the life of thomas telford-第30节

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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　behind　it。　　Then；　as　knowledge　is　my　most　ardent　pursuit；　a

thousand　things　occur　which　call　for　investigation　which　would

pass　unnoticed　by　those　who　are　content　to　trudge　only　in　the

beaten　path。　　I　am　not　contented　unless　I　can　give　a　reason　for

every　particular　method　or　practice　which　is　pursued。　　Hence　I　am

now　very　deep　in　chemistry。　　The　mode　of　making　mortar　in　the　best

way　led　me　to　inquire　into　the　nature　of　lime。　　Having；　in　pursuit

of　this　inquiry；　looked　into　some　books　on　chemistry；　I　perceived

the　field　was　boundless；　but　that　to　assign　satisfactory　reasons

for　many　mechanical　processes　required　a　general　knowledge　of　that

science。　　I　have　therefore　borrowed　a　MS。　copy　of　Dr。　Black's

Lectures。　　I　have　bought　his　'Experiments　on　Magnesia　and

Quicklime；'　and　also　Fourcroy's　Lectures；　translated　from　the

French　by　one　Mr。　Elliot；　of　Edinburgh。　　And　I　am　determined　to

study　the　subject　with　unwearied　attention　until　I　attain　some

accurate　knowledge　of　chemistry；　which　is　of　no　less　use　in　the

practice　of　the　arts　than　it　is　in　that　of　medicine。〃　　He　adds；　that

he　continues　to　receive　the　cordial　approval　of　the　Commissioners

for　the　manner　in　which　he　performs　his　duties；　and　says；　〃I　take

care　to　be　so　far　master　of　the　business　committed　to　me　as　that

none　shall　be　able　to　eclipse　me　in　that　respect。〃*＇6＇　　At　the　same

time　he　states　he　is　taking　great　delight　in　Freemasonry；　and　is

about　to　have　a　lodge…room　at　the　George　Inn　fitted　up　after　his

plans　and　under　his　direction。　　Nor　does　he　forget　to　add　that　he

has　his　hair　powdered　every　day；　and　puts　on　a　clean　shirt　three

times　a　week。



The　Eskdale　mason　was　evidently　getting　on；　as　he　deserved　to　do。

But　he　was　not　puffed　up。　　To　his　Langholm　friend　he　averred　that

〃he　would　rather　have　it　said　of　him　that　he　possessed　one　grain　of

good　nature　or　good　sense　than　shine　the　finest　puppet　in

Christendom。〃　　〃Let　my　mother　know　that　I　am　well；〃　he　wrote　to

Andrew　Little；　〃and　that　I　will　print　her　a　letter　soon。〃*＇7＇

For　it　was　a　practice　of　this　good　son；　down　to　the　period　of　his

mother's　death；　no　matter　how　much　burdened　he　was　with　business；

to　set　apart　occasional　times　for　the　careful　penning　of　a　letter

in　printed　characters；　that　she　might　the　more　easily　be　able　to

decipher　it　with　her　old　and　dimmed　eyes　by　her　cottage　fireside　at

The　Crooks。　　As　a　man's　real　disposition　usually　displays　itself

most　strikingly　in　small　matterslike　light；　which　gleams　the

most　brightly　when　seen　through　narrow　chinksit　will　probably

be　admitted　that　this　trait；　trifling　though　it　may　appear；　was

truly　characteristic　of　the　simple　and　affectionate　nature　of　the

hero　of　our　story。



The　buildings　at　Portsmouth　were　finished　by　the　end　of　1786；　when

Telford's　duties　there　being　at　an　end；　and　having　no　engagement

beyond　the　termination　of　the　contract；　he　prepared　to　leave；　and

began　to　look　about　him　for　other　employment。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　III。



*＇1＇　Robert　and　John　Adam　were　architects　of　considerable　repute　in

their　day。　　Among　their　London　erections　were　the　Adelphi　Buildings；

in　the　Strand；　Lansdowne　House；　in　Berkeley　Square；　Caen　Wood

House；　near　Hampstead　（Lord　Mansfield's）；　Portland　Place；　Regent's

Park；　and　numerous　West　End　streets　and　mansions。　　The　screen　of　the

Admiralty　and　the　ornaments　of　Draper's　Hall　were　also　designed　by

them。



*＇2＇　Long　after　Telford　had　become　famous；　he　was　passing　over

Waterloo　Bridge　one　day　with　a　friend；　when；　pointing　to　some

finely…cut　stones　in　the　corner　nearest　the　bridge；　he　said：

〃You　see　those　stones　there；　forty　years　since　I　hewed　and　laid　them；

when　working　on　that　building　as　a　common　mason。〃



*＇3＇Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　London；　July；　1783。



*＇4＇　Mr。；　afterwards　Sir　William；　Pulteney；　was　the　second　son　of

Sir　James　Johnstone；　of　Wester　Hall；　and　assumed　the　name　of

Pulteney；　on　his　marriage　to　Miss　Pulteney；　niece　of　the　Earl　of

Bath　and　of　General　Pulteney；　by　whom　he　succeeded　to　a　large

fortune。　　He　afterwards　succeeded　to　the　baronetcy　of　his　elder

brother　James；　who　died　without　issue　in　1797。　　Sir　William　Pulteney

represented　Cromarty；　and　afterwards　Shrewsbury；　where　he　usually

resided；　in　seven　successive　Parliaments。　　He　was　a　great　patron　of

Telford's；　as　we　shall　afterwards　find。



*＇5＇　Letter　to　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Portsmouth；　July　23rd；

