the life of thomas telford-第28章

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was　substantially　executed　in　red　sandstone；　and　proved　a　very

serviceable　bridge；　forming　part　of　the　great　high　road　from

Shrewsbury　into　Wales。　　It　was　finished　in　the　year　1792。



In　the　same　year；　we　find　Telford　engaged　as　an　architect　in

preparing　the　designs　and　superintending　the　construction　of　the

new　parish　church　of　St。　Mary　Magdalen　at　Bridgenorth。　　It　stands　at

the　end　of　Castle　Street；　near　to　the　old　ruined　fortress　perched

upon　the　bold　red　sandstone　bluff　on　which　the　upper　part　of　the

town　is　built。　　The　situation　of　the　church　is　very　fine；　and　an

extensive　view　of　the　beautiful　vale　of　the　Severn　is　obtained　from　it。

Telford's　design　is　by　no　means　striking；　〃being；〃　as　he　said；

〃a　regular　Tuscan　elevation；　the　inside　is　as　regularly　Ionic：　its

only　merit　is　simplicity　and　uniformity；　it　is　surmounted　by　a

Doric　tower；　which　contains　the　bells　and　a　clock。〃　　A　graceful

Gothic　church　would　have　been　more　appropriate　to　the　situation；

and　a　much　finer　object　in　the　landscape；　but　Gothic　was　not　then

in　fashiononly　a　mongrel　mixture　of　many　styles；　without　regard

to　either　purity　or　gracefulness。　　The　church；　however；　proved

comfortable　and　commodious；　and　these　were　doubtless　the　points　to

which　the　architect　paid　most　attention。



＇Image＇　St。　Mary　Magdalen；　Bridgenorth。



His　completion　of　the　church　at　Bridgenorth　to　the　satisfaction　of

the　inhabitants；　brought　Telford　a　commission；　in　the　following

year；　to　erect　a　similar　edifice　at　Coalbrookdale。　　But　in　the　mean

time；　to　enlarge　his　knowledge　and　increase　his　acquaintance　with

the　best　forms　of　architecture；　he　determined　to　make　a　journey　to

London　and　through　some　of　the　principal　towns　of　the　south　of

England。　　He　accordingly　visited　Gloucester；　Worcester；　and　Bath；

remaining　several　days　in　the　last…mentioned　city。　　He　was　charmed

beyond　expression　by　his　journey　through　the　manufacturing

districts　of　Gloucestershire；　more　particularly　by　the　fine　scenery

of　the　Vale　of　Stroud。　　The　whole　seemed　to　him　a　smiling　scene　of

prosperous　industry　and　middle…class　comfort。



But　passing　out　of　this　〃Paradise；〃　as　he　styled　it；　another　stage

brought　him　into　a　region　the　very　opposite。　　〃We　stopped；〃　says　he；

〃at　a　little　alehouse　on　the　side　of　a　rough　hill　to　water　the

horses；　and　lo！　the　place　was　full　of　drunken　blackguards；

bellowing　out　'Church　and　King！'　A　poor　ragged　German　Jew　happened

to　come　up；　whom　those　furious　loyalists　had　set　upon　and　accused

of　being　a　Frenchman　in　disguise。　　He　protested　that　he　was　only　a

poor　German　who　'cut　de　corns；'　and　that　all　he　wanted　was　to　buy　a

little　bread　and　cheese。　　Nothing　would　serve　them　but　they　must

carry　him　before　the　Justice。　　The　great　brawny　fellow　of　a　landlord

swore　he　should　have　nothing　in　his　house；　and；　being　a；　constable；

told　him　that　he　would　carry　him　to　gaol。　　I　interfered；　and

endeavoured　to　pacify　the　assailants　of　the　poor　man；　when　suddenly

the　landlord；　snatching　up　a　long　knife；　sliced　off　about　a　pound

of　raw　bacon　from　a　ham　which　hung　overhead；　and；　presenting　it　to

the　Jew；　swore　that　if　he　did　not　swallow　it　down　at　once　he　should

not　be　allowed　to　go。　　The　man　was　in　a　worse　plight　than　ever。

He　said　he　was　a　'poor　Shoe；'　and　durst　not　eat　that。　　In　the　midst

of　the　uproar；　Church　and　King　were　forgotten；　and　eventually　I

prevailed　upon　the　landlord　to　accept　from　me　as　much　as　enabled

poor　little　Moses　to　get　his　meal　of　bread　and　cheese；　and　by　the

time　the　coach　started　they　all　seemed　perfectly　reconciled。〃　*＇1＇

Telford　was　much　gratified　by　his　visit　to　Bath；　and　inspected　its

fine　buildings　with　admiration。　　But　he　thought　that　Mr。　Wood；

who；　he　says；　〃created　modern　Bath；〃　had　left　no　worthy

successor。　　In　the　buildings　then　in　progress　he　saw　clumsy

designers　at　work；　〃blundering　round　about　a　meaning〃if；　indeed；

there　was　any　meaning　at　all　in　their　　designs；　which　he　confessed

he　failed　to　see。　　From　Bath　he　went　to　London　by　coach；　making　the

journey　in　safety；　〃although；〃　he　says；　the　collectors　had　been

doing　duty　on　Hounslow　Heath。〃　　During　his　stay　in　London　he

carefully　examined　the　principal　public　buildings　by　the　light　of

the　experience　which　he　had　gained　since　he　last　saw　them。　　He　also

spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time　in　studying　rare　and　expensive　works

