industrial biography-第8章

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！


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　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　pro