the life of thomas telford-第25章

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beyond　the　termination　of　the　contract；　he　prepared　to　leave；　and

began　to　look　about　him　for　other　employment。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　III。



*＇1＇　Robert　and　John　Adam　were　architects　of　considerable　repute　in

their　day。　　Among　their　London　erections　were　the　Adelphi　Buildings；

in　the　Strand；　Lansdowne　House；　in　Berkeley　Square；　Caen　Wood

House；　near　Hampstead　（Lord　Mansfield's）；　Portland　Place；　Regent's

Park；　and　numerous　West　End　streets　and　mansions。　　The　screen　of　the

Admiralty　and　the　ornaments　of　Draper's　Hall　were　also　designed　by

them。



*＇2＇　Long　after　Telford　had　become　famous；　he　was　passing　over

Waterloo　Bridge　one　day　with　a　friend；　when；　pointing　to　some

finely…cut　stones　in　the　corner　nearest　the　bridge；　he　said：

〃You　see　those　stones　there；　forty　years　since　I　hewed　and　laid　them；

when　working　on　that　building　as　a　common　mason。〃



*＇3＇Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　London；　July；　1783。



*＇4＇　Mr。；　afterwards　Sir　William；　Pulteney；　was　the　second　son　of

Sir　James　Johnstone；　of　Wester　Hall；　and　assumed　the　name　of

Pulteney；　on　his　marriage　to　Miss　Pulteney；　niece　of　the　Earl　of

Bath　and　of　General　Pulteney；　by　whom　he　succeeded　to　a　large

fortune。　　He　afterwards　succeeded　to　the　baronetcy　of　his　elder

brother　James；　who　died　without　issue　in　1797。　　Sir　William　Pulteney

represented　Cromarty；　and　afterwards　Shrewsbury；　where　he　usually

resided；　in　seven　successive　Parliaments。　　He　was　a　great　patron　of

Telford's；　as　we　shall　afterwards　find。



*＇5＇　Letter　to　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Portsmouth；　July　23rd；

1784。



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Portsmouth

Dockyard；　Feb。　1；　1786。



*＇7＇　Ibid





CHAPTER　IV。



BECOMES　SURVEYOR　FOR　THE　COUNTY　OF　SALOP。



Mr。　Pulteney；　member　for　Shrewsbury；　was　the　owner　of　extensive

estates　in　that　neighbourhood　by　virtue　of　his　marriage　with　the

niece　of　the　last　Earl　of　Bath。　　Having　resolved　to　fit　up　the

Castle　there　as　a　residence；　he　bethought　him　of　the　young　Eskdale

mason；　who　had；　some　years　before；　advised　him　as　to　the　repairs　of

the　Johnstone　mansion　at　Wester　Hall。　　Telford　was　soon　found；　and

engaged　to　go　down　to　Shrewsbury　to　superintend　the　necessary

alterations。　　Their　execution　occupied　his　attention　for　some　time；

and　during　their　progress　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　obtain　the

