the life of thomas telford-第31节

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

never　yet　met　so　noble　a　being。　　He　is　going　abroad　again　shortly

on　one　of　his　long　tours　of　mercy。〃*＇1＇　　The　journey　to　which

Telford　here　refers　was　Howard's　last。　　In　the　　following　year　he

left　England　to　return　no　more；　and　the　great　and　　good　man　died　at

Cherson；　on　the　shores　of　the　Black　Sea；　less　than　two　years　after

his　interview　with　the　young　engineer　at　Shrewsbury。



Telford　writes　to　his　Langholm　friend　at　the　same　time　that　he　is

working　very　hard；　and　studying　to　improve　himself　in　branches　of

knowledge　in　which　he　feels　himself　deficient。　　He　is　practising

very　temperate　habits：　for　half　a　year　past　he　has　taken　to

drinking　water　only；　avoiding　all　sweets；　and　eating　no

〃nick…nacks。〃　　He　has　〃sowens　and　milk；'　（oatmeal　flummery）　every

night　for　his　supper。　　His　friend　having　asked　his　opinion　of

politics；　he　says　he　really　knows　nothing　about　them；　he　had　been

so　completely　engrossed　by　his　own　business　that　he　has　not　had

time　to　read　even　a　newspaper。　　But；　though　an　ignoramus　in

politics；　he　has　been　studying　lime；　which　is　more　to　his　purpose。

If　his　friend　can　give　him　any　information　about　that；　he　will

promise　to　read　a　newspaper　now　and　then　in　the　ensuing　session　of

Parliament；　for　the　purpose　of　forming　some　opinion　of　politics：

he　adds；　however；　〃not　if　it　interfere　with　my　businessmind　that！'；

His　friend　told　him　that　he　proposed　translating　a　system　of

chemistry。　　〃Now　you　know；〃　wrote　Telford；　〃that　I　am　chemistry　mad；

and　if　I　were　near　you；　I　would　make　you　promise　to　communicate　any

information　on　the　subject　that　you　thought　would　be　of　service　to

your　friend；　especially　about　calcareous　matters　and　the　mode　of

forming　the　best　composition　for　building　with；　as　well　above　as

below　water。　　But　not　to　be　confined　to　that　alone；　for　you　must

know　I　have　a　book　for　the　pocket；*＇2＇　which　I　always　carry　with　me；

into　which　I　have　extracted　the　essence　of　Fourcroy's　Lectures；

Black　on　Quicklime；　Scheele's　Essays；　Watson's　Essays；　and　various

points　from　the　letters　of　my　respected　friend　Dr。　Irving。*＇3＇

So　much　for　chemistry。　　But　I　have　also　crammed　into　it　facts

relating　to　mechanics；　hydrostatics；　pneumatics；　and　all　manner　of

stuff；　to　which　I　keep　continually　adding；　and　it　will　be　a　charity

to　me　if　you　will　kindly　contribute　your　mite。〃*＇4＇　　He　says　it

has　been；　and　will　continue　to　be；　his　aim　to　endeavour　to　unite

those　〃two　frequently　jarring　pursuits；　literature　and　business；〃

and　he　does　not　see　why　a　man　should　be　less　efficient　in　the

latter　capacity　because　he　has　well　informed；　stored；　and　humanized

his　mind　by　the　cultivation　of　letters。　　There　was　both　good　sense

and　sound　practical　wisdom　in　this　view　of　Telford。



While　the　gaol　was　in　course　of　erection；　after　the　improved　plans

suggested　by　Howard；　a　variety　of　important　matters　occupied　the

county　surveyor's　attention。　　During　the　summer　of　1788　he　says　he

is　very　much　occupied；　having　about　ten　different　jobs　on　hand：

roads；　bridges；　streets；　drainage…works；　gaol；　and　infirmary。

Yet　he　had　time　to　write　verses；　copies　of　which　he　forwarded　to　his

Eskdale　correspondent；　inviting　his　criticism。　　Several　of　these

were　elegiac　lines；　somewhat　exaggerated　in　their　praises　of　the

deceased；　though　doubtless　sincere。　　One　poem　was　in　memory　of

George　Johnstone；　Esq。；　a　member　of　the　Wester　Hall　family；　and

another　on　the　death　of　William　Telford；　an　Eskdale　farmer's　son；

an　intimate　friend　and　schoolfellow　of　our　engineer。*＇5＇　　These；

however；　were　but　the　votive　offerings　of　private　friendship；

persons　more　immediately　about　him　knowing　nothing　of　his　stolen

pleasures　in　versemaking。　He　continued　to　be　shy　of　strangers；

and　was　very　〃nice；〃　as　he　calls　it；　as　to　those　whom　he　admitted

to　his　bosom。



Two　circumstances　of　considerable　interest　occurred　in　the　course

of　the　same　year　（1788）；　which　are　worthy　of　passing　notice。

The　one　was　the　fall　of　the　church　of　St。　Chad's；　at　Shrewsbury；

the　other　was　the　discovery　of　the　ruins　of　the　Roman　city　of

Uriconium；　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood。　　The　church　of　St。　Chad's

