the life of thomas telford-第5章

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　　　　And　e'en　then；　'tis　a　chance　but　they　get　in　a　pother；

　　　　And　jostle　and　cross　and　run　foul　of　each　other。



　　　　Oft　poverty　meets　them　with　mendicant　looks；

　　　　And　care　pushes　by　them　with　dirt…laden　crooks；

　　　　And　strife's　grazing　wheels　try　between　them　to　pass；

　　　　And　stubbornness　blocks　up　the　way　on　her　ass；



　　　　Then　the　banks　are　so　high；　to　the　left　hand　and　right；

　　　　That　they　shut　up　the　beauties　around　them　from　sight；

　　　　And　hence；　you'll　allow；　'tis　an　inference　plain；

　　　　That　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



　　　　But　thinks　I；　too；　these　banks；　within　which　we　are　pent；

　　　　With　bud；　blossom；　and　berry；　are　richly　besprent；

　　　　And　the　conjugal　fence；　which　forbids　us　to　roam；

　　　　Looks　lovely；　when　deck'd　with　the　comforts　of　home。



　　　　In　the　rock's　gloomy　crevice　the　bright　holly　grows；

　　　　The　ivy　waves　fresh　o'er　the　withering　rose；

　　　　And　the　ever…green　love　of　a　virtuous　wife

　　　　Soothes　the　roughness　of　care；　cheers　the　winter　of　life。



　　　　Then　long　be　the　journey；　and　narrow　the　way；

　　　　I'll　rejoice　that　I've　seldom　a　turnpike　to　pay；

　　　　And　whate'er　others　say；　be　the　last　to　complain；

　　　　Though　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



*＇4＇　Iter　Sussexiense。'　By　Dr。　John　Burton。





CHAPTER　II。



EARLY　MODES　OF　CONVEYANCE。



Such　being　the　ancient　state　of　the　roads；　the　only　practicable

modes　of　travelling　were　on　foot　and　on　horseback。　　The　poor　walked

and　the　rich　rode。　　Kings　rode　and　Queens　rode。　　Judges　rode　circuit

in　jack…boots。　　Gentlemen　rode　and　robbers　rode。　　The　Bar　sometimes

walked　and　sometimes　rode。　　Chaucer's　ride　to　Canterbury　will　be

remembered　as　long　as　the　English　language　lasts。　　Hooker　rode　to

London　on　a　hard…paced　nag；　that　he　might　be　in　time　to　preach　his

first　sermon　at　St。　Paul's。　　Ladies　rode　on　pillions；　holding　on　by

the　gentleman　or　the　serving…man　mounted　before。



Shakespeare　incidentally　describes　the　ancient　style　of　travelling

among　the　humbler　classes　in　his　'Henry　IV。'*＇1＇



The　Party；　afterwards　set　upon　by　Falstaff　and　his　companions；

bound　from　Rochester　to　London；　were　up　by　two　in　the　morning；

expecting　to　perform　the　journey　of　thirty　miles　by　close　of　day；

and　to　get　to　town　〃in　time　to　go　to　bed　with　a　candle。〃　　Two　are

carriers；　one　of　whom　has　〃a　gammon　of　bacon　and　two　razes　of

ginger；　to　be　delivered　as　far　as　Charing　Cross；〃　the　other　has　his

panniers　full　of　turkeys。　　There　is　also　a　franklin　of　Kent；

and　another；　〃a　kind　of　auditor；〃　probably　a　tax…collector；

with　several　more；　forming　in　all　a　company　of　eight　or　ten；　who

travel　together　for　mutual　protection。　　Their　robbery　on　Gad's　Hill；

as　painted　by　Shakespeare；　is　but　a　picture；　by　no　means　exaggerated；

of　the　adventures　and　dangers　of　the　road　at　the　time　of　which　he

wrote。



Distinguished　personages　sometimes　rode　in　horse…litters；　but

riding　on　horseback　was　generally　preferred。　　Queen　Elizabeth　made

most　of　her　journeys　in　this　way；*＇2＇　and　when　she　went　into　the

City　she　rode　on　a　pillion　behind　her　Lord　Chancellor。　　The　Queen；

however；　was　at　length　provided　with　a　coach；　which　must　have　been

a　very　remarkable　machine。　　This　royal　vehicle　is　said　to　have　been

one　of　the　first　coaches　used　in　England；　and　it　was　introduced　by

the　Queen's　own　coachman；　one　Boomen；　a　Dutchman。　　It　was　little

better　than　a　cart　without　springs；　the　body　resting　solid　upon　the

axles。　　Taking　the　bad　roads　and　ill…paved　streets　into　account；

it　must　have　been　an　excessively　painful　means　of　conveyance。

At　one　of　the　first　audiences　which　the　Queen　gave　to　the　French

ambassador　in　1568；　she　feelingly　described　to　him　〃the　aching

pains　she　was　suffering　in　consequence　of　having　been　knocked　about

in　a　coach　which　had　been　driven　a　little　too　fast；　only　a　few　days

before。〃*＇3＇



Such　coaches　were　at　first　only　used　on　state　occasions。

The　roads；　even　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　London；　were　so

