the life of thomas telford-第76章

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regular　apprenticeship　to　some　practical　employmenthe　to　a

millwright；　and　I　to　a　general　house…builder。　　In　this　way　we

secured　the　means；　by　hard　labour；　of　earning　a　subsistence；　and；

in　time；　we　obtained　by　good　conduct　the　confidence　of　our

employers　and　the　public；　eventually　rising　into　the　rank　of　what

is　called　Civil　Engineering。　　This　is　the　true　way　of　acquiring

practical　skill；　a　thorough　knowledge　of　the　materials　employed　in

construction；　and　last；　but　not　least；　a　perfect　knowledge　of　the

habits　and　dispositions　of　the　workmen　who　carry　out　our　designs。

This　course；　although　forbidding　to　many　a　young　person；　who

believes　it　possible　to　find　a　short　and　rapid　path　to　distinction；

is　proved　to　be　otherwise　by　the　two　examples　I　have　cited。　　For　my

own　part；　I　may　truly　aver　that　'steep　is　the　ascent；　and　slippery

is　the　way。'〃*＇6＇　　That　Mr。　Telford　was　enabled　to　continue　to　so

advanced　an　age　employed　on　laborious　and　anxious　work；　was　no

doubt　attributable　in　a　great　measure　to　the　cheerfulness　of　his

nature。　　He　was；　indeed；　a　most　happy…minded　man。　　It　will　be

remembered　that；　when　a　boy；　he　had　been　known　in　his　valley　as

〃Laughing　Tam。〃　　The　same　disposition　continued　to　characterise　him

in　his　old　age。　　He　was　playful　and　jocular；　and　rejoiced　in　the

society　of　children　and　young　people；　especially　when　well…informed

and　modest。　　But　when　they　pretended　to　acquirements　they　did　not

possess；　he　was　quick　to　detect　and　see　through　them。　　One　day　a

youth　expatiated　to　him　in　very　large　terms　about　a　friend　of　his；

who　had　done　this　and　that；　and　made　so　and　so；　and　could　do　all

manner　of　wonderful　things。　　Telford　listened　with　great　attention；

and　when　the　youth　had　done　…　he　quietly　asked；　with　a　twinkle　in

his　eye；　〃Pray；　can　your　friend　lay　eggs？〃



When　in　society　he　gave　himself　up　to　it；　and　thoroughly　enjoyed　it。

He　did　not　sit　apart；　a　moody　and　abstracted　〃lion；〃　nor　desire　to

be　regarded　as　〃the　great　engineer；〃　pondering　new　Menai　Bridges；

But　he　appeared　in　his　natural　character　of　a　simple；　intelligent；

cheerful　companion；　as　ready　to　laugh　at　his　own　jokes　as　at　other

people's；　and　he　was　as　communicative　to　a　child　as　to　any

philosopher　of　the　party。



Robert　Southey；　than　whom　there　was　no　better　judge　of　a　loveable

man；　said　of　him；　〃I　would　go　a　long　way　for　the　sake　of　seeing

Telford　and　spending　a　few　days　in　his　company。〃　　Southey；　as　we

have　seen；　had　the　best　opportunities　of　knowing　him　well；　for　a

long　journey　together　extending　over　many　weeks；　is；　probably；

better　than　anything　else；　calculated　to　bring　out　the　weak　as　well

as　the　strong　points　of　a　friend：　indeed；　many　friendships　have

completely　broken　down　under　the　severe　test　of　a　single　week's

tour。　　But　Southey　on　that　occasion　firmly　cemented　a　friendship

which　lasted　until　Telford's　death。　　On　one　occasion　the　latter

called　at　the　poet's　house；　in　company　with　Sir　Henry　Parnell；　when

engaged　upon　the　survey　of　one　of　his　northern　roads。　　Unhappily

Southey　was　absent　at　the　time；　and；　writing　about　the　circumstance

to　a　correspondent；　he　said；　〃This　was　a　mortification　to　me；　in　as

much　as　I　owe　Telford　every　kind　of　friendly　attention；　and　like

him　heartily。〃



Campbell；　the　poet；　was　another　early　friend　of　our　engineer；　and

the　attachment　seems　to　have　been　mutual。　　Writing　to　Dr。　Currie；

of　Liverpool；　in　1802；　Campbell　says：　〃I　have　become　acquainted　with

Telford　the　engineer；　'a　fellow　of　infinite　humour；'　and　of　strong

enterprising　mind。　　He　has　almost　made　me　a　bridge…builder　already；

at　least　he　has　inspired　me　with　new　sensations　of　interest　in　the

improvement　and　ornament　of　our　country。　　Have　you　seen　his　plan　of

London　Bridge？　or　his　scheme　for　a　new　canal　in　the　North　Highlands；

which　will　unite；　if　put　in　effect；　our　Eastern　and　Atlantic

commerce；　and　render　Scotland　the　very　emporium　of　navigation？

