the life of thomas telford-第32章

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for　the　hardships　of　the　road；　Mr。　Jackson　lent　him　his　buckskin

breeches。　　Thus　Tom　set　out　from　his　native　valley　well　mounted；

with　his　little　bundle　of　〃traps〃　buckled　behind　him；　and；　after　a

prosperous　journey；　duly　reached　London；　and　delivered　up　the　horse

as　he　had　been　directed。　　Long　after；　Mr。　Jackson　used　to　tell　the

story　of　his　cousin's　first　ride　to　London　with　great　glee；　and　he

always　took　care　to　wind　up　with〃but　Tam　forgot　to　send　me　back

my　breeks！〃



＇Image＇　Lower　Valley　of　the　Meggat；　the　Crooks　in　the　distance。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　II。



*＇1＇　In　his　'Epistle　to　Mr。　Walter　Ruddiman；'　first　published　in

'Ruddiman's　Weekly　Magazine；'　in　1779；　occur　the　following　lines

addressed　to　Burns；　in　which　Telford　incidentally　sketches　himself

at　the　time；　and　hints　at　his　own　subsequent　meritorious　career；



　　　〃Nor　pass　the　tentie　curious　lad；

　　　　Who　o'er　the　ingle　hangs　his　head；

　　　　And　begs　of　neighbours　books　to　read；

　　　　For　hence　arise

　　　　Thy　country's　sons；　who　far　are　spread；

　　　　Baith　bold　and　wise。〃



*＇2＇　The　'Poetical　Museum；'　Hawick；　p。267。　　'　Eskdale'　was

afterwards　reprinted　by　Telford　when　living　at　Shrewsbury；　when　he

added　a　few　lines　by　way　of　conclusion。　　The　poem　describes　very

pleasantly　the　fine　pastoral　scenery　of　the　district：



　　　〃Deep　'mid　the　green　sequester'd　glens　below；

　　　　Where　murmuring　streams　among　the　alders　flow；

　　　　Where　flowery　meadows　down　their　margins　spread；

　　　　And　the　brown　hamlet　lifts　its　humble　head

　　　　There；　round　his　little　fields；　the　peasant　strays；

　　　　And　sees　his　flock　along　the　mountain　graze；

　　　　And；　while　the　gale　breathes　o'er　his　ripening　grain；

　　　　And　soft　repeats　his　upland　shepherd's　strain；

　　　　And　western　suns　with　mellow　radiance　play。

　　　　And　gild　his　straw…roof'd　cottage　with　their　ray；

　　　　Feels　Nature's　love　his　throbbing　heart　employ；

　　　　Nor　envies　towns　their　artificial　joy。〃



The　features　of　the　valley　are　very　fairly　described。　　Its　early

history　is　then　rapidly　sketched；　next　its　period　of　border　strife；

at　length　happily　allayed　by　the　union　of　the　kingdoms；　under　which

the　Johnstones；　Pasleys；　and　others；　men　of　Eskdale；　achieve　honour

and　fame。　　Nor　did　he　forget　to　mention　Armstrong；　the　author　of　the

'Art　of　Preserving　Health；'　son　of　the　minister　of　Castleton；　a　few

miles　east　of　Westerkirk；　and　Mickle；　the　translator　of　the　'Lusiad；'

