the life of thomas telford-第4节

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able　to　make　it　tolerable　to　ride　for　a　short　time。〃



It　was　almost　as　difficult　for　old　persons　to　get　to　church　in

Sussex　during　winter　as　it　was　in　the　Lincoln　Fens；　where　they　were

rowed　thither　in　boats。　　Fuller　saw　an　old　lady　being　drawn　to

church　in　her　own　coach　by　the　aid　of　six　oxen。　　The　Sussex　roads

were　indeed　so　bad　as　to　pass　into　a　by…word。　　A　contemporary

writer　says；　that　in　travelling　a　slough　of　extraordinary　miryness；

it　used　to　be　called　〃the　Sussex　bit　of　the　road；〃　and　he

satirically　alleged　that　the　reason　why　the　Sussex　girls　were　so

long…limbed　was　because　of　the　tenacity　of　the　mud　in　that　county；

the　practice　of　pulling　the　foot　out　of　it　〃by　the　strength　of　the

ancle〃　tending　to　stretch　the　muscle　and　lengthen　the　bone！*＇4＇

But　the　roads　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　London　long

continued　almost　as　bad　as　those　in　Sussex。　　Thus；　when　the　poet

Cowley　retired　to　Chertsey；　in　1665；　he　wrote　to　his　friend　Sprat

to　visit　him；　and；　by　way　of　encouragement；　told　him　that　he

might　sleep　the　first　night　at　Hampton　town；　thus　occupying；　two

days　in　the　performance　of　a　journey　of　twenty…two　miles　in　the

immediate　neighbourhood　of　the　metropolis。　　As　late　as　1736　we

find　Lord　Hervey；　writing　from　Kensington；　complaining　that

〃the　road　between　this　place　and　London　is　grown　so　infamously　bad

that　we　live　here　in　the　same　solitude　as　we　would　do　if　cast　on

a　rock　in　the　middle　of　the　ocean；　and　all　the　Londoners　tell　us

that　there　is　between　them　and　us　an　impassable　gulf　of　mud。〃



Nor　was　the　mud　any　respecter　of　persons；　for　we　are　informed　that

the　carriage　of　Queen　Caroline　could　not；　in　bad　weather；

be　dragged　from　St。　James's　Palace　to　Kensington　in　less　than　two

hours；　and　occasionally　the　royal　coach　stuck　fast　in　a　rut；

or　was　even　capsized　in　the　mud。　　About　the　same　time；　the　streets

of　London　themselves　were　little　better；　the　kennel　being　still

permitted　to　flow　in　the　middle　of　the　road；　which　was　paved　with

round　stones；flag…stones　for　the　convenience　of　pedestrians

being　as　yet　unknown。　　In　short；　the　streets　in　the　towns　and　the

roads　in　the　country　were　alike　rude　and　wretched；indicating　a

degree　of　social　stagnation　and　discomfort　which　it　is　now

difficult　to　estimate；　and　almost　impossible　to　describe。





Footnotes　for　chapter　I



*＇1＇　Brunetto　Latini；　the　tutor　of　Dante；　describes　a　journey　made

by　him　from　London　to　Oxford　about　the　end　of　the　thirteenth

century；　resting　by　the　way　at　Shirburn　Castle。　　He　says；

〃Our　journey　from　London　to　Oxford　was；　with　some　difficulty　and

danger；　made　in　two　days；　for　the　roads　are　bad；　and　we　had　to

climb　hills　of　hazardous　ascent；　and　which　to　descend　are　equally

perilous。　　We　passed　through　many　woods；　considered　here　as

dangerous　places；　as　they　are　infested　with　robbers；　which　indeed

is　the　case　with　most　of　the　roads　in　England。　　This　is　a

circumstance　connived　at　by　the　neighbouring　barons；　on

consideration　of　sharing　in　the　booty；　and　of　these　robbers　serving

as　their　protectors　on　all　occasions；　personally；　and　with　the

whole　strength　of　their　band。　　However；　as　our　company　was

numerous；　we　had　less　to　fear。　　Accordingly；　we　arrived　the　first

night　at　Shirburn　Castle；　in　the　neighbourhood　of　Watlington；　under

the　chain　of　hills　over　which　we　passed　at　Stokenchurch。〃　　This

passage　is　given　in　Mr。　Edward's　work　on　　'Libraries'　（p。　328）；

as　supplied　to　him　by　Lady　Macclesfield。



*＇2＇　See　Ogilby's　'Britannia　Depicta；'　the　traveller's　ordinary

guidebook　between　1675　and　1717；　as　Bradshaw's　Railway　Time…book　is

now。　　The　Grand　Duke　Cosmo；　in　his　'Travels　in　England　in　1669；'

