industrial biography-第21部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



Designs　therein　contained。'　The　writer　says　he　writes　without　the

privity　or　sanction　of　Yarranton；　but　declares　the　dialogue　to　be　a

forgery；　and　that　the　alleged　conference　never　took　place。　　〃His

innocence；　when　he　heard　of　it；　only　provoked　a　smile；　with　this

answer；　Spreta　vilescunt；　falsehoods　mu　st　perish；　and　are　soonest

destroyed　by　contempt；　so　that　he　needs　no　further　vindication。　　The

writer　then　proceeds　at　some　length　to　vindicate　the　Captain's　famous

work　and　the　propositions　contained　in　it。

　。。。＇



In　1681　he　published　the　second　part　of　'England's　Improvement；'*

　＇footnote。。。

This　work　（especially　with　the　plates）　is　excessively　rare。　　There　is

a　copy　of　it　in　perfect　condition　in　the　Grenville　Library；　British

Museum。

　。。。＇

in　which　he　gave　a　summary　account　of　its　then　limited　growths　and

manufactures；　pointing　out　that　England　and　Ireland　were　the　only

northern　kingdoms　remaining　unimproved；　he　re…urged　the　benefits　and

necessity　of　a　voluntary　register　of　real　property；　pointed　out　a

method　of　improving　the　Royal　Navy；　lessening　the　growing　power　of

France；　and　establishing　home　fisheries；　proposed　the　securing　and

fortifying　of　Tangier；　described　a　plan　for　preventing　fires　in

London；　and　reducing　the　charge　for　maintaining　the　Trained　Bands；

urged　the　formation　of　a　harbour　at　Newhaven　in　Sussex；　and；　finally；

discoursed　at　considerable　length　upon　the　tin；　iron；　linen；　and

woollen　trades；　setting　forth　various　methods　for　their　improvement。

In　this　last　section；　after　referring　to　the　depression　in　the

domestic　tin　trade　（Cornish　tin　selling　so　low　as　70s。　the　cwt。）；　he

suggested　a　way　of　reviving　it。　　With　the　Cornish　tin　he　would　combine

〃the　Roman　cinders　and　iron…stone　in　the　Forest　of　Dean；　which　makes

the　best　iron　for　most　uses　in　the　world；　and　works　up　to　the　best

advantage；　with　delight　and　pleasure　to　the　workmen。〃　　He　then

described　the　history　of　his　own　efforts　to　import　the　manufacture　of

tin…plates　into　England　some　sixteen　years　before；　in　which　he　had

been　thwarted　by　Chamberlaine's　patent；　as　above　described；and

offered　sundry　queries　as　to　the　utility　of　patents　generally；　which；

says　he；　〃have　the　tendency　to　drive　trade　out　of　the　kingdom。〃

Appended　to　the　chapter　on　Tin　is　an　exceedingly　amusing　dialogue

between　a　tin…miner　of　Cornwall；　an　iron…miner　of　Dean　Forest；　and　a

traveller　（himself）。　　From　this　we　gather　that　Yarranton's　business

continued　to　be　that　of　an　iron…manufacturer　at　his　works　at　Ashley

near　Bewdley。　　Thus　the　iron…miner　says；　〃About　28　years　since　Mr。

Yarranton　found　out　a　vast　quantity　of　Roman　cinders；　near　the　walls

of　the　city　of　Worcester；　from　whence　he　and　others　carried　away　many

thousand　tons　or　loads　up　the　river　Severn；　unto　their　iron…furnaces；

to　be　melted　down　into　iron；　with　a　mixture　of　the　Forest　of　Dean

iron…stone；　and　within　100　yards　of　the　walls　of　the　city　of

Worcester　there　was　dug　up　one　of　the　hearths　of　the　Roman

foot…blasts；　it　being　then　firm　and　in　order；　and　was　7　foot　deep　in

the　earth；　and　by　the　side　of　the　work　there　was　found　a　pot　of　Roman

coin　to　the　quantity　of　a　peck；　some　of　which　was　presented　to　Sir

＇Wm。＇　Dugdale；　and　part　thereof　is　now　in　the　King's　Closet。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　Nash；　in　his　History　of　Worcestershire；　has　thrown　some　doubts

