the life of thomas telford-第10节

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travel　into　Cornwall；　the　boundaries　of　which　he　reached；　but　was

prevented　proceeding　farther　by　the　rains；　and　accordingly　he　made

the　best　of　his　way　home。*＇1＇　　The　vicar　of　Cheriton　was　considered

a　wonderful　man　in　his　day；　almost　as　as　venturous　as　we　should

now　regard　a　traveller　in　Arabia。　　Twenty　miles　of　slough；　or　an

unbridged　river　between　two　parishes；　were　greater　impediments　to

intercourse　than　the　Atlantic　Ocean　now　is　between　England　and

America。　　Considerable　towns　situated　in　the　same　county；　were　then

more　widely　separated；　for　practical　purposes；　than　London　and

Glasgow　are　at　the　present　day。　There　were　many　districts　which

travellers　never　visited；　and　where　the　appearance　of　a　stranger

produced　as　great　an　excitement　as　the　arrival　of　a　white　man　in　an

African　village。*＇2＇



The　author　of　'Adam　Bede'　has　given　us　a　poet's　picture　of　the

leisure　of　last　century；　which　has　〃gone　where　the　spinning…wheels

are　gone；　and　the　pack…horses；　and　the　slow　waggons；　and　the

pedlars　who　brought　bargains　to　the　door　on　sunny　afternoons。　　〃Old

Leisure〃　lived　chiefly　in　the　country；　among　pleasant　seats　and

homesteads；　and　was　fond　of　sauntering　by　the　fruit…tree　walls；　and

scenting　the　apricots　when　they　were　warmed　by　the　morning

sunshine；　or　sheltering　himself　under　the　orchard　boughs　at　noon；

when　the　summer　pears　were　falling。〃　　But　this　picture　has　also　its

obverse　side。　Whole　generations　then　lived　a　monotonous；　ignorant；

prejudiced；　and　humdrum　life。　　They　had　no　enterprize；　no　energy；

little　industry；　and　were　content　to　die　where　they　were　born。　　The

seclusion　in　which　they　were　compelled　to　live；　produced　a

picturesqueness　of　manners　which　is　pleasant　to　look　back　upon；　now

that　it　is　a　thing　of　the　past；　but　it　was　also　accompanied　with　a

degree　of　grossness　and　brutality　much　less　pleasant　to　regard；　and

of　which　the　occasional　popular　amusements　of　bull…running；

cock…fighting；　cock…throwing；　the　saturnalia　of　Plough…Monday；　and

such　like；　were　the　fitting　exponents。



People　then　knew　little　except　of　their　own　narrow　district。　　The

world　beyond　was　as　good　as　closed　against　them。　　Almost　the　only

intelligence　of　general　affairs　which　reached　them　was　communicated

by　pedlars　and　packmen；　who　were　accustomed　to　retail　to　their

customers　the　news　of　the　day　with　their　wares；　or；　at　most；　a

newsletter　from　London；　after　it　had　been　read　nearly　to　pieces　at

the　great　house　of　the　district；　would　find　its　way　to　the　village；

and　its　driblets　of　information　would　thus　become　diffused　among

the　little　community。　　Matters　of　public　interest　were　long　in

becoming　known　in　the　remoter　districts　of　the　country。　　Macaulay

relates　that　the　death　of　Queen　Elizabeth　was　not　heard　of　in　some

parts　of　Devon　until　the　courtiers　of　her　successor　had　ceased　to

wear　mourning　for　her。　　The　news　of　Cromwell's　being　made　Protector

only　reached　Bridgewater　nineteen　days　after　the　event；　when　the

bells　were　set　a…ringing；　and　the　churches　in　the　Orkneys　continued

to　put　up　the　usual　prayers　for　James　II。　　three　months　after　he

had　taken　up　his　abode　at　St。　Germains。　　There　were　then　no　shops

in　the　smaller　towns　or　villages；　and　comparatively　few　in　the

larger；　and　these　were　badly　furnished　with　articles　for　general

use。　　The　country　people　were　irregularly　supplied　by　hawkers；　who

sometimes　bore　their　whole　stook　upon　their　back；　or　occasionally

on　that　of　their　pack…horses。　Pots；　pans；　and　household　utensils

were　sold　from　door　to　door。　Until　a　comparatively　recent　period；

the　whole　of　the　pottery…ware　manufactured　in　Staffordshire　was

hawked　about　and　disposed　of　in　this　way。　　The　pedlars　carried

frames　resembling　camp…stools；　on　which　they　were　accustomed　to

display　their　wares　when　the　opportunity　occurred　for　showing　them

to　advantage。　　The　articles　which　they　sold　were　chiefly　of　a

fanciful　kindribbons；　laces；　and　female　finery；　the　housewives'

