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industrial biography-第21部分
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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
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