I　have　a　decided　penchant　for　forges；　especially　rural　ones；　placed
  in　some　quaint　quiet　spot　…　a　dingle；　for　example；　which　is　a
  poetical　place；　or　at　a　meeting　of　four　roads；　which　is　still　more
  so；　for　how　many　a　superstition　…　and　superstition　is　the　soul　of
  poetry　…　is　connected　with　these　cross　roads！　　I　love　to　light　upon
  such　a　one；　especially　after　nightfall；　as　everything　about　a　forge
  tells　to　most　advantage　at　night；　the　hammer　sounds　more　solemnly
  in　the　stillness；　the　glowing　particles　scattered　by　the　strokes
  sparkle　with　more　effect　in　the　darkness；　whilst　the　sooty　visage
  of　the　sastramescro；　half　in　shadow　and　half　illumed　by　the　red　and
  partial　blaze　of　the　forge；　looks　more　mysterious　and　strange。　　On
  such　occasions　I　draw　in　my　horse's　rein；　and；　seated　in　the
  saddle；　endeavour　to　associate　with　the　picture　before　me　…　in
  itself　a　picture　of　romance　…　whatever　of　the　wild　and　wonderful　I
  have　read　of　in　books；　or　have　seen　with　my　own　eyes　in　connection
  with　forges。
  I　believe　the　life　of　any　blacksmith；　especially　a　rural　one；　would
  afford　materials　for　a　highly　poetical　history。　　I　do　not　speak
  unadvisedly；　having　the　honour　to　be　free　of　the　forge；　and
  therefore　fully　competent　to　give　an　opinion　as　to　what　might　be
  made　out　of　the　forge　by　some　dexterous　hand。　　Certainly；　the
  strangest　and　most　entertaining　life　ever　written　is　that　of　a
  blacksmith　of　the　olden　north；　a　certain　Volundr；　or　Velint；　who
  lived　in　woods　and　thickets；　made　keen　swords　…　so　keen；　indeed；
  that　if　placed　in　a　running　stream　they　would　fairly　divide　an
  object；　however　slight；　which　was　borne　against　them　by　the　water；
  and　who　eventually　married　a　king's　daughter；　by　whom　he　had　a　son；
  who　was　as　bold　a　knight　as　his　father　was　a　cunning　blacksmith。　　I
  never　see　a　forge　at　night；　when　seated　on　the　back　of　my　horse；　at
  the　bottom　of　a　dark　lane；　but　I　somehow　or　other　associate　it　with
  the　exploits　of　this　extraordinary　fellow；　with　many　other
  extraordinary　things；　amongst　which；　as　I　have　hinted　before；　are
  particular　passages　of　my　own　life；　one　or　two　of　which　I　shall
  perhaps　relate　to　the　reader。
  I　never　associate　Vulcan　and　his　Cyclops　with　the　idea　of　a　forge。
  These　gentry　would　be　the　very　last　people　in　the　world　to　flit
  across　my　mind　whilst　gazing　at　the　forge　from　the　bottom　of　the
  dark　lane。　　The　truth　is；　they　are　highly　unpoetical　fellows；　as
  well　they　may　be；　connected　as　they　are　with　the　Grecian　mythology。
  At　the　very　mention　of　their　names　the　forge　burns　dull　and　dim；　as
  if　snowballs　had　been　suddenly　flung　into　it；　the　only　remedy　is　to
  ply　the　bellows；　an　operation　which　I　now　hasten　to　perform。
  I　am　in　the　dingle　making　a　horse…shoe。　　Having　no　other　horses　on
  whose　hoofs　I　could　exercise　my　art；　I　made　my　first　essay　on　those
  of　my　own　horse；　if　that　could　be　called　horse　which　horse　was
  none；　being　only　a　pony。　　Perhaps；　if　I　had　sought　all　England；　I
