ANTIQUITY OF IRON WEAPONS. 2,?>1 



The Celts in Britain must also, long before the arrival 

 of Caesar, have smelted quantities of iron, wherewith to 

 make their arms and utensils. Instead of money, they 

 even used pieces of brass or iron reduced to certain 

 weights,' 



Traces of ancient iron-works are numerous in many 

 parts of Britain ; and, from appearances, this metal was 

 smelted as above. Roman remains occur very frequently 

 among the slag or cinders ; but it is not unlikely the 

 primitive inhabitants worked these mines before the 

 arrival of the Romans. 



Brennus and his Gaulish army at the capture of Rome, 

 and the Helvetians at the conquest of Switzerland, w^ere 

 armed with iron swords, while the Romans yet wielded 

 weapons of bronze. The Cimbri, defeated by Marius 

 two hundred years before the birth of our Saviour, were 

 covered with steel cuirasses. 



' The arms of the Helvetians who took possession of 

 Switzerland,' says M. Fournet, 'were identical with those 

 worn by Brennus's soldiers during the occupation of 

 Rome. They had long iron sabres, without point, and 

 with very large handles ; their lances had blades twenty 

 inches long.' ' The Cimbric cavaliers who came from the 

 Pont-Euxine to invade Gaul, about the time of the 

 arrival of the Phoceans, wore steel cuirasses when they 

 were defeated by Marius.' ' The iron of Norica, as well 

 as that of Celtiberia, was in great esteem with the Romans 

 for swords.' 



' Caesar. Bell. Gall. lib. v. cap. lo. ' Utuntur aut sere aut tallis 

 ferreis ad certum pondus examinatis pro iiummo.' 



22 



