the life of thomas telford-第9节

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King's　Custom　and　Excise。　Furthermore　they　hinder　the　breed　of

horses　in　this　kingdom　＇the　same　argument　was　used　against　Railways＇；

because　many　would　be　necessitated　to　keep　a　good　horse　that　keeps

none　now。　　Seeing；　then；　that　there　are　few　that　are　gainers　by　them；

and　that　they　are　against　the　common　and　general　good　of　the

Nation；　and　are　only　a　conveniency　to　some　that　have　occasion　to　go

to　London；　who　might　still　have　the　same　wages　as　before　these

coaches　were　in　use；　therefore　there　is　good　reason　they　should　be

suppressed。　　Not　but　that　it　may　be　lawful　to　hire　a　coach　upon

occasion；　but　that　it　should　be　unlawful　only　to　keep　a　coach　that

should　go　long　journeys　constantly；　from　one　stage　or　place　to

another；　upon　certain　days　of　the　week　as　they　do　now〃　p。　27。



*＇13＇　Roberts's　'Social　History　of　the　Southern　Counties；'　p。　494。

Little　more　than　a　century　ago；　we　find　the　following　advertisement

of　a　Newcastle　flying　coach：　〃May　9；　1734。A　coach　will　set　out

towards　the　end　of　next　week　for　London；　or　any　place　on　the　road。

To　be　performed　in　nine　days；being　three　days　sooner　than　any

other　coach　that　travels　the　road；　for　which　purpose　eight　stout

horses　are　stationed　at　proper　distances。〃



*＇14＇　In　1710　a　Manchester　manufacturer　taking　his　family　up　to

London；　hired　a　coach　for　the　whole　way；　which；　in　the　then　state

of　the　roads；　must　have　made　it　a　journey　of　probably　eight　or　ten

days。　　And；　in　1742；　the　system　of　travelling　had　so　little

improved；　that　a　lady；　wanting　to　come　with　her　niece　from

Worcester　to　Manchester；　wrote　to　a　friend　in　the　latter　place　to

send　her　a　hired　coach；　because　the　man　knew　the　road；　having

brought　from　thence　a　family　some　time　before。〃Aikin's　'Manchester。'



*＇15＇　Lord　Campbell　mentions　the　remarkable　circumstance　that

Popham；　afterwards　Lord　Chief　Justice　in　the　reign　of　Elizabeth；

took　to　the　road　in　early　life；　and　robbed　travellers　on　Gad's

Hill。　Highway　robbery　could　not；　however；　have　been　considered　a

very　ignominious　pursuit　at　that　time；　as　during　Popham's　youth　a

statute　was　made　by　which；　on　a　first　conviction　for　robbery；　a

peer　of　the　realm　or　lord　of　parliament　was　entitled　to　have

benefit　of　clergy；　〃though　he　cannot　read！〃　What　is　still　more

extraordinary　is；　that　Popham　is　supposed　to　have　continued　in　his

course　as　'a　highwayman　even　after　he　was　called　to　the　Bar。

This　seems　to　have　been　quite　notorious；　for　when　he　was　made　Serjeant

the　wags　reported　that　he　served　up　some　wine　destined　for　an

Alderman　of　London；　which　he　had　intercepted　on　its　way　from

Southampton。Aubrey；　iii。；　492。Campbell's　'Chief　Justices；'　i。；

210。



*＇16＇　Travels　of　Cosmo　the　Third；　Grand　Duke　of　Tuscany；'　p。　147。



*＇17＇　〃It　is　as　common　a　custom；　as　a　cunning　policie　in　thieves；

to　place　chamberlains　in　such　great　inns　where　cloathiers　and

graziers　do　lye；　and　by　their　large　bribes　to　infect　others；　who

were　not　of　their　own　preferring；　who　noting　your　purses　when　you

draw　them；　they'l　gripe　your　cloak…bags；　and　feel　the　weight；　and

so　inform　the　master　thieves　of　what　they　think；　and　not　those

alone；　but　the　Host　himself　is　oft　as　base　as　they；　if　it　be　left

in　charge　with　them　all　night；　he　to　his　roaring　guests　either

gives　item；　or　shews　the　purse　itself；　who　spend　liberally；　in　hope

of　a　speedie　recruit。〃　　See　'A　Brief　yet　Notable　Discovery　of

Housebreakers；'　&c。；　1659。　See　also　'Street　Robberies　Considered；

a　Warning　for　Housekeepers；'　1676；　'Hanging　not　Punishment　Enough；'

