。。。＇
  It　is　indeed　matter　of　history；　that　about　seventeen　hundred　years
  since　（A。D。　120）　the　Romans　had　forges　in　the　West　of　England；　both
  in　the　Forest　of　Dean　and　in　South　Wales；　and　that　they　sent　the
  metal　from　thence　to　Bristol；　where　it　was　forged　and　made　into
  weapons　for　the　use　of　the　troops。　　Along　the　banks　of　the　Wye；　the
  ground　is　in　many　places　a　continuous　bed　of　iron　cinders；　in　which
  numerous　remains　have　been　found；　furnishing　unmistakeable　proofs　of
  the　Roman　furnaces。　　At　the　same　time；　the　iron　ores　of　Sussex　were
  extensively　worked；　as　appears　from　the　cinder　heaps　found　at
  Maresfield　and　several　places　in　that　county；　intermixed　with　Roman
  pottery；　coins；　and　other　remains。　　In　a　bed　of　scoriae　several　acres
  in　extent；　at　Old　Land　Farm　in　Maresfield；　the　Rev。　Mr。　Turner　found
  the　remains　of　Roman　pottery　so　numerous　that　scarcely　a　barrow…load
  of　cinders　was　removed　that　did　not　contain　several　fragments；
  together　with　coins　of　the　reigns　of　Nero；　Vespasian；　and
  Dioclesian。*
  ＇footnote。。。
  M。　A。　LOWER；　Contributions　to　Literature；　Historical；　Antiquarian；
  and　Metrical。　　London；　1854；　pp。　88…9。
  。。。＇
  In　the　turbulent　infancy　of　nations　it　is　to　be　expected　that　we
  should　hear　more　of　the　Smith；　or　worker　in　iron；　in　connexion　with
  war；　than　with　more　peaceful　pursuits。　　Although　he　was　a　nail…maker
  and　a　horse…shoermade　axes；　chisels；　saws；　and　hammers　for　the
  artificer　　spades　and　hoes　for　the　farmerbolts　and　fastenings　for
  the　lord's　castle…gates；　and　chains　for　his　draw…bridgeit　was
  principally　because　of　his　skill　in　armour…work　that　he　was　esteemed。
  He　made　and　mended　the　weapons　used　in　the　chase　and　in　warthe
  gavelocs；　bills；　and　battle…axes；　he　tipped　the　bowmen's　arrows；　and
  furnished　spear…heads　for　the　men…at…arms；　but；　above　all；　he　forged
  the　mail…coats　and　cuirasses　of　the　chiefs；　and　welded　their　swords；
  on　the　temper　and　quality　of　which；　life；　honour；　and　victory　in
  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