the life of thomas telford-第68节

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engaged　upon　the　survey　of　one　of　his　northern　roads。　　Unhappily

Southey　was　absent　at　the　time；　and；　writing　about　the　circumstance

to　a　correspondent；　he　said；　〃This　was　a　mortification　to　me；　in　as

much　as　I　owe　Telford　every　kind　of　friendly　attention；　and　like

him　heartily。〃



Campbell；　the　poet；　was　another　early　friend　of　our　engineer；　and

the　attachment　seems　to　have　been　mutual。　　Writing　to　Dr。　Currie；

of　Liverpool；　in　1802；　Campbell　says：　〃I　have　become　acquainted　with

Telford　the　engineer；　'a　fellow　of　infinite　humour；'　and　of　strong

enterprising　mind。　　He　has　almost　made　me　a　bridge…builder　already；

at　least　he　has　inspired　me　with　new　sensations　of　interest　in　the

improvement　and　ornament　of　our　country。　　Have　you　seen　his　plan　of

London　Bridge？　or　his　scheme　for　a　new　canal　in　the　North　Highlands；

which　will　unite；　if　put　in　effect；　our　Eastern　and　Atlantic

commerce；　and　render　Scotland　the　very　emporium　of　navigation？

Telford　is　a　most　useful　cicerone　in　London。　　He　is　so　universally

acquainted；　and　so　popular　in　his　manners；　that　he　can　introduce

one　to　all　kinds　of　novelty；　and　all　descriptions　of　interesting

society。〃　　Shortly　after；　Campbell　named　his　first　son　after

Telford；　who　stood　godfather　for　the　boy。　　Indeed；　for　many　years；

Telford　played　the　part　of　Mentor　to　the　young　and　impulsive　poet；

advising　him　about　his　course　in　life；　trying　to　keep　him　steady；

and　holding　him　aloof　as　much　as　possible　from　the　seductive

allurements　of　the　capital。　　But　it　was　a　difficult　task；　and

Telford's　numerous　engagements　necessarily　left　the　poet　at　many

seasons　very　much　to　himself。　　It　appears　that　they　were　living

together　at　the　Salopian　when　Campbell　composed　the　first　draft　of

his　poem　of　Hohenlinden；　and　several　important　emendations　made　in

it　by　Telford　were　adopted　by　Campbell。　　Although　the　two　friends

pursued　different　roads　in　life；　and　for　many　years　saw　little　of

each　other；　they　often　met　again；　especially　after　Telford　took　up

his　abode　at　his　house　in　Abingdon　Street；　where　Campbell　was　a

frequent　and　always　a　welcome　guest。



When　engaged　upon　his　surveys；　our　engineer　was　the　same　simple；

cheerful；　laborious　man。　　While　at　work；　he　gave　his　whole　mind　to

the　subject　in　hand；　thinking　of　nothing　else　for　the　time；

dismissing　it　at　the　close　of　each　day's　work；　but　ready　to　take　it

up　afresh　with　the　next　day's　duties。　　This　was　a　great　advantage　to

him　as　respected　the　prolongation　of　his　working　faculty。　　He　did

not　take　his　anxieties　to　bed　with　him；　as　many　do；　and　rise　up

with　them　in　the　morning；　but　he　laid　down　the　load　at　the　end　of

each　day；　and　resumed　it　all　the　more　cheerfully　when　refreshed　and

invigorated　by　natural　rest；　It　was　only　while　the　engrossing

anxieties　connected　with　the　suspension　of　the　chains　of　Menai

Bridge　were　weighing　heavily　upon　his　mind；　that　he　could　not

sleep；　and　then；　age　having　stolen　upon　him；　he　felt　the　strain

almost　more　than　he　could　bear。　　But　that　great　anxiety　once　fairly

over；　his　spirits　speedily　resumed　their　wonted　elasticity。



When　engaged　upon　the　construction　of　the　Carlisle　and　Glasgow

road；　he　was　very　fond　of　getting　a　few　of　the　〃navvy　men；〃　as　he

called　them；　to　join　him　at　an　ordinary　at　the　Hamilton　Arms　Hotel；

Lanarkshire；　each　paying　his　own　expenses。　　On　such　occasions

Telford　would　say　that；　though　he　could　not　drink；　yet　he　would

carve　and　draw　corks　for　them。　　One　of　the　rules　he　laid　down　was

that　no　business　was　to　be　introduced　from　the　moment　they　sat　down

to　dinner。　　All　at　once；　from　being　the　plodding；　hard…working

engineer；　with　responsibility　and　thought　in　every　feature；　Telford

unbended　and　relaxed；　and　became　the　merriest　and　drollest　of　the

party。　　He　possessed　a　great　fund　of　anecdote　available　for　such

occasions；　had　an　extraordinary　memory　for　facts　relating　to

persons　and　families；　and　the　wonder　to　many　of　his　auditors　was；

how　in　all　the　world　a　man　living　in　London　should　know　so　much

better　about　their　locality　and　many　of　its　oddities　than　they　did

themselves。



In　his　leisure　hours　at　home；　which　were　but　few；　he　occupied

himself　a　good　deal　in　the　perusal　of　miscellaneous　literature；

never　losing　his　taste　for　poetry。　　He　continued　to　indulge　in　the

occasional　composition　of　verses　until　a　comparatively　late　period

of　his　life；　one　of　his　most　successful　efforts　being　a　translation