speaks　of　the　country　between　Northampton　and　Oxford　as　for　the

most　part　unenclosed　and　uncultivated；　abounding　in　weeds。　　From

Ogilby's　fourth　edition；　published　in　1749；　it　appears　that　the

roads　in　the　midland　and　northern　districts　of　England　were　still；

for　the　most　part；　entirely　unenclosed。



*＇3＇　This　ballad　is　so　descriptive　of　the　old　roads　of　the

south…west　of　England　that　we　are　tempted　to　quote　it　at　length。

It　was　written　by　the　Rev。　John　Marriott；　sometime　vicar　of

Broadclist；　Devon；　and　Mr。　Rowe；　vicar　of　Crediton；　says；　in　his

'Perambulation　of　Dartmoor；'　that　he　can　readily　imagine　the

identical　lane　near　Broadclist；　leading　towards　Poltemore；　which

might　have　sat　for　the　portrait。



　　　　In　a　Devonshire　lane；　as　I　trotted　along

　　　　T'other　day；　much　in　want　of　a　subject　for　song；

　　　　Thinks　I　to　myself；　half…inspired　by　the　rain；

　　　　Sure　marriage　is　much　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



　　　　In　the　first　place　'tis　long；　and　when　once　you　are　in　it；

　　　　It　holds　you　as　fast　as　a　cage　does　a　linnet；

　　　　For　howe'er　rough　and　dirty　the　road　may　be　found；

　　　　Drive　forward　you　must；　there　is　no　turning　round。



　　　　But　tho'　'tis　so　long；　it　is　not　very　wide；

　　　　For　two　are　the　most　that　together　can　ride；

　　　　And　e'en　then；　'tis　a　chance　but　they　get　in　a　pother；

　　　　And　jostle　and　cross　and　run　foul　of　each　other。



　　　　Oft　poverty　meets　them　with　mendicant　looks；

　　　　And　care　pushes　by　them　with　dirt…laden　crooks；

　　　　And　strife's　grazing　wheels　try　between　them　to　pass；

　　　　And　stubbornness　blocks　up　the　way　on　her　ass；



　　　　Then　the　banks　are　so　high；　to　the　left　hand　and　right；

　　　　That　they　shut　up　the　beauties　around　them　from　sight；

　　　　And　hence；　you'll　allow；　'tis　an　inference　plain；

　　　　That　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



　　　　But　thinks　I；　too；　these　banks；　within　which　we　are　pent；

　　　　With　bud；　blossom；　and　berry；　are　richly　besprent；

　　　　And　the　conjugal　fence；　which　forbids　us　to　roam；

　　　　Looks　lovely；　when　deck'd　with　the　comforts　of　home。



　　　　In　the　rock's　gloomy　crevice　the　bright　holly　grows；

　　　　The　ivy　waves　fresh　o'er　the　withering　rose；

　　　　And　the　ever…green　love　of　a　virtuous　wife

　　　　Soothes　the　roughness　of　care；　cheers　the　winter　of　life。



　　　　Then　long　be　the　journey；　and　narrow　the　way；

　　　　I'll　rejoice　that　I've　seldom　a　turnpike　to　pay；

　　　　And　whate'er　others　say；　be　the　last　to　complain；

　　　　Though　marriage　is　just　like　a　Devonshire　lane。



*＇4＇　Iter　Sussexiense。'　By　Dr。　John　Burton。





CHAPTER　II。



EARLY　MODES　OF　CONVEYANCE。



Such　being　the　ancient　state　of　the　roads；　the　only　practicable

modes　of　travelling　were　on　foot　and　on　horseback。　　The　poor　walked

and　the　rich　rode。　　Kings　rode　and　Queens　rode。　　Judges　rode　circuit

in　jack…boots。　　Gentlemen　rode　and　robbers　rode。　　The　Bar　sometimes

walked　and　sometimes　rode。　　Chaucer's　ride　to　Canterbury　will　be

remembered　as　long　as　the　English　language　lasts。　　Hooker　rode　to

London　on　a　hard…paced　nag；　that　he　might　be　in　time　to　preach　his

first　sermon　at　St。　Paul's。　　Ladies　rode　on　pillions；　holding　on　by

the　gentleman　or　the　serving…man　mounted　before。



Shakespeare　incidentally　describes　the　ancient　style　of　travelling

among　the　humbler　classes　in　his　'Henry　IV。'*＇1＇



The　Party；　afterwards　set　upon　by　Falstaff　and　his　companions；

bound　from　Rochester　to　London；　were　up　by　two　in　the　morning；

expecting　to　perform　the　journey　of　thirty　miles　by　close　of　day；

and　to　get　to　town　〃in　time　to　go　to　bed　with　a　candle。〃　　Two　are

carriers；　one　of　whom　has　〃a　gammon　of　bacon　and　two　razes　of

ginger；　to　be　delivered　as　far　as　Charing　Cross；〃　the　other　has　his

panniers　full　of　turkeys。　　There　is　also　a　franklin　of　Kent；

and　another；　〃a　kind　of　auditor；〃　probably　a　tax…collector；

with　several　more；　forming　in　all　a　company　of　eight　or　ten；　who

travel　together　for　mutual　protection。　　Their　robbery　on　Gad's　Hill；

as　painted　by　Shakespeare；　is　but　a　picture；　by　no　means　exaggerated；

of　the　adventures　and　dangers　of　the　road　at　the　time　of　which　he

wrote。



Distinguished　personages　sometimes　rode　in　horse…litters；　but

riding　on　horseback　was　generally　preferred。　　Queen　Elizabeth　made

most　of　her　journeys　in　this　way；*＇2＇　and　when　she　went　into　the

City　she　rode　on　a　pillion　behind　her　Lord　Chancellor。　　The　Queen；

however；　was　at　length　provided　with　a　coach；　which　must　have　been

a　very　remarkable　machine。　　This　royal　vehicle　is　said　to　have　been

one　of　the　first　coaches　used　in　England；　and　it　was　introduced　by

the　Queen's　own　coachman；　one　Boomen；　a　Dutchman。　　It　was　little

better　than　a　cart　without　springs；　the　body　resting　solid　upon　the

axles。　　Taking　the　bad　roads　and　ill…paved　streets　into　account；

it　must　have　been　an　excessively　painful　means　of　conveyance。

At　one　of　the　first　audiences　which　the　Queen　gave　to　the　French

ambassador　in　1568；　she　feelingly　described　to　him　〃the　aching

pains　she　was　suffering　in　consequence　of　having　been　knocked　about

in　a　coach　which　had　been　driven　a　little　too　fast；　only　a　few　days

before。〃*＇3＇



Such　coaches　were　at　first　only　used　on　state　occasions。

The　roads；　even　in　the　immediate　neighbourhood　of　London；　were　so

bad　and　so　narrow　that　the　vehicles　could　not