the life of thomas telford-第25节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



ordered　him　to　instant　execution。　　Had　Johnnie　Armstrong；　like　the

Scotts　and　Kers　and　Johnstones　of　like　calling；　been　imprisoned

beforehand；　he　might　possibly　have　lived　to　found　a　British

peerage；　but　as　it　was；　the　genius　of　the　Armstrong　dynasty　was　for

a　time　extinguished；　only；　however；　to　reappear；　after　the　lapse

of　a　few　centuries；　in　the　person　of　the　eminent　engineer　of

Newcastle…upon…Tyne；　the　inventor　of　the　Armstrong　gun。



The　two　centuries　and　a　half　which　have　elapsed　since　then　have

indeed　seen　extraordinary　changes。*＇2＇　　The　energy　which　the　old

borderers　threw　into　their　feuds　has　not　become　extinct；　but

survives　under　more　benignant　aspects；　exhibiting　itself　in　efforts

to　enlighten；　fertilize；　and　enrich　the　country　which　their

wasteful　ardour　before　did　so　much　to　disturb　and　impoverish。

The　heads　of　the　Buccleugh　and　Elliot　family　now　sit　in　the　British

House　of　Lords。　　The　descendant　of　Scott　of　Harden　has　achieved　a

world…wide　reputation　as　a　poet　and　novelist；　and　the　late　Sir

James　Graham；　the　representative　of　the　Graemes　of　Netherby；　on　the

English　side　of　the　border；　was　one　of　the　most　venerable　and

respected　of　British　statesmen。　　The　border　men；　who　used　to　make

such　furious　raids　and　forays；　have　now　come　to　regard　each　other；

across　the　imaginary　line　which　divides　them；　as　friends　and

neighbours；　and　they　meet　as　competitors　for　victory　only　at

agricultural　meetings；　where　they　strive　to　win　prizes　for　the

biggest　turnips　or　the　most　effective　reaping…machines；　while　the

men　who　followed　their　Johnstone　or　Armstrong　chiefs　as　prickers　or

hobilers　to　the　fray　have；　like　Telford；　crossed　the　border　with

powers　of　road…making　and　bridge…building　which　have　proved　a

source　of　increased　civilization　and　well…being　to　the　population

of　the　entire　United　Kingdom。



The　hamlet　of　Westerkirk；　with　its　parish　church　and　school；

lies　in　a　narrow　part　of　the　valley；　a　few　miles　above　Langholm。

Westerkirk　parish　is　long　and　narrow；　its　boundaries　being　the

hill…tops　on　either　side　of　the　dale。　　It　is　about　seven　miles　long

and　two　broad；　with　a　population　of　about　600　persons　of　all　ages。

Yet　this　number　is　quite　as　much　as　the　district　is　able　to

support；　as　is　proved　by　its　remaining　as　nearly　as　possible

stationary　from　one　generation　to　another。*＇3＇　　But　what　becomes　of

the　natural　increase　of　families？　　〃They　swarm　　off！〃　was　the

explanation　given　to　us　by　a　native　of　the　valley。　　〃If　they

remained　at　home；〃　said　he；　〃we　should　all　be　sunk　in　poverty；

scrambling　with　each　other　amongst　these　hills　for　a　bare　living。

But　our　peasantry　have　a　spirit　above　that：　they　will　not　consent

to　sink；　they　look　up；　and　our　parish　schools　give　them　a　power　of

making　their　way　in　the　world；　each　man　for　himself。　　So　they　swarm

offsome　to　America；　some　to　Australia；　some　to　India；　and　some；

like　Telford；　work　their　way　across　the　border　and　up　to　London。〃



One　would　scarcely　have　expected　to　find　the　birthplace　of　the

builder　of　the　Menai　Bridge　and　other　great　national　works　in　so

obscure　a　corner　of　the　kingdom。　　Possibly　it　may　already　have

struck　the　reader　with　surprise；　that　not　only　were　all　the　early

engineers　self…taught　in　their　profession；　but　they　were　brought　up

mostly　in　remote　country　places；　far　from　the　active　life　of　great

towns　and　cities。　　But　genius　is　of　no　locality；　and　springs　alike

from　the　farmhouse；　the　peasant's　hut；　or　the　herd's　shieling。

Strange；　indeed；　it　is　that　the　men　who　have　built　our　bridges；

docks；　lighthouses；　canals；　and　railways；　should　nearly　all　have

been　country…bred　boys：　Edwards　and　Brindley；　the　sons　of　small

farmers；　Smeaton；　brought　up　in　his　father's　country　house　at

Austhorpe；　Rennie；　the　son　of　a　farmer　and　freeholder；　and

Stephenson；　reared　in　a　colliery　village；　an　engine…tenter's　son。

But　Telford；　even　more　than　any　of　these；　was　a　purely　country…bred

boy；　and　was　born　and　brought　up　in　a　valley　so　secluded　that　it

could　not　even　boast　of　a　cluster　of　houses　of　the　dimensions　of　a

village。



Telford's　father　was　a　herd　on　the　sheep…farm　of　Glendinning。

The　farm　consists　of　green　hills；　lying　along　the　valley　of　the　Meggat；

a　little　burn；　which　descends　from　the　moorlands　on　the　east；　and

falls　into　the　Esk　near　the　hamlet　of　Westerkirk。　　John　Telford's

cottage　was　little　better　than　a　shieling；　consisting　of　four　mud

walls；　spanned　by　a　thatched　roof。　　It　stood　upon　a　knoll　near　the

