industrial biography-第7部分

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！



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　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　know