the life of thomas telford-第7章

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tinkling　of　the　bells　he　carried；　the　movements　of　his　followers

were　regulated。　　The　bells　also　gave　notice　of　the　approach　of　the

convoy　to　those　who　might　be　advancing　from　the　opposite　direction。

This　was　a　matter　of　some　importance；　as　in　many　parts　of　the　path

there　was　not　room　for　two　loaded　horses　to　pass　each　other；　and

quarrels　and　fights　between　the　drivers　of　the　pack…horse　trains

were　frequent　as　to　which　of　the　meeting　convoys　was　to　pass　down

into　the　dirt　and　allow　the　other　to　pass　along　the　bridleway。　The

pack…horses　not　only　carried　merchandise　but　passengers；　and　at

certain　times　scholars　proceeding　to　and　from　Oxford　and　Cambridge。

When　Smollett　went　from　Glasgow　to　London；　he　travelled　partly　on

pack…horse；　partly　by　waggon；　and　partly　on　foot；　and　the

adventures　which　he　described　as　having　befallen　Roderick　Random

are　supposed　to　have　been　drawn　in　a　great　measure　from　his　own

experiences　during；　the　journey。



A　cross…country　merchandise　traffic　gradually　sprang　up　between　the

northern　counties；　since　become　pre…eminently　the　manufacturing

districts　of　England；　and　long　lines　of　pack…horses　laden　with

bales　of　wool　and　cotton　traversed　the　hill　ranges　which　divide

Yorkshire　from　Lancashire。　　Whitaker　says　that　as　late　as　1753　the

roads　near　Leeds　consisted　of　a　narrow　hollow　way　little　wider　than

a　ditch；　barely　allowing　of　the　passage　of　a　vehicle　drawn　in　a

single　line；　this　deep　narrow　road　being　flanked　by　an　elevated

causeway　covered　with　flags　or　boulder　stones。　　When　travellers

encountered　each　other　on　this　narrow　track；　they　often　tried　to

wear　out　each　other's　patience　rather　than　descend　into　the　dirt

alongside。　　The　raw　wool　and　bale　goods　of　the　district　were　nearly

all　carried　along　these　flagged　ways　on　the　backs　of　single　horses；

and　it　is　difficult　to　imagine　the　delay；　the　toil；　and　the　perils

by　which　the　conduct　of　the　traffic　was　attended。　　On　horseback

before　daybreak　and　long　after　nightfall；　these　hardy　sons　of　trade

pursued　their　object　with　the　spirit　and　intrepidity　of　foxhunters；

and　the　boldest　of　their　country　neighbours　had　no　reason　to

despise　either　their　horsemanship　or　their　courage。*＇19＇

The　Manchester　trade　was　carried　on　in　the　same　way。　　The　chapmen

used　to　keep　gangs　of　pack…horses；　which　accompanied　them　to　all　the

principal　towns；　bearing　their　goods　in　packs；　which　they　sold　to

their　customers；　bringing　back　sheep's　wool　and　other　raw　materials

of　manufacture。



The　only　records　of　this　long…superseded　mode　of　communication　are

now　to　be　traced　on　the　signboards　of　wayside　public…houses。

Many　of　the　old　roads　still　exist　in　Yorkshire　and　Lancashire；　but

all　that　remains　of　the　former　traffic　is　the　pack…horse　still

painted　on　village　sign…boards　　things　as　retentive　of　odd　bygone

facts　as　the　picture…writing　of　the　ancient　Mexicans。*＇20＇



Footnotes　for　Chapter　II。



*＇1＇　King　Henry　the　Fourth　（Part　I。）；　Act　II。　Scene　1。



*＇2＇　Part　of　the　riding　road　along　which　the　Queen　was　accustomed

to　pass　on　horseback　between　her　palaces　at　Greenwich　and　Eltham　is

still　in　existence；　a　little　to　the　south　of　Morden　College；

Blackheath。　　It　winds　irregularly　through　the　fields；　broad　in　some

places；　and　narrow　in　others。　　Probably　it　is　very　little　different

from　what　it　was　when　used　as　a　royal　road。　　It　is　now　very

appropriately　termed　〃Muddy　Lane。〃



*＇3＇　'Depeches　de　La　Mothe　Fenelon；'　8vo。；　1858。　　Vol。　i。　p。　27。



*＇4＇　Nichols's　'　Progresses；'　vol。　ii。；　309。



*＇5＇　The　title　of　Mace's　tract　（British　Museum）　is　〃The　Profit；

Conveniency；　and　Pleasure　for　the　whole　nation：　being　a　short

rational　Discourse　lately　presented　to　his　Majesty　concerning　the

Highways　of　England：　their　badness；　the　causes　thereof；　the　reasons

