the life of thomas telford-第6章

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

stuck　fast　in　a　quagmire；　when　they　had　to　wait　for　the　arrival　of

the　next　team　of　horses　to　help　to　drag　them　out。　　The　waggon；

however；　continued　to　be　adopted　as　a　popular　mode　of　travelling

until　late　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　Hogarth's　picture

illustrating　the　practice　will　be　remembered；　of　the　cassocked

parson　on　his　lean　horse；　attending　his　daughter　newly　alighted

from　the　York　waggon。



A　curious　description　of　the　state　of　the　Great　North　Road；　in　the

time　of　Charles　II。；　is　to　be　found　in　a　tract　published　in　1675　by

Thomas　Mace；　one　of　the　clerks　of　Trinity　College；　Cambridge。　The

writer　there　addressed　himself　to　the　King；　partly　in　prose　and

partly　in　verse；　complaining　greatly　of　the　〃wayes；　which　are　so

grossly　foul　and　bad；〃　and　suggesting　various　remedies。　　He　pointed

out　that　much　ground　〃is　now　spoiled　and　trampled　down　in　all　wide

roads；　where　coaches　and　carts　take　liberty　to　pick　and　chuse　for

their　best　advantages；　besides；　such　sprawling　and　straggling　of

coaches　and　carts　utterly　confound　the　road　in　all　wide　places；　so

that　it　is　not　only　unpleasurable；　but　extreme　perplexin　and

cumbersome　both　to　themselves　and　all　horse　travellers。〃　　It　would

thus　appear　that　the　country　on　either　side　of　the　road　was　as　yet

entirely　unenclosed。



But　Mace's　principal　complaint　was　of　the　〃innumerable

controversies；　quarrellings；　and　disturbances〃　caused　by　the

packhorse…men；　in　their　struggles　as　to　which　convoy　should　pass

along　the　cleaner　parts　of　the　road。　　From　what　he　states；　it　would

seem　that　these　〃disturbances；　daily　committed　by　uncivil；

refractory；　and　rude　Russian…like　rake…shames；　in　contesting　for

the　way；　too　often　proved　mortal；　and　certainly　were　of　very　bad

consequences　to　many。〃　　He　recommended　a　quick　and　prompt　punishment

in　all　such　cases。　　〃No　man；〃　said　he；　〃should　be　pestered　by

giving　the　way　（sometimes）　to　hundreds　of　pack…horses；　panniers；

whifflers　（i。e。　paltry　fellows）；　coaches；　waggons；　wains；　carts；

or　whatsoever　others；　which　continually　are　very　grievous　to　weary

and　loaden　travellers；　but　more　especially　near　the　city　and　upon　a

market　day；　when；　a　man　having　travelled　a　long　and　tedious

journey；　his　horse　well　nigh　spent；　shall　sometimes　be　compelled　to

cross　out　of　his　way　twenty　times　in　one　mile's　riding；　by　the

irregularity　and　peevish　crossness　of　such…like　whifflers　and

market　women；　yea；　although　their　panniers　be　clearly　empty；　they

will　stoutly　contend　for　the　way　with　weary　travellers；　be　they

never　so　many；　or　almost　of　what　quality　soever。〃　　〃Nay；〃　said　he

further；　〃I　have　often　known　many　travellers；　and　myself　very

often；　to　have　been　necessitated　to　stand　stock　still　behind　a

standing　cart　or　waggon；　on　most　beastly　and　unsufferable　deep　wet

wayes；　to　the　great　endangering　of　our　horses；　and　neglect　of

important　business：　nor　durst　we　adventure　to　stirr　（for　most

imminent　danger　of　those　deep　rutts；　and　unreasonable　ridges）　till

it　has　pleased　Mister　Garter　to　jog　on；　which　we　have　taken　very

kindly。〃



Mr。　Mace's　plan　of　road　reform　was　not　extravagant。　　He　mainly

urged　that　only　two　good　tracks　should　be　maintained；　and　the　road

be　not　allowed　to　spread　out　into　as　many　as　half…a…dozen　very　bad

ones；　presenting　high　ridges　and　deep　ruts；　full　of　big　stones；

and　many　quagmires。　　Breaking　out　into　verse；　he　said　



　　　〃First　let　the　wayes　be　regularly　brought

　　　　To　artificial　form；　and　truly　wrought；

　　　　So　that　we　can　suppose　them　firmly　mended；

　　　　And　in　all　parts　the　work　well　ended；

　　　　That　not　a　stone's　amiss；　but　all　compleat；

　　　　All　lying　smooth；　round；　firm；　and　wondrous　neat。〃



After　a　good　deal　more　in　the　same　strain；　he　concluded



　　　〃There's　only　one　thing　yet　worth　thinking　on

　　　　which　is；　to　put　this　work　in　execution。〃*＇5＇



But　we　shall　find　that　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　the

roads　throughout　England　were　placed　in　a　more　satisfactory　state

than　they　were　in　the　time　of　Mr。　Mace。



The　introduction　of　stage…coaches　about　the　middle　of　the

seventeenth　century　formed　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　travelling

