the life of thomas telford-第21章

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places　the　road；　by　reason　of　the　great　and　many　loads　which　are

weekly　drawn　in　waggons　through　the　said　places；　as　well　as　by

reason　of　the　great　trade　of　barley　and　malt　that　cometh　to　Ware；

and　so　is　conveyed　by　water　to　the　city　of　London；　as　well　as　other

carriages；　both　from　the　north　parts　as　also　from　the　city　of

Norwich；　St。　Edmondsbury；　and　the　town　of　Cambridge；　to　London；　is

very　ruinous；　and　become　almost　impassable；　insomuch　that　it　is

become　very　dangerous　to　all　his　Majesty's　liege　people　that　pass

that　way；〃　&c。



*＇10＇　Down　to　the　year　1756；　Newcastle　and　Carlisle　were　only

connected　by　a　bridle　way。　　In　that　year；　Marshal　Wade　employed　his

army　to　construct　a　road　by　way　of　Harlaw　and　Cholterford；

following　for　thirty　miles　the　line　of　the　old　Roman　Wall；　the

materials　of　which　he　used　to　construct　his　〃agger〃　and　culverts。

This　was　long　after　known　as　〃the　military　road。〃



*＇11＇　The　Blandford　waggoner　said；　〃Roads　had　but　one　objectfor

waggon…driving。　　He　required　but　four…foot　width　in　a　lane；　and　all

the　rest　might　go　to　the　devil。〃　　He　added；　〃The　gentry　ought　to

stay　at　home；　and　be　dd；　and　not　run　gossiping　up　and　down　the

country。〃Roberts's　'Social　History　of　the　Southern　Counties。'



