34* Memoir on the Bronte of the Anttents. 



the axles, boxes of copper, the models of which were fur* 

 niffied by the antiquities found at Ilerculaneum. It is thus 

 that the ftudy of antiquity, contributing to the improvement 

 of the arts, will free its followers from the reproach of inuti- 

 lity, which has been fo often thrown out againft them by 

 fuperficial minds. 



. At the period of the revival of letters, the learned men who 

 examined a great many fharp inftruments of bronze, found in 

 the ruins of antient cities, imagined that the antients gave 

 them the hardnefs neceffary for cutting by means of temper- 

 ing. Pliny, however, who details all the operations in regard 

 to the working of copper, thole in regard to iron, and the 

 method of tempering it, obferves perfect filence refpecling the 

 tempering of copper: on the contrary, we have feen blanks for 

 copper money thrown into cold water, after being ftrongly 

 heated, to foften them. Count Cay 1 us endeavoured to dis- 

 cover the pretended fecret of the tempering of copper. For 

 this purpofe one of his chemical friends compofed alloys, that 

 is to fay, miftook the method, even if fuch a fecret had ever 

 exifted. By alloying a fixth of iron with copper he con- 

 structed a fword of fironze, which exhibited indeed the form 

 of the antique fwords, and cut like them, but which confifted 

 of a different alloy, exercifed an action on a magnetic bar, in 

 the fame manner as different alloys of iron and copper, even 

 to the weak proportion of one part in eighty-one, a term at 

 which the magnetic bar remains motioniefs. But of more 

 than a hundred morfels of antique bronze, medals, ftalues, 

 knives, poniards, fwords, &c. which 1 fubje6led to the fame 

 proof, not one exibited the leaft trace of iron. In a word we 

 afcertained, by very fimple experiments, that the antient 

 bronze contained no arfenic, though a modern chemift has 

 afcribed to the addition of that fubftance the hardnefs poffefT- 

 ed by the cutting inftruments of the antient*. 



C. Darcet, the fon of our colleague, who analyfed the 

 fword dug up near Corbie, followed the real method fordil- 

 covering the caufes which gave to that weapon the faculty of 

 cutting, whieh it (till poflelTes. At my requefl he formed a 

 limilar alloy with twelve hundredths of tin : by means of a 

 mould he formed two knife- blades, and one pen-knife blade. 

 One of the knives was fubmitted to the clafs, who found that 

 it was not inferior to our common knives. The edge was 

 formed by hammering, and fharpening it on a grind-ftonc. 

 It was thus that the antient fword had been formed, and 

 -traces of the hammer may be ftill fecn on its edges. 

 • ! If bronze were employed for cutting inftruments ufed at 



fea^ 



