a person whose employment it is to manufacture any kind of commodity, as in iron, brass, wool, &c. such are smiths, brasiers, carpenters, &c. The Roman artificers had their peculiar temples, where they assembled and chose their own patron, to defend their causes; they were exempted from all personal services. Taruntenus Paternus reckons 32 species of artificers, and Constantine 35, who enjoyed this privilege. The artificers were incorporated into divers colleges or companies, each of which had their tutelar gods, to whom they offered their worship. Several of these, when they quitted their profession, hung up their tools, a votive offering to their gods. Artificers were held a degree below merchants, and argentarii or money-changers, and their employment more forlorn. Some deny, that in the earliest ages of the Roman state artificers were ranked in the number of citizens; others, who assert their citizenship, allow that they were held in contempt, as being unfit for war, and so poor that they could scarcely pay any taxes. For which reason they were not entered among the citizens in the censor's books; the design of the census being only to Artificer see what number of persons were yearly fit to bear arms, and to pay taxes towards the support of the state.

It may be added, that much of the artificers business was done by slaves and foreigners, who left little for the Romans to mind but their husbandry and war. By means of the arts, the minds of men are engaged in inventions beneficial to the whole community; and thus prove the grand preservative against barbarism and brutality, which ever attend on an indolent and inactive stupidity.

By the English laws, artificers in wool, iron, steel, brass, or other metal, going out of the kingdom into any foreign country without licence, are to be imprisoned three months, and fined in a sum not exceeding one hundred pounds. And such as going abroad, and not returning on warning given by our ambassadors, &c., shall be disabled from holding lands by descent or devise, from receiving any legacy, &c., and be deemed aliens. Stat. 5 Geo. I. cap. 27. By 23 Geo. II. cap. 13, § 1, penalty is also inflicted on seducing artificers to go abroad. Ramazini has a treatise on the diseases of artificers.