lower　end　of　a　gully　worn　in　the　hillside　by　the　torrents　of　many

winters。



The　ground　stretches　away　from　it　in　a　long　sweeping　slope　up　to

the　sky；　and　is　green　to　the　top；　except　where　the　bare　grey　rocks

in　some　places　crop　out　to　the　day。　　From　the　knoll　may　be　seen

miles　on　miles　of　hills　up　and　down　the　valley；　winding　in　and　out；

sometimes　branching　off　into　smaller　glens；　each　with　its　gurgling

rivulet　of　peaty…brown　water　flowing　down　from　the　mosses　above。

Only　a　narrow　strip　of　arable　land　is　here　and　there　visible　along

the　bottom　of　the　dale；　all　above　being　sheep…pasture；　moors；　and

rocks。　　At　Glendinning　you　seem　to　have　got　almost　to　the　world's　end。

There　the　road　ceases；　and　above　it　stretch　trackless　moors；

the　solitude　of　which　is　broken　only　by　the　whimpling　sound　of　the

burns　on　their　way　to　the　valley　below；　the　hum　of　bees　gathering

honey　among　the　heather；　the　whirr　of　a　blackcock　on　the　wing；　the

plaintive　cry　of　the　ewes　at　lambing…time；　or　the　sharp　bark　of　the

shepherd's　dog　gathering　the　flock　together　for　the　fauld。



＇Image＇　Telford's　Birthplace



In　this　cottage　on　the　knoll　Thomas　Telford　was　born　on　the　9th　of

August；　1757；　and　before　the　year　was　out　he　was　already　an　orphan。

The　shepherd；　his　father；　died　in　the　month　of　November；　and　was

buried　in　Westerkirk　churchyard；　leaving　behind　him　his　widow　and

her　only　child　altogether　unprovided　for。　　We　may　here　mention　that

one　of　the　first　things　which　that　child　did；　when　he　had　grown　up

to　manhood　and　could　〃cut　a　headstone；〃　was　to　erect　one　with　the

following　inscription；　hewn　and　lettered　by　himself；　over　his

father's　grave：　　　　　　　　　　　　　〃IN　MEMORY　OF

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　JOHN　TELFORD；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　WHO　AFTER　LIVING　33　YEARS

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　AN　UNBLAMEABLE　SHEPHERD；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　DIED　AT　GLENDINNING；

　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　NOVEMBER；　1757；〃



a　simple　but　poetical　epitaph；　which　Wordsworth　himself　might　have

written。



The　widow　had　a　long　and　hard　struggle　with　the　world　before　her；

but　she　encountered　it　bravely。　　She　had　her　boy　to　work　for；　and；

destitute　though　she　was；　she　had　him　to　educate。　　She　was　helped；

as　the　poor　so　often　are；　by　those　of　her　own　condition；　and　there

is　no　sense　of　degradation　in　receiving　such　help。　　One　of　the

risks　of　benevolence　is　its　tendency　to　lower　the　recipient　to　the

condition　of　an　alms…taker。　　Doles　from　poor's…boxes　have　this

enfeebling　effect；　but　a　poor　neighbour　giving　a　destitute　widow　a

help　in　her　time　of　need　is　felt　to　be　a　friendly　act；　and　is　alike

elevating　to　the　character　of　both。　　Though　misery　such　as　is

witnessed　in　large　towns　was　quite　unknown　in　the　valley；　there　was

poverty；　but　it　was　honest　as　well　as　hopeful；　and　none　felt

ashamed　of　it。　　The　farmers　of　the　dale　were　very　primitive*＇4＇

in　their　manners　and　habits；　and　being　a　warm…hearted；　though　by　no

means　a　demonstrative　race；　they　were　kind　to　the　widow　and　her

fatherless　boy。　　They　took　him　by　turns　to　live　with　them　at　their

houses；　and　gave　his　mother　occasional　employment。　　In　summer　she

milked　the　ewes　and　made　hay；　and　in　harvest　she　went　a…shearing；

contriving　not　only　to　live；　but　to　be　cheerful。



The　house　to　which　the　widow　and　her　son　removed　at　the　Whitsuntide

following　the　death　of　her　husband　was　at　a　place　called　The　Crooks；

about　midway　between　Glendinning　and　Westerkirk。　　It　was　a　thatched

cot…house；　with　two　ends；　in　one　of　which　lived　Janet　Telford

（more　commonly　known　by　her　own　name　of　Janet　Jackson）　and　her　son

Tom；　and　in　the　other　her　neighbour　Elliot；　one　door　being　common　to

both。



＇Image＇　Cottage　at　the　Crooks。



Young　Telford　grew　up　a　healthy　boy；　and　he　was　so　full　of　fun　and

humour　that　he　became　known　in　the　valley　by　the　name　of　〃Laughing

Tam。〃　　When　he　was　old　enough　to　herd　sheep　he　went　to　live　with　a

relative；　a　shepherd　like　his　father；　and　he　spent　most　of　his　time

with　him　in　summer　on　the　hill…side　amidst　the　silence　of　nature。

In　winter　he　lived　with　one　or　other　of　the　neighbouring　farmers。

He　herded　their　cows　or　ran　errands；　receiving　for　recompense　his

meat；　a　pair　of　stockings；　and　five　shillings　a　year　for　clogs。

These　were　his　first　wages；　and　as　he　grew　older　they　were

gradually　increased。



But　Tom　must　now　be　put　to　school；　and；　happily；　small　though　the

parish　of　Westerkirk　was；　it　possessed　the　advantage　of　that

admirable　institution；