ecially in forging light ironwork; and a favourite job of his was
the making of "Trivets" out of the solid, which only the "dab hands" of
the shop could do, but which he threw off with great rapidity in first
rate style. These "Trivets" were made out of Spanish iron bolts--rare
stuff, which, though exceedingly tough, forged like wax under the
hammer. Even at the close of his life, when he had acquired eminent
distinction as an inventor, and was a large employer of skilled labour,
he looked back with pride to the forging of his early days in Woolwich
Arsenal. He used to describe with much gusto, how the old experienced
hands, with whom he was a great favourite, would crowd about him when
forging his "Trivets," some of which may to this day be in use among
Woolwich housewives for supporting the toast-plate before the bright
fire against tea time. This was, however, entirely contraband work,
done "on the sly," and strictly prohibited by the superintending
officer, who used kindly to signal his approach by blowing his nose in
a peculiar manner, so that all forbidden jobs might be put out of the
way by the time he entered the shop.

We have referred to Maudslay's early dexterity in trivet-making--a
circumstance trifling enough in itself--for the purpose of illustrating
the progress which he had made in a branch of his art of the greatest
importance in tool and machine making. Nothing pleased him more in his
after life than to be set to work upon an unusual piece of forging, and
to overcome, as none could do so cleverly as he, the difficulties which
it presented. The pride of art was as strong in him as it must have
been in the mediaeval smiths, who turned out those beautiful pieces of
workmanship still regarded as the pride of our cathedrals and old
mansions. In Maudslay's case, his dexterity as a smith was eventually
directed to machinery, rather than ornamental work; though, had the
latter been his line of labour, we do not doubt that he would have
reached the highest distinction.

The manual skill which our young blacksmith had acquired was such as to
give him considerable reputation in his craft, and he was spoken of
even in the London shops as one of the most dexterous hands in the
trade. It was this circumstance that shortly after led to his removal
from the smithy in Woolwich Arsenal to a sphere more suitable for the
development of his mechanical ability.

We have already stated in the preceding memoir, that