The Blacksmith of Antwerp

This dime novel, published by Beadle and Adams in 1862, narrates The Blacksmith of Antwerp, set in 1468. The story follows Quinten Metseys, a beautiful young apprentice blacksmith in Antwerp, who stands idly gazing at rainbows while yearning for a woman above his station. He fantasizes about becoming a soldier under Charles the Bold. The old minstrel Peter Sneyders, a one-eyed, one-legged fiddler dressed in motley, interrupts with a tale of a hosier's daughter who loved a blacksmith and sang of hearing his hammer. Sneyders invokes the fairy magic of approaching May Day. The narrative shifts to Quinten's home, where his mother and sister occupy themselves with household tasks in a modest, tidy house. The incomplete OCR prevents full description of subsequent action, though family scenes appear to develop.