the life of thomas telford-第27章

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country　headlong　to　ruin！



If　Telford　could　not　offer　an　opinion　on　politics　before；　because

he　〃knew　nothing　about　them；〃　he　had　now　no　such　difficulty。　　Had

his　advice　been　asked　about　the　foundations　of　a　bridge；　or　the

security　of　an　arch；　he　would　have　read　and　studied　much　before

giving　it；　he　would　have　carefully　inquired　into　the　chemical

qualities　of　different　kinds　of　limeinto　the　mechanical

principles　of　weight　and　resistance；　and　such　like；　but　he　had　no

such　hesitation　in　giving　an　opinion　about　the　foundations　of　a

constitution　of　more　than　a　thousand　years'　growth。　　Here；　like

other　young　politicians；　with　Paine's　book　before　him；　he　felt

competent　to　pronounce　a　decisive　judgment　at　once。　　〃I　am

convinced；〃　said　he；　writing　to　his　Langholm　friend；　〃that　the

situation　of　Great　Britain　is　such；　that　nothing　short　of　some

signal　revolution　can　prevent　her　from　sinking　into　bankruptcy；

slavery；　and　insignificancy。〃　　He　held　that　the　national　expenditure

was　so　enormous；*＇13＇　arising　from　the　corrupt　administration　of

the　country；　that　it　was　impossible　the　〃bloated　mass〃　could　hold

together　any　longer；　and　as　he　could　not　expect　that　〃a　hundred

Pulteneys；〃　such　as　his　employer；　could　be　found　to　restore　it　to

health；　the　conclusion　he　arrived　at　was　that　ruin　was

〃inevitable。〃*＇14＇　　Notwithstanding　the　theoretical　ruin　of　England

which　pressed　so　heavy　on　his　mind　at　this　time；　we　find　Telford

strongly　recommending　his　correspondent　to　send　any　good　wrights　he

could　find　in　his　neighbourhood　to　Bath；　where　they　would　be

enabled　to　earn　twenty　shillings　or　a　guinea　a　week　at　piece…work

the　wages　paid　at　Langholm　for　similar　work　being　only　about　half

those　amounts。



In　the　same　letter　in　which　these　observations　occur；　Telford

alluded　to　the　disgraceful　riots　at　Birmingham；　in　the　course　of

which　Dr。　Priestley's　house　and　library　were　destroyed。　　As　the

outrages　were　the　work　of　the　mob；　Telford　could　not　charge　the

aristocracy　with　them；　but　with　equal　injustice　he　laid　the　blame

at　the　door　of　〃the　clergy；〃　who　had　still　less　to　do　with　them；

winding　up　with　the　prayer；　〃May　the　Lord　mend　their　hearts　and

lessen　their　incomes！〃



Fortunately　for　Telford；　his　intercourse　with　the　townspeople　of

Shrewsbury　was　so　small　that　his　views　on　these　subjects　were　never

known；　and　we　very　shortly　find　him　employed　by　the　clergy

themselves　in　building　for　them　a　new　church　in　the　town　of

Bridgenorth。　　His　patron　and　employer；　Mr。　Pulteney；　however；　knew

of　his　extreme　views；　and　the　knowledge　came　to　him　quite

accidentally。　　He　found　that　Telford　had　made　use　of　his　frank　to

send　through　the　post　a　copy　of　Paine's　'Rights　of　Man'　to　his

Langholm　correspondent；*＇15＇　where　the　pamphlet　excited　as　much

fury　in　the　minds　of　some　of　the　people　of　that　town　as　it　had　done

in　that　of　Telford　himself。　　The　〃Langholm　patriots　〃broke　out　into

drinking　revolutionary　toasts　at　the　Cross；　and　so　disturbed　the

peace　of　the　little　town　that　some　of　them　were　confined　for　six

weeks　in　the　county　gaol。



Mr。　Pulteney　was　very　indignant　at　the　liberty　Telford　had　taken

with　his　frank；　and　a　rupture　between　them　seemed　likely　to　ensue；

but　the　former　was　forgiving；　and　the　matter　went　no　further。　　It　is

only　right　to　add；　that　as　Telford　grew　older　and　wiser；　he　became

more　careful　in　jumping　at　conclusions　on　political　topics。

The　events　which　shortly　occurred　in　France　tended　in　a　great　measure

to　heal　his　mental　distresses　as　to　the　future　of　England。　　When　the

〃liberty〃　won　by　the　Parisians　ran　into　riot；　and　the　〃Friends　of　Man〃

