Wisconsin tribune. (Mineral Point, Wis.) 1847-1854, 1851-07-17
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 artifcers. and
cunning workers in silver and gold, and in
wood and ivory, and said unto then-.Sit
We down at my table, [ have prepared a
feast for all my chief workers and cunning
artifcers. Stretch forth your hands, there
fore, and eat and drink and be merry
Is not the laborer worthy of his hire p
Is not the skilful artifcer worthy Of hon
orr Muzzle not the OK that treadeth out
the corn
And when Solomon and the chief of
workmen were seated, and the fatness of
the land and the oil thereof we're set up
on the table, there came one who knocked
loudly at the door aud forced himself into
the festal chamber Then Solomon the
King was wroth, and said
What manner Of man art thou 2n
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 the black
smith aud seeing that the toll of work
ing IN fire covers me with sweat and smut
the latter name o King. is not inapt and
in truth thy servant desjreth no better"
"But" said solomon, "why came We thus
so rudely and unbidden to the feast.where
none save the chief workmen Of the tenn
pie are invited 2"
Please ye, my Lord, I came rudeIy,"
replied the man. because thy servant
obliged me to force my way but [ came
not unbdden Was it not proclaimed
that the chief workmen of the Temple
was invited to dine with the King of Is
rael 2"
Then he who carved the cherubim said:
" This fellow is no sculptor,n and he who
inlaid tue roof with pure gold, said, "Nei-
ther IS he a workman in fine metals"
And lie who raised the wall said, "ue
is not cutter Of stone"
And he who made the roof, cried out,
"He 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 say Son of the Forge, why [ should
not order thee to be plucked by the beard
scourged with a scourge, and stoned to
death with stones 2"
-AAiA hiAClA i4AC LDOll VI i1iC L bIGt DtdtI
this, he was in no sort dismayed. bat ad-
vanced to the table, snatched up and
swallowed a cup Of wine, and said, g O
King live for ever ! The chief men Of the
workers in wood, gold, and stone, have
said that | am not one Of them, and they
have said truly. / am their superior :
before they lived | was created. [ am
their master, and they are all my serv-
ants" And he turned him round, and
said to the chief of the carvers in stone
"Who made tIe tools with which YOU
carve?n
And he said 'eFhe blacks NTH,
And he said to the chief of the masons
"Who made the chisels with which the
stones of the Temple were squared ?"
And he said, "Thc blacksmith"
Aud he said to the chief Of the workers
in wood, "Who made the tools with which
you hewcd the trees on Lebanon, and for
med them into the pillars and roof of the
Temple 2"
And he said The blacksmith" :"
Then said he to the artifcer in gold
and in ivory, who makes your instru-
ments, by which you work beautiful things
for my Lord the King 2"
And he said The blacksmith
Enough, enough, good fellow" said
solomon, thou hast proved that | invited
thee, and thou art all mems father in art.
Go wash the smut of the forge from thy
face and come and sit at my right hand
The chiefs of Iny workmen are but men
thou art more" So it happened at the
feast of Solomon, and blacksmiths have
been honored ever since-LondoH Mag