”Itmaybeaverredthatascertainlyastheageofironsupersededthatofbronze，sowilltheageofsteelreigntriumphantoveriron。”——HENRYBESSEMER。”Aujourd’huilarevolutionquedevaitamenerenGrande-BretagnelamemorabledecouvertedeBenjaminHuntsmanesttoutafaitaccomplie，etchaquejourlesconsequetcessenferontplusvivementsentirsurleconfinent。”——LEPLAY，SurlaFabricationdel’AcierenYorkshire。Iron，besidesbeingusedinvariousformsasbarandcastiron，isalsousedinvariousformsasbarandcaststeel；anditisprincipallybecauseofitsmanyadmirablequalitiesintheselatterformsthatironmaintainsitssupremacyoveralltheothermetals。
TheprocessofconvertingironintosteelhadlongbeenknownamongtheEasternnationsbeforeitwasintroducedintoEurope。TheHindooswereespeciallyskilledintheartofmakingsteel，asindeedtheyaretothisday；anditissupposedthatthetoolswithwhichtheEgyptianscoveredtheirobelisksandtemplesofporphyryandsyenitewithhieroglyphicsweremadeofIndiansteel，asprobablynoothermetalwascapableofexecutingsuchwork。TheartseemstohavebeenwellknowninGermanyintheMiddleAges，andtheprocessisonthewholeveryfaithfullydescribedbyAgricolainhisgreatworkonMetallurgy。*
[footnote……
AGRICOLA，DeReMetallica。Basle，1621。
Englandthenproducedverylittlesteel，andwasmainlydependentforitssupplyofthearticleuponthecontinentalmakers。