the life of thomas telford-第15节

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also　indicate　that　at　some　remote　period　a　degree　of　civilization

and　prosperity　prevailed；　from　which　the　country　had　gradually

fallen。　　The　ruins　of　the　ancient　edifices　of　Melrose；　Kilwinning；

Aberborthwick；　Elgin；　and　other　religious　establishments；　show　that

architecture　must　then　have　made　great　progress　in　the　North；

and　lead　us　to　the　conclusion　that　the　other　arts　had　reached　a　like

stage　of　advancement。　　This　is　borne　out　by　the　fact　of　the　number

of　well…designed　and　well…built　bridges　of　olden　times　which　still

exist　in　different　parts　of　Scotland。　　〃And　when　we　consider；〃　says

Professor　Innes；　〃the　long　and　united　efforts　required　in　the　early

state　of　the　arts　for　throwing　a　bridge　over　any　considerable

river；　the　early　occurrence　of　bridges　may　well　be　admitted　as　one

of　the　best　tests　of　civilization　and　national　prosperity。〃*＇13＇

As　in　England；　so　in　Scotland；　the　reclamation　of　lands；　the

improvement　of　agriculture；　and　the　building　of　bridges　were　mainly

due　to　the　skill　and　industry　of　the　old　churchmen。　　When　their

ecclesiastical　organization　was　destroyed；　the　country　speedily

relapsed　into　the　state　from　which　they　had　raised　it；　and　Scotland

continued　to　lie　in　ruins　almost　till　our　own　day；　when　it　has

again　been　rescued　from　barrenness；　more　effectually　even　than

before；　by　the　combined　influences　of　roads；　education；　and　industry。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　IV。



*＇1＇　'Farmer's　Magazine；'　1803。　　No。　xiii。　p。　101。



*＇2＇　Bad　although　the　condition　of　Scotland　was　at　the　beginning　of

last　century；　there　were　many　who　believed　that　it　would　be　made

worse　by　the　carrying　of　the　Act　of　Union。　　The　Earl　of　Wigton　was

one　of　these。　　Possessing　large　estates　in　the　county　of　Stirling；

and　desirous　of　taking　every　precaution　against　what　he　supposed　to

be　impending　ruin；　he　made　over　to　his　tenants；　on　condition　that

they　continued　to　pay　him　their　then　low　rents；　his　extensive

estates　in　the　parishes　of　Denny；　Kirkintulloch；　and　Cumbernauld；

retaining　only　a　few　fields　round　the　family　mansion　＇'Farmer's

Magazine；'　1808；　No。　xxxiv。　p。　193＇。　　Fletcher　of　Saltoun　also

feared　the　ruinous　results　of　the　Union；　though　he　was　less

precipitate　in　his　conduct　than　the　Earl　of　Wigton。　　We　need

scarcely　say　how　entirely　such　apprehensions　were　falsified　by　the

actual　results。



*＇3＇　'Fletcher's　Political　Works；'　London；　1737；　p。　149。　　As　the

population　of　Scotland　was　then　only　about　1；200；000；　the　beggars

of　the　country；　according　to　the　above　account；　must　have

constituted　about　one…sixth　of　the　whole　community。



*＇4＇　Act　39th　George　III。　c。　56。　　See　'Lord　Cockburn's

Memorials；'　pp。　76…9。　　As　not　many　persons　may　be　aware　how　recent

has　been　the　abolition　of　slavery　in　Britain；　the　author　of　this

book　may　mention　the　fact　that　he　personally　knew　a　man　who　had

been　〃born　a　slave　in　Scotland；〃　to　use　his　own　words；　and　lived　to

tell　it。　　He　had　resisted　being　transferred　to　another　owner　on　the

sale　of　the　estate　to　which　he　was　〃bound；〃　and　refused　to　〃go　below；〃

on　which　he　was　imprisoned　in　Edinburgh　gaol；　where　he　lay　for　a

considerable　time。　　The　case　excited　much　interest；　and　probably

had　some　effect　in　leading　to　the　alteration　in　the　law　relating

to　colliers　and　salters　which　shortly　after　followed。



*＇5＇　See　'Autobiography　of　Dr。　Alexander　Carlyle；'　passim。



*＇6＇　'Farmer's　Magazine。'　June。　1811。　No。　xlvi。　p。　155。



*＇7＇　See　Buchan　Hepburn's　'General　View　of　the　Agriculture　and

Economy　of　East　Lothian；'　1794；　p。　55。



*＇8＇Letter　of　John　Maxwell；　in　Appendix　to　Macdiarmid's　'Picture　of

Dumfries；'　1823



*＇9＇　Robertson's　'Rural　Recollections；'　p。　38。



*＇10＇　Very　little　was　known　of　the　geography　of　the　Highlands　down

to　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century　The　principal

information　on　the　subject　being　derived　from　Danish　materials。

It　appears；　however；　that　in　1608；　one　Timothy　Pont；　a　young　man

without　fortune　or　patronage；　formed　the　singular　resolution　of

travelling　over　the　whole　of　Scotland；　with　the　sole　view　of

informing　himself　as　to　the　geography　of　the　country；　and　he

persevered　to　the　end　of　his　task　through　every　kind　of　difficulty；

exploring　'all　the　islands　with　the　zeal　of　a　missionary；　though

often　pillaged　and　stript　of　everything；　by　the　then　barbarous

inhabitant's。　　The　enterprising　youth　received　no　recognition　nor

reward　for　his　exertions；　and　he　died　in　obscurity；　leaving　his

maps　and　papers　to　his　heirs。　　Fortunately；　James　I。　　heard　of　the

existence　of　Pont's　papers；　and　purchased　them　for　public　use。　They

lay；　however；　unused　for　a　long　time　in　the　offices　of　the　Scotch

Court　of　Chancery；　until　they　were　at　length　brought　to　light　by

Mr。　Robert　Gordon；　of　Straloch；　who　made　them　the　basis　of　the

first　map　of　Scotland　having　any　pretensions　to　accuracy　that　was

ever　published。



*＇11＇　Mr。　Grant；　of　Corrymorry；　used　to　relate　that　his　father；

when　speaking　of　the　Rebellion　of　1745；　always　insisted　that　a

rising　in　the　Highlands　was　absolutely　necessary　to　give　employment

to　the　numerous　bands　of　lawless　and　idle　young　men　who　infested

every　property。Anderson's　'Highlands　and　Islands　of　Scotland；'

