had　in　that　country　without　great　difficulty。　　There

is　neither　iron　to　shoe　horses；　nor　leather　to　make　harness；　saddles；

or　bridles：　　all　these　things　come　ready　made　from　Flanders　by　sea；

and　should　these　fail；　there　is　none　to　be　had　in　the　country。'

　。。。＇

About　the　same　period；　however；　iron　must　have　been　regarded　as

almost　a　precious　metal　even　in　England　itself；　for　we　find　that　in

Edward　the　Third's　reign；　the　pots；　spits；　and　frying…pans　of　the

royal　kitchen　were　classed　among　his　Majesty's　jewels。*

　＇footnote。。。

PARKER'S　English　Home；　77

　。。。＇



The　same　famine　of　iron　prevailed　to　a　still　greater　extent　in　the

Highlands；　where　it　was　even　more　valued；　as　the　clans　lived　chiefly

by　hunting；　and　were　in　an　almost　constant　state　of　feud。　　Hence　the

smith　was　a　man　of　indispensable　importance　among　the　Highlanders；

and　the　possession　of　a　skilful　armourer　was　greatly　valued　by　the

chiefs。　　The　story　is　told　of　some　delinquency　having　been　committed

by　a　Highland　smith；　on　whom　justice　must　be　done；　but　as　the　chief

could　not　dispense　with　the　smith；　he　generously　offered　to　hang　two

weavers　in　his　stead！



At　length　a　great　armourer　arose　in　the　Highlands；　who　was　able　to

forge　armour　that　would　resist　the　best　Sheffield　arrow…heads；　and　to

make　swords　that　would　vie　with　the　best　weapons　of　Toledo　and　Milan。

This　was　the　famous　Andrea　de　Ferrara；　whose　swords　still　maintain

their　ancient　reputation。　　This　workman　is　supposed　to　have　learnt　his

art　in　the　Italian　city　after　which　he　was　called；　and　returned　to

practise　it　in　secrecy　among　the　Highland　hills。　　Before　him；　no　man

in　Great　Britain　is　said　to　have　known　how　to　temper　a　sword　in　such

a　way　as　to　bend　so　that　the　point　should　touch　the　hilt　and　spring

back　uninjured。　　The　swords　of　Andrea　de　Ferrara　did　this；　and　were

accordingly　in　great　request；　for　it　was　of　every　importance　to　the

warrior　that　his　weapon　should　be　strong　and　sharp　without　being

unwieldy；　and　that　it　should　not　be　liable　to　snap　in　the　act　of

combat。　　This　celebrated　smith；　whose　personal　identity*

　＇footnote。。。

The　precise　time　at　which　Andrea　de　Ferrara　flourished　cannot　be

fixed　with　accuracy；　but　Sir　Waiter　Scott；　in　one　of　the　notes　to

Waverley；　says　he　is　believed　to　have　been　a　foreign　artist　brought

over　by　James　IV。　or　V。　of　Scotland　to　instruct　the　Scots　in　the

manufacture　of　sword…blades。　　The　genuine　weapons　have　a　crown　marked

on　the　blades。

　。。。＇

has　become　merged　in　the　Andrea　de　Ferrara　swords　of　his　manufacture；

pursued　his　craft　in　the　Highlands；　where　he　employed　a　number　of

skilled　workmen　in　forging　weapons；　devoting　his　own　time　principally

to　giving　them　their　required　temper。　　He　is　said　to　have　worked　in　a

dark　cellar；　the　better　to　enable　him　to　perceive　the　effect　of　the

heat　upon　the　metal；　and　to　watch　the　nicety　of　the　operation　of

tempering；　as　well　as　possibly　to　serve　as　a　screen　to　his　secret

method　of　working。*

　＇footnote。。。

Mr。　Parkes；　in　his　Essay　on　the　Manufacture　of　Edge　Tools；　says；　〃Had

this　ingenious　artist　thought　of　a　bath　of　oil；　he　might　have　heated

this　by　means　of　a　furnace　underneath　it；　and　by　the　use　of　a

thermometer；　to　the　exact　point　which　he　found　necessary；　though　it

is　inconvenient　to　have　to　employ　a　thermometer　for　every　distinct

operation。　　Or；　if　he　had　been　in　the　possession　of　a　proper　bath　of

fusible　metal；　he　would　have　attained　the　necessary　certainty　in　his

process；　and　need　not　have　immured　himself　in　a　subterranean

apartment。PARKES'　Essays；　1841；　p。　495。

　。。。＇

Long　after　Andrea　de　Ferrara's　time；　the　Scotch　swords　were