  should　scarcely　have　found　an　animal　more　in　need　of　the　kind
  offices　of　the　smith。　　On　three　of　his　feet　there　were　no　shoes　at
  all；　and　on　the　fourth　only　a　remnant　of　one；　on　which　account　his
  hoofs　were　sadly　broken　and　lacerated　by　his　late　journeys　over　the
  hard　and　flinty　roads。　　'You　belonged　to　a　tinker　before；'　said　I；
  addressing　the　animal；　'but　now　you　belong　to　a　smith。　　It　is　said
  that　the　household　of　the　shoemaker　invariably　go　worse　shod　than
  that　of　any　other　craft。　　That　may　be　the　case　of　those　who　make
  shoes　of　leather；　but　it　shan't　be　said　of　the　household　of　him　who
  makes　shoes　of　iron；　at　any　rate　it　shan't　be　said　of　mine。　　I　tell
  you　what；　my　gry；　whilst　you　continue　with　me；　you　shall　both　be
  better　shod　and　better　fed　than　you　were　with　your　last　master。'
  I　am　in　the　dingle　making　a　petul；　and　I　must　here　observe　that
  whilst　I　am　making　a　horse…shoe　the　reader　need　not　be　surprised　if
  I　speak　occasionally　in　the　language　of　the　lord　of　the　horse…shoe
  …　Mr。　Petulengro。　　I　have　for　some　time　past　been　plying　the
  peshota；　or　bellows；　endeavouring　to　raise　up　the　yag；　or　fire；　in
  my　primitive　forge。　　The　angar；　or　coals；　are　now　burning　fiercely；
  casting　forth　sparks　and　long　vagescoe　chipes；　or　tongues　of　flame；
  a　small　bar　of　sastra；　or　iron；　is　lying　in　the　fire；　to　the　length
  of　ten　or　twelve　inches；　and　so　far　it　is　hot；　very　hot；　exceeding
  hot；　brother。　　And　now　you　see　me　prala；　snatch　the　bar　of　iron；
  and　place　the　heated　end　of　it　upon　the　covantza；　or　anvil；　and
  forthwith　I　commence　cooring　the　sastra　as　hard　as　if　I　had　been
  just　engaged　by　a　master　at　the　rate　of　dui　caulor；　or　two
  shillings；　a　day；　brother；　and　when　I　have　beaten　the　iron　till　it
  is　nearly　cool；　and　my　arm　tired；　I　place　it　again　in　the　angar；
  and　begin　again　to　rouse　the　fire　with　the　pudamengro；　which
  signifies　the　blowing　thing；　and　is　another　and　more　common　word
  for　bellows；　and　whilst　thus　employed　I　sing　a　gypsy　song；　the
  sound　of　which　is　wonderfully　in　unison　with　the　hoarse　moaning　of
  the　pudamengro；　and　ere　the　song　is　finished；　the　iron　is　again　hot
  and　malleable。　　Behold；　I　place　it　once　more　on　the　covantza；　and
  recommence　hammering；　and　now　I　am　somewhat　at　fault；　I　am　in　want
  of　assistance；　I　want　you；　brother；　or　some　one　else；　to　take　the
  bar　out　of　my　hand　and　support　it　upon　the　covantza；　whilst　I；
  applying　a　chinomescro；　or　kind　of　chisel；　to　the　heated　iron；　cut
  off　with　a　lusty　stroke　or　two　of　the　shukaro　baro；　or　big　hammer；
  as　much　as　is　required　for　the　petul。　　But　having　no　one　to　help
  me；　I　go　on　hammering　till　I　have　fairly　knocked　off　as　much　as　I
  want；　and　then　I　place　the　piece　in　the　fire；　and　again　apply　the
  bellows；　and　take　up　the　song　where　I　left　it　off；　and　when　I　have
  finished　the　song；　I　take　out　the　iron；　but　this　time　with　my
  plaistra；　or　pincers；　and　then　I　recommence　hammering；　turning　the
