the life of thomas telford-第36章

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one　leg。　　Their　allowance　in　food　is　a　penny　loaf　and　a　halfpenny

worth　of　cheese　for　breakfast；　a　penny　loaf；　a　quart　of　soup；　and

half　a　pound　of　meat　for　dinner；　and　a　penny　loaf　and　a　halfpenny

worth　of　cheese　for　supper；　so　that　they　have　meat　and　clothes　at

all　events。　　I　employ　them　in　removing　earth；　serving　masons　or

bricklayers；　or　in　any　common　labouring　work　on　which　they　can　be

employed；　during　which　time；　of　course；　I　have　them　strictly

watched。〃



Much　more　pleasant　was　his　first　sight　of　Mrs。　Jordan　at　the

Shrewsbury　theatre；　where　he　seems　to　have　been　worked　up　to　a

pitch　of　rapturous　enjoyment。　　She　played　for　six　nights　there　at

the　race　time；　during　which　there　were　various　other'

entertainments。　　On　the　second　day　there　was　what　was　called　an

Infirmary　Meeting；　or　an　assemblage　of　the　principal　county

gentlemen　in　the　infirmary；　at　which；　as　county　surveyor；　Telford

was　present。　　They　proceeded　thence　to　church　to　hear　a　sermon

preached　for　the　occasion；　after　which　there　was　a　dinner；　followed

by　a　concert。　　He　attended　all。　　The　sermon　was　preached　in　the　new

pulpit；　which　had　just　been　finished　after　his　design；　in　the

Gothic　style；　and　he　confidentially　informed　his　Langholm

correspondent　that　he　believed　the　pulpit　secured　greater

admiration　than　the　sermon；　With　the　concert　he　was　completely

disappointed；　and　he　then　became　convinced　that　he　had　no　ear　for

music。　　Other　people　seemed　very　much　pleased；　but　for　the　life　of

him　he　could　make　nothing　of　it。　　The　only　difference　that　he

recognised　between　one　tune　and　another　was　that　there　was　a

difference　in　the　noise。　　〃It　was　all　very　fine；〃　he　said；　〃I　have

no　doubt；　but　I　would　not　give　a　song　of　Jock　Stewart　*＇10＇　for　the

whole　of　them。　　The　melody　of　sound　is　thrown　away　upon　me。　　One

look；　one　word　of　Mrs。　Jordan；　has　more　effect　upon　me　than　all　the

fiddlers　in　England。　　Yet　I　sat　down　and　tried　to　be　as　attentive　as

any　mortal　could　be。　　I　endeavoured；　if　possible；　to　get　up　an

interest　in　what　was　going　on；　but　it　was　all　of　no　use。　　I　felt　no

emotion　whatever；　excepting　only　a　strong　inclination　to　go　to

sleep。　　It　must　be　a　defect；　but　it　is　a　fact；　and　I　cannot　help　it。

I　suppose　my　ignorance　of　the　subject；　and　the　want　of　musical

experience　in　my　youth；　may　be　the　cause　of　it。〃*＇11＇　　Telford's

mother　was　still　living　in　her　old　cottage　at　The　Crooks。　　Since　he

had　parted　from　her；　he　had　written　many　printed　letters　to　keep

her　informed　of　his　progress；　and　he　never　wrote　to　any　of　his

friends　in　the　dale　without　including　some　message　or　other　to　his

mother。　　Like　a　good　and　dutiful　son；　he　had　taken　care　out　of　his

means　to　provide　for　her　comfort　in　her　declining　years。　　〃She　has

been　a　good　mother　to　me；〃　he　said；　〃and　I　will　try　and　be　a　good

son　to　her。〃　　In　a　letter　written　from　Shrewsbury　about　this　time；

enclosing　a　ten　pound　note；　seven　pounds　of　which　were　to　be　given

to　his　mother；　he　said；　〃I　have　from　time　to　time　written　William

Jackson　＇his　cousin＇　and　told　him　to　furnish　her　with　whatever　she

wants　to　make　her　comfortable；　but　there　may　be　many　little　things

she　may　wish　to　have；　and　yet　not　like　to　ask　him　for。　　You　will

therefore　agree　with　me　that　it　is　right　she　should　have　a　little

cash　to　dispose　of　in　her　own　way。。。。　　I　am　not　rich　yet；　but　it

will　ease　my　mind　to　set　my　mother　above　the　fear　of　want。　　That　has

always　been　my　first　object；　and　next　to　that；　to　be　the　somebody

which　you　have　always　encouraged　me　to　believe　I　might　aspire　to

become。　　Perhaps　after　all　there　may　be　something　in　it！〃　*＇12＇

He　now　seems　to　have　occupied　much　of　his　leisure　hours　in

miscellaneous　reading。　　Among　the　numerous　books　which　he　read；　he

expressed　the　highest　admiration　for　Sheridan's　'Life　of　Swift。'