1784。



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Mr。　Andrew　Little；　Langholm；　dated　Portsmouth

Dockyard；　Feb。　1；　1786。



*＇7＇　Ibid





CHAPTER　IV。



BECOMES　SURVEYOR　FOR　THE　COUNTY　OF　SALOP。



Mr。　Pulteney；　member　for　Shrewsbury；　was　the　owner　of　extensive

estates　in　that　neighbourhood　by　virtue　of　his　marriage　with　the

niece　of　the　last　Earl　of　Bath。　　Having　resolved　to　fit　up　the

Castle　there　as　a　residence；　he　bethought　him　of　the　young　Eskdale

mason；　who　had；　some　years　before；　advised　him　as　to　the　repairs　of

the　Johnstone　mansion　at　Wester　Hall。　　Telford　was　soon　found；　and

engaged　to　go　down　to　Shrewsbury　to　superintend　the　necessary

alterations。　　Their　execution　occupied　his　attention　for　some　time；

and　during　their　progress　he　was　so　fortunate　as　to　obtain　the

appointment　of　Surveyor　of　Public　Works　for　the　county　of　Salop；

most　probably　through　the　influence　of　his　patron。　　Indeed；　Telford

was　known　to　be　so　great　a　favourite　with　Mr。　Pulteney　that　at

Shrewsbury　he　usually　went　by　the　name　of　〃Young　Pulteney。〃



Much　of　his　attention　was　from　this　time　occupied　with　the　surveys

and　repairs　of　roads；　bridges；　and　gaols；　and　the　supervision　of

all　public　buildings　under　the　control　of　the　magistrates　of　the

county。　　He　was　also　frequently　called　upon　by　the　corporation　of

the　borough　of　Shrewsbury　to　furnish　plans　for　the　improvement　of

the　streets　and　buildings　of　that　fine　old　town；　and　many

alterations　were　carried　out　under　his　direction　during　the　period

of　his　residence　there。



While　the　Castle　repairs　were　in　course　of　execution；　Telford　was

called　upon　by　the　justices　to　superintend　the　erection　of　a　new

gaol；　the　plans　for　which　had　already　been　prepared　and　settled。

The　benevolent　Howard；　who　devoted　himself　with　such　zeal　to　gaol

improvement；　on　hearing　of　the　intentions　of　the　magistrates；　made

a　visit　to　Shrewsbury　for　the　purpose　of　examining　the　plans；　and

the　circumstance　is　thus　adverted　to　by　Telford　in　one　of　his

letters　to　his　Eskdale　correspondent：〃About　ten　days　ago　I　had　a

visit　from　the　celebrated　John　Howard；　Esq。　　I　say　I；　for　he　was　on

his　tour　of　gaols　and　infirmaries；　and　those　of　Shrewsbury　being

both　under　my　direction；　this　was；　of　course；　the　cause　of　my　being

thus　distinguished。　　I　accompanied　him　through　the　infirmary　and　the

gaol。　　I　showed　him　the　plans　of　the　proposed　new　buildings；　and　had

much　conversation　with　him　on　both　subjects。　　In　consequence　of　his

suggestions　as　to　the　former；　I　have　revised　and　amended　the　plans；

so　as　to　carry　out　a　thorough　reformation；　and　my　alterations

having　been　approved　by　a　general　board；　they　have　been　referred　to

a　committee　to　carry　out。　　Mr。　Howard　also　took　objection　to　the

plan　of　the　proposed　gaol；　and　requested　me　to　inform　the

magistrates　that；　in　his　opinion；　the　interior　courts　were　too

small；　and　not　sufficiently　ventilated；　and　the　magistrates；　having

approved　his　suggestions；　ordered　the　plans　to　be　amended

accordingly。　　You　may　easily　conceive　how　I　enjoyed　the　conversation

of　this　truly　good　man；　and　how　much　I　would　strive　to　possess　his

good　opinion。　　I　regard　him　as　the　guardian　angel　of　the　miserable。

He　travels　into　all　parts　of　Europe　with　the　sole　object　of　doing

good；　merely　for　its　own　sake；　and　not　for　the　sake　of　men's　praise。

To　give　an　instance　of　his　delicacy；　and　his　desire　to　avoid　public

notice；　I　may　mention　that；　being　a　Presbyterian；　he　attended　the

meeting…house　of　that　denomination　in　Shrewsbury　on　Sunday　morning；

on　which　occasion　I　accompanied　him；　but　in　the　afternoon　he

expressed　a　wish　to　attend　another　place　of　worship；　his　presence

in　the　town　having　excited　considerable　curiosity；　though　his　wish

was　to　avoid　public　recognition。　　Nay；　more；　he　assures　me　that　he

hates　travelling；　and　was　born　to　be　a　domestic　man。　　He　never　sees

his　country…house　but　he　says　within　himself；　'Oh！　might　I　but　rest

here；　and　never　more　travel　three　miles　from　home；　then　should　I　be

happy　indeed！'　But　he　has　become　so　committed；　and　so　pledged

himself　to　his　own　conscience　to　carry　out　his　great　work；　that　he

says　he　is　doubtful　whether　he　will　ever　be　able　to　attain　the

desire　of　his　heartlife　at　home。　　He　never　dines　out；　and　scarcely

takes　time　to　dine　at　all：　he　says　he　is　growing　old；　and　has　no

time　to　lose。　　His　manner　is　simplicity　itself。　　Indeed；　I　have

never　yet　met　so　n