the life of thomas telford-第5节

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

bad　and　so　narrow　that　the　vehicles　could　not　be　taken　into　the

country。　But；　as　the　roads　became　improved；　the　fashion　of　using

them　spread。　　When　the　aristocracy　removed　from　the　City　to　the

western　parts　of　the　metropolis；　they　could　be　better　accommodated；

and　in　course　of　time　they　became　gradually　adopted。　　They　were

still；　however；　neither　more　nor　less　than　waggons；　and；　indeed；

were　called　by　that　name；　but　wherever　they　went　they　excited　great

wonder。　　It　is　related　of　〃that　valyant　knyght　Sir　Harry　Sidney；〃

that　on　a　certain　day　in　the　year　1583　he　entered　Shrewsbury　in　his

waggon；　〃with　his　Trompeter　blowynge；　verey　joyfull　to　behold　and

see。〃*＇4＇



From　this　time　the　use　of　coaches　gradually　spread；　more

particularly　amongst　the　nobility；　superseding　the　horse…litters

which　had　till　then　been　used　for　the　conveyance　of　ladies　and

others　unable　to　bear　the　fatigue　of　riding　on　horseback。

The　first　carriages　were　heavy　and　lumbering：　and　upon　the　execrable

roads　of　the　time　they　went　pitching　over　the　stones　and　into　the

ruts；　with　the　pole　dipping　and　rising　like　a　ship　in　a　rolling　sea。

That　they　had　no　springs；　is　clear　enough　from　the　statement　of

Taylor；　the　water…poetwho　deplored　the　introduction　of　carriages

as　a　national　calamitythat　in　the　paved　streets　of　London　men　and

women　were　〃tossed；　tumbled；　rumbled；　and　jumbled　about　in　them。〃

Although　the　road　from　London　to　Dover；　along　the　old　Roman

Watling…street；　was　then　one　of　the　best　in　England；　the　French

household　of　Queen　Henrietta；　when　they　were　sent　forth　from

the　palace　of　Charles　I。；　occupied　four　tedious　days　before　they

reached　Dover。



But　it　was　only　a　few　of　the　main　roads　leading　from　the　metropolis

that　were　practicable　for　coaches；　and　on　the　occasion　of　a　royal

progress；　or　the　visit　of　a　lord…lieutenant；　there　was　a　general

turn　out　of　labourers　and　masons　to　mend　the　ways　and　render　the

bridges　at　least　temporarily　secure。　　Of　one　of　Queen　Elizabeth's

journeys　it　is　said：　〃It　was　marvellous　for　ease　and　expedition；

for　such　is　the　perfect　evenness　of　the　new　highway　that　Her

Majesty　left　the　coach　only　once；　while　the　hinds　and　the　folk　of　a

base　sort　lifted　it　on　with　their　poles。〃



Sussex　long　continued　impracticable　for　coach　travelling　at　certain

seasons。　　As　late　as　1708；　Prince　George　of　Denmark　had　the

greatest　difficulty　in　making　his　way　to　Petworth　to　meet　Charles　VI。

of　Spain。　〃The　last　nine　miles　of　the　way；〃　says　the　reporter；

〃cost　us　six　hours　to　conquer　them。〃　　One　of　the　couriers　in

attendance　complained　that　during　fourteen　hours　he　never　once

alighted；　except　when　the　coach　overturned；　or　stuck　in　the　mud。



When　the　judges；　usually　old　men　and　bad　riders；　took　to　going　the

circuit　in　their　coaches；　juries　were　often　kept　waiting　until

their　lordships　could　be　dug　out　of　a　bog　or　hauled　out　of　a　slough

by　the　aid　of　plough…horses。　　In　the　seventeenth　century；　scarcely

a　Quarter　Session　passed　without　presentments　from　the　grand　jury

against　certain　districts　on　account　of　the　bad　state　of　the　roads；

and　many　were　the　fines　which　the　judges　imposed　upon　them　as　a

set…off　against　their　bruises　and　other　damages　while　on　circuit。



For　a　long　time　the　roads　continued　barely　practicable　for　wheeled

vehicles　of　the　rudest　sort；　though　Fynes　Morison　（writing　in　the

time　of　James　I。）　gives　an　account　of　〃carryers；　who　have　long

covered　waggons；　in　which　they　carry　passengers　from　place　to

place；　but　this　kind　of　journeying；〃　he　says；　〃is　so　tedious；　by

reason　they　must　take　waggon　very　early　and　come　very　late　to　their

innes；　that　none　but　women　and　people　of　inferior　condition　travel

in　this　sort。〃



＇Image＇　The　Old　Stage　Waggon。



The　waggons　of　which　Morison　wrote；　made　only　from　ten　to　fifteen

miles　in　a　long　summer's　day；　that　is；　supposing　them　not　to　have

broken　down　by　pitching　over　the　boulders　laid　along　the　road；　or

stuck　fast　in　a　quagmire；　when　they　had　to　wait　for　the　arrival　of

the　next　team　of　horses　to　help　to　drag　them　out。　　The　waggon；

however；　continued　to　be　adopted　as　a　popular　mode　of　travelling

until　late　in　the　eighteenth　century；　and　Hogarth's　picture

illustrating　the　practice　will　be　remembered；　of　the　cassocked

parson　on　his　lean　horse；　attending　his　daughter　newly　alighted

from　the　York　waggon。



A　curious　description　of　the　state　of　the　Great　North　Road；　in　the