occupied　themselves　in　taking　off　the　heads　of　those　who　differed

from　them；　he　became　wonderfully　reconciled　to　the　enjoyment　of　the

substantial　freedom　which；　after　all；　was　secured　to　him　by　the

English　Constitution。　　At　the　same　time；　he　was　so　much　occupied　in

carrying　out　his　important　works；　that　he　found　but　little　time　to

devote　either　to　political　speculation　or　to　versemaking。



While　living　at　Shrewsbury；　he　had　his　poem　of　'Eskdale'　reprinted

for　private　circulation。　　We　have　also　seen　several　MS。　verses　by

him；　written　about　the　same　period；　which　do　not　appear　ever　to

have　been　printed。　　One　of　thesethe　bestis　entitled　'Verses　to

the　Memory　of　James　Thomson；　author　of　〃Liberty；　a　poem；〃'　another

is　a　translation　from　Buchanan；　'On　the　Spheres；'　and　a　third；

written　in　April；　1792；　is　entitled　'To　Robin　Burns；　being　a

postscript　to　some　verses　addressed　to　him　on　the　establishment　of

an　Agricultural　Chair　in　Edinburgh。'　It　would　unnecessarily　occupy

our　space　to　print　these　effusions；　and；　to　tell　the　truth；　they

exhibit　few　if　any　indications　of　poetic　power。　　No　amount　of

perseverance　will　make　a　poet　of　a　man　in　whom　the　divine　gift　is

not　born。　　The　true　line　of　Telford's　genius　lay　in　building　and

engineering；　in　which　direction　we　now　propose　to　follow　him。



＇Image＇　Shrewsbury　Castle



Footnotes　for　Chapter　IV。



*＇1＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury　Castle；

21st　Feb。；　1788。



*＇2＇　This　practice　of　noting　down　information；　the　result　of

reading　and　observation；　was　continued　by　Mr。　Telford　until　the

close　of　his　life；　his　last　pocket　memorandum　book；　containing　a

large　amount　of　valuable　information　on　mechanical　subjectsa　sort

of　engineer's　vade　mecumbeing　printed　in　the　appendix　to　the　4to。

'Life　of　Telford'　published　by　his　executors　in　1838；　pp。　663…90。



*＇3＇　A　medical　man；　a　native　of　Eskdale；　of　great　promise；　who　died

comparatively　young。



*＇4＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm。



*＇5＇　It　would　occupy　unnecessary　space　to　cite　these　poems。

The　following；　from　the　verses　in　memory　of　William　Telford；　relates

to　schoolboy　days；　After　alluding　to　the　lofty　Fell　Hills；　which

formed　part　of　the　sheep　farm　of　his　deceased　friend's　father；　the

poet　goes　on　to　say：



　　　〃There　'mongst　those　rocks　I'll　form　a　rural　seat；

　　　　And　plant　some　ivy　with　its　moss　compleat；

　　　　I'll　benches　form　of　fragments　from　the　stone；

　　　　Which；　nicely　pois'd；　was　by　our　hands　o'erthrown；

　　　　A　simple　frolic；　but　now　dear　to　me；

　　　　Because；　my　Telford；　'twas　performed　with　thee。

　　　　There；　in　the　centre；　sacred　to　his　name；

　　　　I'll　place　an　altar；　where　the　lambent　flame

　　　　Shall　yearly　rise；　and　every　youth　shall　join

　　　　The　willing　voice；　and　sing　the　enraptured　line。

　　　　But　we；　my　friend；　will　often　steal　away

　　　　To　this　lone　seat；　and　quiet　pass　the　day；

　　　　Here　oft　recall　the　pleasing　scenes　we　knew

　　　　In　early　youth；　when　every　scene　was　new；

　　　　When　rural　happiness　our　moments　blest；

　　　　And　joys　untainted　rose　in　every　breast。〃



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　16th　July；　1788。



*＇7＇　Ibid。



*＇8＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　16th　July；　1788。



*＇9＇　The　discovery　formed　the　subject　of　a　paper　read　before　the

Society　of　Antiquaries　in　London　on　the　7th　of　May；　1789；　published

in　the　'Archaeologia；'　together　with　a　drawing　of　the　remains

supplied　by　Mr。　Telford。



*＇10＇　An　Eskdale　crony。　　His　son；　Colonel　Josias　Stewart；　rose　to

eminence　in　the　East　India　Company's　service；　having　been　for　many

years　Resident　at　Gwalior　and　Indore。



