industrial biography-第48章

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the　native　workmen。　　Their　competition　as　workmen　was　resented　as　an

injury；　but　their　improved　machinery　was　regarded　as　a　far　greater

source　of　mischief。　　In　a　memorial　presented　to　the　king　in　1621　we

find　the　London　weavers　complaining　of　the　foreigners'　competition；

but　especially　that　〃they　have　made　so　bould　of　late　as　to　devise

engines　for　working　of　tape；　lace；　ribbin；　and　such　like；　wherein　one

man　doth　more　among　them　than　7　Englishe　men　can　doe；　so　as　their

cheap　sale　of　commodities　beggereth　all　our　Englishe　artificers　of

that　trade；　and　enricheth　them。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

State　Papers；　Dom。　1621；　Vol。　88；　No。　112。

　。。。＇



At　a　much　more　recent　period　new　inventions　have　had　to　encounter

serious　rioting　and　machine…breaking　fury。　　Kay　of　the　fly…shuttle；

Hargreaves　of　the　spinning…jenny；　and　Arkwright　of　the

spinning…frame；　all　had　to　fly　from　Lancashire；　glad　to　escape　with

their　lives。　　Indeed；　says　Mr。　Bazley；　〃so　jealous　were　the　people；

and　also　the　legislature；　of　everything　calculated　to　supersede　men's

labour；　that　when　the　Sankey　Canal；　six　miles　long；　near　Warrington；

was　authorized　about　the　middle　of　last　century；　it　was　on　the

express　condition　that　the　boats　plying　on　it　should　be　drawn　by　men

only！〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Lectures　on　the　Results　of　the　Great　Exhibition　of　1851；　2nd　Series；

117。

　。。。＇

Even　improved　agricultural　tools　and　machines　have　had　the　same

opposition　to　encounter；　and　in　our　own　time　bands　of　rural　labourers

have　gone　from　farm　to　farm　breaking　drill…ploughs；　winnowing；

threshing；　and　other　machines；　down　even　to　the　common　drills；not

perceiving　that　if　their　policy　had　proved　successful；　and　tools

could　have　been　effectually　destroyed；　the　human　race　would　at　once

have　been　reduced　to　their　teeth　and　nails；　and　civilization

summarily　abolished。*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Kirwan；　late　President　of　the　Royal　Irish　Academy；　who　had