But　his　Langholm　friend；　who　was　a　great　politician；　having　invited

his　attention　to　politics；　Telford's　reading　gradually　extended　in

that　direction。　　Indeed　the　exciting　events　of　the　French

Revolution　then　tended　to　make　all　men　more　or　less　politicians。

The　capture　of　the　Bastille　by　the　people　of　Paris　in　1789　passed

like　an　electric　thrill　through　Europe。　　Then　followed　the

Declaration　of　Rights；　after　which；　in　the　course　of　six　months；

all　the　institutions　which　had　before　existed　in　France　were　swept

away；　and　the　reign　of　justice　was　fairly　inaugurated　upon　earth！



In　the　spring　of　1791　the　first　part　of　Paine's　'Rights　of　Man'

appeared；　and　Telford；　like　many　others；　read　it；　and　was　at　once

carried　away　by　it。　　Only　a　short　time　before；　he　had　admitted　with

truth　that　he　knew　nothing　of　politics；　but　no　sooner　had　he　read

Paine　than　he　felt　completely　enlightened。　　He　now　suddenly

discovered　how　much　reason　he　and　everybody　else　in　England　had　for

being　miserable。　　While　residing　at　Portsmouth；　he　had　quoted　to　his

Langholm　friend　the　lines　from　Cowper's　'Task；'　then　just

published；　beginning　〃Slaves　cannot　breathe　in　England；〃　but　lo！

Mr。　Paine　had　filled　his　imagination　with　the　idea　that　England　was

nothing　but　a　nation　of　bondmen　and　aristocrats。　　To　his　natural

mind；　the　kingdom　had　appeared　to　be　one　in　which　a　man　had　pretty

fair　play；　could　think　and　speak；　and　do　the　thing　he　would；

tolerably　happy；　tolerably　prosperous；　and　enjoying　many　blessings。

He　himself　had　felt　free　to　labour；　to　prosper；　and　to　rise　from

manual　to　head　work。　　No　one　had　hindered　him；　his　personal　liberty

had　never　been　interfered　with；　and　he　had　freely　employed　his

earnings　as　he　thought　proper。　　But　now　the　whole　thing　appeared　a

delusion。　　Those　rosy…cheeked　old　country　gentlemen　who　came　riding

into　Shrewsbury　to　quarter　sessions；　and　were　so　fond　of　their

young　Scotch　surveyor　occupying　themselves　in　building　bridges；

maintaining　infirmaries；　making　roads；　and　regulating　gaols

those　county　magistrates　and　members　of　parliament；　aristocrats　all；

were　the　very　men　who；　according　to　Paine；　were　carrying　the

country　headlong　to　ruin！



If　Telford　could　not　offer　an　opinion　on　politics　before；　because

he　〃knew　nothing　about　them；〃　he　had　now　no　such　difficulty。　　Had

his　advice　been　asked　about　the　foundations　of　a　bridge；　or　the

security　of　an　arch；　he　would　have　read　and　studied　much　before

giving　it；　he　would　have　carefully　inquired　into　the　chemical

qualities　of　different　kinds　of　limeinto　the　mechanical

principles　of　weight　and　resistance；　and　such　like；　but　he　had　no

such　hesitation　in　giving　an　opinion　about　the　foundations　of　a

constitution　of　more　than　a　thousand　years'　growth。　　Here；　like

other　young　politicians；　with　Paine's　book　before　him；　he　felt

competent　to　pronounce　a　decisive　judgment　at　once。　　〃I　am

convinced；〃　said　he；　writing　to　his　Langholm　friend；　〃that　the

situation　of　Great　Britain　is　such；　that　nothing　short　of　some

signal　revolution　can　prevent　her　from　sinking　into　bankruptcy；

slavery；　and　insignificancy。〃　　He　held　that　the　national　expenditure

was　so　enormous；*＇13＇　arising　from　the　corrupt　administration　of

the　country；　that　it　was　impossible　the　〃bloated　mass〃　could　hold

together　any　longer；　and　as　he　could　not　expect　that　〃a　hundred

Pulteneys；〃　such　as　his　employer；　could　be　found　to　restore　it　to

health；　the　conclusion　he　arrived　at　was　that　ruin　was

〃inevitable。〃*＇14＇　　Notwithstanding　the　theoretical　ruin　of　England

which　pressed　so　heavy　on　his　mind　at　this　time；　we　find　Telford

strongly　recommending　his　correspondent　to　send　any　good　wrights　he

could　find　in　his　neighbourhood　to　Bath；　where　they　would　be

enabled　to　earn　twenty　shillings　or　a　guinea　a　week　at　piece…work

the　wages　paid　at　Langholm　for　similar　work　being　only　about　half

those　amounts。



In　the　same　letter　in　which　these　observations　occur；　Telford

alluded　to　the　disgraceful　riots　at　Birmingham；　in　the　course　of

which　Dr。　Priestley's　house　and　library　were　destroyed。　　As　the

outrages　were　the　work　of　the　mob；　Telford　could　not　charge　the

aristocracy　with　them；　but　wit