men of invention and industry-第46节

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inhabitants　being　celebrated　for　the　cultivation　of　the　mulberry

and　the　rearing　of　the　silkworm；　the　finest　silk　in　Lombardy

being　produced　in　the　neighbourhood。　　Indeed；　Bianconi's　family；

like　most　of　the　villagers；　maintained　themselves　by　the　silk

culture。



Charles　had　three　brothers　and　one　sister。　　When　of　a　sufficient

age；　he　was　sent　to　school。　　The　Abbe　Radicali　had　turned　out

some　good　scholars；　but　with　Charles　Bianconi　his　failure　was

complete。　　The　new　pupil　proved　a　tremendous　dunce。　　He　was　very

wild；　very　bold；　and　very　plucky；　but　he　learned　next　to　nothing。



Learning　took　as　little　effect　upon　him　as　pouring　water　upon　a

duck's　back。　　Accordingly；　when　he　left　school　at　the　age　of

sixteen；　he　was　almost　as　ignorant　as　when　he　had　entered　it；　and

a　great　deal　more　wilful。



Young　Bianconi　had　now　arrived　at　the　age　at　which　he　was

expected　to　do　something　for　his　own　maintenance。　　His　father

wished　to　throw　him　upon　his　own　resources；　and　as　he　would　soon

be　subject　to　the　conscription；　he　thought　of　sending　him　to　some

foreign　country　in　order　to　avoid　the　forced　service。　　Young

fellows；　who　had　any　love　of　labour　or　promptings　of　independence

in　them；　were　then　accustomed　to　leave　home　and　carry　on　their

occupations　abroad。　　It　was　a　common　practice　for　workmen　in　the

neighbourhood　of　Como　to　emigrate　to　England　and　carry　on　various

trades；　more　particularly　the　manufacture　and　sale　of　barometers；

looking…glasses；　images；　prints；　pictures；　and　other　articles。



Accordingly；　Bianconi's　father　arranged　with　one　Andrea　Faroni　to

take　the　young　man　to　England　and　instruct　him　in　the　trade　of

print…selling。　　Bianconi　was　to　be　Faroni's　apprentice　for

eighteen　months；　and　in　the　event　of　his　not　liking　the

occupation；　he　was　to　be　placed　under　the　care　of　Colnaghi；　a

friend　of　his　father's；　who　was　then　making　considerable　progress

as　a　print…seller　in　London；　and　who　afterwards　succeeded　in

achieving　a　considerable　fortune　and　reputation。



Bianconi　made　his　preparations　for　leaving　home。　　A　little

festive　entertainment　was　given　at　a　little　inn　in　Como；　at　which

the　whole　family　were　present。　　It　was　a　sad　thing　for　Bianconi's

mother　to　take　leave　of　her　boy；　wild　though　he　was。　　On　the

occasion　of　this　parting　ceremony；　she　fainted　outright；　at　which

the　young　fellow　thought　that　things　were　assuming　a　rather

serious　aspect。　　As　he　finally　left　the　family　home　at　Tregolo；

the　last　words　his　mother　said　to　him　were　these　words　which　he

never　forgot：　〃When　you　remember　me；　think　of　me　as　waiting　at

this　window；　watching　for　your　return。〃



Besides　Charles　Bianconi；　Faroni　took　three　other　boys　under　his

charge。　　One　was　the　son　of　a　small　village　innkeeper；　another

the　son　of　a　tailor；　and　the　third　the　son　of　a　flax…dealer。　

This　party；　under　charge　of　the　Padre；　ascended　the　Alps　by　the

Val　San　Giacomo　road。　　From　the　summit　of　the　pass　they　saw　the

plains　of　Lombardy　stretching　away　in　the　blue　distance。　　They

soon　crossed　the　Swiss　frontier；　and　then　Bianconi　found　himself

finally　separated　from　home。　　He　now　felt；　that　without　further

help　from　friends　or　relatives；　he　had　his　own　way　to　make　in　the

world。



The　party　of　travellers　duly　reached　England；　but　Faroni；　without

stopping　in　London；　took　them　over　to　Ireland　at　once。　　They

reached　Dublin　in　the　summer　of　1802；　and　lodged　in　Temple　Bar；

near　Essex　Bridge。　　It　was　some　little　time　before　Faroni　could

send　out　the　boys　to　sell　pictures。　　First　he　had　the　leaden

frames　to　cast；　then　they　had　to　be　trimmed　and　coloured；　and

then　the　picturesmostly　of　sacred　subjects；　or　of　public

charactershad　to　be　mounted。　　The　flowers；　which　were　of　wax；

had　also　to　be　prepared　and　finished；　ready　for　sale　to　the

passers…by。



When　Bianconi　went　into　the　streets　of　Dublin　to　sell　his　mounted

prints；　he　could　not　speak　a　word　of　English。　　He　could　only　say；

〃Buy；　buy！〃　　Everybody　spoke　to　him　an　unknown　tongue。　　When

asked　the　price；　he　could　only　indicate　by　his　fingers　the　number

of　pence　he　wanted　for　his　goods。　　At　length　he　learned　a　little

English；at　least　sufficient　〃for　the　road；〃　and　then　he　was

sent　into　the　country　to　sell　his　merchandize。　　He　was　despatched

every　Monday　morning　with　about　forty　shillings'　worth　of　stock；

and　ordered　to　return　home　on　Saturdays；　or　as　much　sooner　as　he

liked；　if　he　had　sold　all　the　pictures。　　The　only　money　his

