THE LOST ARTS. 63 



sickles, pruning-knives, hoes, shovels, spades, forks, 

 ploughs, harrows ; the warriors, shields, swords, 

 spears, battle-axes, crossbows, and javelins. These 

 the inventive faculty of the age was competent and 

 prompt to supply. The artisans went on through 

 successive ages, manufacturing and improving upon 

 these implements, until they reached that degree 

 of perfection which is so clearly shown and illus- 

 trated in discoveries at Herculaneum and Pompeii. 

 In a considerable number of instances they reached 

 the highest stage of perfection in the mechanic 

 arts ; at least, we are led to adopt this view, as, 

 with all our modern science and skill, we are un- 

 able to make any essential improvements. Their 

 planes, sickles, shovels, spades, hammers, saws, 

 knives, swords, and a hundred other articles, in 

 form and construction, were almost precisely like 

 those in use among us at the present time. How 

 has this happened ? 



During the dark ages which have intervened 

 since the downfall of the Roman civilization, all 

 knowledge of the form and construction of these 

 implements was lost ; and our devices must be, as 

 before stated, original inventions. We knew noth- 

 ing regarding the form of a Roman plane, or 

 sickle, or spade, until Pompeii was disentombed, 

 about a hundred years ago. When these discov- 

 erie* were made, our inventors and artisans were 



