Burlington hawk-eye. [volume] (Burlington, Iowa) 1845-185?, 1849-05-10
KING SOLOMON,S BLACKSMITH.

And it came TO pass when Solomon, the
son OF David, had finished the Temple OF
Jerusalem that he called unto him the chief
architects, the head artificers, and cunning
workers in. silver and gold, and in wood
and in ivory, and in stene-yea, all who
had aided in rearing the temple of the
Lord, and he said unto them, -"sit We down
at my table; | have prepared feast for
all my chief workers and cunning artifi-
GERS. Stretch forth your hands, therefore,
and eat and drinkAand be merry. Is not
the latorer worthy Of his hire? Is not
the skihul artilicer deserving of honor !?
Muzz'e not the OK that treadeth out the
corn.':
And when Solomon and the chief work.
men were seated, and the fairness of the
land and the oil thereof were set upon the
table, there came one who knocked loud
" at the door, and forced himself even
into the festal chamber. Then Solomon
the King was wroth, and said, sss 81
"What manner Of man art thou ?'' .
And the man answered and said -
"When men wish to honor me, they call
me Son of the Forge; but when they de-
sire to mock me, they call me blacksmith;
and seeing that the toll Of working in fire
covers me with sweat and smut, the lat
ter name, o King, is not inapt; and, in
truth, thy servant desires no better"
"Bui," said Solomon, "why came you
thus rudely and uhbidden 10 the feast,
where none save the chief workmen of the
Temple are invited ~
"Please ye, my lord, I came rudely,"
replied the man, "because thy servant OBJ
liged me 10 force my way but ! came not
unbidden. Was it not proclaimed that the
chief workmen of the Temple were invit-
ed to due with the King OF Israel %
Then he who carved the Cherubim
said :-"This fellow is no sculptor" and
he who inlaid the roof with pure gold said !:
:.Neither is he workman in fine metals"
And lie who raised the walls said, 'He
is no cutter Of stone. ~
And he who made the roof, cried out,
ale is not cunning in cedar wood neith-
er knoweth he the mystery of uniting
pieces of strange timber together"
Then said Solomon, "What hast thou
to saw, Son of the Forge, why l should not
order thee to be plucked by the beard,
scourged with scourge, and stoned TO
death with stones -
And when the Son Of the Forge heard
this, he was in NO sort dismayed, but adj
yancing to the table, snatched and swal-
lowed a cup Of wine, and said, 30 King,
live forever! The chief men o! the work
sers in wood, and gold, and stone have said
that am not one Of them, and they have
said truly. am their superior; before
thew lived was created. am their mas
ter, and they are all my servants And
he turned him around, and said to The chief
Of the carvers in stone, "Who made the
tools with which yon carve:'
And he said, "The blacksmith
>. And he said to the chief Of the masons,
..yyho made the chisels with Which the
stones of the Temple were squared !>
And he said, ssThe blacksmith" |
And he said to the chief of the workers
in wood, "Who made the tools with which
Won hewed the trees on Lebanon, and
formed them into the pillars and roof Of
the Temple p
And he said, s'The blacksmith"
Then said he TO the arii6eer in gold and
in ivory, .Who makes your instruments,
by which yon work beautiful things Tor
nv lord the King