the life of thomas telford-第29节

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uncle　of　the　Malcolms。　　Miss　Pasley　requested　his　influence　on

behalf　of　the　young　mason　from　Eskdale；　the　bearer　of　the　letter。

Mr。　Pasley　received　his　countryman　kindly；　and　furnished　him　with

letters　of　introduction　to　Sir　William　Chambers；　the　architect　of

Somerset　House；　then　in　course　of　erection。　　It　was　the　finest

architectural　work　in　progress　in　the　metropolis；　and　Telford；

desirous　of　improving　himself　by　experience　of　the　best　kind；

wished　to　be　employed　upon　it。　　He　did　not；　indeed；　need　any

influence　to　obtain　work　there；　for　good　hewers　were　in　demand；　but

our　mason　thought　it　well　to　make　sure；　and　accordingly　provided

himself　beforehand　with　the　letter　of　introduction　to　the　architect。

He　was　employed　immediately；　and　set　to　work　among　the　hewers；

receiving　the　usual　wages　for　his　labour。



Mr。　Pasley　also　furnished　him　with　a　letter　to　Mr。　Robert　Adam；*＇1＇

another　distinguished　architect　of　the　time；　and　Telford　seems　to

have　been　much　gratified　by　the　civility　which　he　receives　from

him。　　Sir　William　Chambers　he　found　haughty　and　reserved；　probably

being　too　much　occupied　to　bestow　attention　on　the　Somerset　House

hewer；　while　he　found　Adam　to　be　affable　and　communicative。

〃Although　I　derived　no　direct　advantage　from　either；〃　Telford　says；

〃yet　so　powerful　is　manner；　that　the　latter　left　the　most

favourable　impression；　while　the　interviews　with　both　convinced　me

that　my　safest　plan　was　to　endeavour　to　advance；　if　by　slower　steps；

yet　by　independent　conduct。〃



There　was　a　good　deal　of　fine　hewer's　work　about　Somerset　House；

and　from　the　first　Telford　aimed　at　taking　the　highest　place　as　an

artist　and　tradesman　in　that　line。*＇2＇　　Diligence；　carefulness；

and　observation　will　always　carry　a　man　onward　and　upward；　and　before

long　we　find　that　Telford　had　succeeded　in　advancing　himself　to　the

rank　of　a　first…class　mason。　　Judging　from　his　letters　written　about

this　time　to　his　friends　in　Eskdale；　he　seems　to　have　been　very

cheerful　and　happy；　and　his　greatest　pleasure　was　in　calling　up

recollections　of　his　native　valley。　　He　was　full　of　kind　remembrances

for　everybody。　　〃How　is　Andrew；　and　Sandy；　and　Aleck；　and　Davie？〃

he　would　say；　and　〃remember　me　to　all　the　folk　of　the　nook。〃

He　seems　to　have　made　a　round　of　the　persons　from　Eskdale　in　or　about

London　before　he　wrote；　as　his　letters　were　full　of　messages　from

them　to　their　friends　at　home；　for　in　those　days　postage　was　dear；

and　as　much　as　possible　was　necessarily　packed　within　the　compass

of　a　working　man's　letter。　　In　one；　written　after　more　than　a

year's　absence；　he　said　he　envied　the　visit　which　a　young　surgeon

of　his　acquaintance　was　about　to　pay　to　the　valley；　〃for　the

meeting　of　long　absent　friends；〃　he　added；　〃is　a　pleasure　to　be

equalled　by　few　other　enjoyments　here　below。〃



He　had　now　been　more　than　a　year　in　London；　during　which　he　had

acquired　much　practical　information　both　in　the　useful　and

ornamental　branches　of　architecture。　　Was　he　to　go　on　as　a　working

mason？　or　what　was　to　be　his　next　move？　He　had　been　quietly　making

his　observations　upon　his　companions；　and　had　come　to　the

conclusion　that　they　very　much　wanted　spirit；　and；　more　than　all；

forethought。　　He　found　very　clever　workmen　about　him　with　no　idea

whatever　beyond　their　week's　wages。　　For　these　they　would　make　every

effort：　they　would　work　hard；　exert　themselves　to　keep　their

earnings　up　to　the　highest　point；　and　very　readily　〃strike〃　to

secure　an　advance；　but　as　for　making　a　provision　for　the　next　week；

or　the　next　year；　he　thought　them　exceedingly　thoughtless。　　On　the

Monday　mornings　they　began　〃clean；〃　and　on　Saturdays　their　week's

earnings　were　spent。　　Thus　they　lived　from　one　week　to　another

their　limited　notion　of　〃the　week〃　seeming　to　bound　their　existence。



Telford；　on　the　other　hand；　looked　upon　the　week　as　only　one　of　the

storeys　of　a　building；　and　upon　the　succession　of　weeks；　running　on

through　years；　he　thought　that　the　complete　life　structure　should

be　built　up。　　He　thus　describes　one　of　the　best　of　his　fellow…workmen

at　that　timethe　only　individual　he　had　formed　an　intimacy　with：

〃He　has　been　six　years　at　Somerset　House；　and　is　esteemed　the

finest　workman　in　London；　and　consequently　in　England。　　He　works

equally　in　stone　and　marble。　　He　has　excelled　the　professed　carvers

in　cutting　Corinthian　capitals　and　other　ornaments　about　this

