industrial biography-第9节

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

　。。。＇

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

for　their　temper；　Judge　Marshal　Fatten；　who　accompanied　the

Protector's　expedition　into　Scotland　in　1547；　observing　that　〃the

Scots　came　with　swords　all　broad　and　thin；　of　exceeding　good　temper；

and　universally　so　made　to　slice　that　I　never　saw　none　so　good；　so　I

think　it　hard　to　devise　a　better。〃　　The　quality　of　the　steel　used　for

weapons　of　war　was　indeed　of　no　less　importance　for　the　effectual

defence　of　a　country　then　than　it　is　now。　　The　courage　of　the

attacking　and　defending　forces　being　equal；　the　victory　would

necessarily　rest　with　the　party　in　possession　of　the　best　weapons。



England　herself　has　on　more　than　one　occasion　been　supposed　to　be　in

serious　peril　because　of　the　decay　of　her　iron　manufactures。　　Before

the　Spanish　Armada；　the　production　of　iron　had　been　greatly

discouraged　because　of　the　destruction　of　timber　in　the　smelting　of

the　orethe　art　of　reducing　it　with　pit　coal　not　having　yet　been

invented；　and　we　were　consequently　mainly　dependent　upon　foreign

countries　for　our　supplies　of　the　material　out　of　which　arms　were

made。　　The　best　iron　came　from　Spain　itself；　then　the　most　powerful

nation　in　Europe；　and　as　celebrated　for　the　excellence　of　its　weapons

as　for　the　discipline　and　valour　of　its　troops。　　The　Spaniards　prided

themselves　upon　the　superiority　of　their　iron；　and　regarded　its

scarcity　in　England　as　an　important　element　in　their　calculations　of

the　conquest　of　the　country　by　their　famous　Armada。　　〃I　have　heard；〃

says　Harrison；　〃that　when　one　of　the　greatest　peers　of　Spain　espied

our　nakedness　in　this　behalf；　and　did　solemnly　utter　in　no　obscure

place；　that　it　would　be　an　easy　matter　in　short　time　to　conquer

England　because　it　wanted　armour；　his　words　were　not　so　rashly

uttered　as　politely　noted。〃　　The　vigour　of　Queen　Elizabeth　promptly

supplied　a　remedy　by　the　large　importations　of　iron　which　she　caused

to　be　made；　principally　from　Sweden；　as　well　as　by　the　increased

activity　of　the　forges　in　Sussex　and　the　Forest　of　Dean；　〃whereby；〃

adds　Harrison；　〃England　obtained　rest；　that　otherwise　might　have　been

sure　of　sharp　and　cruel　wars。　　Thus　a　Spanish　word　uttered　by　one　man

at　one　time；　overthrew；　or　at　the　leastwise　hindered　sundry　privy

practices　of　many　at　another。〃　　*

　＇footnote。。。

HOLINSHED；　History　of　England。　　It　was　even　said　to　have　been　one　of

the　objects　of　the　Spanish　Armada　to　get　the　oaks　of　the　Forest　of

Dean　destroyed；　in　order　to　prevent　further　smelting　of　the　iron。

Thus　Evelyn；　in　his　Sylva；　says；　〃I　have　heard　that　in　the　great

expedition　of　1588　it　was　expressly　enjoined　the　Spanish　Armada　that

if；　when　landed；　they　should　not　be　able　to　subdue　our　nation　and

make　good　their　conquest；　they　should　yet　be　sure　not　to　leave　a　tree

standing　in　the　Forest　of　Dean。〃NICHOLS；　History　of　the　Forest　of

Dean；　p。　22。

　。。。＇

Nor　has　the　subject　which　occupied　the　earnest　attention　of

politicians　in　Queen　Elizabeth's　time　ceased　to　be　of　interest；　for；

after　the　lapse　of　nearly　three　hundred　years；　we　find　the　smith　and

the　iron　manufacturer　still　uppermost　in　public　discussions。　　It　has

of　late　years　been　felt　that　our　much…prized　〃hearts　of　oak〃　are　no

more　able　to　stand　against　the　prows　of　mail　which　were　supposed　to

threaten　them；　than　the　sticks　and　stones　of　the　ancient　tribes　were

able　to　resist　the　men　armed　with　weapons　of　bronze　or　steel。　　What

Solon　said　to　Croesus；　when　the　latter　was　displaying　his　great

treasures　of　gold；　still　holds　true：　　　〃If　another　comes　that　hath

better　iron　than　you；　he　will　be　master　of　all　that　gold。〃　　So；　when

an　alchemist　waited　upon　the　Duke　of　Brunswick　during　the　Seven

Years'　War；　and　offered　to　communicate　the　secret　of　converting　iron

into　gold；　the　Duke　replied：　　　〃By　no　means：　　I　want　all　the　iron　I

can　find　to　resist　my　enemies：　　as　for　gold；　I　get　it　from　England。〃

Thus　the　strength　and　wealth　of　nations　depend　upon　coal　and　iron；

not　forgetting　Men；　far　more　than　upon　gold。



Thanks　to　our　Armstrongs　and　Whitworths；　our　Browns　and　our　Smiths；

the　iron　defences　of　England；　manned　by　our　soldiers　and　our　sailors；

furnish　the　assurance　of　continued　security　for　our　gold　and　our

wealth；　and；　what　is　infinitely　more　precious；　for　our　industry　and

our　liberty。





CHAPTER　II。



EARLY　ENGLISH　IRON　MANUFACTURE。



〃He　that　well　observes　it；　and　hath　known　the　welds　of　Sussex；　Surry；