upon　this　story；　but　Mr。　Green；　in　his　Historical　Antiquities　of　the

city；　has　made　a　most　able　defence　of　Yarranton's　statement　（vol。i。

9；　in　foot…note）。

　。。。＇



In　the　same　year　（1681）　in　which　the　second　part　of　'England's

Improvement'　appeared；　Yarranton　proceeded　to　Dunkirk　for　the　purpose

of　making　a　personal　survey　of　that　port；　then　belonging　to　England；

and　on　his　return　he　published　a　map　of　the　town；　harbour；　and　castle

on　the　sea；　with　accompanying　letterpress；　in　which　he　recommended；

for　the　safety　of　British　trade；　the　demolition　of　the　fortifications

of　Dunkirk　before　they　were　completed；　which　he　held　would　only　be

for　the　purpose　of　their　being　garrisoned　by　the　French　king。　　His

'Full　Discovery　of　the　First　Presbyterian　Sham　Plot'　was　published　in

the　same　year；　and　from　that　time　nothing　further　is　known　of　Andrew

Yarranton。　　His　name　and　his　writings　have　been　alike　nearly

forgotten；　and；　though　Bishop　Watson　declared　of　him　that　he　deserved

to　have　a　statue　erected　to　his　memory　as　a　great　public　benefactor；

we　do　not　know　that　he　was　so　much　as　honoured　with　a　tombstone；　for

we　have　been　unable；　after　careful　inquiry；　to　discover　when　and

where　he　died。



Yarranton　was　a　man　whose　views　were　far　in　advance　of　his　age。　　The

generation　for　whom　he　laboured　and　wrote　were　not　ripe　for　their

reception　and　realization；　and　his　voice　sounded　among　the　people

like　that　of　one　crying　in　the　wilderness。　　But　though　his

exhortations　to　industry　and　his　large　plans　of　national　improvement

failed　to　work　themselves　into　realities　in　his　own　time；　he　broke

the　ground；　he　sowed　the　seed；　and　it　may　be　that　even　at　this　day　we

are　in　some　degree　reaping　the　results　of　his　labours。　　At　all　events；

his　books　still　live　to　show　how　wise　and　sagacious　Andrew　Yarranton

was　beyond　his　contemporaries　as　to　the　true　methods　of　establishing

upon　solid　foundations　the　industrial　prosperity　of　England。







CHAPTER　V。



COALBROOKDALE　IRON　WORKSTHE　DARBYS　AND　REYNOLDSES。



〃The　triumph　of　the　industrial　arts　will　advance　the　cause　of

civilization　more　rapidly　than　its　warmest　advocates　could　have

hoped；　and　contribute　to　the　permanent　prosperity　and　strength　of　the

country　far　move　than　the　most　splendid　victories　of　successful

war。C。　　BABBAGE；　The　Exposition　of　1851。





Dud　Dudley's　invention　of　smelting　iron　with　coke　made　of　pit…coal

was；　like　many　others；　born　before　its　time。　　It　was　neither

appreciated　by　the　iron…masters　nor　by　the　workmen。　　All　schemes　for

smelting　ore　with　any　other　fuel　than　charcoal　made　from　wood　were

regarded　with　incredulity。　　As　for　Dudley's　Metallum　Martis；　as　it

contained　no　specification；　it　revealed　no　secret；　and　when　its

author　died；　his　secret；　whatever　it　might　be；　died　with　him。　　Other

improvements　were　doubtless　necessary　before　the　invention　could　be

turned　to　useful　account。　　Thus；　until　a　more　powerful　blowing…furace

had　been　contrived；　the　production　of　pit…coal　iron　must　necessarily

have　been　limited。　　Dudley　himself　does　not　seem　to　have　been　able　to

make　more　on　an　average　than　five　tons　a…week；　and　seven　tons　at　the

outside。　　Nor　was　the　iron　so　good　as　that　made　by　charcoal；　for　it　is

admitted　to　have　been　especially　liable　to　deterioration　by　the

sulphureous　fumes　of　the　coal　in　the　process　of　manufacture。



Dr。　Plot；　in　his　'History　of　Staffordshire；'　speaks　of　an　experiment

made　by　one　Dr。　Blewstone；　a　High　German；　as　〃the　last　effort〃　made

in　that　county　to　smelt　iron…ore　with　pit…coal。　　He　is　said　to　have

〃built　his　furnace　at　Wednesbury；　so　ingeniously　contrived　（that　only

the　flame　of　the　coal　should　come　to　the　ore；　with　several　other

conveniences）；　that　many　were　of　opinion　he　would　succeed　in　it。　　But

experience；　that　great　baffler　of　speculation；　showed　it　would　not

be；　the　sulphureous　vitriolic　steams　that　issue　from　the　pyrites；

which　frequently；　if　not　always；　accompanies　pit…coal；　ascending　with

the　flame；　and　poisoning　the　ore　sufficiently　to　make　it　render　much

worse　iron　than　that　made　with　charcoal；　though　not　perhaps　so　much

worse　as　the　body　of　the　coal　itself　would　possibly　do。〃*

　＇footnote。。。

Dr。　PLOT；　Natural　History　of　Staffordshire；　2nd　ed。　1686；　p。　128。

　。。。＇

Dr。　Plot　does　not　give　the　year　in　which　this　〃last　effort〃　was　made；

but　as　we　find　that　one　Dr。　Frederic　de　Blewston　obtained　a　patent

from　Charles　II。　on　the　25th　October；　1677；　for　〃a　new　and　effectual

way　of　melting　down；　forging；　extracting；　and　reducing　of　iron　and

all　metals　and　minerals　with　pit…coal　and　sea…coal；　as　well　and

effectually　as　ever　hath　yet　been　done　by　charcoal；　and　with　much

less　charge；〃　and　as　Dr。　Plot's　　History；　in　which　he　makes　mention

of　the　experiment　and　its　failure；　was　published　in　1686；　it　is

obvious　that　the　trial　must　have　been　made　between　those　years。



As　the　demand　for　iron　steadily　increased　with　the　increasing

population　of　the　country；　and　as　the　supply　of　timber　for　smelting

purposes　was　diminishing　from　year　to　year；　England　was　compelled　to

rely　more　and　more　upon　foreign　countries　for　its　supply　of

manufactured　iron。　　The　number　of　English　forges　rapidly　dwindled；　and

the　amount　of　the　home　production　became　insignificant　in　comparison

with　what　was　imported　from　abroad。　　Yarranton；　writing　in　1676；

speaks　of　〃the　many　iron…works　laid　down　in　Kent；　Sussex；　Surrey；　and

in　the　north　of　England；　because　the　iron　of　Sweadland；　Flanders；　and

Spain；　coming　in　so　cheap；　it　cannot　be　made　to　profit　here。〃　　There

were　many　persons；　indeed；　who　held　that　it　was　better　we　should　be

s