*＇11＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　3rd　Sept。　1788。



*＇12＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Shrewsbury；

8th　October；　1789。



*＇13＇　It　was　then　under　seventeen　millions　sterling；　or　about　a

fourth　of　what　it　is　now。



*＇14＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　28th　July；　1791。



*＇15＇　The　writer　of　a　memoir　of　Telford；　in　the　'Encyclopedia

Britannica；'　says：〃Andrew　Little　kept　a　private　and　very　small

school　at　Langholm。　　Telford　did　not　neglect　to　send　him　a　copy　of

Paine's　'Rights　of　Man；'　and　as　he　was　totally　blind；　he　employed

one　of　his　scholars　to　read　it　in　the　evenings。　　Mr。　Little　had

received　an　academical　education　before　he　lost　his　sight；　and；

aided　by　a　memory　of　uncommon　powers；　he　taught　the　classics；　and

particularly　Greek；　with　much　higher　reputation　than　any　other

schoolmaster　within　a　pretty　extensive　circuit。　　Two　of　his　pupils

read　all　the　Iliad；　and　all　or　the　greater　part　of　Sophocles。

After　hearing　a　long　sentence　of　Greek　or　Latin　distinctly　recited；

he　could　generally　construe　and　translate　it　with　little　or　no

hesitation。　　He　was　always　much　gratified　by　Telford's　visits；

which　were　not　infrequent；　to　his　native　district。〃





CHAPTER　V。



TELFORD'S　FIRST　EMPLOYMENT　AS　AN　ENGINEER。



As　surveyor　for　the　county；　Telford　was　frequently　called　upon　by

the　magistrates　to　advise　them　as　to　the　improvement　of　roads　and

the　building　or　repair　of　bridges。　　His　early　experience　of

bridge…building　in　his　native　district　now　proved　of　much　service

to　him；　and　he　used　often　to　congratulate　himself；　even　when　he　had

reached　the　highest　rank　in　his　profession；　upon　the　circumstances

which　had　compelled　him　to　begin　his　career　by　working　with　his　own

hands。　　To　be　a　thorough　judge　of　work；　he　held　that　a　man　must

himself　have　been　practically　engaged　in　it。



〃Not　only；〃　he　said；　〃are　the　natural　senses　of　seeing　and　feeling

requisite　in　the　examination　of　materials；　but　also　the　practised

eye；　and　the　hand　which　has　had　experience　of　the　kind　and

qualities　of　stone；　of　lime；　of　iron；　of　timber；　and　even　of　earth；

and　of　the　effects　of　human　ingenuity　in　applying　and　combining　all

these　substances；　are　necessary　for　arriving　at　mastery　in　the

profession；　for；　how　can　a　man　give　judicious　directions　unless　he

possesses　personal　knowledge　of　the　details　requisite　to　effect

his　ultimate　purpose　in　the　best　and　cheapest　manner？　It　has

happened　to　me　more　than　once；　when　taking　opportunities　of　being

useful　to　a　young　man　of　merit；　that　I　have　experienced　opposition

in　taking　him　from　his　books　and　drawings；　and　placing　a　mallet；

chisel；　or　trowel　in　his　hand；　till；　rendered　confident　by　the

solid　knowledge　which　experience　only　can　bestow；　he　was　qualified

to　insist　on　the　due　performance　of　workmanship；　and　to　judge　of

merit　in　the　lower　as　well　as　the　higher　departments　of　a

profession　in　which　no　kind　or　degree　of　practical　knowledge　is

superfluous。〃



The　first　bridge　designed　and　built　under　Telford's　superintendence

was　one　of　no　great　magnitude；　across　the　river　Severn　at　Montford；

about　four　miles　west　of　Shrewsbury。　　It　was　a　stone　bridge　of　three

elliptical　arches；　one　of　58　feet　and　two　of　55　feet　span　each。

The　Severn　at　that　point　is　deep　and　narrow；　and　its　bed　and　banks

are　of　alluvial　earth。　　It　was　necessary　to　make　the　foundations

very　secure；　as　the　river　is　subject　to　high　floods；　and　this　was

effectuality　accomplished　by　means　of　coffer…dams。　　The　building

was　substantially　executed　in　red　sandstone；　and　proved　a　very

serviceable　bridge；　forming　part　of　the　great　high　roa