1701；　&c。



*＇18＇　The　food　of　London　was　then　principally　brought　to　town　in

panniers。　　The　population　being　comparatively　small；　the　feeding　of

London　was　still　practicable　in　this　way；　besides；　the　city　always

possessed　the　great　advantage　of　the　Thames；　which　secured　a　supply

of　food　by　sea。　　In　'The　Grand　Concern　of　England　Explained；'　it　is

stated　that　the　hay；　straw；　beans；　peas；　and　oats；　used　in　London；

were　principally　raised　within　a　circuit　of　twenty　miles　of　the

metropolis；　but　large　quantities　were　also　brought　from

Henley…on…thames　and　other　western　parts；　as　well　as　from　below

Gravesend；　by　water；　and　many　ships　laden　with　beans　came　from

Hull；　and　with　oats　from　Lynn　and　Boston。



*＇19＇　'Loides　and　Elmete；　by　T。D。　Whitaker；　LL。D。；　1816；　p。　81。

Notwithstanding　its　dangers；　Dr。　Whitaker　seems　to　have　been　of

opinion　that　the　old　mode　of　travelling　was　even　safer　than　that

which　immediately　followed　it；　〃Under　the　old　state　of　roads　and

manners；〃　he　says；　〃it　was　impossible　that　more　than　one　death

could　happen　at　once；　what；　by　any　possibility；　could　take　place

analogous　to　a　race　betwixt　two　stage…coaches；　in　which　the　lives

of　thirty　or　forty　distressed　and　helpless　individuals　are　at　the

mercy　of　two　intoxicated　brutes？〃



*＇20＇　In　the　curious　collection　of　old　coins　at　the　Guildhall　there

are　several　halfpenny　tokens　issued　by　the　proprietors　of　inns

bearing　the　sign　of　the　pack…horse；　Some　of　these　would　indicate

that　packhorses　were　kept　for　hire。　　We　append　a　couple　of

illustrations　of　these　curious　old　coins。



＇Image＇





CHAPTER　III。



MANNERS　AND　CUSTOMS　INFLUENCED　BY　THE　STATE　OF　THE　ROADS。



While　the　road　communications　of　the　country　remained　thus　imperfect；

the　people　of　one　part　of　England　knew　next　to　nothing　of　the　other。

When　a　shower　of　rain　had　the　effect　of　rendering　the　highways

impassable；　even　horsemen　were　cautious　in　venturing　far　from　home。

But　only　a　very　limited　number　of　persons　could　then　afford　to

travel　on　horseback。　The　labouring　people　journeyed　on　foot；

while　the　middle　class　used　the　waggon　or　the　coach。　　But　the　amount

of　intercourse　between　the　people　of　different　districts

then　exceedingly　limited　at　all　timeswas；　in　a　country　so　wet

as　England；　necessarily　suspended　for　all　classes　during　the　greater

part　of　the　year。



The　imperfect　communication　existing　between　districts　had　the

effect　of　perpetuating　numerous　local　dialects；　local　prejudices；

and　local　customs；　which　survive　to　a　certain　extent　to　this　day；

though　they　are　rapidly　disappearing；　to　the　regret　of　many；　under

the　influence　of　improved　facilities　for　travelling。　　Every　village

had　its　witches；　sometimes　of　different　sorts；　and　there　was

scarcely　an　old　house　but　had　its　white　lady　or　moaning　old　man

with　a　long　beard。　　There　were　ghosts　in　the　fens　which　walked　on

stilts；　while　the　sprites　of　the　hill　country　rode　on　flashes　of

fire。　But　the　village　witches　and　local　ghosts　have　long　since

disappeared；　excepting　perhaps　in　a　few　of　the　less　penetrable

districts；　where　they　may　still　survive。　　It　is　curious　to　find

that　down　even　to　the　beginning　of　the　seventeenth　century；　the

inhabitants　of　the　southern　districts　of　the　island　regarded　those

of　the　north　as　a　kind　of　ogres。　　Lancashire　was　supposed　to　be

almost　impenetrable　as　indeed　it　was　to　a　considerable

extent；and　inhabited　by　a　half…savage　race。　　Camden　vaguely

described　it；　previous　to　his　visit　in　1607；　as　that　part　of　the

country　〃　lying　beyond　the　mountains　towards　the　Western　Ocean。〃

He　acknowledged　that　he　approached　the　Lancashire　people　〃with　a

kind　of　dread；〃　but　determined　at　length　〃to　run　the　hazard　of　the

attempt；〃　trusting　in　the　Divine　assistance。　Camden　was　exposed　to

still　greater　risks　in　his　survey　of　Cumberland。　When　he　went　into

that　county　for　the　purpose　of　exploring　the　remains　of　antiquity

it　contained　for　the　purposes　of　his　great　work；　he　travelled　along

the　line　of　the　Roman　Wall　as　far　as　Thirlwall　castle；　near

Haltwhistle；　but　there　the　limits　of　civilization　and　security

ended；　for　such　was　the　wildness　of　the　country　and　of　its　lawless

inhabitants　beyond；　that　he　was　obliged　to　desist　from　his

pilgrimage；　and　leave　the　most　important　and　interesting　objects　of

his　journey　unexplored。



About　a　century　later；　in　1700；　the　Rev。　　Mr。　Brome；　rector　of

Cheriton　in　Kent；　entered　upon　a　series　of　travels　in　England　as　if

it　had　been　a　newly…discovered　country。　　He　set　out　in　spring　so

soon　as　the　roads　had　become　passable。　　His　friends　convoyed　him　on

the　first　stage　of　his　journey；　and　left　him；　commending　him　to　the

Divine　protection。　　He　was；　however；　careful　to　employ　guides　to

conduct　him　from　one　place　to　another；　and　in　the　course　of　his

three　years'　travels　he　saw　many　new　and　wonderful　things。　　He　was

under　the　necessity　of　suspending　his　travels　when　the　winter　or

wet　weather　set　in；　and　to　lay　up；　like　an　arctic　voyager；　for

several　months；　until　the　spring　came　round　again。　　Mr。　Brome

passed　through　Northumberland　into　Scotland；　then　down　the　western

side　of　the　island　towards　Devonshire；　where　he　found　the　farmers

gathering　in　their　corn　on　horse…back；　the　roads　being　so　narrow

that　it　was　impossible　for　them　to　use　waggons。　　He　desired　to

travel　into　Cornwall；　the　boundaries　of　which　he　reached；　but　was

prevented　proceeding　farther　by　the　rains；　and　a