of　these　causes；　the　impossibility　of　ever　having　them　well　mended

according　to　the　old　way　of　mending：　but　may　most　certainly　be

done；　and　for　ever　so　maintained　（according　to　this　NEW　WAY）

substantially　and　with　very　much　ease；　&c。；　&c。　　Printed　for　the

public　good　in　the　year　1675。〃



*＇6＇　See　Archaelogia；　xx。；　pp。　443…76。



*＇7＇　〃4th　May；　1714。　　Morning：　we　dined　at　Grantham；　had　the　annual

solemnity　（this　being　the　first　time　the　coach　passed　the　road　in

May）；　and　the　coachman　and　horses　being　decked　with　ribbons　and

flowers；　the　town　music　and　young　people　in　couples　before　us；　we

lodged　at　Stamford；　a　scurvy；　dear　town。　　5th　May：　had　other

passengers；　which；　though　females；　were　more　chargeable　with　wine

and　brandy　than　the　former　part　of　the　journey；　wherein　we　had

neither；　but　the　next　day　we　gave　them　leave　to　treat　themselves。〃

Thoresby's　'Diary；'　vol。　ii。；　207。



*＇8＇　〃May　22；　1708。　　At　York。　　Rose　between　three　and　four；　the

coach　being　hasted　by　Captain　Crome　（whose　company　we　had）　upon　the

Queen's　business；　that　we　got　to　Leeds　by　noon；　blessed　be　God　for

mercies　to　me　and　my　poor　family。〃Thoresby's　'Diary；'　vol。　ii。；　7。



*＇9＇　Thoresby's　'Diary；'　vol。　i。；295。



*＇10＇　Waylen's　'Marlborough。'



*＇11＇　Reprinted　in　the　'Harleian　Miscellany；'　vol。　viii。；　p。　547。

supposed　to　have　been　written　by　one　John　Gressot；　of　the

Charterhouse。



*＇12＇　There　were　other　publications　of　the　time　as　absurd　（viewed

by　the　light　of　the　present　day）　as　Gressot's。　　Thus；　〃A　Country

Tradesman；〃　addressing　the　public　in　1678；　in　a　pamphlet　entitled

'The　Ancient　Trades　decayed；　repaired　again；wherein　are

declared　the　several　abuses　that　have　utterly　impaired　all　the

ancient　trades　in　the　Kingdom；'　urges　that　the　chief　cause　of　the

evil　had　been　the　setting　up　of　Stage…coaches　some　twenty　years

before。　　Besides　the　reasons　for　suppressing；　them　set　forth　in　the

treatise　referred　to　in　the　text；　he　says；　〃Were　it　not'　for　them

（the　Stage…coaches）；　there　would　be　more　Wine；　Beer；　and　Ale；　drunk

in　the　Inns　than　is　now；　which　would　be　a　means　to　augment　the

King's　Custom　and　Excise。　Furthermore　they　hinder　the　breed　of

horses　in　this　kingdom　＇the　same　argument　was　used　against　Railways＇；

because　many　would　be　necessitated　to　keep　a　good　horse　that　keeps

none　now。　　Seeing；　then；　that　there　are　few　that　are　gainers　by　them；

and　that　they　are　against　the　common　and　general　good　of　the

Nation；　and　are　only　a　conveniency　to　some　that　have　occasion　to　go

to　London；　who　might　still　have　the　same　wages　as　before　these

coaches　were　in　use；　therefore　there　is　good　reason　they　should　be

suppressed。　　Not　but　that　it　may　be　lawful　to　hire　a　coach　upon

occasion；　but　that　it　should　be　unlawful　only　to　keep　a　coach　that

should　go　long　journeys　constantly；　from　one　stage　or　place　to

another；　upon　certain　days　of　the　week　as　they　do　now〃　p。　27。



*＇13＇　Roberts's　'Social　History　of　the　Southern　Counties；'　p。　494。

Little　more　than　a　century　ago；　we　find　the　following　advertisement

of　a　Newcastle　flying　coach：　〃May　9；　1734。A　coach　will　set　out

towards　the　end　of　next　week　for　London；　or　any　place　on　the　road。

To　be　performed　in　nine　days；being　three　days　sooner　than　any

other　coach　that　travels　the　road；　for　which　purpose　eight　stout

horses　are　stationed　at　proper　distances。〃



*＇14＇　In　1710　a　Manchester　manufacturer　taking　his　family　up　to

London；　hired　a　coach　for　the　whole　way；　which；　in　the　then　state

of　the　roads；　must　have　made　it　a　journey　of　probably　eight　or　ten

days。　　And；　in　1742；　the　system　of　travelling　had　so　little

improved；　that　a　lady；　wanting　to　come　with　her　niece　from

Worcester　to　Manchester；　wrote　to　a　friend　in　the　latter　place　to

send　her　a　hired　coach；　because　the　man　knew　the　road；　having

brought　from　thence　a　family　some　time　before。〃Aikin's　'Manchester。'