Telford　is　a　most　useful　cicerone　in　London。　　He　is　so　universally

acquainted；　and　so　popular　in　his　manners；　that　he　can　introduce

one　to　all　kinds　of　novelty；　and　all　descriptions　of　interesting

society。〃　　Shortly　after；　Campbell　named　his　first　son　after

Telford；　who　stood　godfather　for　the　boy。　　Indeed；　for　many　years；

Telford　played　the　part　of　Mentor　to　the　young　and　impulsive　poet；

advising　him　about　his　course　in　life；　trying　to　keep　him　steady；

and　holding　him　aloof　as　much　as　possible　from　the　seductive

allurements　of　the　capital。　　But　it　was　a　difficult　task；　and

Telford's　numerous　engagements　necessarily　left　the　poet　at　many

seasons　very　much　to　himself。　　It　appears　that　they　were　living

together　at　the　Salopian　when　Campbell　composed　the　first　draft　of

his　poem　of　Hohenlinden；　and　several　important　emendations　made　in

it　by　Telford　were　adopted　by　Campbell。　　Although　the　two　friends

pursued　different　roads　in　life；　and　for　many　years　saw　little　of

each　other；　they　often　met　again；　especially　after　Telford　took　up

his　abode　at　his　house　in　Abingdon　Street；　where　Campbell　was　a

frequent　and　always　a　welcome　guest。



When　engaged　upon　his　surveys；　our　engineer　was　the　same　simple；

cheerful；　laborious　man。　　While　at　work；　he　gave　his　whole　mind　to

the　subject　in　hand；　thinking　of　nothing　else　for　the　time；

dismissing　it　at　the　close　of　each　day's　work；　but　ready　to　take　it

up　afresh　with　the　next　day's　duties。　　This　was　a　great　advantage　to

him　as　respected　the　prolongation　of　his　working　faculty。　　He　did

not　take　his　anxieties　to　bed　with　him；　as　many　do；　and　rise　up

with　them　in　the　morning；　but　he　laid　down　the　load　at　the　end　of

each　day；　and　resumed　it　all　the　more　cheerfully　when　refreshed　and

invigorated　by　natural　rest；　It　was　only　while　the　engrossing

anxieties　connected　with　the　suspension　of　the　chains　of　Menai

Bridge　were　weighing　heavily　upon　his　mind；　that　he　could　not

sleep；　and　then；　age　having　stolen　upon　him；　he　felt　the　strain

almost　more　than　he　could　bear。　　But　that　great　anxiety　once　fairly

over；　his　spirits　speedily　resumed　their　wonted　elasticity。



When　engaged　upon　the　construction　of　the　Carlisle　and　Glasgow

road；　he　was　very　fond　of　getting　a　few　of　the　〃navvy　men；〃　as　he

called　them；　to　join　him　at　an　ordinary　at　the　Hamilton　Arms　Hotel；

Lanarkshire；　each　paying　his　own　expenses。　　On　such　occasions

Telford　would　say　that；　though　he　could　not　drink；　yet　he　would

carve　and　draw　corks　for　them。　　One　of　the　rules　he　laid　down　was

that　no　business　was　to　be　introduced　from　the　moment　they　sat　down

to　dinner。　　All　at　once；　from　being　the　plodding；　hard…working

engineer；　with　responsibility　and　thought　in　every　feature；　Telford

unbended　and　relaxed；　and　became　the　merriest　and　drollest　of　the

party。　　He　possessed　a　great　fund　of　anecdote　available　for　such

occasions；　had　an　extraordinary　memory　for　facts　relating　to

persons　and　families；　and　the　wonder　to　many　of　his　auditors　was；

how　in　all　the　world　a　man　living　in　London　should　know　so　much

better　about　their　locality　and　many　of　its　oddities　than　they　did

themselves。



In　his　leisure　hours　at　home；　which　were　but　few；　he　occupied

himself　a　good　deal　in　the　perusal　of　miscellaneous　literature；

never　losing　his　taste　for　poetry。　　He　continued　to　indulge　in　the

occasional　composition　of　verses　until　a　comparatively　late　period

of　his　life；　one　of　his　most　successful　efforts　being　a　translation

of　the　'Ode　to　May；'　from　Buchanan's　Latin　poems；　executed　in　a

very　tender　and　graceful　manner。　　That　he　might　be　enabled　to　peruse

engineering　works　in　French　and　German；　he　prosecuted　the　study　of

those　languages；　and　with　such　success　that　he　was　shortly　able　to

read　them　with　comparative　ease。　　He　occasionally　occupied　himself

in　literary　composition　on　subjects　connected　with　his　profession。

Thus　he　wrote　for　the　Edinburgh　Encyclopedia；　conducted　by　his

friend　Sir　David　（then　Dr。）　Brewster；　the　elaborate　and　able

articles　on　Architecture；　Bridge…building；　and　Canal…maki