whose　father　was　minister　of　the　parish　of　Langholm；　both　of　whom

Telford　took　a　natural　pride　in　as　native　poets　of　Eskdale。





CHAPTER　III。



TELFORD　A　WORKING　MASON　IN　LONDON；　AND　FOREMAN　OF　MASONS　AT　PORTSMOUTH。



A　common　working　man；　whose　sole　property　consisted　in　his　mallet

and　chisels；　his　leathern　apron　and　his　industry；　might　not　seem　to

amount　to　much　in　〃the　great　world　of　London。〃　　But；　as　Telford

afterwards　used　to　say；　very　much　depends　on　whether　the　man　has

got　a　head　with　brains　in　it　of　the　right　sort　upon　his　shoulders。

In　London；　the　weak　man　is　simply　a　unit　added　to　the　vast　floating

crowd；　and　may　be　driven　hither　and　thither；　if　he　do　not　sink

altogether；　while　the　strong　man　will　strike　out；　keep　his　head

above　water；　and　make　a　course　for　himself；　as　Telford　did。

There　is　indeed　a　wonderful　impartiality　about　London。　　There　the

capable　person　usually　finds　his　place。　　When　work　of　importance　is

required；　nobody　cares　to　ask　where　the　man　who　can　do　it　best

comes　from；　or　what　he　has　been；　but　what　he　is；　and　what　he　can

do。　　Nor　did　it　ever　stand　in　Telford's　way　that　his　father　had　been

a　poor　shepherd　in　Eskdale；　and　that　he　himself　had　begun　his

London　career　by　working　for　weekly　wages　with　a　mallet　and　chisel。



After　duly　delivering　up　the　horse；　Telford　proceeded　to　present　a

letter　with　which　he　had　been　charged　by　his　friend　Miss　Pasley　on

leaving　Langholm。　　It　was　addressed　to　her　brother；　Mr。　John　Pasley；

an　eminent　London　merchant；　brother　also　of　Sir　Thomas　Pasley；　and

uncle　of　the　Malcolms。　　Miss　Pasley　requested　his　influence　on

behalf　of　the　young　mason　from　Eskdale；　the　bearer　of　the　letter。

Mr。　Pasley　received　his　countryman　kindly；　and　furnished　him　with

letters　of　introduction　to　Sir　William　Chambers；　the　architect　of

Somerset　House；　then　in　course　of　erection。　　It　was　the　finest

architectural　work　in　progress　in　the　metropolis；　and　Telford；

desirous　of　improving　himself　by　experience　of　the　best　kind；

wished　to　be　employed　upon　it。　　He　did　not；　indeed；　need　any

influence　to　obtain　work　there；　for　good　hewers　were　in　demand；　but

our　mason　thought　it　well　to　make　sure；　and　accordingly　provided

himself　beforehand　with　the　letter　of　introduction　to　the　architect。

He　was　employed　immediately；　and　set　to　work　among　the　hewers；

receiving　the　usual　wages　for　his　labour。



Mr。　Pasley　also　furnished　him　with　a　letter　to　Mr。　Robert　Adam；*＇1＇

another　distinguished　architect　of　the　time；　and　Telford　seems　to

have　been　much　gratified　by　the　civility　which　he　receives　from

him。　　Sir　William　Chambers　he　found　haughty　and　reserved；　probably

being　too　much　occupied　to　bestow　attention　on　the　Somerset　House

hewer；　while　he　found　Adam　to　be　affable　and　communicative。

〃Although　I　derived　no　direct　advantage　from　either；〃　Telford　says；

〃yet　so　powerful　is　manner；　that　the　latter　left　the　most

favourable　impression；　while　the　interviews　with　both　convinced　me

that　my　safest　plan　was　to　endeavour　to　advance；　if　by　slower　steps；

yet　by　independent　conduct。〃



There　was　a　good　deal　of　fine　hewer's　work　about　Somerset　House；

and　from　the　first　Telford　aimed　at　taking　the　highest　place　as　an

artist　and　tradesman　in　that　line。*＇2＇　　Diligence；　carefulness；

and　observation　will　always　carry　a　man　onward　and　upward；　and　before

long　we　find　that　Telford　had　succeeded　in　advancing　himself　to　the

rank　of　a　first…class　mason。　　Judging　from　his　letters　written　about

this　time　to　his　friends　in　Eskdale；　he　seems　to　have　been　very

cheerful　and　happy；　and　his　greatest　pleasure　was　in　calling　up

recollections　of　his　native　valley。　　He　was　full　of　kind　remembrances

for　everybody。　　〃How　is　Andrew；　and　Sandy；　and　Aleck；　and　Davie？〃

he　would　say；　and　〃remember　me　to　all　the　folk　of　the　nook。〃

He　seems　to　have　made　a　round　of　the　persons　from　Eskdale　in　or　about

London　before　he　wrote；　as　his　letters　were　full　of　messages　from

them　to　their　friends　at　home；　for　in　those　days　postage　was　dear；

and　as　much　as　possible　was　necessarily　packed　within　the　compass

of　a　working　man's　letter。　　In　one；　written　after　more　than　a

year's　absence；　he　said　he　envied　the　visit　which　a　young　surgeon

of　his　acquaintance　was　about　to　pay　to　the　valley；　〃for　the

meeting　of　long　absent　friends；〃　he　added；　〃is　a　pleasure　to　be

equalled　by　few　other　enjoyments　here　below。〃



He　had　now　been　more　than　a　year　in　London；　during　which　he　had

acquired　much　practical　information　both　in　the　useful　and

ornamental　branches　of　architecture。　　Was　he　to　go　on　as　a　working

mason？　or　what　was　to　be　his　next　move？　He　had　been　quietly　making

his　observations　upon　his　companions；　and　had　come　to　the

conclusion　that　they　very　much　wanted　spirit；　and；　more　than　all；

forethought。　　He　found　very　clever　workmen　about　him　with　no　idea

whatever　beyond　their　week's　wages。　　For　these　they　would　make　every

effort：　they　would　work　hard；　exert　themselves　to　keep　their

earnings　up　to　the　highest　point；　and　very　readily　〃strike〃　to

secure　an　advance；　but　as　for　making　a　provision　for　the　next　week；

or　the　next　year；　he　thought　them　exceedingly　thoughtless。　　On　the

Monday　mornings　they　began　〃clean；〃　and　on　Saturdays　their　week's

earnings　were　spent。　　Thus　they　lived　from　one　week　to　another

their　limited　notion　of　〃the　week〃　seeming　to　bound　their　existence。



Telford；　on　the　other　hand；　looked　upon　the　week　as　only　one　of　the

storeys　of　a　building；　and　upon　the　succession　of　weeks；　running　on

through　years；　he　thought　that　the　complete