p。　432。



*＇12＇　'Lord　Hailes　Annals；'　i。；　379。



*＇13＇　Professor　Innes's　'Sketches　of　Early　Scottish　History。'　The

principal　ancient　bridges　in　Scotland　were　those　over　the　Tay　at

Perth　（erected　in　the　thirteenth　century）　over　the　Esk　at　Brechin

and　Marykirk；　over　the　Bee　at　Kincardine；　O'Neil；　and　Aberdeen；

over　the　Don；　near　the　same　city；　over　the　Spey　at　Orkhill；　over

the　Clyde　at　Glasgow；　over　the　Forth　at　Stirling；　and　over　the　Tyne

at　Haddington。





CHAPTER　V。



ROADS　AND　TRAVELLING　IN　ENGLAND　TOWARDS　THE　END　OF　LAST　CENTURY。



The　progress　made　in　the　improvement　of　the　roads　throughout

England　was　exceedingly　slow。　　Though　some　of　the　main　throughfares

were　mended　so　as　to　admit　of　stage…coach　travelling　at　the　rate　of

from　four　to　six　miles　an　hour；　the　less　frequented　roads　continued

to　be　all　but　impassable。　　Travelling　was　still　difficult；　tedious；

and　dangerous。　　Only　those　who　could　not　well　avoid　it　ever　thought

of　undertaking　a　journey；　and　travelling　for　pleasure　was　out　of

the　question。　　A　writer　in　the　'Gentleman's　Magazine'　in　1752　says

that　a　Londoner　at　that　time　would　no　more　think　of　travelling　into

the　west　of　England　for　pleasure　than　of　going　to　Nubia。



But　signs　of　progress　were　not　awanting。　　In　1749　Birmingham

started　a　stage…coach；　which　made　the　journey　to　London　in　three

days。*＇1＇　　In　1754　some　enterprising　Manchester　men　advertised　a

〃flying　coach〃　for　the　conveyance　of　passengers　between　that　town

and　the　metropolis；　and；　lest　they　should　be　classed　with

projectors　of　the　Munchausen　kind；　they　heralded　their　enterprise

with　this　statement：　〃However　incredible　it　may　appear；　this　coach

will　actually　（barring　accidents）　arrive　in　London　in　four　days　and

a　half　after　leaving　Manchester！〃



Fast　coaches　were　also　established　on　several　of　the　northern

roads；　though　not　with　very　extraordinary　results　as　to　speed。

When　John　Scott；　afterwards　Lord　Chancellor　Eldon；　travelled　from

Newcastle　to　Oxford　in　1766；　he　mentions　that　he　journeyed　in　what

was　denominated　〃a　fly；〃　because　of　its　rapid　travelling；　yet　he

was　three　or　four　days　and　nights　on　the　road。　　There　was　no　such

velocity；　however；　as　to　endanger　overturning　or　other　mischief。

On　the　panels　of　the　coach　were　painted　the　appropriate　motto　of

Sat　cito　si　sat　benequick　enough　if　well　enougha　motto　which

the　future　Lord　Chancellor　made　his　own。*＇2＇



The　journey　by　coach　between　London　and　Edinburgh　still　occupied

six　days　or　more；　according　to　the　state　of　the　weather。　　Between

Bath　or　Birmingham　and　London　occupied　between　two　and　three　days

as　late　as　1763。　　The　road　across　Hounslow　Heath　was　so　bad；　that

it　was　stated　　before　a　Parliamentary　Committee　that　it　was

frequently　known　to　be　two　feet　deep　in　mud。　　The　rate　of

travelling　was　about　six　and　a　half　miles　an　hour；　but　the　work　was

so　heavy　that　it　〃tore　the　horses'　hearts　out；〃　as　the　common

saying　went；　so　that　they　only　lasted　two　or　three　years。



When　the　Bath　road　became　improved；　Burke　was　enabled；　in　the

summer　of　1774；　to　travel　from　London　to　Bristol；　to　meet　the

electors　there；　in　little　more　than　four　and　twenty　hours；　but　his

biographer　takes　care　to　relate　that　he　〃travelled　with　incredible

speed。〃　　Glasgow　was　still　ten　days'　distance　from　the　metropolis；

and　the　arrival　of　the　mail　there　was　so　important　an　event　that　a

gun　was　fired　to　announce　its　coming　in。　　Sheffield　set　up　a

〃flying　machine　on　steel　springs〃　to　London　in　1760：　it　〃slept〃　the

first　night　at　the　Black　Man's　Head　Inn；　Nottingham；　the　second　at

the　Angel；　Northampton；　and　arrived　at　the　Swan　with　Two　Necks；

Lad…lane；　on　the　evening　of　the　third　day。　　The　fare　was　1L。　l7s。；

and　14　lbs。　of　luggage　was　allowe