and　Kent'；　the　grand　nursery　especially　of　oake　and　beech；　shal　find

such　an　alteration；　within　lesse　than　30　yeeres；　as　may　well　strike　a

feare；　lest　few　yeeres　more；　as　pestilent　as　the　former；　will　leave

fewe　good　trees　standing　in　those　welds。　　Such　a　heate　issueth　out　of

the　many　forges　and　furnaces　for　the　making　of　iron；　and　out　of　the

glasse　kilnes；　as　hath　devoured　many　famous　woods　within　the

welds；〃　JOHN　NORDEN；　Surveyors'　Dialogue　（1607）。





Few　records　exist　of　the　manufacture　of　iron　in　England　in　early

times。　　After　the　Romans　left　the　island；　the　British；　or　more

probably　the　Teutonic　tribes　settled　along　the　south　coast；　continued

the　smelting　and　manufacture　of　the　metal　after　the　methods　taught

them　by　the　colonists。　　In　the　midst　of　the　insecurity；　however；

engendered　by　civil　war　and　social　changes；　the　pursuits　of　industry

must　necessarily　have　been　considerably　interfered　with；　and　the　art

of　iron…forging　became　neglected。　　No　notice　of　iron　being　made　in

Sussex　occurs　in　Domesday　Book；　from　which　it　would　appear　that　the

manufacture　had　in　a　great　measure　ceased　in　that　county　at　the　time

of　the　Conquest；　though　it　was　continued　in　the　iron…producing

districts　bordering　on　Wales。　　In　many　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　graves　which

have　been　opened；　long　iron　swords　have　been　found；　showing　that

weapons　of　that　metal　were　in　common　use。　　But　it　is　probable　that

iron　was　still　scarce；　as　ploughs　and　other　agricultural　implements

continued　to　be　made　of　wood；one　of　the　Anglo…Saxon　laws　enacting

that　no　man　should　undertake　to　guide　a　plough　who　could　not　make

one；　and　that　the　cords　with　which　it　was　bound　should　be　of　twisted

willows。　　The　metal　was　held　in　esteem　principally　as　the　material　of

war。　　All　male　adults　were　required　to　be　provided　with　weapons；　and

honour　was　awarded　to　such　artificers　as　excelled　in　the　fabrication

of　swords；　arms；　and　defensive　armour。*

　＇footnote。。。

WILKINS；　Leges　Sax。　25。

　。。。＇



Camden　incidentally　states　that　the　manufacture　of　iron　was　continued

in　the　western　counties　during　the　Saxon　era；　more　particularly　in

the　Forest　of　Dean；　and　that　in　the　time　of　Edward　the　Confessor　the

tribute　paid　by　the　city　of　Gloucester　consisted　almost　entirely　of

iron　rods　wrought　to　a　size　fit　for　making　nails　for　the　king's

ships。　　An　old　religious　writer　speaks　of　the　ironworkers　of　that　day

as　heathenish　in　their　manners；　puffed　up　with　pride；　and　inflated

with　worldly　prosperity。　　On　the　occasion　of　St。　　Egwin's　visit　to　the

smiths　of　Alcester；　as　we　are　told　in　the　legend；　he　found　then　given

up　to　every　kind　of　luxury；　and　when　he　proceeded　to　preach　unto

them；　they　beat　upon　their　anvils　in　contempt　of　his　doctrine　so　as

completely　to　deafen　him；　upon　which　he　addressed　his　prayers　to

heaven；　and　the　town　was　immediately　destroyed。*

　＇footnote。。。

Life　of　St。　　Egwin；　in　Capgrave's　Nova　Legenda　Anglioe。　　Alcester　was；

as　its　name　indicates；　an　old　Roman　settlement　（situated　on　the

Icknild　Street）；　where　the　art　of　working　in　iron　was　practised　from

an　early　period。　　It　was　originally　called　Alauna；　being　situated　on

the　river　Alne　in　Warwickshire。　　It　is　still　a　seat　of　the　needle

manufacture。

　。。。＇



But　the　first　reception　given　to　John　Wesley　by　the　miners　of　the

Forest　of　Dean；　more　than　a　thousand　years　later；　was　perhaps

scarcely　more　gratifying　than　that　given　to　St。　　Egwin。



That　working　in　iron　was　regarded　as　an　honourable　and　useful　calling

in　the　Middle　Ages；　is　apparent　from　the　extent　to　which　it　was

followed　by　the　monks；　some　of　whom　were　excellent　craftsmen。　　Thus

St。　　Dunstan；　who　governed　England　in　the　time　of　Edwy　the　Fair；　was　a

skilled　blacksmith　and　metallurgist。　　He　is　said　to　have　had　a　forge

even　in　his　bedroom；　and　it　was　there　that　his　reputed　encounter　with

Satan　occurred；　in　which　of　course　the　saint　came　off　the　victor。



There　was　another　monk　of　St。　　Alban's；　called　Anketil；　who　flourished

in　the　twelfth　century；　so　famous　for　his　skill　as　a　worker　in　iron；

silver；　gold；　jewelry；　and　gilding；　that　he　was　invited　by　the　king

of　Denmark　to　be　his　goldsmith　and　banker。　　A　pair　of　gold　and　silver

candlesticks　of　his　manufacture；　presented　by　the　abbot　of　St。

Alban's　to　Pope　Adrian　IV。；　were　so　much　esteemed　for　their　exquisite

workmanship　that　they　were　consecrated　to　St。　　Peter；　and　were　the

means　of　obtaining　high　ecclesiastical　distinction　for　the　abbey。