er, which they apply to the faces of
these persons who have been so unfortunate as to be bitten by mad
dogs, and who received certain and immediate relief in only touching
them. A key in Valencia, over nine inches in length, is richly
embossed, while the wards are composed of decorative letters, looking
at first like an elaborate sort of filigree, but finally resolving
themselves into the autographic statement: "It was made by Ahmed
Ahsan." It is a delicate piece of thirteenth or fourteenth century
work in iron.

Another old Spanish key has a Hebrew inscription round the handle:
"The King of Kings will open: the King of the whole Earth will
enter," and, in the wards, in Spanish, "God will open, the King
will enter."

The iron smiths of Barcelona formed a Guild in the thirteenth century:
it is to be regretted that more of their work could not have descended
to us.

A frank treatment of locks and bolts, using them as decorations,
instead of treating them as disgraces, upon the surface of a door,
is the only way to make them in any degree effective. As Pugin has
said, it is possible to use nails, screws, and rivets, so that
they become "beautiful studs and busy enrichments." Florentine
locksmiths were specially famous; there also was a great fashion
for damascened work in that city, and it was executed with much
elegance.

In blacksmith's work, heat was used with the hammer at each stage
of the work, while in armourer's or locksmith's work, heat was
employed only at first, to achieve the primitive forms, and then
the work was carried on with chisel and file on the cold metal.
Up to the fourteenth century the work was principally that of the
blacksmith, and after that, of the locksmith.

The mention of arms and armour in a book of these proportions must
be very slight; the subject is a vast one, and no effort to treat
it with system would be satisfactory in so small a space. But a
few curious and significant facts relating to the making of armour
may be cited.

The rapid decay of iron through rust--rapid, that is to say, in
comparison with other metals--is often found to have taken place when
the discovery of old armour has been made; so that gold ornaments,
belonging to a sword or other weapon, may be found in excavating,
while the iron which formed the actual weapon has disappeared.

Primitive armour was based on a leather foundation, hence the name
cuirass, was derived from _cuir_ (leather). In a former book I