  iron　round　and　round　with　my　pincers：　　and　now　I　bend　the　iron　and；
  lo　and　behold！　it　has　assumed　something　of　the　outline　of　a　petul。
  I　am　not　going　to　enter　into　farther　details　with　respect　to　the
  process　…　it　was　rather　a　wearisome　one。　　I　had　to　contend　with
  various　disadvantages；　my　forge　was　a　rude　one；　my　tools　might　have
  been　better；　I　was　in　want　of　one　or　two　highly　necessary
  implements；　but；　above　all；　manual　dexterity。　　Though　free　of　the
  forge；　I　had　not　practised　the　albeytarian　art　for　very　many　years；
  never　since　…　but　stay；　it　is　not　my　intention　to　tell　the　reader；
  at　least　in　this　place；　how　and　when　I　became　a　blacksmith。　　There
  was　one　thing；　however；　which　stood　me　in　good　stead　in　my　labour；
  the　same　thing　which　through　life　has　ever　been　of　incalculable
  utility　to　me；　and　has　not　unfrequently　supplied　the　place　of
  friends；　money；　and　many　other　things　of　almost　equal　importance　…
  iron　perseverance；　without　which　all　the　advantages　of　time　and
  circumstance　are　of　very　little　avail　in　any　undertaking。　　I　was
  determined　to　make　a　horse…shoe；　and　a　good　one；　in　spite　of　every
  obstacle　…　ay；　in　spite　of　dukkerin。　　At　the　end　of　four　days；
  during　which　I　had　fashioned　and　refashioned　the　thing　at　least
  fifty　times；　I　had　made　a　petul　such　as　no　master　of　the　craft　need
  have　been　ashamed　of；　with　the　second　shoe　I　had　less　difficulty；
  and；　by　the　time　I　had　made　the　fourth；　I　would　have　scorned　to
  take　off　my　hat　to　the　best　smith　in　Cheshire。
  But　I　had　not　yet　shod　my　little　gry：　　this　I　proceeded　now　to　do。
  After　having　first　well　pared　the　hoofs　with　my　churi；　I　applied
  each　petul　hot；　glowing　hot；　to　the　pindro。　　Oh；　how　the　hoofs
  hissed！　and；　oh；　the　pleasant　pungent　odour　which　diffused　itself
  through　the　dingle！　…　an　odour　good　for　an　ailing　spirit。
  I　shod　the　little　horse　bravely　…　merely　pricked　him　once；
  slightly；　with　a　cafi；　for　doing　which；　I　remember；　he　kicked　me
  down；　I　was　not　disconcerted；　however；　but；　getting　up；　promised　to
  be　more　cautious　in　future；　and　having　finished　the　operation；　I
  filed　the　hoof　well　with　the　rin　baro；　then　dismissed　him　to　graze
  amongst　the　trees；　and；　putting　my　smaller　tools　into　the　muchtar；
  I　sat　down　on　my　stone；　and；　supporting　my　arm　upon　my　knee；　leaned
  my　head　upon　my　hand。　　Heaviness　had　come　over　me。
  CHAPTER　LXXXIV
  Several　causes　…　Frogs　and　eftes　…　Gloom　and　twilight　…　What　should
  I　do？　…　'Our　Father'　…　Fellow…men　…　What　a　mercy！　…　Almost　calm　…
  Fresh　store　…　History　of　Saul　…　Pitch　dark。
  HEAVINESS　had　suddenly　come　over　me；　heaviness　of　heart；　and　of
  body　also。　　I　had　accomplished　the　task　which　I　had　imposed　upon
  myself；　and　now　that　nothing　more　remained　to　do；　my　energies
  suddenly　deserted　me；　and　I　felt　without　strength；　and　without
  hope。　　Several　causes；　perhaps；　co…operated　to　bring　about　the
  state　in　which　I　then　felt　myself。　　It　is　not　improbable　that　my
  energies　had　be