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

第8节

industrial biography-第8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!




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

返回目录 上一页 下一页 回到顶部 0 0

你可能喜欢的