the life of thomas telford-第3章

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they　could　have　had　but　little　practical　effect　in　improving　the

communications　of　the　kingdom。　　In　the　reign　of　Philip　and　Mary

（in　1555）；　an　Act　was　passed　providing　that　each　parish　should　elect

two　surveyors　of　highways　to　see　to　the　maintenance　of　their

repairs　by　　compulsory　labour；　the　preamble　reciting　that

〃highwaies　are　now　both　verie　noisome　and　tedious　to　travell　in；

and　dangerous　to　all　　passengers　and　cariages；〃　and　to　this　day

parish　and　cross　roads　are　maintained　on　the　principle　of　Mary's

Act；　though　the　compulsory　labour　has　since　been　commuted　into　a

compulsory　tax。



In　the　reigns　of　Elizabeth　and　James；　other　road　Acts　were　passed；

but；　from　the　statements　of　contemporary　writers；　it　would　appear

that　they　were　followed　by　very　little　substantial　progress；　and

travelling　continued　to　be　attended　with　many　difficulties。　　Even　in

the　neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis；　the　highways　were　in　certain

seasons　scarcely　passable。　　The　great　Western　road　into　London　was

especially　bad；　and　about　Knightsbridge；　in　winter；　the　traveller

had　to　wade　through　deep　mud。　　Wyatt's　men　entered　the　city　by　this

approach　in　the　rebellion　of　1554；　and　were　called　the　〃draggle…tails〃

because　of　their　wretched　plight。　　The　ways　were　equally　bad　as　far

as　Windsor；　which；　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；　is　described　by　Pote；

in　his　history　of　that　town；　as　being　〃not　much　past　half　a　day's

journeye　removed　from　the　flourishing　citie　of　London。〃



At　a　greater　distance　from　the　metropolis；　the　roads　were　still

worse。　　They　were　in　many　cases　but　rude　tracks　across　heaths　and

commons；　as　furrowed　with　deep　ruts　as　ploughed　fields；　and　in

winter　to　pass　along　one　of　them　was　like　travelling　in　a　ditch。

The　attempts　made　by　the　adjoining　occupiers　to　mend　them；　were　for

the　most　part　confined　to　throwing　large　stones　into　the　bigger

holes　to　fill　them　up。　　It　was　easier　to　allow　new　tracks　to　be

made　than　to　mend　the　old　ones。　　The　land　of　the　country　was　still

mostly　unenclosed；　and　it　was　possible；　in　fine　weather；　to　get

from　place　to　place；　in　one　way　or　another；　with　the　help　of　a

guide。　In　the　absence　of　bridges；　guides　were　necessary　to　point

out　the　safest　fords　as　well　as　to　pick　out　the　least　miry　tracks。

The　most　frequented　lines　of　road　were　struck　out　from　time　to　time

by　the　drivers　of　pack…horses；　who；　to　avoid　the　bogs　and　sloughs；

were　usually　careful　to　keep　along　the　higher　grounds；　but；　to

prevent　those　horsemen　who　departed　from　the　beaten　track　being

swallowed　up　in　quagmires；　beacons　were　erected　to　warn　them

against　the　more　dangerous　places。*＇2＇



In　some　of　the　older…settled　districts　of　England；　the　old　roads

are　still　to　be　traced　in　the　hollow　Ways　or　Lanes；　which　are　to

be　met　with；　in　some　places；　eight　and　ten　feet　deep。　　They　were

horse…tracks　in　summer；　and　rivulets　in　winter。　　By　dint　of

weather　and　travel；　the　earth　was　gradually　worn　into　these　deep

furrows；　many　of　which；　in　Wilts；　Somerset；　and　Devon；　represent

the　tracks　of　roads　as　old　as；　if　not　older　than；　the　Conquest。

When　the　ridgeways　of　the　earliest　settlers　on　Dartmoor；　above

alluded　to；　were　abandoned；　the　tracks　were　formed　through　the

valleys；　but　the　new　roads　were　no　better　than　the　old　ones。

They　were　narrow　and　deep；　fitted　only　for　a　horse　passing　along

laden　with　its　crooks；　as　so　graphically　described　in　the　ballad

of　〃The　Devonshire　Lane。〃*＇3＇




Similar　roads　existed　until　recently　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood

of　Birmingham；　now　the　centre　of　an　immense　traffic。　　The　sandy

soil　was　sawn　through；　as　it　were；　by　generation　after　generation

of　human　feet；　and　by　packhorses；　helped　by　the　rains；　until　in

some　places　the　tracks　were　as　much　as　from　twelve　to　fourteen

yards　deep；　one　of　these；　partly　filled　up；　retaining　to　this　day

the　name　of　Holloway　Head。　　In　the　neighbourhood　of　London　there

was　also　a　Hollow　way；　which　now　gives　its　name　to　a　populous

metropolitan　parish。　　Hagbush　Lane　was　another　of　such　roads。

Before　the　formation　of　the　Great　North　Road；　it　was　one　of　the

principal　bridle…paths　leading　from　London　to　the　northern　parts　of

England；　but　it　was　so　narrow　as　barely　to　afford　passage　for　more

than　a　single　horseman；　and　so　deep　that　the　rider's　head　was

beneath　the　level　of　the　ground　on　either　side。



The　roads　of　Sussex　long　preserved　an　infamous　notoriety。

Chancellor　Cowper；　when　a　barrister　on　circuit；　wrote　to　his　wife

in　1690；　that　〃the　Sussex　ways　are　bad　and　ruinous　beyond

imagination。　I　vow　'tis　melancholy　consideration　that　mankind　will

in　habit　such　a　heap　of　dirt　for　a　poor　livelihood。　　The　country　is

a　sink　of　about　fourteen　miles　broad；　which　receives　all　the　water

that　falls　from　two　long　ranges　of　hills　on　both　sides　of　it；

and　not　being　furnished　with　convenient　draining；　is　kept　moist

and　soft　by　the　water　till　the　middle　of　a　dry　summer；　which　is　only

able　to　make　it　tolerable　to　ride　for　a　short　time。〃



It　was　almost　as　difficult　for　old　persons　to　get　to　church　in

Sussex　during　winter　as　it　was　in　the　Lincoln　Fens；　where　they　were

rowed　thither　in　boats。　　Fuller　saw　an　old　lady　being　drawn　to

church　in　her　own　coach　by　the　aid　of　six　oxen。　　The　Sussex　roads

were　indeed　so　bad　as　to　pass　into　a　by…word。　　A　contemporary

writer　says；　that　in　travelling　a　slough　of　extraordinary　miryness；

it　used　to　be　called　〃the　Sussex　bit　of　the　road；〃　and　he

satirically　alleged　that　the　reason　why　the　Sussex　girls　were　so

long…limbed　was　because　of　the　tenacity　of　the　mud　in　that　county；

the　practice　of　pulling　the　foot　out　of　it　〃by　the　strength　of　the

ancle〃　tending　to　stretch　the　muscle　and　lengthen　the　bone！*＇4＇

But　the　roads　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　London　long

continued　almost　as　bad　as　those　in　Sussex。　　Thus；　when　the　poet

Cowley　retired　to　Chertsey；　in　1665；　he　wrote　to　his　friend　Sprat

to　visit　him；　and；　by　way　of　encouragement；　told　him　that　he

might　sleep　the　first　night　at　Hampton　town；　thus　occupying；　two

days　in　the　performance　of　a　journey　of　twenty…two　miles　in　the

immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis。　　As　late　as　1736　we

find　Lord　Hervey；　writing　from　Kensington；　complaining　that

〃the　road　between　this　place　and　London　is　grown　so　infamously　bad

that　we　live　here　in　the　same　solitude　as　we　would　do　if　cast　on

a　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　ocean；　and　all　the　Londoners　tell　us

that　there　is　between　them　and　us　an　impassable　gulf　of　mud。〃



Nor　was　the　mud　any　respecter　of　persons；　for　we　are　informed　that

the　carriage　of　Queen　Caroline　could　not；　in　bad　weather；

be　dragged　from　St。　James's　Palace　to　Kensington　in　less　than　two

hours；　and　occasionally　the　royal　coach　stuck　fast　in　a　rut；

or　was　even　capsized　in　the　mud。　　About　the　same　time；　the　streets

of　London　themselves　were　little　better；　the　kennel　being　still

permitted　to　flow　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　which　was　paved　with

