the life of thomas telford-第33章

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through　years；　he　thought　that　the　complete　life　structure　should

be　built　up。　　He　thus　describes　one　of　the　best　of　his　fellow…workmen

at　that　timethe　only　individual　he　had　formed　an　intimacy　with：

〃He　has　been　six　years　at　Somerset　House；　and　is　esteemed　the

finest　workman　in　London；　and　consequently　in　England。　　He　works

equally　in　stone　and　marble。　　He　has　excelled　the　professed　carvers

in　cutting　Corinthian　capitals　and　other　ornaments　about　this

edifice；　many　of　which　will　stand　as　a　monument　to　his　honour。

He　understands　drawing　thoroughly；　and　the　master　he　works　under

looks　on　him　as　the　principal　support　of　his　business。　　This　man；

whose　name　is　Mr。　Hatton；　may　be　half　a　dozen　years　older　than

myself　at　most。　　He　is　honesty　and　good　nature　itself；　and　is

adored　by　both　his　master　and　fellow…workmen。　Notwithstanding　his

extraordinary　skill　and　abilities；　he　has　been　working　all　this

time　as　a　common　journeyman；　contented　with　a　few　shillings　a　week

more　than　the　rest；　but　I　believe　your　uneasy　friend　has　kindled　a

spark　in　his　breast　that　he　never　felt　before。〃　*＇3＇



In　fact；　Telford　had　formed　the　intention　of　inducing　this

admirable　fellow　to　join　him　in　commencing　business　as　builders　on

their　own　account。　　〃There　is　nothing　done　in　stone　or　marble；〃　he

says；　〃that　we　cannot　do　in　the　completest　manner。〃　　Mr。　Robert　Adam；

to　whom　the　scheme　was　mentioned；　promised　his　support；　and　said　he

would　do　all　in　his　power　to　recommend　them。　　But　the　great

difficulty　was　money；　which　neither　of　them　possessed；　and　Telford；

with　grief；　admitting　that　this　was　an　〃insuperable　bar；〃　went　no

further　with　the　scheme。



About　this　time　Telford　was　consulted　by　Mr。　Pulteney*＇4＇

respecting　the　alterations　making　in　the　mansion　at　Wester　Hall；

and　was　often　with　him　on　this　business。　　We　find　him　also　writing

down　to　Langholm　for　the　prices　of　roofing；　masonry；　and　timber…work；

with　a　view　to　preparing　estimates　for　a　friend　who　was　building　a

house　in　that　neighbourhood。　　Although　determined　to　reach　the

highest　excellence　as　a　manual　worker；　it　is　clear　that　he　was

already　aspiring　to　be　something　more。　　Indeed；　his　steadiness；

perseverance；　and　general　ability；　pointed　him　out　as　one　well

worthy　of　promotion。



How　he　achieved　his　next　step　we　are　not　informed；　but　we　find　him；

in　July；　1784；　engaged　in　superintending　the　erection　of　a　house；

after　a　design　by　Mr。　Samuel　Wyatt；　intended　for　the　residence　of

the　Commissioner　（now　occupied　by　the　Port　Admiral）　at　Portsmouth

Dockyard；　together　with　a　new　chapel；　and　several　buildings

connected　with　the　Yard。　　Telford　took　care　to　keep　his　eyes　open　to

all　the　other　works　going　forward　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　he

states　that　he　had　frequent　opportunities　of　observing　the　various

operations　necessary　in　the　foundation　and　construction　of

graving…docks；　wharf…walls；　and　such　like；　which　were　among　the

principal　occupations　of　his　after…life。



The　letters　written　by　him　from　Portsmouth　to　his　Eskdale

correspondents　about　this　time　were　cheerful　and　hopeful；　like

those　he　had　sent　from　London。　　His　principal　grievance　was　that　he

received　so　few　from　home；　but　he　supposed　that　opportunities　for

forwarding　them　by　hand　had　not　occurred；　postage　being　so　dear　as

scarcely　then　to　be　thought　of。　　To　tempt　them　to　correspondence　he

sent　copies　of　the　poems　which　he　still　continued　to　compose　in　the

leisure　of　his　evenings：　one　of　these　was　a　'Poem　on　Portsdown　Hill。'