master　allowed　him　at　starting　was　fourpence。　　When　Bianconi

remonstrated　at　the　smallness　of　the　amount；　Faroni　answered；

〃While　you　have　goods　you　have　money；　make　haste　to　sell　your

goods！〃



During　his　apprenticeship；　Bianconi　learnt　much　of　the　country

through　which　he　travelled。　　He　was　constantly　making

acquaintances　with　new　people；　and　visiting　new　places。　　At

Waterford　he　did　a　good　trade　in　small　prints。　　Besides　the

Scripture　pieces；　he　sold　portraits　of　the　Royal　Family；　as　well

as　of　Bonaparte　and　his　most　distinguished　generals。　　〃Bony〃　was

the　dread　of　all　magistrates；　especially　in　Ireland。　　At　Passage；

near　Waterford；　Bianconi　was　arrested　for　having　sold　a　leaden

framed　picture　of　the　famous　French　Emperor。　　He　was　thrown　into

a　cold　guard…room；　and　spent　the　night　there　without　bed；　or

fire；　or　food。　　Next　morning　he　was　discharged　by　the　magistrate；

but　cautioned　that　he　must　not　sell　any　more　of　such　pictures。



Many　things　struck　Bianconi　in　making　his　first　journeys　through

Ireland。　　He　was　astonished　at　the　dram…drinking　of　the　men；　and

the　pipe…smoking　of　the　women。　　The　violent　faction…fights　which

took　place　at　the　fairs　which　he　frequented；　were　of　a　kind　which

he　had　never　before　observed　among　the　pacific　people　of　North

Italy。　　These　faction…fights　were　the　result；　partly　of

dram…drinking；　and　partly　of　the　fighting　mania　which　then

prevailed　in　Ireland。　　There　were　also　numbers　of　crippled　and

deformed　beggars　in　every　town；quarrelling　and　fighting　in　the

streets；rows　and　drinkings　at　wakes；gambling；　duelling；　and

riotous　living　amongst　all　classes　of　the　people；things　which

could　not　but　strike　any　ordinary　observer　at　the　time；　but　which

have　now；　for　the　most　part；　happily　passed　away。



At　the　end　of　eighteen　months；　Bianconi's　apprenticeship　was　out；

and　Faroni　then　offered　to　take　him　back　to　his　father；　in

compliance　with　the　original　understanding。　　But　Bianconi　had　no

wish　to　return　to　Italy。　　Faroni　then　made　over　to　him　the　money

he　had　retained　on　his　account；　and　Bianconi　set　up　business　for

himself。　　He　was　now　about　eighteen　years　old；　he　was　strong　and

healthy；　and　able　to　walk　with　a　heavy　load　on　his　back　from

twenty　to　thirty　miles　a　day。　　He　bought　a　large　case；　filled　it

with　coloured　prints　and　other　articles；　and　started　from　Dublin

on　a　tour　through　the　south　of　Ireland。　　He　succeeded；　like　most

persons　who　labour　diligently。　　The　curly…haired　Italian　lad

became　a　general　favourite。　　He　took　his　native　politeness　with

him　　everywhere；　and　made　many　friends　among　his　various

customers　throughout　the　country。



Bianconi　used　to　say　that　it　was　about　this　time　when　he　was

carrying　his　heavy　case　upon　his　back；　weighing　at　least　a

hundred　poundsthat　the　idea　began　to　strike　him；　of　some　cheap

method　of　conveyance　being　established　for　the　accommodation　of

the　poorer　classes　in　Ireland。　　As　he　dismantled　himself　of　his

case　of　pictures；　and　sat　wearied　and　resting　on　the　milestones

along　the　road；　he　puzzled　his　mind　with　the　thought；　〃Why　should

poor　people　walk　and　toil；　and　rich　people　ride　and　take　their

ease？　　Could　not　some　method　be　devised　by　which　poor　people　also

might　have　the　opportunity　of　travelling　comfortably？〃



It　will　thus　be　seen　that　Bianconi　was　already　beginning　to　think

about　the　matter。　　When　asked；　not　long　before　his　death；　how　it

was　that　he　had　first　thought　of　starting　his　extensive　Car

establishment；　he　answered；　〃It　grew　out　of　my　back！〃　　It　was　the

hundred　weight　of　pictures　on　his　dorsal　muscles　that　stimulated

his　thinking　faculties。　　But　the　time　for　starting　his　great

experiment　had　not　yet　arrived。



Bianconi　wandered　about　from　town　to　town　for　nearly　two　years。　

The　　picture…case　became　heavier　than　ever。　　For　a　time　he

replaced　it　with　a　portfolio　of　unframed　prints。　　Then　he　became

tired　of　the　wandering　life；　and　in　1806　settled　down　at

Carrick…on…Suir　as　a　print…seller　and　carver　and　gilder。　　He

supplied　himself　with　gold…leaf　from　Waterford；　to　which　town　he

used　to　proceed　by　Tom　Morrissey's　boat。　　Although　the　distance

by　road　between　the　towns　was　only　twelve　miles；　it　was　about

twenty…four　by　water；　in　consequence　of　the　windings　of　the　river

Suir。　　Besides；　the　boat　could　only　go　when　the　state　of　the　tide

permitted。　　Time　was　of　little　consequence；　and　it　often　took

half　a　day　to　make　the　journey。　　In　the　course　of　one　of　his

voyages；　Bianconi　got　himself　so　thoroughly