on　architecturethe　use　of　which　he　could　not　elsewhere　procure

at　the　libraries　of　the　Antiquarian　Society　and　the　British　Museum。

There　he　perused　the　various　editions　of　Vitruvius　and　Palladio；

as　well　as　Wren's　'Parentalia。'　He　found　a　rich　store　of　ancient

architectural　remains　in　the　British　Museum；　which　he　studied　with

great　care：　antiquities　from　Athens；　Baalbec；　Palmyra；　and

Herculaneum；　〃so　that；〃　he　says；　〃what　with　the　information　I　was

before　possessed　of；　and　that　which　I　have　now　accumulated；　I　think

I　have　obtained　a　tolerably　good　general　notion　of　architecture。〃



From　London　he　proceeded　to　Oxford；　where　he　carefully　inspected

its　colleges　and　churches；　afterwards　expressing　the　great　delight

and　profit　which　he　had　derived　from　his　visit。　　He　was　entertained

while　there　by　Mr。　Robertson；　an　eminent　mathematician；　then

superintending　the　publication　of　an　edition　of　the　works　of

Archimedes。　　The　architectural　designs　of　buildings　that　most

pleased　him　were　those　of　Dr。　Aldrich；　Dean　of　Christchurch　about

the　time　of　Sir　Christopher　Wren。　　He　tore　himself　from　Oxford　with

great　regret；　proceeding　by　Birmingham　on　his　way　home　to

Shrewsbury：　〃Birmingham；〃　he　says；　〃famous　for　its　buttons　and

locks；　its　ignorance　and　barbarismits　prosperity　increases　with

the　corruption　of　taste　and　morals。　　Its　nicknacks；　hardware；　and

gilt　gimcracks　are　proofs　of　the　former；　and　its　locks　and　bars；

and　the　recent　barbarous　conduct　of　its　populace；*＇2＇　are　evidences

of　the　latter。〃　　His　principal　object　in　visiting　the　place　was　to

call　upon　a　stained　glass…maker　respecting　a　window　for　the　new

church　at　Bridgenorth。



On　his　return　to　Shrewsbury；　Telford　proposed　to　proceed　with　his

favourite　study　of　architecture；　but　this；　said　he；　〃will　probably

be　very　slowly；　as　I　must　attend　to　my　every　day　employment；〃

namely；　the　superintendence　of　the　county　road　and　bridge　repairs；

and　the　direction　of　the　convicts'　labour。　　〃If　I　keep　my　health；

however；〃　he　added；　〃and　have　no　unforeseen　hindrance；　it　shall　not

be　forgotten；　but　will　be　creeping　on　by　degrees。〃　　An　unforeseen

circumstance；　though　not　a　hindrance；　did　very　shortly　occur；　which

launched　Telford　upon　a　new　career；　for　which　his　unremitting

study；　as　well　as　his　carefully　improved　experience；　eminently

fitted　him：　we　refer　to　his　appointment　as　engineer　to　the

Ellesmere　Canal　Company。



The　conscientious　carefulness　with　which　Telford　performed　the

duties　entrusted　to　him；　and　the　skill　with　which　he　directed　the

works　placed　under　his　charge；　had　secured　the　general　approbation

of　the　gentlemen　of　the　county。　　His　straightforward　and　outspoken

manner　had　further　obtained　for　him　the　friendship　of　many　of　them。

At　the　meetings　of　quarter…sessions　his　plans　had　often　to　encounter

considerable　opposition；　and；　when　called　upon　to　defend　them；　he

did　so　with　such　firmness；　persuasiveness；　and　good　temper；　that　he

usually　carried　his　point。　　〃Some　of　the　magistrates　are　ignorant；〃

he　wrote　in　1789；　〃and　some　are　obstinate：　though　I　must　say　that

on　the　whole　there　is　a　very　respectable　bench；　and　with　the

sensible　part　I　believe　I　am　on　good　terms。〃　　This　was　amply　proved

some　four　years　later；　when　it　became　necessary　to　appoint　an

