the life of thomas telford-第38章

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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　about　a　pound

of　raw　bacon　from　a　ham　which　hung　overhead；　and；　presenting　it　to

the　Jew；　swore　that　if　he　did　not　swallow　it　down　at　once　he　should

not　be　allowed　to　go。　　The　man　was　in　a　worse　plight　than　ever。

He　said　he　was　a　'poor　Shoe；'　and　durst　not　eat　that。　　In　the　midst

of　the　uproar；　Church　and　King　were　forgotten；　and　eventually　I

prevailed　upon　the　landlord　to　accept　from　me　as　much　as　enabled

poor　little　Moses　to　get　his　meal　of　bread　and　cheese；　and　by　the

time　the　coach　started　they　all　seemed　perfectly　reconciled。〃　*＇1＇

Telford　was　much　gratified　by　his　visit　to　Bath；　and　inspected　its

fine　buildings　with　admiration。　　But　he　thought　that　Mr。　Wood；

who；　he　says；　〃created　modern　Bath；〃　had　left　no　worthy

successor。　　In　the　buildings　then　in　progress　he　saw　clumsy

designers　at　work；　〃blundering　round　about　a　meaning〃if；　indeed；

there　was　any　meaning　at　all　in　their　　designs；　which　he　confessed

he　failed　to　see。　　From　Bath　he　went　to　London　by　coach；　making　the

journey　in　safety；　〃although；〃　he　says；　the　collectors　had　been

doing　duty　on　Hounslow　Heath。〃　　During　his　stay　in　London　he

carefully　examined　the　principal　public　buildings　by　the　light　of

the　experience　which　he　had　gained　since　he　last　saw　them。　　He　also

spent　a　good　deal　of　his　time　in　studying　rare　and　expensive　works

on　architecturethe　use　of　which　he　could　not　elsewhere　procure

at　the　libraries　of　the　Antiquarian　Society　and　the　British　Museum。

There　he　perused　the　various　editions　of　Vitruvius　and　Palladio；

as　well　as　Wren's　'Parentalia。'　He　found　a　rich　store　of　ancient

architectural　remains　in　the　British　Museum；　which　he　studied　with

great　care：　antiquities　from　Athens；　Baalbec；　Palmyra；　and

Herculaneum；　〃so　that；〃　he　says；　〃what　with　the　information　I　was

before　possessed　of；　and　that　which　I　have　now　accumulated；　I　think

I　have　obtained　a　tolerably　good　general　notion　of　architecture。〃



From　London　he　proceeded　to　Oxford；　where　he　carefully　inspected

its　colleges　and　churches；　afterwards　expressing　the　great　delight

and　profit　which　he　had　derived　from　his　visit。　　He　was　entertained

while　there　by　Mr。　Robertson；　an　eminent　mathematician；　then

superintending　the　publication　of　an　edition　of　the　works　of

Archimedes。　　The　architectural　designs　of　buildings　that　most

pleased　him　were　those　of　Dr。　Aldrich；　Dean　of　Christchurch　about

the　time　of　Sir　Christopher　Wren。　　He　tore　himself　from　Oxford　with

great　regret；　proceeding　by　Birmingham　on　his　way　home　to

Shrewsbury：　〃Birmingham；〃　he　says；　〃famous　for　its　buttons　and

locks；　its　ignorance　and　barbarismits　prosperity　increases　with

the　corruption　of　taste　and　morals。　　Its　nicknacks；　hardware；　and

gilt　gimcracks　are　proofs　of　the　former；　and　its　locks　and　bars；

and　the　recent　barbarous　conduct　of　its　populace；*＇2＇　are　evidences

of　the　latter。〃　　His　principal　object　in　visiting　the　place　was　to

call　upon　a　stained　glass…maker　respecting　a　window　for　the　new

church　at　Bridgenorth。



On　his　return　to　Shrewsbury；　Telford　proposed　to　proceed　with　his

favourite　study　of　architecture；　but　this；　said　he；　〃will　probably

be　very　slowly；　as　I　must　attend　to　my　every　day　employment；〃

namely；　the　superintendence　of　the　county　road　and　bridge　repairs；

and　the　direction　of　the　convicts'　labour。　　〃If　I　keep　my　health；

however；〃　he　added；　〃and　have　no　unforeseen　hindrance；　it　shall　not

be　forgotten；　but　will　be　creeping　on　by　degrees。〃　　An　unforeseen

circumstance；　though　not　a　hindrance；　did　very　shortly　occur；　which

launched　Telford　upon　a　new　career；　for　which　his　unremitting

study；　as　well　as　his　carefully　improved　experience；　eminently

fitted　him：　we　refer　to　his　appointment　as　engineer　to　the

Ellesmere　Canal　Company。



The　conscientious　carefulness　with　which　Telford　performed　the

duties　entrusted　to　him；　and　the　skill　with　which　he　directed　the

works　placed　under　his　charge；　had　secured　the　general　approbation

of　the　gentle