300

METAL MANUFACTURE.

CHAP. X.

almost every description of hardware from theproduct and labour of their own land.

The first step was thus gained, and the pro-gress since has been accompanied by so muchtalent, assiduity, and attention, that at lengthwe have surpassed our former continental in-structors, and been enabled to supply the wants,as they arose, of the greater part of the morecivilized and more wealthy inhabitants of othercountries.

If Elizabeth, instead of addressing her effortstowards the inferior metals, had, like most ofher predecessors, directed the attention of hersubjects to the search for gold and silver, shemight, like some of them, have obtained smallportions of those metals to supply her mints,but at a cost to herself or her people far beyondthe value of the products ; and she would havesuspended if not prevented those proceedings inquest of iron, copper, lead, and tin, whose sub-sequent workings have enriched thousands, andwhose labour has afforded employment and sus-tenance to millions in successive generations.