engineer　to　the　Ellesmere　Canal；　on　which　occasion　the　magistrates；

who　were　mainly　the　promoters　of　the　undertaking；　almost

unanimously　solicited　their　Surveyor　to　accept　the　office。



Indeed；　Telford　had　become　a　general　favourite　in　the　county。

He　was　cheerful　and　cordial　in　his　manner；　though　somewhat　brusque。

Though　now　thirty…five　years　old；　he　had　not　lost　the　humorousness

which　had　procured　for　him　the　sobriquet　of　〃Laughing　Tam。〃

He　laughed　at　his　own　jokes　as　well　as　at　others。　　He　was　spoken　of

as　jollya　word　then　much　more　rarely　as　well　as　more　choicely　used

than　it　is　now。　　Yet　he　had　a　manly　spirit；　and　was　very　jealous　of

his　independence。　　All　this　made　him　none　the　less　liked　by

free…minded　men。　　Speaking　of　the　friendly　support　which　he　had

throughout　received　from　Mr。　Pulteney；　he　said；　〃His　good　opinion

has　always　been　a　great　satisfaction　to　me；　and　the　more　so；　as　it

has　neither　been　obtained　nor　preserved　by　deceit；　cringing；　nor

flattery。　　On　the　contrary；　I　believe　I　am　almost　the　only　man　that

speaks　out　fairly　to　him；　and　who　contradicts　him　the　most。

In　fact；　between　us；　we　sometimes　quarrel　like　tinkers；　but　I　hold

my　ground；　and　when　he　sees　I　am　right　he　quietly　gives　in。〃



Although　Mr。　Pulteney's　influence　had　no　doubt　assisted　Telford　in

obtaining　the　appointment　of　surveyor；　it　had　nothing　to　do　with

the　unsolicited　invitation　which　now　emanated　from　the　county

gentlemen。　　Telford　was　not　even　a　candidate　for　the　engineership；

and　had　not　dreamt　of　offering　himself；　so　that　the　proposal　came

upon　him　entirely　by　surprise。　　Though　he　admitted　he　had

self…confidence；　he　frankly　confessed　that　he　had　not　a　sufficient

amount　of　it　to　justify　him　in　aspiring　to　the　office　of　engineer

to　one　of　the　most　important　undertakings　of　the　day。　　The　following

is　his　own　account　of　the　circumstance：



〃My　literary　project*＇3＇　is　at　present　at　a　stand；　and　may　be

retarded　for　some　time　to　come；　as　I　was　last　Monday　appointed　sole

agent；　architect；　and　engineer　to　the　canal　which　is　projected　to

join　the　Mersey；　the　Dee；　and　the　Severn。　　It　is　the　greatest　work；

I　believe；　now　in　hand　in　this　kingdom；　and　will　not　be　completed

for　many　years　to　come。　　You　will　be　surprised　that　I　have　not

mentioned　this　to　you　before；　but　the　fact　is　that　I　had　no　idea　of

any　such　appointment　until　an　application　was　made　to　me　by　some　of

the　leading　gentlemen；　and　I　was　appointed；　though　many　others　had

made　much　interest　for　the　place。　　This　will　be　a　great　and

laborious　undertaking；　but　the　line　which　it　opens　is　vast　and

noble；　and　coming　as　the　appointment　does　in　this　honourable　way；

I　thought　it　too　great　a　opportunity　to　be　neglected；　especially　as　I

have　stipulated　for；　and　been　allowed；　the　privilege　of　carrying　on

my　architectural　profession。　　The　work　will　require　great　labour

and　exertions；　but　it　is　worthy　of　them　all。〃*＇4＇　　Telford's

appointment　was　duly　confirmed　by　the　next　general　meeting　of　the

shareholders　of　the　Ellesmere　Canal。　　An　attempt　was　made　to　get　up

a　party　against　him；　but　it　failed。　　〃I　am　fortunate；〃　he　said；　〃in

being　on　good　terms　with　most　of　the　leading　men；　both　of　property

and　abilities；　and　on　this　occasion　I　had　the　decided　support　of

the　great　John　Wilkinson；　king　of　the　ironmas