bad　and　so　narrow　that　the　vehicles　could　not　be　taken　into　the

country。　But；　as　the　roads　became　improved；　the　fashion　of　using

them　spread。　　When　the　aristocracy　removed　from　the　City　to　the

western　parts　of　the　metropolis；　they　could　be　better　accommodated；

and　in　course　of　time　they　became　gradually　adopted。　　They　were

still；　however；　neither　more　nor　less　than　waggons；　and；　indeed；

were　called　by　that　name；　but　wherever　they　went　they　excited　great

wonder。　　It　is　related　of　〃that　valyant　knyght　Sir　Harry　Sidney；〃

that　on　a　certain　day　in　the　year　1583　he　entered　Shrewsbury　in　his

waggon；　〃with　his　Trompeter　blowynge；　verey　joyfull　to　behold　and

see。〃*＇4＇



From　this　time　the　use　of　coaches　gradually　spread；　more

particularly　amongst　the　nobility；　superseding　the　horse…litters

which　had　till　then　been　used　for　the　conveyance　of　ladies　and

others　unable　to　bear　the　fatigue　of　riding　on　horseback。

The　first　carriages　were　heavy　and　lumbering：　and　upon　the　execrable

roads　of　the　time　they　went　pitching　over　the　stones　and　into　the

ruts；　with　the　pole　dipping　and　rising　like　a　ship　in　a　rolling　sea。

That　they　had　no　springs；　is　clear　enough　from　the　statement　of

Taylor；　the　water…poetwho　deplored　the　introduction　of　carriages

as　a　national　calamitythat　in　the　paved　streets　of　London　men　and

women　were　〃tossed；　tumbled；　rumbled；　and　jumbled　about　in　them。〃

Although　the　road　from　London　to　Dover；　along　the　old　Roman

Watling…street；　was　then　one　of　the　best　in　England；　the　French

household　of　Queen　Henrietta；　when　they　were　sent　forth　from

the　palace　of　Charles　I。；　occupied　four　tedious　days　before　they

reached　Dover。



But　it　was　only　a　few　of　the　main　roads　leading　from　the　metropolis

that　were　practicable　for　coaches；　and　on　the　occasion　of　a　royal

progress；　or　the　visit　of　a　lord…lieutenant；　there　was　a　general

turn　out　of　labourers　and　masons　to　mend　the　ways　and　render　the

bridges　at　least　temporarily　secure。　　Of　one　of　Queen　Elizabeth's

journeys　it　is　said：　〃It　was　marvellous　for　ease　and　expedition；

for　such　is　the　perfect　evenness　of　the　new　highway　that　Her

Majesty　left　the　coach　only　once；　while　the　hinds　and　the　folk　of　a

base　sort　lifted　it　on　with　their　poles。〃



Sussex　long　continued　impracticable　for　coach　travelling　at　certain

seasons。　　As　late　as　1708；　Prince　George　of　Denmark　had　the

greatest　difficulty　in　making　his　way　to　Petworth　to　meet　Charles　VI。

of　Spain。　〃The　last　nine　miles　of　the　way；〃　says　the　reporter；

〃cost　us　six　hours　to　conquer　them。〃　　One　of　the　couriers　in

attendance　complained　that　during　fourteen　hours　he　never　once

alighted；　except　when　the　coach　overturned；　or　stuck　in　the　mud。



When　the　judges；　usually　old　men　and　bad　riders；　took　to　going　the

circuit　in　their　coaches；　juries　were　often　kept　waiting　until

their　lordships　could　be　dug　out　of　a　bog　or　hauled　out　of　a　slough

by　the　aid　of　plough…horses。　　In　the　seventeenth　century；　scarcely

a　Quarter　Session　passed　without　presentments　from　the　grand　jury

against　certain　districts　on　account　of　the　bad　state　of　the　roads；

and　many　were　the　fines　which　the　judges　imposed　upon　them　as　a

set…off　against　their　bruises　and　other　damages　while　on　circuit。



For　a　long　time　the　roads　continued　barely　practicable　for　wheeled

vehicles　of　the　rudest　sort；　though　Fynes　Morison　（writing　in　the

time　of　James　I。）　gives　an　account　of　〃carryers；　who　have　long

covered　waggons；　in　which　they　carry　passengers　from　place　to

place；　but　this　kind　of　journeying；〃　he　says；　〃is　so　tedious；　by

reason　they　must　take　waggon　very　early　and　come　very　late　to　their

innes；　that　none　but　women　and　people　of　inferior　condition　travel

in　this　sort。〃



＇Image＇　The　Old　Stage　Waggon。



The　waggons　of　which　Morison　wrote；　made　only　from　ten　to　fifteen

miles　in　a　long　summer's　day；　that　is；　supposing　them　not　to　have

broken　down　by　pitching　over　the　boulders　laid　along　the　road；　or

stuck　fast　in　a　quagmire；　when　they　had