time　of　Charles　II。；　is　to　be　found　in　a　tract　published　in　1675　by

Thomas　Mace；　one　of　the　clerks　of　Trinity　College；　Cambridge。　The

writer　there　addressed　himself　to　the　King；　partly　in　prose　and

partly　in　verse；　complaining　greatly　of　the　〃wayes；　which　are　so

grossly　foul　and　bad；〃　and　suggesting　various　remedies。　　He　pointed

out　that　much　ground　〃is　now　spoiled　and　trampled　down　in　all　wide

roads；　where　coaches　and　carts　take　liberty　to　pick　and　chuse　for

their　best　advantages；　besides；　such　sprawling　and　straggling　of

coaches　and　carts　utterly　confound　the　road　in　all　wide　places；　so

that　it　is　not　only　unpleasurable；　but　extreme　perplexin　and

cumbersome　both　to　themselves　and　all　horse　travellers。〃　　It　would

thus　appear　that　the　country　on　either　side　of　the　road　was　as　yet

entirely　unenclosed。



But　Mace's　principal　complaint　was　of　the　〃innumerable

controversies；　quarrellings；　and　disturbances〃　caused　by　the

packhorse…men；　in　their　struggles　as　to　which　convoy　should　pass

along　the　cleaner　parts　of　the　road。　　From　what　he　states；　it　would

seem　that　these　〃disturbances；　daily　committed　by　uncivil；

refractory；　and　rude　Russian…like　rake…shames；　in　contesting　for

the　way；　too　often　proved　mortal；　and　certainly　were　of　very　bad

consequences　to　many。〃　　He　recommended　a　quick　and　prompt　punishment

in　all　such　cases。　　〃No　man；〃　said　he；　〃should　be　pestered　by

giving　the　way　（sometimes）　to　hundreds　of　pack…horses；　panniers；

whifflers　（i。e。　paltry　fellows）；　coaches；　waggons；　wains；　carts；

or　whatsoever　others；　which　continually　are　very　grievous　to　weary

and　loaden　travellers；　but　more　especially　near　the　city　and　upon　a

market　day；　when；　a　man　having　travelled　a　long　and　tedious

journey；　his　horse　well　nigh　spent；　shall　sometimes　be　compelled　to

cross　out　of　his　way　twenty　times　in　one　mile's　riding；　by　the

irregularity　and　peevish　crossness　of　such…like　whifflers　and

market　women；　yea；　although　their　panniers　be　clearly　empty；　they

will　stoutly　contend　for　the　way　with　weary　travellers；　be　they

never　so　many；　or　almost　of　what　quality　soever。〃　　〃Nay；〃　said　he

further；　〃I　have　often　known　many　travellers；　and　myself　very

often；　to　have　been　necessitated　to　stand　stock　still　behind　a

standing　cart　or　waggon；　on　most　beastly　and　unsufferable　deep　wet

wayes；　to　the　great　endangering　of　our　horses；　and　neglect　of

important　business：　nor　durst　we　adventure　to　stirr　（for　most

imminent　danger　of　those　deep　rutts；　and　unreasonable　ridges）　till

it　has　pleased　Mister　Garter　to　jog　on；　which　we　have　taken　very

kindly。〃



Mr。　Mace's　plan　of　road　reform　was　not　extravagant。　　He　mainly

urged　that　only　two　good　tracks　should　be　maintained；　and　the　road

be　not　allowed　to　spread　out　into　as　many　as　half…a…dozen　very　bad

ones；　presenting　high　ridges　and　deep　ruts；　full　of　big　stones；

and　many　quagmires。　　Breaking　out　into　verse；　he　said　



　　　〃First　let　the　wayes　be　regularly　brought

　　　　To　artificial　form；　and　truly　wrought；

　　　　So　that　we　can　suppose　them　firmly　mended；

　　　　And　in　all　parts　the　work　well　ended；

　　　　That　not　a　stone's　amiss；　but　all　compleat；

　　　　All　lying　smooth；　round；　firm；　and　wondrous　neat。〃



After　a　good　deal　more　in　the　same　strain；　he　concluded



　　　〃There's　only　one　thing　yet　worth　thinking　on

　　　　which　is；　to　put　this　work　in　execution。〃*＇5＇



But　we　shall　find　that　more　than　a　hundred　years　passed　before　the

roads　throughout　England　were　placed　in　a　more　satisfactory　state

than　they　were　in　the　time　of　Mr。　Mace。



The　introduction　of　stage…coaches　about　the　middle　of　the

seventeenth　century　formed　a　new　era　in　the　history　of　travelling

by　road。　　At　first　they　were　only　a　better　sort　of　waggon；　and

confined　to　the　more　practicable　highways　near　London。　　Their　pace

did　not　exceed　four　miles　an　hour；　and　the　jolting　of　the

unfortunate　passengers　conveyed　in　them　must　have　been　very　hard　to

bear。　It　used　to　be　said　of　their　drivers　that　they　were　〃seldom

sober；　never　Civil；　and　always　late。〃



The　first　mention　of　coaches　for　public　accommodation　is　made　by

Sir　William　Dugdale　in　his　Diary；　from　which　it　appears　that　a

Coventry　coach　was　on　the　road　in　1659。　　But　probably　the　first

coaches；　or　rather　waggons；　were　run　between　London　and　Dover；　as

one　of　the　most　practicable　routes　for　the　purpose。　　M。　Sobriere；

a　French　man　of　letters；　who　landed　at　Dover　on　his　way　to　London

in　the　time　of　Charles　II。；　alludes　to　the　ex