travelled　much　on　the　continent　of　Europe；　used　to　relate；　when

speaking　of　the　difficulty　of　introducing　improvements　in　the　arts

and　manufactures；　and　of　the　prejudices　entertained　for　old

practices；　that；　in　Normandy；　the　farmers　had　been　so　long　accustomed

to　the　use　of　plough's　whose　shares　were　made　entirely　of　WOOD　that

they　could　not　be　prevailed　on　to　make　trial　of　those　with　IRON；　that

they　considered　them　to　be　an　idle　and　useless　innovation　on　the

long…established　practices　of　their　ancestors；　and　that　they　carried

these　prejudices　so　far　as　to　force　the　government　to　issue　an　edict

on　the　subject。　　And　even　to　the　last　they　were　so　obstinate　in　their

attachment　to　ploughshares　of　wood　that　a　tumultuous　opposition　was

made　to　the　enforcement　of　the　edict；　which　for　a　short　time

threatened　a　rebellion　in　the　province。　PARKES；　Chemical　Essays；

4th　Ed。　473。

　。。。＇



It　is；　no　doubt；　natural　that　the　ordinary　class　of　workmen　should

regard　with　prejudice；　if　not　with　hostility；　the　introduction　of

machines　calculated　to　place　them　at　a　disadvantage　and　to　interfere

with　their　usual　employments；　for　to　poor　and　not　very　far…seeing　men

the　loss　of　daily　bread　is　an　appalling　prospect。　　But　invention　does

not　stand　still　on　that　account。　　Human　brains　WILL　work。　　Old　tools

are　improved　and　new　ones　invented；　superseding　existing　methods　of

production；　though　the　weak　and　unskilled　may　occasionally　be　pushed

aside　or　even　trodden　under　foot。　　The　consolation　which　remains　is；

that　while　the　few　suffer；　society　as　a　whole　is　vastly　benefitted　by

the　improved　methods　of　production　which　are　suggested；　invented；　and

perfected　by　the　experience　of　successive　generations。



The　living　race　is　the　inheritor　of　the　industry　and　skill　of　all

past　times；　and　the　civilization　we　enjoy　is　but　the　sum　of　the

useful　effects　of　labour　during　the　past　centuries。　　Nihil　per　saltum。

By　slow　and　often　painful　steps　Nature's　secrets　have　been　mastered。

Not　an　effort　has　been　made　but　has　had　its　influence。　　For　no　human

labour　is　altogether　lost；　some　remnant　of　useful　effect　surviving

for　the　benefit　of　the　race；　if　not　of　the　individual。　　Even　attempts

apparently　useless　have　not　really　been　so；　but　have　served　in　some

way　to　advance　man　to　higher　knowledge；　skill；　or　discipline。　　〃The

loss　of　a　position　gained；〃　says　Professor　Thomson；　〃is　an　event

unknown　in　the　history　of　man's　struggle　with　the　forces　of　inanimate

nature。〃　　A　single　step　won　gives　a　firmer　foothold　for　further

effort。　　The　man　may　die；　but　the　race　survives　and　continues　the

work；to　use　the　poet's　simile；　mounting　on　stepping…stones　of　dead

selves　to　higher　selves。



Philarete　Chasles；　indeed；　holds　that　it　is　the　Human　Race　that　is

your　true　inventor：　　〃As　if　to　unite　all　generations；〃　he　says；　〃and

to　show　that　man　can　only　act　efficiently　by　association　with　others；

it　has　been　ordained　that　each　inventor　shall　only　interpret　the

first　word　of　the　problem　he　sets　himself　to　solve；　and　that　every

great　idea　shall　be　the　RESUME　of　the　past　at　the　same　time　that　it

is　the　germ　of　the　future。〃　　And　rarely　does　it　happen　that　any

discovery　or　invention　of　importance　is　made　by　one　man　alone。　　The

threads　of　inquiry　are　taken　up　and　traced；　one　labourer　succeeding

another；　each　tracing　it　a　little　further；　often　without　apparent

result。　　This　goes　on　sometimes　for　centuries；　until　at　length　some

man；　greater　perhaps　than　his　fellows；　seeking　to　fulfil　the　needs　of

his　time；　gathers　the　various　threads　together；　treasures　up　the　gain

of　past　successes　and　failures；　and　uses　them　as　the　means　for　some

solid　achievement；　Thus　Newton　discovered　the　law　of　gravitation；　and

thus　James　Watt　invented　the　steam…engine。　　So　also　of　the　Locomotive；

of　which　Robert　Stephenson　said；　〃It　has　not　been　the　invention　of

any　one　man；　but　of　a　race　of　mechanical　engineers。〃　　Or；　as　Joseph

Bramah　observed；　in　the　preamble　to　his　second　Lock　patent；　〃Among

the　number　of　patents　granted　there　are　comparatively　few　which　can

be　called　original　so　that　it　is　difficult　to　say　where　the　boundary

of　one　ends　and　where　that　of　another　begins。〃



The　arts　are　indeed　reared　but　slowly；　and　it　was　a　wise　observation

of　Lord　Bacon　that　we　are　too　apt　to　pass　those　ladders　by　which　they

have　been　reared；　and　reflect　the　whole　merit　on　the　last　new

performer。　　Thus；　what　is　hailed　as　an　original　invention　is　often

found　to　be　but　the　result　of　a　long　succession　of　trials　and

experiments　gradually　following　each　other；　which　ought　rather　to　be

considered　as　a　continuous　series　of　achievements　of　the　human　mind

than　as　the　conquest　of　any　single　individual。　　It　has　sometimes　taken

centuries　of　experience　to　ascertain　the　value　of　a　single　fact　in

its　various　bearings。　　Like　man　himself；　experience　is　feeble　and

apparently　purposeless　in　its　infancy；　but　acquires　maturity　and

strength　with　age。　　Experience；　however；　is　not　limited　to　a　lifetime；

but　is　the　stored…up　wealth　and　power　of　our　race。　　Even　amidst　the

death　of　successive　generations　it　is　constantly　advancing　and

accumulating；　exhibiting　at　the　same　time　the　weakness　and　the　power；

the　littleness　and　the　greatness　of　our　common　humanity。　　And　not　only

do　we　who　live　succeed　to　the　actual　results　of　our　predecessors'

labours；to　their　works　of　learning　and　of　art；　their　inventions　and

discoveries；　their　tools　and　machines；　their　roads；　bridges　；　canals；

and　railways；but　to　the　inborn　aptitudes　of　blood　and　brain　which

they　bequeath　to　us；　to　that　〃educability；〃　so　to　speak；　which　has

been　won　for　us　by　the　labours　of　many　generations；　and　forms　our

richest　natural　heritage。



The　beginning　of　most　inventions　is　very　remote。　　The　first　idea；　born

within　some　unknown　brain；　passes　thence　into　others；　and　at　last

comes　forth　complete；　after　a　parturition；　it　may　be；　of　centuries。

One　starts　the　idea；　another　developes　it；　and　so　on　progressively

until　at　last　it　is　elaborated　and　worked　out　in　practice；　but　the

fi