the life of thomas telford- 第63部分

Campbell；　the　poets。　　To　both　of　these　last　the　gift　was　most

welcome。　　Southey　said　of　his：　〃Mr。　Telford　has　most　kindly　and

unexpectedly　left　me　500L。；　with　a　share　of　his　residuary　property；

which　I　am　told　will　make　it　amount　in　all　to　850L。　This　is　truly　a

godsend；　and　I　am　most　grateful　for　it。　　It　gives　me　the　comfortable

knowledge　that；　if　it　should　please　God　soon　to　take　me　from　this

world；　my　family　would　have　resources　fully　sufficient　for　their

support　till　such　time　as　their　affairs　could　be　put　in　order；　and

the　proceeds　of　my　books；　remains；　&c。；　be　rendered　available。

I　have　never　been　anxious　overmuch；　nor　ever　taken　more　thought　for

the　morrow　than　it　is　the　duty　of　every　one　to　take　who　has　to　earn

his　livelihood；　but　to　be　thus　provided　for　at　this　time　I　feel　to

be　an　especial　blessing。'〃*＇14＇　　Among　the　most　valuable　results　of

Telford's　bequests　in　his　own　district；　was　the　establishment　of

the　popular　libraries　at　Langholm　and　Westerkirk；　each　of　which　now

contains　about　4000　volumes。　　That　at　Westerkirk　had　been

originally　instituted　in　the　year　1792；　by　the　miners　employed　to

work　an　antimony　mine　（since　abandoned）　on　the　farm　of　Glendinning；

within　sight　of　the　place　where　Telford　was　born。　　On　the

dissolution　of　the　mining　company；　in　1800；　the　little　collection

of　books　was　removed　to　Kirkton　Hill；　but　on　receipt　of　Telford's

bequest；　a　special　building　was　erected　for　their　reception　at　Old

Bentpath　near　the　village　of　Westerkirk。　　The　annual　income　derived

from　the　Telford　fund　enabled　additions　of　new　volumes　to　be　made

to　it　from　time　to　time；　and　its　uses　as　a　public　institution　were

thus　greatly　increased。　　The　books　are　exchanged　once　a　month；　on

the　day　of　the　full　moon；　on　which　occasion　readers　of　all　ages　and

conditions；farmers；　shepherds；　ploughmen；　labourers；　and　their

children；resort　to　it　from　far　and　near；　taking　away　with　them　as

many　volumes　as　they　desire　for　the　month's　readings。



Thus　there　is　scarcely　a　cottage　in　the　valley　in　which　good　books

are　not　to　be　found　under　perusal；　and　we　are　told　that　it　is　a

common　thing　for　the　Eskdale　shepherd　to　take　a　book　in　his　plaid

to　the　hill…sidea　volume　of　Shakespeare；　Prescott；　or　Macaulay

and　read　it　there；　under　the　blue　sky；　with　his　sheep　and　the　green

hills　before　him。　　And　thus；　so　long　as　the　bequest　lasts；　the　good；

great　engineer　will　not　cease　to　be　remembered　with　gratitude　in

his　beloved　Eskdale。



Footnotes　for　Chapter　XV。



*＇1＇　In　his　inaugural　address　to　the　members　on　taking　the　chair；

the　President　pointed　out　that　the　principles　of　the　Institution

rested　on　the　practical　efforts　and　unceasing　perseverance　of　the

members　themselves。　　〃In　foreign　countries；〃　he　said；　〃similar

establishments　are　instituted　by　government；　and　their　members　and

proceedings　are　under　their　control；　but　here；　a　different　course

being　adopted；　it　becomes　incumbent　on　each　individual　member　to

feel　that　the　very　existence　and　prosperity　of　the　Institution

depend；　in　no　small　degree；　on　his　personal　conduct　and　exertions；

and　my　merely　mentioning　the　circumstance　will；　I　am　convinced；　be

sufficient　to　command　the　best　efforts　of　the　present　and　future

members。〃



*＇2＇　We　are　informed　by　Joseph　Mitchell；　Esq。；　C。E。；　of　the　origin

of　this　practice。　　Mr。　Mitchell　was　a　pupil　of　Mr。　Telford's；　living

with　him　in　his　house　at　24；　Abingdon　Street。　　It　was　the　engineer's

custom　to　have　a　dinner　party　every　Tuesday；　after　which　his

engineering　friends　were　invited　to　accompany　him　to　the　Institution；

the　meetings　of　which　were　then　held　on　Tuesday　evenings　in　a　house

in　Buckingham　Street；　Strand。　　The　meetings　did　not　usually　consist

of　more　than　from　twenty　to　thirty　persons。　　Mr。　Mitchell　took

notes　of　the　conversations　which　followed　the　reading　of　the　papers。

Mr。　Telford　afterwards　found　his　pupil　extending　the　notes；

on　which　he　asked　permission　to　read　them；　and　was　so　much　pleased

that　he　took　them　to　the　next　meeting　and　read　them　to　the　members。

Mr。　Mitchell　was　then　formally　appointed　reporter　of　conversations

to　the　Institute；　and　the　custom　having　been　　continued；　a　large

mass　of　valuable　practical　information　has　thus　been　placed　on

record。



*＇3＇　Supplement　to　Weale's　'Bridges；'　Count　Szechenyi's　Report；　p。　18。



*＇4＇　Letter　to　Mrs。　Little；　Langholm；　28th　August；　1833。



*＇5＇　A　statue　of　him；　by　Bailey；　has　since　been　placed　in　the　east

aisle　of　the　north　transept；　known　as　the　Islip　Chapel。　　It　is

considered　a　fine　work；　but　its　effect　is　quite　lost　in　consequence