was　about　four　centuries　old；　and　stood　greatly　in　need　of　repairs。

The　roof　let　in　the　rain　upon　the　congregation；　and　the　parish

vestry　met　to　settle　the　plans　for　mending　it；　but　they　could　not

agree　about　the　mode　of　procedure。　　In　this　emergency　Telford　was

sent　for；　and　requested　to　advise　what　was　best　to　he　done。　　After　a

rapid　glance　at　the　interior；　which　was　in　an　exceedingly　dangerous

state；　he　said　to　the　churchwardens；　〃Gentlemen；　we'll　consult

together　on　the　outside；　if　you　please。〃　　He　found　that　not　only　the

roof　but　the　walls　of　the　church　were　in　a　most　decayed　state。

It　appeared　that；　in　consequence　of　graves　having　been　dug　in　the

loose　soil　close　to　the　shallow　foundation　of　the　north…west　pillar

of　the　tower；　it　had　sunk　so　as　to　endanger　the　whole　structure。

〃I　discovered；〃　says　he；　〃that　there　were　large　fractures　in　the

walls；　on　tracing　which　I　found　that　the　old　building　was　in　a　most

shattered　and　decrepit　condition；　though　until　then　it　had　been

scarcely　noticed。　　Upon　this　I　declined　giving　any　recommendation　as

to　the　repairs　of　the　roof　unless　they　would　come　to　the　resolution

to　secure　the　more　essential　parts；　as　the　fabric　appeared　to　me

to　be　in　a　very　alarming　condition。　　I　sent　in　a　written　report　to

the　same　effect。〃　*＇6＇



The　parish　vestry　again　met；　and　the　report　was　read；　but　the

meeting　exclaimed　against　so　extensive　a　proposal；　imputing　mere

motives　of　self…interest　to　the　surveyor。　　〃Popular　clamour；〃　says

Telford；　〃overcame　my　report。　　'These　fractures；'　exclaimed　the

vestrymen；　'have　been　there　from　time　immemorial；'　and　there　were

some　otherwise　sensible　persons；　who　remarked　that　professional　men

always　wanted　to　carve　out　employment　for　themselves；　and　that　the

whole　of　the　necessary　repairs　could　be　done　at　a　comparatively

small　expense。〃*＇7＇　　The　vestry　then　called　in　another　person；

a　mason　of　the　town；　and　directed　him　to　cut　away　the　injured　part

of　a　particular　pillar；　in　order　to　underbuild　it。　　On　the　second

evening　after　the　commencement　of　the　operations；　the　sexton　was

alarmed　by　a　fail　of　lime…dust　and　mortar　when　he　attempted　to　toll

the　great　bell；　on　which　he　immediately　desisted　and　left　the

church。　　Early　next　morning　（on　the　9th　of　July）；　while　the　workmen

were　waiting　at　the　church　door　for　the　key；　the　bell　struck　four；

and　the　vibration　at　once　brought　down　the　tower；　which　overwhelmed

the　nave；　demolishing　all　the　pillars　along　the　north　side；　and

shattering　the　rest。　　〃The　very　parts　I　had　pointed　out；〃　says

Telford；　〃were　those　which　gave　way；　and　down　tumbled　the　tower；

forming　a　very　remarkable　ruin；　which　astonished　and　surprised　the

vestry；　and　roused　them　from　their　infatuation；　though　they　have

not　yet　recovered　from　the　shock。〃*＇8＇



The　other　circumstance　to　which　we　have　above　referred　was　the

discovery　of　the　Roman　city　of　Uriconium；　near　Wroxeter；　about　five

miles　from　Shrewsbury；　in　the　year　1788。　　The　situation　of　the　place

is　extremely　beautiful；　the　river　Severn　flowing　along　its　western

margin；　and　forming　a　barrier　against　what　were　once　the　hostile

districts　of　West　Britain。　　For　many　centuries　the　dead　city　had

slept　under　the　irregular　mounds　of　earth　which　covered　it；　like

those　of　Mossul　and　Nineveh。　　Farmers　raised　heavy　crops　of　turnips

and　grain　from　the　surface　and　they　scarcely　ever　ploughed　or

harrowed　the　ground　without　turning　up　Roman　coins　or　pieces　of

pottery。　　They　also　observed　that　in　certain　places　the　corn　was

more　apt　to　be　scorched　in　dry　weather　than　in　othersa　sure　sign

to　them　that　there　were　ruins　underneath；　and　their　practice；　when

they　wished　to　find　stones　for　building；　was　to　set　a　mark　upon　the

scorched　places　when　the　corn　was　on　the　ground；　and　after　harvest

to　dig　down；　sure　of　finding　the　store　of　stones　which　they　wanted

for　walls；　cottages；　or　farm…houses。　　In　fact；　the　place　came　to　be

regarded　in　the　light　of　a　quarry；　rich　in　ready…worked　materials

for　building　purposes。　　A　quantity　of　stone　being　wanted　for　the

purpose　of　erecting　a　blacksmith's　shop；　on　digging　down　upon　one

of　the　marked　places；　the　labourers　came　upon　some　ancient　works　of

a　more　perfect　appearance　than　usual。　　Curiosity　was　excited

antiquarians　made　their　way　to　the　spotand　lo！　they　pronounced

the　ruins　to　be　neither　more　nor　less　than　a　Roman　bath；　in　a

remarkably　perfect　state　of　preservation。　　Mr。　Telford　was　requested

to　apply　to　Mr。　Pulteney；　the　lord　of　the　manor；　to　prevent　the

destruction　of　these　interesting　remains；　and　also　to　permit　the

excavations　to　proceed；　with　a　view　to　the　buildings　being

completely　explored。　　This　was　readily　granted；　and　Mr。　Pulteney

authorised　Telford　himself　to　conduct　the　necessary　excavations　at

his　expe