the life of thomas telford-第37节

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dear　Eskdale；　and　the　many　friends　he　had　left　there；　but　more

especially　to　see　his　infirm　mother；　who　had　descended　far　into　the

vale　of　years；　and　longed　to　see　her　son　once　more　before　she　died。

He　had　taken　constant　care　that　she　should　want　for　nothing。

She　formed　the　burden　of　many　of　his　letters　to　Andrew　Little。

〃Your　kindness　in　visiting　and　paying　so　much　attention　to　her；〃

said　he；　〃is　doing　me　the　greatest　favour　which　you　could　possibly

confer　upon　me。〃　　He　sent　his　friend　frequent　sums　of　money；　which

he　requested　him　to　lay　out　in　providing　sundry　little　comforts　for

his　mother；　who　seems　to　have　carried　her　spirit　of　independence　so

far　as　to　have　expressed　reluctance　to　accept　money　even　from　her

own　son。　　〃I　must　request；〃　said　he；　〃that　you　will　purchase　and

send　up　what　things　may　be　likely　to　be　wanted；　either　for　her　or

the　person　who　may　be　with　her；　as　her　habits　of　economy　will

prevent　her　from　getting　plenty　of　everything；　especially　as　she

thinks　that　I　have　to　pay　for　it；　which　really　hurts　me　more　than

anything　else。〃*＇7＇　　Though　anxious　to　pay　his　intended　visit；　he

was　so　occupied　with　one　urgent　matter　of　business　and　another　that

he　feared　it　would　be　November　before　he　could　set　out。　　He　had　to

prepare　a　general　statement　as　to　the　navigation　affairs　for　a

meeting　of　the　committee；　he　must　attend　the　approaching　Salop

quarter　sessions；　and　after　that　a　general　meeting　of　the　Canal

Company；　so　that　his　visit　must　be　postponed　for　yet　another　month。

〃Indeed；〃　said　he；　〃I　am　rather　distressed　at　the　thoughts　of

running　down　to　see　a　kind　parent　in　the　last　stage　of　decay；　on

whom　I　can　only　bestow　an　affectionate　look；　and　then　leave　her：

her　mind　will　not　be　much　consoled　by　this　parting；　and　the

impression　left　upon　mine　will　be　more　lasting；　than　pleasant。〃*＇8＇



He　did；　however；　contrive　to　run　down　to　Eskdale　in　the　following

November。　　His　mother　was　alive；　but　that　was　all。　　After　doing　what

he　could　for　her　comfort；　and　providing　that　all　her　little　wants

were　properly　attended　to；　he　hastened　back　to　his　responsible

duties　in　connection　with　the　Ellesmere　Canal。　　When　at　Langholm；

he　called　upon　his　former　friends　to　recount　with　them　the　incidents

of　their　youth。　　He　was　declared　to　be　the　same　〃canty〃　fellow　as

ever；　and；　though　he　had　risen　greatly　in　the　world；　he　was　〃not　a

bit　set　up。〃　　He　found　one　of　his　old　fellow　workmen；　Frank　Beattie；

become　the　principal　innkeeper　of　the　place。　　〃What　have　you　made　of

your　mell　and　chisels？〃　asked　Telford。　　〃Oh！〃　replied　Beattie；

〃they　are　all　dispersedperhaps　lost。〃　　〃I　have　taken　better　care

of　mine；〃　said　Telford；　〃I　have　them　all　locked　up　in　a　room　at

Shrewsbury；　as　well　as　my　old　working　clothes　and　leather　apron：

you　know　one　can　never　tell　what　may　happen。〃



He　was　surprised；　as　most　people　are　who　visit　the　scenes　of　their

youth　after　a　long　absence；　to　see　into　what　small　dimensions

Langholm　had　shrunk。　　That　High　Street；　which　before　had　seemed　so

big；　and　that　frowning　gaol　and　court…house　in　the　Market　Place；

were　now　comparatively　paltry　to　eyes　that　had　been　familiar　with

Shrewsbury；　Portsmouth；　and　London。　　But　he　was　charmed；　as　ever；

with　the　sight　of　the　heather　hills　and　the　narrow　winding　valley



　　　〃Where　deep　and　low　the　hamlets　lie

　　　　Beneath　their　little　patch　of　sky；

　　　　And　little　lot　of　stars。〃



On　his　return　southward；　he　was　again　delighted　by　the　sight　of　old

Gilnockie　Castle　and　the　surrounding　scenery。　　As　he　afterwards

wrote　to　his　friend　Little；　〃Broomholm　was　in　all　his　glory。〃

Probably　one　of　the　results　of　this　visit　was　the　revision　of　the

poem　of　'Eskdale；'　which　he　undertook　in　the　course　of　the

following　spring；　putting　in　some　fresh　touches　and　adding　many　new

lines；　whereby　the　effect　of　the　whole　was　considerably　improved。

He　had　the　poem　printed　privately；　merely　for　distribution　amongst

friends；　being　careful；〃　as　he　said；　that　〃no　copies　should　be

smuggled　and　sold。〃



Later　in　the　year　we　find　him；　on　his　way　to　London　on　business；

sparing　a　day　or　two　for　the　purpose　of　visiting　the　Duke　of

Buckingham's　palace　and　treasures　of　art　at　Stowe；　afterwards

writing　out　an　eight…page　description　of　it　for　the　perusal　of　his

friends　at　Langholm。　　At　another　time；　when　engaged　upon　the　viaduct

at　Pont…Cysylltau；　he　snatched　a　few　day's　leisure　to　run　through