great　reliance　for　the　supply　of　general　clothing　in　those　days

being　on　domestic　industry。



Every　autumn；　the　mistress　of　the　household　was　accustomed　to　lay

in　a　store　of　articles　sufficient　to　serve　for　the　entire　winter。

It　was　like　laying　in　a　stock　of　provisions　and　clothing　for　a

siege　during　the　time　that　the　roads　were　closed。　　The　greater　part

of　the　meat　required　for　winter's　use　was　killed　and　salted　down　at

Martinmas；　while　stockfish　and　baconed　herrings　were　provided　for

Lent。　Scatcherd　says　that　in　his　district　the　clothiers　united　in

groups　of　three　or　four；　and　at　the　Leeds　winter　fair　they　would

purchase　an　ox；　which；　having　divided；　they　salted　and　hung　the

pieces　for　their　winter's　food。*＇3＇　　There　was　also　the　winter's

stock　of　firewood　to　be　provided；　and　the　rushes　with　which　to

strew　the　floorscarpets　being　a　comparatively　modern　invention；

besides；　there　was　the　store　of　wheat　and　barley　for　bread；　the

malt　for　ale；　the　honey　for　sweetening　（then　used　for　sugar）；　the

salt；　the　spiceries；　and　the　savoury　herbs　so　much　employed　in　the

ancient　cookery。　　When　the　stores　were　laid　in；　the　housewife　was

in　a　position　to　bid　defiance　to　bad　roads　for　six　months　to　come。

This　was　the　case　of　the　well…to…do；　but　the　poorer　classes；　who

could　not　lay　in　a　store　for　winter；　were　often　very　badly　off　both

for　food　and　firing；　and　in　many　hard　seasons　they　literally

starved。　　But　charity　was　active　in　those　days；　and　many　a　poor

man's　store　was　eked　out　by　his　wealthier　neighbour。



When　the　household　supply　was　thus　laid　in；　the　mistress；　with　her

daughters　and　servants；　sat　down　to　their　distaffs　and　spinning…wheels；

for　the　manufacture　of　the　family　clothing　was　usually　the　work　of

the　winter　months。　　The　fabrics　then　worn　were　almost　entirely　of

wool；　silk　and　cotton　being　scarcely　known。　　The　wool；　when　not

grown　on　the　farm；　was　purchased　in　a　raw　state；　and　was　carded；

spun；　dyed；　and　in　many　cases　woven　at　home：　so　also　with　the　linen

clothing；　which；　until　quite　a　recent　date；　was　entirely　the

produce　of　female　fingers　and　household　spinning…wheels。　　This　kind

of　work　occupied　the　winter　months；　occasionally　alternated　with

knitting；　embroidery；　and　tapestry　　work。　　Many　of　our　country

houses　continue　to　bear　witness　to　the　steady　industry　of　the

ladies　of　even　the　highest　ranks　in　those　times；　in　the　fine

tapestry　hangings　with　which　the　walls　of　many　of　the　older　rooms

in　such　mansions　are　covered。



Among　the　humbler　classes；　the　same　winter's　work　went　on。

The　women　sat　round　log　fires　knitting；　plaiting；　and　spinning　by

fire…light；　even　in　the　daytime。　　Glass　had　not　yet　come　into

general　use；　and　the　openings　in　the　wall　which　in　summer…time

served　for　windows；　had　necessarily　to　be　shut　close　with　boards　to

keep　out　the　cold；　though　at　the　same　time　they　shut　out　the　light。

The　chimney；　usually　of　lath　and　plaster；　ending　overhead　in　a　cone

and　funnel　for　the　smoke；　was　so　roomy　in　old　cottages　as　to

accommodate　almost　the　whole　family　sitting　around　the　fire　of　logs

piled　in　the　reredosse　in　the　middle；　and　there　they　carried　on

their　winter's　work。



Such　was　the　domestic　occupation　of　women　in　the　rural　districts　in

olden　times；　and　it　may　perhaps　be　questioned　whether　the

revolution　in　our　social　system；　which　has　taken　out　of　their　hands

so　many　branches　of　household　manufacture　and　useful　domestic

employment；　be　an　altogether　unmixed　blessing。



Winter　at　an　end；　and　the　roads　once　more　available　for　travelling；

the　Fair　of　the　locality　was　looked　forward　to　with　interest。　　Fairs

were　among　the　most　important　institutions　of　past　times；　and　were

rendered　necessary　by　the　imperfect　road　communications。　The　right

of　holding　them　was　regarded　as　a　valuable　privilege；　conceded　by

the　sovereign　to　the　lords　of　the　manors；　who　adopted　all　manner　of

devices　to　draw　crowds　to　their　markets。　　They　were　usually　held　at

the　entrances　to　valleys　closed　against　locomotion　during　winter；

or　in　the　middle　of　rich　grazing　districts；　or；　more　frequently；　in

the　neighbourhood　of　famous　cathedrals　or　churches　frequented　by

flocks　of　pilgrims。　　The　devotion　of　the　people　being　turned　to

account；　many　of　the　fairs　were　held　on　Sundays　in　the　churchyards；

and　almost　in　every　parish　a　market　was　instituted　on　the　day　on

which　the　parishioners　were　called　together　to　do　honour　to　their

patron　saint。



The　local　fair；　which　was　usually　held　at　the　beginning　or　end　of

winter；　often　at　both　times；　became　the　great　festival　as　well　as

market　of　the　district；　and　the　business　as　well　as　the　gaiety　of

the　neighbourhood　usually　centred　on　such　occasions。　　High　courts

were　held　by　the　Bishop　or　Lord　of　the　Manor；　to　accommodate　which

special　buildings　were　erected；　used　only　at　fair　time。　　Among　the

fairs　of　the　first　class　in　England　were　Winchester；　St。　Botolph's

Town　（Boston）；　and　St。　Ives。　　We　find　the　great　London　merchants

travelling　thither　in　caravans；　bear