As　for　himself；　he　was　doing　very　well。　　The　buildings　were

advancing　satisfactorily；　but；　〃above　all；〃　said　he；　〃my　proceedings

are　entirely　approved　by　the　Commissioners　and　officers　here

so　much　so　that　they　would　sooner　go　by　my　advice　than　my　master's；

which　is　a　dangerous　point；　being　difficult　to　keep　their　good

graces　as　well　as　his。　　However；　I　will　contrive　to　manage　it〃*＇5＇



The　following　is　his　own　account　of　the　manner　in　which　he　was

usually　occupied　during　the　winter　months　while　at　Portsmouth　Dock：

〃I　rise　in　the　morning　at　7　（February　1st）；　and　will　get　up

earlier　as　the　days　lengthen　until　it　come　to　5　o'clock。

I　immediately　set　to　work　to　make　out　accounts；　write　on　matters　of

business；　or　draw；　until　breakfast；　which　is　at　9。　　Then　I　go　into

the　Yard　about　10；　see　that　all　are　at　their　posts；　and　am　ready　to

advise　about　any　matters　that　may　require　attention。　　This；　and

going　round　the　several　works；　occupies　until　about　dinner…time；

which　is　at　2；　and　after　that　I　again　go　round　and　attend　to　what

may　be　wanted。　　I　draw　till　5；　then　tea；　and　after　that　I　write；

draw；　or　read　until　half　after　9；　then　comes　supper　and　bed。　　This

my　ordinary　round；　unless　when　I　dine　or　spend　an　evening　with　a

friend；　but　I　do　not　make　many　friends；　being　very　particular；　nay；

nice　to　a　degree。　　My　business　requires　a　great　deal　of　writing　and

drawing；　and　this　work　I　always　take　care　to　keep　under　by

reserving　my　time　for　it；　and　being　in　advance　of　my　work　rather

than　behind　it。　　Then；　as　knowledge　is　my　most　ardent　pursuit；　a

thousand　things　occur　which　call　for　investigation　which　would

pass　unnoticed　by　those　who　are　content　to　trudge　only　in　the

beaten　path。　　I　am　not　contented　unless　I　can　give　a　reason　for

every　particular　method　or　practice　which　is　pursued。　　Hence　I　am

now　very　deep　in　chemistry。　　The　mode　of　making　mortar　in　the　best

way　led　me　to　inquire　into　the　nature　of　lime。　　Having；　in　pursuit

of　this　inquiry；　looked　into　some　books　on　chemistry；　I　perceived

the　field　was　boundless；　but　that　to　assign　satisfactory　reasons

for　many　mechanical　processes　required　a　general　knowledge　of　that

science。　　I　have　therefore　borrowed　a　MS。　copy　of　Dr。　Black's

Lectures。　　I　have　bought　his　'Experiments　on　Magnesia　and

Quicklime；'　and　also　Fourcroy's　Lectures；　translated　from　the

French　by　one　Mr。　Elliot；　of　Edinburgh。　　And　I　am　determined　to

study　the　subject　with　unwearied　attention　until　I　attain　some

accurate　knowledge　of　chemistry；　which　is　of　no　less　use　in　the

practice　of　the　arts　than　it　is　in　that　of　medicine。〃　　He　adds；　that

he　continues　to　receive　the　cordial　approval　of　the　Commissioners

for　the　manner　in　which　he　performs　his　duties；　and　says；　〃I　take

care　to　be　so　far　master　of　the　business　committed　to　me　as　that

none　shall　be　able　to　eclipse　me　in　that　respect。〃*＇6＇　　At　the　same

time　he　states　he　is　taking　great　delight　in　Freemasonry；　and　is

about　to　have　a　lodge…room　at　the　George　Inn　fitted　up　after　his

plans　and　under　his　direction。　　Nor　does　he　forget　to　add　that　he

has　his　hair　powdered　every　day；　and　puts　on　a　clean　shirt　three

times　a　week。



The　Eskdale　mason　was　evidently　getting　on；　as　he　deserved　to　do。

But　he　was　not　puffed　up。　　To　his　Langholm　friend　he　averred　that

〃he　would　rather　have　it　said　of　him　that　he　possessed　one　grain　of

good　nature　or　good　sense　than　shine　the　finest　puppet　in

Christendom。〃　　〃Let　my　mother　know　that　I　am　well；〃　he　wrote　to

Andrew　Little；　〃and　that　I　will　print　her　a　letter　soon。〃*＇7＇

For　it　was　a　practice　of　this　good　son；　down　to　the　period　of　his

mother's　death；　no　matter　how　much　burdened　he　was　with　business；

to　set　apart　occasional　times　for　the　careful　penning　of　a　letter

in　printed　characters；　that　she　might　the　more　easily　be　able　to

decipher　it　with　her　old　and　dimmed　eyes　by　her　cottage　fireside　at

The　Crooks。　　As　a　man's　real　disposition　usually　displays　itself

most　strikingly　in　small　matterslike　light；　which　gleams　the

most　brightly　when　seen　through　narrow　chinksit　will　probably

be　admitted　that　this　trait；　trifling　though　it　may　appear；　was

truly　characteristic　of　the　simple　and　affectionate　nature　of　the

hero　of　our　story。



The　buildings　at　Portsmouth　were　finished　by　the　end　of　1786；　when

Telford's　duties　there　being　at　an　end；　and　having　no　engagement

beyond　the　termination　of　the　contract；　he　prepared　to　leave；　and

began　to　look　about　him　for　other　employment。



F