North　Wales；　of　which　he　afterwards　gave　a　glowing　account　to　his

correspondent。　　He　passed　by　Cader　Idris；　Snowdon；　and　Penmaen　Mawr。

〃Parts　of　the　country　we　passed　through；〃　he　says；　〃very　much

resemble　the　lofty　green　hills　and　woody　vales　of　Eskdale。　　In　other

parts　the　magnificent　boldness　of　the　mountains；　the　torrents；

lakes；　and　waterfalls；　give　a　special　character　to　the　scenery；

unlike　everything　of　the　kind　I　had　before　seen。　　The　vale　of

Llanrwst　is　peculiarly　beautiful　and　fertile。　　In　this　vale　is　the

celebrated　bridge　of　Inigo　Jones；　but　what　is　a　much　more

delightful　circumstance；　the　inhabitants　of　the　vale　are　the　most

beautiful　race　of　people　I　have　ever　beheld；　and　I　am　much

astonished　that　this　never　seems　to　have　struck　the　Welsh　tourists。

The　vale　of　Llangollen　is　very　fine；　and　not　the　least　interesting

object　in　it；　I　can　assure　you；　is　Davidson's　famous　aqueduct

＇Pont…Cysylltau＇；　which　is　already　reckoned　among　the　wonders　of

Wales。　　Your　old　acquaintance　thinks　nothing　of　having　three　or

four　carriages　at　his　door　at　a　time。〃*＇9＇　　It　seems　that；　besides

attending　to　the　construction　of　the　works；　Telford　had　to

organise　the　conduct　of　the　navigation　at　those　points　at　which　the

canal　was　open　for　traffic。　　By　the　middle　of　1797　he　states　that

twenty　miles　were　in　working　condition；　along　which　coal　and　lime

were　conveyed　in　considerable　quantifies；　to　the　profit　of　the

Company　and　the　benefit　of　the　public；　the　price　of　these　articles

having　already　in　some　places　been　reduced　twenty…five；　and　in

others　as　much　as　fifty；　per　cent。　　〃The　canal　affairs；〃　he　says　in

one　of　his　letters；　〃have　required　a　good　deal　of　exertion；　though

we　are　on　the　whole　doing　well。　　But；　besides　carrying　on　the

works；　it　is　now　necessary　to　bestow　considerable　attention　on　the

creating　and　guiding　of　a　trade　upon　those　portions　which　are

executed。　　This　involves　various　considerations；　and　many

contending　and　sometimes　clashing　interests。　　In　short；　it　is　the

working　of　a　great　machine：　in　the　first　place；　to　draw　money　out

of　the　pockets　of　a　numerous　proprietary　to　make　an　expensive

canal；　and　then　to　make　the　money　return　into　their　pockets　by　the

creation　of　a　business　upon　that　canal。〃　　But；　as　if　all　this

business　were　not　enough；　he　was　occupied　at　the　same　time　in

writing　a　book　upon　the　subject　of　Mills。　　In　the　year　1796　he　had

undertaken　to　draw　up　a　paper　on　this　topic　for　the　Board　of

Agriculture；　and　by　degrees　it　had　grown　into　a　large　quarto

volume；　illustrated　by　upwards　of　thirty　plates。　　He　was　also

reading　extensively　in　his　few　leisure　moments；　and　among　the　solid

works　which　he　perused　we　find　him　mentioning　Robertson's

'Disquisitions　on　Ancient　India；'　Stewart's　'Philosophy　of　the

Human　Mind；'　and　Alison's　'Principles　of　Taste。'　　As　a　relief　from

these　graver　studies；　he　seems；　above　all　things；　to　have　taken

peculiar　pleasure〃　In　occasionally　throwing　off　a　bit　of

poetry。　　Thus；　when　laid　up　at　an　hotel　in　Chester　by　a　blow　on　his

leg；　which　disabled　him　for　some　weeks；　he　employed　part　of　his

time　in　writing　his　'Verses　on　hearing　of　the　Death　of　Robert

Burns。'　On　another　occasion；　when　on　his　way　to　London；　and

detained　for　a　night　at　Stratford…on…Avon；　he　occupied　the　evening

at　his　inn　in　composing　some　stanzas；　entitled　'An　Address　to　the

River　Avon。'　And　when　on　his　way　back　to　Shrewsbury；　while　resting

for　the　night　at　Bridgenorth；　he　amused　himself　with　revising　and

copying　out　the　verses　for　the　perusal　of　Andrew　Little。

〃There　are　worse　employments；〃　he　said；〃when　one　has　an　hour　to

spare　from　business；〃　and　he　asked　his　friend's　opinion　of　the

composition。　　It　seems　to　have　been　no　more　favourable　than　the

verses　deserved；　for；　in　his　next　letter；　Telford　says；　〃I　think

your　observation　respecting　the　verses　to　the　Avon　are　correct。

It　is　but　seldom　I　have　time　to　versify；　but　it　is　to　me　something

like　what　a　fiddle　is　to　others；　I　apply　to　it　in　order　to　relieve

my　mind；　after　being　much　fatigued　with　close　attention　to

business。〃



It　is　very　pleasant　to　see　the　engineer　relaxing　himself　in　this

way；　and　submitting　cheerfully　to　unfavourable　criticism；　which　is

so　trying　to　even　the　best　of　tempers。　　The　time；　however；　thus

taken　from　his　regular　work　was　not　loss；　but　gain。　　Taking　the

character　of　his　occupation　into　account；　it　was　probably　the　best

kind　of　relaxation　he　could　have　indulged　in。　　With　his　head　full　of

bridges　and　viaducts；　he　thus　kept　his　heart　open　to　the　influences