*＇12＇　'Gentleman's　Magazine'　for　December；　1752。



*＇13＇　Adam　Smith's　'Wealth　of　Nations；'　book　i。；　chap。　xi。；　part　i。





CHAPTER　VI。



JOHN　METCALF；　ROAD…MAKER。



＇Image＇　Metcalf's　birthplace　Knaresborough



John　Metcalf　was　born　at　Knaresborough　in　1717；　the　son　of　poor

working　people。　　When　only　six　years　old　he　was　seized　with

virulent　small…pox；　which　totally　destroyed　his　sight。　　The　blind

boy；　when　sufficiently　recovered　to　go　abroad；　first　learnt　to

grope　from　door　to　door　along　the　walls　on　either　side　of　his

parents'　dwelling。　　In　about　six　months　he　was　able　to　feel　his　way

to　the　end　of　the　street　and　back　without　a　guide；　and　in　three

years　he　could　go　on　a　message　to　any　part　of　the　town。　　He　grew

strong　and　healthy；　and　longed　to　join　in　the　sports　of　boys　of　his

age。　　He　went　bird…nesting　with　them；　and　climbed　the　trees　while

the　boys　below　directed　him　to　the　nests；　receiving　his　share　of

eggs　and　young　birds。　　Thus　he　shortly　became　an　expert　climber；

and　could　mount　with　ease　any　tree　that　he　was　able　to　grasp。

He　rambled　into　the　lanes　and　fields　alone；　and　soon　knew　every　foot

of　the　ground　for　miles　round　Knaresborough。　　He　next　learnt　to

ride；　delighting　above　　all　things　in　a　gallop。　　He　contrived　to

keep　a　dog　and　coursed　hares：　indeed；　the　boy　was　the　marvel　of　the

neighbourhood。　　His　unrestrainable　activity；　his　acuteness　of　sense；

his　shrewdness；　and　his　cleverness；　astonished　everybody。



The　boy's　confidence　in　himself　was　such；　that　though　blind；　he　was

ready　to　undertake　almost　any　adventure。　　Among　his　other　arts　he

learned　to　swim　in　the　Nidd；　and　became　so　expert　that　on　one

occasion　he　saved　the　lives　of　three　of　his　companions。　　Once；　when

two　men　were　drowned　in　a　deep　part　of　the　river；　Metcalf　was　sent

for　to　dive　for　them；　which　he　did；　and　brought　up　one　of　the

bodies　at　the　fourth　diving：　the　other　had　been　carried　down　the

stream。　　He　thus　also　saved　a　manufacturer's　yarn；　a　large　quantity

of　which　had　been　carried　by　a　sudden　flood　into　a　deep　hole　under

the　High　Bridge。　　At　home；　in　the　evenings；　he　learnt　to　play　the

fiddle；　and　became　so　skilled　on　the　instrument；　that　he　was　shortly

able　to　earn　money　by　playing　dance　music　at　country　parties。

At　Christmas　time　he　played　waits；　and　during　the　Harrogate　season

he　played　to　the　assemblies　at　the　Queen's　Head　and　the　Green　Dragon。



On　one　occasion；　towards　dusk；　he　acted　as　guide　to　a　belated

gentleman　along　the　difficult　road　from　York　to　Harrogate。

The　road　was　then　full　of　windings　and　turnings；　and　in　many　places

it　was　no　better　than　a　track　across　unenclosed　moors。　　Metcalf

brought　the　gentleman　safe　to　his　inn；　〃The　Granby；〃　late　at　night；

and　was　invited　to　join　in　a　tankard　of　negus。　　On　Metcalf　leaving

the　room；　the　gentleman　observed　to　the　landlord〃I　think；

landlord；　my　guide　must　have　drunk　a　great　deal　of　spirits　since　we

came　here。〃　　〃Why　so；　Sir？〃　　〃Well；　I　judge　so；　from　the　appearance

of　his　eyes。〃　　〃Eyes！　bless　you；　Sir；〃　rejoined　the　landlord；　〃don't

yon　know　that　he　is　blind？〃　　〃Blind！　　What　do　you　mean　by　that？〃

〃I　mean；　Sir；　that　he　cannot　seehe　is　as　blind　as　a　stone。

〃Well；　landlord；〃　said　the　gentleman；　〃this　is　really　too　much：

call　him　in。〃　　Enter　Metcalf。　　〃My　friend；　are　you　really　blind？〃

〃Yes；　Sir；〃　said　he；　〃I　lost　my　sight　when　six　years　old。〃　　〃Had　I

known　that；　I　would　not　have　ventured　with　you　on　that　road　from

York　for　a　hundred　pounds。〃　　〃And　I；　Sir；〃　said　Metcalf；　〃would　not

have　lost　my　way　for　a　thousand。〃



Metcalf　having　thriven　and　saved　money；　bought　and　rode　a　horse　of

his　own。　　He　had　a　great　affection　for　the　animal；　and　when　he

called；　it　would　immediately　answer　him　by　neighing。　　The　most

surprising　thing　is　that　he　was　a　good　huntsman；　and　to　follow　the

hounds　was　one　of　his　greatest　pleasures。　　He　was　as　bold　as　a

rider　as　ever　took　the　field。　　He　trusted　much；　no　doubt；　to　the

sagacity　of　his　horse；　but　he　himself　was　apparently　regardless　of

danger。　　The　hunting　adventures　which　are　related　of　him；

considering　his　blindness；　seem　altogether　marvellous。　　He　would

also　run　his　horse　for　the　petty　prizes　or　plates　given　at　the

〃feasts〃　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　he　attended　the　races　at　York

and　other　places；　where　he　made　bets　with　considerable　skill；

keeping　well　in　his　memory　the　winning　and　losing　horses。

After　the　races；　he　would　　return　to　Knaresborough　late　at　night；

guiding　others　who　but　for　him　could　never　have　made　out　the　way。



On　one　occasion　he　rode　his　horse　in　a　match　in　Knaresborough

Forest。　　The　ground　was　marked　out　by　posts；　including　a　circle　of

a　mile；　and　the　race　was　three　times　round。　　Great　odds　were　laid

against　the　blind　man；　because　of　his　supposed　inability　to　keep

the　course。　　But　his　ingenuity　was　never　at　fault。　　He　procured　a

number　of　dinner…bells　from　the　Harrogate　inns　and　set　men　to　ring

them　at　the　several　posts。　　Their　sound　was　enough　to　direct　him

during　the　race；　and　the　blind　man　came　in　the　winner！　After　the

race　was　over；　a　gentleman　who　owned　a　notorious　runaway　horse　came

up　and　offered　to　lay　a　bet　with　Metcalf　that　he　could　not　gallop

the　horse　fifty　yards　and　stop　it　within　two　hundred。　　Metcalf

accepted　the　bet；　with　the　condition　that　he　might　choose　his

ground。　　This　was　agreed　to；　but　there　was　to　be　neither　hedge　nor

wall　in　the　distance。　　Metcalf　forthwith　proceeded　to　the

neighbourhood　of　the　large　bog　near　the　Harrogate　Old　Spa；　and

having　placed　a　person　on　the　line　in　which　he　proposed　to　ride；

who　was　to　sing　a　song　to　guide　him　by　its　sound；　he　mounted　and

rode　straight　into　the　bog；　where　he　had　the　horse　effectually

stopped　within　the　stipulated　two　hundred　yards；　stuck　up　to　his

saddle…girths　in　the　mire。　　Metcalf　scrambled　out　and　claimed　his

wager；　but　it　was　with　the　greatest　difficulty　that　the　horse　could

be　extricated。



The　blind　man　also　played　at　bowls　very　successfully；　receiving　the

odds　of　a　bowl　extra　for　the　deficiency　of　each　eye。　　He　had　thus

three　bowls　for　the　other's　one；　and　he　took　care　to　place　one

friend　at　the　jack　and　another　midway；　who；　keeping　up　a　constant

discourse　with　him；　enabled　him　readily　to　judge　of　the　distance。

In　athletic　sports；　such　as　wrestling　and　boxing；　he　was　also　a

great　adept；　and　being　now　a　full…grown　man；　of　great　strength　and

robustness；　about　six　feet　two　in　height；　few　durst　try　upon　him

the　practical　jokes　which　cowardly　persons　are　sometimes　disposed

to　play　upon　the　blind。



Notwithstanding　his　mischievous　tricks　and　youthful　wildness；　there

must　have　been　something　exceedingly　winning　about　the　man；

possessed；　as　he　was；　of　a　strong；　manly；　and　affectiona