of　the　crowded　state　of　the　aisle；　which　has　very　much　the　look　of

a　sculptor's　workshop。　　The　subscription　raised　for　the　purpose　of

erecting　the　statue　was　1000L。；　of　which　200L。　was　paid　to　the　Dean

for　permission　to　place　it　within　the　Abbey。



*＇6＇　Letter　to　Miss　Malcolm；　Burnfoot；　Langholm；　dated　7th　October；

1830。



*＇7＇　Sir　David　Brewster；　　observes　on　this　point：　〃It　is　difficult

to　analyse　that　peculiar　faculty　of　mind　which　directs　a　successful

engineer　who　is　not　guided　by　the　deductions　of　the　exact　sciences；

but　it　must　consist　mainly　in　the　power　of　observing　the　effects　of

natural　causes　acting　in　a　variety　of　circumstances；　and　in　the

judicious　application　of　this　knowledge　to　cases　when　the　same

causes　come　into　operation。　　But　while　this　sagacity　is　a　prominent

feature　in　the　designs　of　Mr。　Telford；　it　appears　no　less

distinctly　in　the　choice　of　the　men　by　whom　they　were　to　be

practically　executed。　　His　quick　perception　of　character；　his

honesty　of　purpose；　and　his　contempt　for　all　otheracquirements；

save　that　practical　knowledge　and　experience　which　was　best　fitted

to　accomplish；　in　the　best　manner；　the　object　he　had　in　view；have

enables　him　to　leave　behind　him　works　of　inestimable　value；　and

monuments　of　professional　celebrity　which　have　not　been　surpassed

either　in　Britain　or　in　Europe。〃'Edinburgh　Review；'　vol。　lxx。　p。　46。



*＇8＇　It　seems　singular　that　with　Telford's　great　natural　powers　of

pleasing；　his　warm　social　temperament；　and　his　capability　of

forming　ardent　attachments　for　friends；　many　of　them　women；　he

should　never　have　formed　an　attachment　of　the　heart。　　Even　in　his

youthful　and　poetical　days；　the　subject　of　love；　so　frequently　the

theme　of　boyish　song；　is　never　alluded　to；　while　his　school

friendships　are　often　recalled　to　mind　and；　indeed；　made　the

special　subject　of　his　verse。　　It　seems　odd　to　find　him；　when　at

Shrewsburya　handsome　fellow；　with　a　good　position；　and　many

beautiful　women　about　himaddressing　his　friend；　the　blind

schoolmaster　at　Langholm；　as　his　〃Stella〃！



*＇9＇　Mr。　Mitchell　says：　〃He　lived　at　the　rate　of　about　1200L。　a

year。　　He　kept　a　carriage；　but　no　horses；　and　used　his　carriage

principally　for　making　his　journeys　through　the　country　on　business。

I　once　accompanied　him　to　Bath　and　Cornwall；　when　he　made　me　keep

an　accurate　journal　of　all　I　saw。　　He　used　to　lecture　us　on　being

independent；　even　in　little　matters；　and　not　ask　servants　to　do　for

us　what　we　might　easily　do　for　ourselves。　　He　carried　in　his　pocket

a　small　book　containing　needles；　thread；　and　buttons；　and　on　an

emergency　was　always　ready　to　put　in　a　stitch。　　A　curious　habit　he

had　of　mending　his　stockings；　which　I　suppose　he　acquired　when　a

working　mason。　　He　would　not　permit　his　housekeeper　to　touch　them；

but　after　his　work　at　night；　about　nine　or　half　past；　he　would　go

up　stairs；　and　take　down　a　lot；　and　sit　mending　them　with　great

apparent　delight　in　his　own　room　till　bed…time。　　I　have　frequently

gone　in　to　him　with　some　message；　and　found　him　occupied　with　this

work。〃



*＇10＇　〃The　British　Fisheries　Society；〃　adds　Mr。　Rickman；　〃did　not

suffer　themselves　to　be　entirely　outdone　in　liberality；　and　shortly

before　his　death　they　pressed　upon　Mr。　Telford　a　very　handsome　gift

of　plate；　which；　being　inscribed　with　expressions　of　their

thankfulness　and　gratitude　towards　him；　he　could　not　possibly

refuse　to　accept。〃'Life　of　Telford；'　p。　283。



*＇11＇　Weale's　'Theory。　　Practice；　and　Architecture　of　Bridges；'

vol。i。：　'Essay　on　Foundations　of　Bridges；'　by　T。　Hughes；　C。E。；　p。　33。



*＇12＇　Letter　to　Mr。　William　Little；　Langholm；　24th　January；　1815。



*＇13＇　Telford　thought　so　little　about　money；　that　he　did　not　even

know　the　amount　he　died　possessed　of。　　It　turned　out　that　instead　of

16；600L。　it　was　about　30；000L。；　so　that　his　legatees　had　their

bequests　nearly　doubled。　　For　many　years　he　had　abstained　from

drawing　the　dividends　on　the　shares　which　he　held　in　the　canals　and

other　public　companies　in　which　he　was　concerned。　　At　the　money

panic　of　1825；　it　was　found　that　he　had　a　considerable　sum　lying　in

the　hands　of　his　London　bankers　at　little　or　no　interest；　and　it

was　only　on　the　urgent　recommendation　of　his　friend；　Sir　P。　Malcolm；

that　he　invested　it　in　government　securities；　then　very　low。



*＇14＇　'Selections　from　the　Letters　of　Robert　Southey；'　vol。　iv。；

p。　391。　　We　may　here　mention　that　the　last　article　which　Southey

wrote　for　the　'Quarterly'　was　his　review　of　the　'　Life　of　Telford。'











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