of　the　'Ode　to　May；'　from　Buchanan's　Latin　poems；　executed　in　a

very　tender　and　graceful　manner。　　That　he　might　be　enabled　to　peruse

engineering　works　in　French　and　German；　he　prosecuted　the　study　of

those　languages；　and　with　such　success　that　he　was　shortly　able　to

read　them　with　comparative　ease。　　He　occasionally　occupied　himself

in　literary　composition　on　subjects　connected　with　his　profession。

Thus　he　wrote　for　the　Edinburgh　Encyclopedia；　conducted　by　his

friend　Sir　David　（then　Dr。）　Brewster；　the　elaborate　and　able

articles　on　Architecture；　Bridge…building；　and　Canal…making。

Besides　his　contributions　to　that　work；　he　advanced　a　considerable

sum　of　money　to　aid　in　its　publication；　which　remained　a　debt　due

to　his　estate　at　the　period　of　his　death。



Notwithstanding　the　pains　that　Telford　took　in　the　course　of　his

life　to　acquire　a　knowledge　of　the　elements　of　natural　science；

it　is　somewhat　remarkable　to　find　him　holding；　acquirements　in

mathematics　so　cheap。　　But　probably　this　is　to　be　accounted　for　by

the　circumstance　of　his　education　being　entirely　practical；　and

mainly　self…acquired。　　When　a　young　man　was　on　one　occasion

recommended　to　him　as　a　pupil　because　of　his　proficiency　in

mathematics；　the　engineer　expressed　the　opinion　that　such

acquirements　were　no　recommendation。　　Like　Smeaton；　he　held　that

deductions　drawn　from　theory　were　never　to　be　trusted；　and　he

placed　his　reliance　mainly　on　observation；　experience；　and

carefully…conducted　experiments。　　He　was　also；　like　most　men　of

strong　practical　sagacity；　quick　in　mother　wit；　and　arrived　rapidly

at　conclusions；　guided　by　a　sort　of　intellectual　instinct　which　can

neither　be　defined　nor　described。*＇7＇　　Although　occupied　as　a

leading　engineer　for　nearly　forty　years　having　certified

contractors'　bills　during　that　time　amounting　to　several　millions

sterlinghe　died　in　comparatively　moderate　circumstances。　　Eminent

constructive　ability　was　not　very　highly　remunerated　in　Telford's

time；　and　he　was　satisfied　with　a　rate　of　pay　which　even　the

smallest　〃M。　I。　C。　E。〃　would　now　refuse　to　accept。　　Telford's

charges　were；　however；　perhaps　too　low；　and　a　deputation　of　members

of　the　profession　on　one　occasion　formally　expostulated　with　him　on

the　subject。



Although　he　could　not　be　said　to　have　an　indifference　for　money；　he

yet　estimated　it　as　a　thing　worth　infinitely　less　than　character；

and　every　penny　that　he　earned　was　honestly　come　by。　　He　had　no

wife；　*＇8＇　nor　family；　nor　near　relations　to　provide　for；only

himself　in　his　old　age。　　Not　being　thought　rich；　he　was　saved　the

annoyance　of　being　haunted　by　toadies　or　pestered　by　parasites。　　His

wants　were　few；　and　his　household　expenses　small；　and　though　he

entertained　many　visitors　and　friends；　it　was　in　a　quiet　way　and　on

a　moderate　scale。　　The　small　regard　he　had　for　personal　dignity　may

be　inferred　from　the　fact；　that　to　the　last　he　continued　the

practice；　which　he　had　learnt　when　a　working　mason；　of　darning　his

own　stockings。*＇9＇



Telford　nevertheless　had　the　highest　idea　of　the　dignity　of　his

profession；　not　because　of　the　money　it　would　produce；　but　of　the

great　things　it　was　calculated　to　accomplish。　　In　his　most

confidential　letters　we　find　him　often　expatiating　on　the　noble

works　he　was　engaged　in　designing　or　constructing；　and　the　national

good　they　were　calculated　to　produce；　but　never　on　the　pecuniary

advantages　he　himself　was　to　derive　from　them。　　He　doubtless　prized；

and　prized　highly；　the　reputation　they　would　bring　him；　and；　above

all；　there　seemed　to　be　uppermost　in　his　mind；　especially　in　the

earlier　part　of　his　career；　while　many　of　his　schoolfellows　were

still　alive；　the　thought　of　〃What　will　they　say　of　this　in

Eskdale？〃　but　as　for　the　money　results　to　himself；　Telford　seemed；

to　the　close　of　his　life；　to　regard　them　as　of　comparatively　small

moment。



During　the　twenty…one　years　that　he　acted　as　principal　engineer　for

the　Caledonian　Canal；　we　find　from　the　Parliamentary　returns　that

the　amount　paid　to　him　for　his　reports；　detailed　plans；　and

superintendence；　was　exactly　237L。　a　year。　　Where　he　conceived　any

works　to　be　of　great　public　importance；　and　he　found　them　to　be

promoted　by　public…spirited　persons　at　their　own　expense；　he

refused　to　receive　any　payment　for　his　labour；　or　even　repayment　of

the　expenses　incurred　by　him。　　Thus；　while　employed　by　the

Government　in　the　improvement　of　the　Highland　roads；　he　persuaded

himself　that　he　ought　at　the　same　time　to　promote　the　similar

patrioti