that epocha. So that the old Toledo blades fell into
difufe, and the manufacture declined; but his pre-
fent majefty has again encouraged it, and a new manu*
failure has been lately fet up, by his orders, at Toledo,
for the ufe of the troops, and they are faid to be as well
tempered as the old ones, and are able to bear moft
extraordinary proofs ; but thefe are not made of the
ore of Mondragon. There, are various opinions relating
to the old blades, we have been fpeaking of;
fome fay, they were only tempered in winter, and when
taken out o f the forge, for the laft time, were vibrated
in the air, in the coldeit weather ; others relate, that
they were heated till they acquired that colour, the Spa-
nifh artifts call cherry, and then, were fteeped in a tub
o f oil, or greafe, for a moment or two, then plunged,
in the fame manner, in warm water, all which was
done in the depth of winter : others will have it, they
were made of the natural iteel of Mondragon, with a lift
o f common iron in the middle, to make them more
flexible, and then tempered in the common way, in the
winter feafon. Such are the prevailing opinions about
the blades o f Mondragon, which are certainly excellent;
but as to the prefent workmen of Mondragon, or
in any part of Guypufcoa, they are yet unacquainted
with the fecret o f converting iron into fteel, or temper*
ing it properly, and even in the making of tools, are
far inferior to the artifts in England» it is fomewhat
particular,
particular, that to this’ very day, they have no other
word in the Spaniih language,- for a bickhorii, or a
bench vice, than V'igornia, the Latin name for the city
of Worcefter, thought to have been once famdus for
works of that kind (a). As many o f the moft capital
workmen of Toledo, quitted that city, on the decline
o f their trade, and fettled in different parts of the
kingdom, where they fupported the reputation o f their
a r t ; and as their blades have fince been difperfed all
over Europe, thofe who are curious in thefe matters,
will, perhaps, not be difpleafed to fee a lift o f their
names; as by this means they may know them, whenever
they fall in their way.
B i l b o a P e d r o d e L a g a r e t e a
O r g a z '• P e d r o L o p e z
C M e l c h i o r S a a n z
L i i b o n 5
t j u a n M a r t i n e z M a c h a c h a
i S e b a f t i a n H e r n a n d e z
P e d r o d e L e z a m a
J u a n M a r t i n e z e l M a z o
M a d r i d Cv FD r iao nn ci íi lf oc o C Ao lmc oe ene tre s
- A n t o n i o R u i z
C u e n c a j[ J u l i á n G a r c i a
1 A n d r é s H e r r a e z
V a l l a d o l i d J u a n S a l c e d o
i L u i s d e N i e v a
C a l a t a y u d «
í A n d r é s M u n e f t e r
(<s) Teforo de la lengua Caftelkna per el licenciado Dop Scbaftian de Cobatrudas Orofco.
Madrid 1611.
C o r d o b a