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