edifice；　many　of　which　will　stand　as　a　monument　to　his　honour。

He　understands　drawing　thoroughly；　and　the　master　he　works　under

looks　on　him　as　the　principal　support　of　his　business。　　This　man；

whose　name　is　Mr。　Hatton；　may　be　half　a　dozen　years　older　than

myself　at　most。　　He　is　honesty　and　good　nature　itself；　and　is

adored　by　both　his　master　and　fellow…workmen。　Notwithstanding　his

extraordinary　skill　and　abilities；　he　has　been　working　all　this

time　as　a　common　journeyman；　contented　with　a　few　shillings　a　week

more　than　the　rest；　but　I　believe　your　uneasy　friend　has　kindled　a

spark　in　his　breast　that　he　never　felt　before。〃　*＇3＇



In　fact；　Telford　had　formed　the　intention　of　inducing　this

admirable　fellow　to　join　him　in　commencing　business　as　builders　on

their　own　account。　　〃There　is　nothing　done　in　stone　or　marble；〃　he

says；　〃that　we　cannot　do　in　the　completest　manner。〃　　Mr。　Robert　Adam；

to　whom　the　scheme　was　mentioned；　promised　his　support；　and　said　he

would　do　all　in　his　power　to　recommend　them。　　But　the　great

difficulty　was　money；　which　neither　of　them　possessed；　and　Telford；

with　grief；　admitting　that　this　was　an　〃insuperable　bar；〃　went　no

further　with　the　scheme。



About　this　time　Telford　was　consulted　by　Mr。　Pulteney*＇4＇

respecting　the　alterations　making　in　the　mansion　at　Wester　Hall；

and　was　often　with　him　on　this　business。　　We　find　him　also　writing

down　to　Langholm　for　the　prices　of　roofing；　masonry；　and　timber…work；

with　a　view　to　preparing　estimates　for　a　friend　who　was　building　a

house　in　that　neighbourhood。　　Although　determined　to　reach　the

highest　excellence　as　a　manual　worker；　it　is　clear　that　he　was

already　aspiring　to　be　something　more。　　Indeed；　his　steadiness；

perseverance；　and　general　ability；　pointed　him　out　as　one　well

worthy　of　promotion。



How　he　achieved　his　next　step　we　are　not　informed；　but　we　find　him；

in　July；　1784；　engaged　in　superintending　the　erection　of　a　house；

after　a　design　by　Mr。　Samuel　Wyatt；　intended　for　the　residence　of

the　Commissioner　（now　occupied　by　the　Port　Admiral）　at　Portsmouth

Dockyard；　together　with　a　new　chapel；　and　several　buildings

connected　with　the　Yard。　　Telford　took　care　to　keep　his　eyes　open　to

all　the　other　works　going　forward　in　the　neighbourhood；　and　he

states　that　he　had　frequent　opportunities　of　observing　the　various

operations　necessary　in　the　foundation　and　construction　of

graving…docks；　wharf…walls；　and　such　like；　which　were　among　the

principal　occupations　of　his　after…life。



The　letters　written　by　him　from　Portsmouth　to　his　Eskdale

correspondents　about　this　time　were　cheerful　and　hopeful；　like

those　he　had　sent　from　London。　　His　principal　grievance　was　that　he

received　so　few　from　home；　but　he　supposed　that　opportunities　for

forwarding　them　by　hand　had　not　occurred；　postage　being　so　dear　as

scarcely　then　to　be　thought　of。　　To　tempt　them　to　correspondence　he

sent　copies　of　the　poems　which　he　still　continued　to　compose　in　the

leisure　of　his　evenings：　one　of　these　was　a　'Poem　on　Portsdown　Hill。'

As　for　himself；　he　was　doing　very　well。　　The　buildings　were

advancing　satisfactorily；　but；　〃above　all；〃　said　he；　〃my　proceedings

are　entirely　approved　by　the　Commissioners　and　officers　here

so　much　so　that　they　would　sooner　go　by　my　advice　than　my　master's；

which　is　a　dangerous　point；　being　difficult　to　keep　their　good

graces　as　well　as　his。　　However；　I　will　contrive　to　manage　it〃*＇5＇



The　following　is　his　own　account　of　the　manner　in　which　he　was

usually　occupied　during　the　winter　months　while　at　Portsmouth　Dock：

〃I　rise　in　the　morning　at　7　（February　1st）；　and　will　get　up

earlier　as　the　days　lengthen　until　it　come　to　5　o'clock。

I　immediately　set　to　work　to　make　out　accounts；　write　on　matters　of

business；　or　draw；　until　breakfast；　which　is　at　9。　　Then　I　go　into

the　Yard　about　10；　see　that　all　are　at　their　posts；　and　am　ready　to

advise　about　any　matters　that　may　require　attention。　　This；　and

going　round　the　several　works；　occupies　until　about　dinner…time；

which　is　at　2；　and　after　that　I　again　go　round　and　attend　to　what

may　be　wanted。　　I　draw　till　5；　then　tea；　and　after　that　I　write；

draw；　or　read　until　half　after　9；　then　comes　supper　and　bed。　　This

my　ordinary　round；　unless　when　I　dine　or　spend　an　evening　with　a

friend；　but　I　do　not　make　many　friends；　being　very　particular；　nay；

nice　to　a　degree。　　My　business　requires　a　great　deal　of　writing　and

drawing；　and　this　work　I　always　take　care　to　keep　under　by

reserving　my　time　for　it；　and　being　in　advance　of　my　work　rather

than