appointment　of　Surveyor　of　Public　Works　for　the　county　of　Salop；

most　probably　through　the　influence　of　his　patron。　　Indeed；　Telford

was　known　to　be　so　great　a　favourite　with　Mr。　Pulteney　that　at

Shrewsbury　he　usually　went　by　the　name　of　〃Young　Pulteney。〃



Much　of　his　attention　was　from　this　time　occupied　with　the　surveys

and　repairs　of　roads；　bridges；　and　gaols；　and　the　supervision　of

all　public　buildings　under　the　control　of　the　magistrates　of　the

county。　　He　was　also　frequently　called　upon　by　the　corporation　of

the　borough　of　Shrewsbury　to　furnish　plans　for　the　improvement　of

the　streets　and　buildings　of　that　fine　old　town；　and　many

alterations　were　carried　out　under　his　direction　during　the　period

of　his　residence　there。



While　the　Castle　repairs　were　in　course　of　execution；　Telford　was

called　upon　by　the　justices　to　superintend　the　erection　of　a　new

gaol；　the　plans　for　which　had　already　been　prepared　and　settled。

The　benevolent　Howard；　who　devoted　himself　with　such　zeal　to　gaol

improvement；　on　hearing　of　the　intentions　of　the　magistrates；　made

a　visit　to　Shrewsbury　for　the　purpose　of　examining　the　plans；　and

the　circumstance　is　thus　adverted　to　by　Telford　in　one　of　his

letters　to　his　Eskdale　correspondent：〃About　ten　days　ago　I　had　a

visit　from　the　celebrated　John　Howard；　Esq。　　I　say　I；　for　he　was　on

his　tour　of　gaols　and　infirmaries；　and　those　of　Shrewsbury　being

both　under　my　direction；　this　was；　of　course；　the　cause　of　my　being

thus　distinguished。　　I　accompanied　him　through　the　infirmary　and　the

gaol。　　I　showed　him　the　plans　of　the　proposed　new　buildings；　and　had

much　conversation　with　him　on　both　subjects。　　In　consequence　of　his

suggestions　as　to　the　former；　I　have　revised　and　amended　the　plans；

so　as　to　carry　out　a　thorough　reformation；　and　my　alterations

having　been　approved　by　a　general　board；　they　have　been　referred　to

a　committee　to　carry　out。　　Mr。　Howard　also　took　objection　to　the

plan　of　the　proposed　gaol；　and　requested　me　to　inform　the

magistrates　that；　in　his　opinion；　the　interior　courts　were　too

small；　and　not　sufficiently　ventilated；　and　the　magistrates；　having

approved　his　suggestions；　ordered　the　plans　to　be　amended

accordingly。　　You　may　easily　conceive　how　I　enjoyed　the　conversation

of　this　truly　good　man；　and　how　much　I　would　strive　to　possess　his

good　opinion。　　I　regard　him　as　the　guardian　angel　of　the　miserable。

He　travels　into　all　parts　of　Europe　with　the　sole　object　of　doing

good；　merely　for　its　own　sake；　and　not　for　the　sake　of　men's　praise。

To　give　an　instance　of　his　delicacy；　and　his　desire　to　avoid　public

notice；　I　may　mention　that；　being　a　Presbyterian；　he　attended　the

meeting…house　of　that　denomination　in　Shrewsbury　on　Sunday　morning；

on　which　occasion　I　accompanied　him；　but　in　the　afternoon　he

expressed　a　wish　to　attend　another　place　of　worship；　his　presence

in　the　town　having　excited　considerable　curiosity；　though　his　wish

was　to　avoid　public　recognition。　　Nay；　more；　he　assures　me　that　he

hates　travelling；　and　was　born　to　be　a　domestic　man。　　He　never　sees

his　country…house　but　he　says　within　himself；　'Oh！　might　I　but　rest

here；　and　never　more　travel　three　miles　from　home；　then　should　I　be

happy　indeed！'　But　he　has　become　so　committed；　and　so　pledged

himself　to　his　own　conscience　to　carry　out　his　great　work；　that　he

says　he　is　doubtful　whether　he　will　ever　be　able　to　attain　the

desire　of　his　heartlife　at　home。　　He　never　dines　out；　and　scarcely

takes　time　to　dine　at　all：　he　says　he　is　growing　old；　and　has　no

time　to　lose。　　His　manner　is　simplicity　itself。　　Indeed；　I　have

never　yet　met　so　noble　a　being。　　He　is　going　abroad　again　shortly

on　one　of　his　long　tours　of　mercy。〃*＇1＇　　The　journey　to　which

Telford　here　refers　was　Howard's　last。　　In　the　　following　year　he

left　England　to　return　no　more；　and　the　great　and　　good　man　died　at

Cherson；　on　the　shores　of　the　Black　Sea；　less　than　two　years　after

his　interview　with　the　young　engineer　at　Shrewsbury。



Telford　writes　to　his　Langholm　friend　at　the　same　time　that　he　is

working　very　hard；　and　studying　to　improve　himself　in　branches　of

knowledge　in　which　he　feels　himself　deficient。　　He　is　practising

very　temperate　habits：　for　half　a　year　past　he　has　taken　to

drinking　water　only；　avoiding　all　sweets；　and　eating　no

