6

The Hammer.

[Book I.

wings of a fly. Jtsfigurehas always varied with its uses, and none butmodern workers in the metals can realize the endless variety of its shapes,which the ancient smiths required, to fabricate the wonderfully diversifiedarticles of their manuafcture: from the massive brazen altars and chariots,to the chased goblets, and invaluable tripods or vases, for the possessionof which, whole cities contended.

The history of the hammer in its widest ränge, would let us into thesecrets of the statuaries and stone Cutters of old: we should learn the pro-cess of making those metallic Compounds, and working them into tools,with which the Egyptian mechanics sculptured those indurate columnsthat resist the best tempered Steel of modern days. It would introduce usto the ancient chariot makers, cutlers and armorers; and would teach ushow to make and temper the blades of Damascus ; as well as those whichwere forged in the extensive manufactory of the father of Demosthenes .It would make us familiär with the arts of the ancient carpenters, coiners,coopers and jewellers. We should learn from it, the process of forgingdies and striking money in the temple of Juno Moneta; of making the bod-kins and pins for the head dresses of Greek and Roman ladies ; while atthe religious festivals, we should behold other forms of this implementin use, to knock down victims for sacrifice by the altars.

Finally, a perfect history of the hammer, would not only have made usacquainted with the origin and progress of the useful arts, among the primeval inhabitants of this hemisphere; but would have solved the greatproblems respecting their connection with, and migration from the easternworld.

But although we justly deplore the want of information relating to the artsin general of the remote ancients ; it is probable that few of their devices forraising water have been wholly lost. If there was one art of more importancethan another to the early inhabitants of Central Asia and the valley op theNile, it was that of raising water for agricultural purposes. Not merely theirgeneral welfare, but their very existence depended upon the artificial irriga-tion of the land; hence their ingenuity was early directed to the constructioriof machines for this purpose ; and they were stimulated in devising them,bythemost powerful of all inducements. That machines must have been «A's-j>ensable in past, as in present times, is evident from the climates and phy-sical Constitution of those countries. Their importance therefore, and unirVersal use, have been the meansof their preservation. Nor is it probablethat any of them were ever lost in the numerous political convulsions ofold. These seldom affected the pursuits of agriculture, and never changedthe long established modes of cultivation; besides, hydraulic apparatus,from their Utility, were as necessary to the conquerors as the conquered. 1 !

Perhaps in no department of the useful arts, has less change taken placethan in Asiatic and Egyptian agriculture. It is the same now, that it wasthousands of years ago. The implements of husbandry, modes of irriga-tion, and devices for raising water are similar to those in use, w T hen Ninus and Nebuchadnezzar , Sesostris, Solomon, and Cyrus flourished. And itwould appear that the same uniformity in these machines prevailed over allthe east, in ancient as in modern times : a fact accounted for, by the greatand constant intercourse between Continental and neighboring nations; thepractice of warriors, of transporting the inhabitants and especially the me-chanics and works of art, into other lands; and also from the great impor-tance and universal use of artificial irrigation.

“Battles were sometimes fought in one field, while laborers were cultivating unmo-lested the land of an adjoining one.