round　stones；flag…stones　for　the　convenience　of　pedestrians

being　as　yet　unknown。　　In　short；　the　streets　in　the　towns　and　the

roads　in　the　country　were　alike　rude　and　wretched；indicating　a

degree　of　social　stagnation　and　discomfort　which　it　is　now

difficult　to　estimate；　and　almost　impossible　to　describe。





Footnotes　for　chapter　I



*＇1＇　Brunetto　Latini；　the　tutor　of　Dante；　describes　a　journey　made

by　him　from　London　to　Oxford　about　the　end　of　the　thirteenth

century；　resting　by　the　way　at　Shirburn　Castle。　　He　says；

〃Our　journey　from　London　to　Oxford　was；　with　some　difficulty　and

danger；　made　in　two　days；　for　the　roads　are　bad；　and　we　had　to

climb　hills　of　hazardous　ascent；　and　which　to　descend　are　equally

perilous。　　We　passed　through　many　woods；　considered　here　as

dangerous　places；　as　they　are　infested　with　robbers；　which　indeed

is　the　case　with　most　of　the　roads　in　England。　　This　is　a

circumstance　connived　at　by　the　neighbouring　barons；　on

consideration　of　sharing　in　the　booty；　and　of　these　robbers　serving

as　their　protectors　on　all　occasions；　personally；　and　with　the

whole　strength　of　their　band。　　However；　as　our　company　was

numerous；　we　had　less　to　fear。　　Accordingly；　we　arrived　the　first

night　at　Shirburn　Castle；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Watlington；　under

the　chain　of　hills　over　which　we　passed　at　Stokenchurch。〃　　This

passage　is　given　in　Mr。　Edward's　work　on　　'Libraries'　（p。　328）；

as　supplied　to　him　by　Lady　Macclesfield。



*＇2＇　See　Ogilby's　'Britannia　Depicta；'　the　traveller's　ordinary

guidebook　between　1675　and　1717；　as　Bradshaw's　Railway　Time…book　is

now。　　The　Grand　Duke　Cosmo；　in　his　'Travels　in　England　in　1669；'

speaks　of　the　country　between　Northampton　and　Oxford　as　for　the

most　part　unenclosed　and　uncultivated；　abounding　in　weeds。　　From

Ogilby's　fourth　edition；　published　in　1749；　it　appears　that　the

roads　in　the　midland　and　northern　districts　of　England　were　still；

for　the　most　part；　entirely　unenclosed。



*＇3＇　This　ballad　is　so　descriptive　of　the　old　roads　of　the

south…west　of　England　that　we　are　tempted　to　quote　it　at　length。

It　was　written　by　the　Rev。　John　Marriott；　sometime　vicar　of

Broadclist；　Devon；　and　Mr。　Rowe；　vicar　of　Crediton；　says；　in　his

'Perambulation　of　Dartmoor；'　that　he　can　readily　imagine　the

identical　lane　near　Broadclist；　leading　towards　Poltemore；　which

might　have　sat　for　the　portrait。



　　　　In　a　Devonshire　lane；　as　I　trotted　along

　　　　T'other　day；　much　in　want　of　a　subject　for　song；

　　　　Thinks　I　to　myself；　half…inspired　by　the　rain；

　　　　Sure　marriage　is　much　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



　　　　In　the　first　place　'tis　long；　and　when　once　you　are　in　it；

　　　　It　holds　you　as　fast　as　a　cage　does　a　linnet；

　　　　For　howe'er　rough　and　dirty　the　road　may　be　found；

　　　　Drive　forward　you　must；　there　is　no　turning　round。



　　　　But　tho'　'tis　so　long；　it　is　not　very　wide；

　　　　For　two　are　the　most　that　together　can　ride；

　　　　And　e'en　then；　'tis　a　chance　but　they　get　in　a　pother；

　　　　And　jostle　and　cross　and　run　foul　of　each　other。



　　　　Oft　poverty　meets　them　with　mendicant　looks；

　　　　And　care　pushes　by　them　with　dirt…laden　crooks；

　　　　And　strife's　grazing　wheels　try　between　them　to　pass；

　　　　And　stubbornness　blocks　up　the　way　on　her　ass；



　　　　Then　the　banks　are　so　high；　to　the　left　hand　and　right；

　　　　That　they　shut　up　the　beauties　around　them　from　sight；

　　　　And　hence；　you'll　allow；　'tis　an　inference　plain；

　　　　That　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



　　　　But　thinks　I；　too；　these　banks；　within　which　we　are　pent；

　　　　With　bud；　blossom；　and　berry；　are　richly　besprent；

　　　　And　the　conjugal　fence；　which　forbids　us　to　roam；

　　　　Looks　lovely；　when　deck'd　with　the　comforts　of　home。



　　　　In　the　rock's　gloomy　crevice　the　bright　holly　grows；

　　　　The　ivy　waves　fresh　o'er　the　withering　rose；

　　　　And　the　ever…green　love　of　a　virtuous　wife

　　　　Soothes　the　roughness　of　care；　cheers　the　winter　of　life。



　　　　Then　long　be　the　journey；　and　narrow　the　way；

　　　　I'll　r