〃nick…nacks。〃　　He　has　〃sowens　and　milk；'　（oatmeal　flummery）　every

night　for　his　supper。　　His　friend　having　asked　his　opinion　of

politics；　he　says　he　really　knows　nothing　about　them；　he　had　been

so　completely　engrossed　by　his　own　business　that　he　has　not　had

time　to　read　even　a　newspaper。　　But；　though　an　ignoramus　in

politics；　he　has　been　studying　lime；　which　is　more　to　his　purpose。

If　his　friend　can　give　him　any　information　about　that；　he　will

promise　to　read　a　newspaper　now　and　then　in　the　ensuing　session　of

Parliament；　for　the　purpose　of　forming　some　opinion　of　politics：

he　adds；　however；　〃not　if　it　interfere　with　my　businessmind　that！'；

His　friend　told　him　that　he　proposed　translating　a　system　of

chemistry。　　〃Now　you　know；〃　wrote　Telford；　〃that　I　am　chemistry　mad；

and　if　I　were　near　you；　I　would　make　you　promise　to　communicate　any

information　on　the　subject　that　you　thought　would　be　of　service　to

your　friend；　especially　about　calcareous　matters　and　the　mode　of

forming　the　best　composition　for　building　with；　as　well　above　as

below　water。　　But　not　to　be　confined　to　that　alone；　for　you　must

know　I　have　a　book　for　the　pocket；*＇2＇　which　I　always　carry　with　me；

into　which　I　have　extracted　the　essence　of　Fourcroy's　Lectures；

Black　on　Quicklime；　Scheele's　Essays；　Watson's　Essays；　and　various

points　from　the　letters　of　my　respected　friend　Dr。　Irving。*＇3＇

So　much　for　chemistry。　　But　I　have　also　crammed　into　it　facts

relating　to　mechanics；　hydrostatics；　pneumatics；　and　all　manner　of

stuff；　to　which　I　keep　continually　adding；　and　it　will　be　a　charity

to　me　if　you　will　kindly　contribute　your　mite。〃*＇4＇　　He　says　it

has　been；　and　will　continue　to　be；　his　aim　to　endeavour　to　unite

those　〃two　frequently　jarring　pursuits；　literature　and　business；〃

and　he　does　not　see　why　a　man　should　be　less　efficient　in　the

latter　capacity　because　he　has　well　informed；　stored；　and　humanized

his　mind　by　the　cultivation　of　letters。　　There　was　both　good　sense

and　sound　practical　wisdom　in　this　view　of　Telford。



While　the　gaol　was　in　course　of　erection；　after　the　improved　plans

suggested　by　Howard；　a　variety　of　important　matters　occupied　the

county　surveyor's　attention。　　During　the　summer　of　1788　he　says　he

is　very　much　occupied；　having　about　ten　different　jobs　on　hand：

roads；　bridges；　streets；　drainage…works；　gaol；　and　infirmary。

Yet　he　had　time　to　write　verses；　copies　of　which　he　forwarded　to　his

Eskdale　correspondent；　inviting　his　criticism。　　Several　of　these

were　elegiac　lines；　somewhat　exaggerated　in　their　praises　of　the

deceased；　though　doubtless　sincere。　　One　poem　was　in　memory　of

George　Johnstone；　Esq。；　a　member　of　the　Wester　Hall　family；　and

another　on　the　death　of　William　Telford；　an　Eskdale　farmer's　son；

an　intimate　friend　and　schoolfellow　of　our　engineer。*＇5＇　　These；

however；　were　but　the　votive　offerings　of　private　friendship；

persons　more　immediately　about　him　knowing　nothing　of　his　stolen

pleasures　in　versemaking。　He　continued　to　be　shy　of　strangers；

and　was　very　〃nice；〃　as　he　calls　it；　as　to　those　whom　he　admitted

to　his　bosom。



Two　circumstances　of　considerable　interest　occurred　in　the　course

of　the　same　year　（1788）；　which　are　worthy　of　passing　notice。

The　one　was　the　fall　of　the　church　of　St。　Chad's；　at　Shrewsbury；

the　other　was　the　discovery　of　the　ruins　of　the　Roman　city　of

Uriconium；　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood。　　The　church　of　St。　Chad's

was　about　four　centuries　old；　and　stood　greatly　in　need　of　repairs。

The　roof　let　in　the　rain　upon　the　congregation；　and　the　parish

vestry　met　to　settle　the　plans　for　mending　it；　but　they　could　not

agree　about　the　mode　of　procedure。　　In　this　emergency　Telford　was

sent　for；　and　requested　to　advise　what　was　best　to　he　done。　　After　a

rapid　glance　at　the　interior；　which　was　in　an　exceedingly　dangerous

state；　he　said　to　the　churchwardens；　〃Gentlemen；　we'll　consult

together　on　the　outside；　if　you　please。〃　　He　found　that　not　only　the

roof　but　the　walls　of　the　church　were　in　a　most　decayed　state。

It　appeared　that；　in　consequence　of　graves　having　been　dug　in　the

loose　soil　close　to　the　shallow　foundation　of　the　north…west　pillar

of　the　tower；　it　had　sunk　so　as　to　endanger　the　whole　structure。

〃I　discovered；〃　says　he；　〃that　there　were