*＇15＇　Lord　Campbell　mentions　the　remarkable　circumstance　that

Popham；　afterwards　Lord　Chief　Justice　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；

took　to　the　road　in　early　life；　and　robbed　travellers　on　Gad's

Hill。　Highway　robbery　could　not；　however；　have　been　considered　a

very　ignominious　pursuit　at　that　time；　as　during　Popham's　youth　a

statute　was　made　by　which；　on　a　first　conviction　for　robbery；　a

peer　of　the　realm　or　lord　of　parliament　was　entitled　to　have

benefit　of　clergy；　〃though　he　cannot　read！〃　What　is　still　more

extraordinary　is；　that　Popham　is　supposed　to　have　continued　in　his

course　as　'a　highwayman　even　after　he　was　called　to　the　Bar。

This　seems　to　have　been　quite　notorious；　for　when　he　was　made　Serjeant

the　wags　reported　that　he　served　up　some　wine　destined　for　an

Alderman　of　London；　which　he　had　intercepted　on　its　way　from

Southampton。Aubrey；　iii。；　492。Campbell's　'Chief　Justices；'　i。；

210。



*＇16＇　Travels　of　Cosmo　the　Third；　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；'　p。　147。



*＇17＇　〃It　is　as　common　a　custom；　as　a　cunning　policie　in　thieves；

to　place　chamberlains　in　such　great　inns　where　cloathiers　and

graziers　do　lye；　and　by　their　large　bribes　to　infect　others；　who

were　not　of　their　own　preferring；　who　noting　your　purses　when　you

draw　them；　they'l　gripe　your　cloak…bags；　and　feel　the　weight；　and

so　inform　the　master　thieves　of　what　they　think；　and　not　those

alone；　but　the　Host　himself　is　oft　as　base　as　they；　if　it　be　left

in　charge　with　them　all　night；　he　to　his　roaring　guests　either

gives　item；　or　shews　the　purse　itself；　who　spend　liberally；　in　hope

of　a　speedie　recruit。〃　　See　'A　Brief　yet　Notable　Discovery　of

Housebreakers；'　&c。；　1659。　See　also　'Street　Robberies　Considered；

a　Warning　for　Housekeepers；'　1676；　'Hanging　not　Punishment　Enough；'

1701；　&c。



*＇18＇　The　food　of　London　was　then　principally　brought　to　town　in

panniers。　　The　population　being　comparatively　small；　the　feeding　of

London　was　still　practicable　in　this　way；　besides；　the　city　always

possessed　the　great　advantage　of　the　Thames；　which　secured　a　supply

of　food　by　sea。　　In　'The　Grand　Concern　of　England　Explained；'　it　is

stated　that　the　hay；　straw；　beans；　peas；　and　oats；　used　in　London；

were　principally　raised　within　a　circuit　of　twenty　miles　of　the

metropolis；　but　large　quantities　were　also　brought　from

Henley…on…thames　and　other　western　parts；　as　well　as　from　below

Gravesend；　by　water；　and　many　ships　laden　with　beans　came　from

Hull；　and　with　oats　from　Lynn　and　Boston。



*＇19＇　'Loides　and　Elmete；　by　T。D。　Whitaker；　LL。D。；　1816；　p。　81。

Notwithstanding　its　dangers；　Dr。　Whitaker　seems　to　have　been　of

opinion　that　the　old　mode　of　travelling　was　even　safer　than　that

which　immediately　followed　it；　〃Under　the　old　state　of　roads　and

manners；〃　he　says；　〃it　was　impossible　that　more　than　one　death

could　happen　at　once；　what；　by　any　possibility；　could　take　place

analogous　to　a　race　betwixt　two　stage…coaches；　in　which　the　lives

of　thirty　or　forty　distressed　and　helpless　individuals　are　at　the

mercy　of　two　intoxicated　brutes？〃



*＇20＇　In　the　curious　collection　of　old　coins　at　the　Guildhall　there

are　several　halfpenny　tokens　issued　by　the　proprietors　of　inns

bearing　the　sign　of　the　pack…horse；　Some　of　these　would　indicate

that　packhorses　were　kep