by　road。　　At　first　they　were　only　a　better　sort　of　waggon；　and

confined　to　the　more　practicable　highways　near　London。　　Their　pace

did　not　exceed　four　miles　an　hour；　and　the　jolting　of　the

unfortunate　passengers　conveyed　in　them　must　have　been　very　hard　to

bear。　It　used　to　be　said　of　their　drivers　that　they　were　〃seldom

sober；　never　Civil；　and　always　late。〃



The　first　mention　of　coaches　for　public　accommodation　is　made　by

Sir　William　Dugdale　in　his　Diary；　from　which　it　appears　that　a

Coventry　coach　was　on　the　road　in　1659。　　But　probably　the　first

coaches；　or　rather　waggons；　were　run　between　London　and　Dover；　as

one　of　the　most　practicable　routes　for　the　purpose。　　M。　Sobriere；

a　French　man　of　letters；　who　landed　at　Dover　on　his　way　to　London

in　the　time　of　Charles　II。；　alludes　to　the　existence　of　a

stagecoach；　but　it　seems　to　have　had　no　charms　for　him；　as　the

following　passage　will　show：　〃That　I　might　not；〃　he　says；

〃take　post　or　be　obliged　to　use　the　stage…coach；　I　went　from　Dover

to　London　in　a　waggon。　　I　was　drawn　by　six　horses；　one　before　another；

and　driven　by　a　waggoner；　who　walked　by　the　side　of　it。　　He　was

clothed　in　black；　and　appointed　in　all　things　like　another　St。　George。

He　had　a　brave　montrero　on　his　head　and　was　a　merry　fellow；　fancied

he　made　a　figure；　and　seemed　mightily　pleased　with　himself。〃



Shortly　after；　coaches　seem　to　have　been　running　as　far　north　as

Preston　in　Lancashire；　as　appears　by　a　letter　from　one　Edward

Parker　to　his　father；　dated　November；　1663；　in　which　he　says；

〃I　got　to　London　on　Saturday　last；　but　my　journey　was　noe　ways

pleasant；　being　forced　to　ride　in　the　boote　all　the　waye。

Ye　company　yt　came　up　with　mee　were　persons　of　greate　quality；

as　knights　and　ladyes。　My　journey's　expense　was　30s。　　This　traval

hath　soe　indisposed　mee；　yt　I　am　resolved　never　to　ride　up　againe

in　ye　coatch。〃*＇6＇

These　vehicles　must；　however；　have　considerably　increased；　as　we

find　a　popular　agitation　was　got　up　against　them。　　The　Londoners

nicknamed　them　〃hell…carts；〃　pamphlets　were　written　recommending

their　abolition；　and　attempts　were　even　made　to　have　them

suppressed　by　Act　of　Parliament。



Thoresby　occasionally　alludes　to　stage…coaches　in　his　Diary；

speaking　of　one　that　ran　between　Hull　and　York　in　1679；　from　which

latter　place　he　had　to　proceed　by　Leeds　in　the　usual　way　on

horseback。　　This　Hull　vehicle　did　not　run　in　winter；　because　of　the

state　of　the　roads；　stagecoaches　being　usually　laid　up　in　that

season　like　ships　during　Arctic　frosts。*＇7＇



Afterwards；　when　a　coach　was　put　on　between　York　and　Leeds；　it

performed　the　journey　of　twenty…four　miles　in　eight　hours；*＇8＇

but　the　road　was　so　bad　and　dangerous　that　the　travellers　were

accustomed　to　get　out　and　walk　the　greater　part　of　the　way。



Thoresby　often　waxes　eloquent　upon　the　subject　of　his　manifold

deliverances　from　the　dangers　of　travelling　by　coach。　　He　was

especially　thankful　when　he　had　passed　the　ferry　over　the　Trent　in

journeying　between　Leeds　and　London；　having　on　several　occasions

narrowly　escaped　drowning　there。　　Once；　on　his　journey　to　London；

some　showers　fell；　which　〃raised　the　washes　upon　the　road　near　Ware

to　that　height　that　passengers　from　London　that　were　upon　that　road

swam；　and　a　poor　higgler　was　drowned；　which　prevented　me　travelling

for　many　hours；　yet　towards　evening　we　adventured　with　some　country

people；　who　conducted　us　over　the　meadows；　whereby　we　missed　the

deepest　of　the　Wash　at　Cheshunt；　though　we　rode　to　the

saddle…skirts　for　a　considerable　way；　but　got　safe　to　Waltham

Cross；　where　we　lodged。〃*＇9＇　　On　another　occasion　Thoresby　was

detained　four　days　at　Stamford　by　the　state　of　the　roads；　and　was

only　extricated　from　his　position　by　a　company　of　fourteen