the life of thomas telford-第30部分

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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　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　ab