CHAP, iv Fi:<>M \VOKSI. KY TO M. \\riiKSTKli. 861 



his detractors have alleged, is at variance with the whole 

 diameter and history of the- man. 



The Duke's canal, when finished, was for a long time 

 regarded as the wonder of the neighbourhood. Strangers 

 i locked from a distance to see Brindley's "castle in the 

 air ;" and contemporary writers spoke in glowing terms 

 of the surprise with which they saw several barges of 

 great burthen drawn by a single mule or horse along " a 

 river hung in the air," and over another river under- 

 neath, by the side of which some ten or twelve men 

 might be seen slowly hauling a single barge against the 

 stream. A lady who writes a description of the work in 

 17G5, speaks of it as " perhaps the greatest artificial 

 curiosity in the world;" and she states that "crowds of 

 people, including those of the first fashion, resort to it 

 daily." l The chief value of the work, however, con- 

 sisted in its uses. Manchester was now regularly and 

 cheaply supplied with coals. The average price was at 

 once reduced by one-half from 7c?. the cwt. to 3 \d. (six 

 score being given to the cwt.) and the supply was 

 regular instead of intermitting, as it had formerly been. 

 But the full advantages of this improved supply of 

 coals were not experienced until many years after the 

 opening of the canal, when the invention of the steam- 

 engine, and its extensive employment as a motive power 

 in all manufacturing operations, rendered a cheap and 

 abundant supply of fuel of such vital importance to the 

 growth and prosperity of Manchester and its neigh- 

 bourhood. 



merits of the Egertons, the proper 

 translation of Hebrew, the ancient 



languages gem-rally, but more cspeci- 



heing waited on by a special valet. 

 The most creditable thing the Karl 

 did was to leave the sum of 12,000?. 



ally about prophecy and poodle-dogs. to the British Museum, and 8000Z. to 



When he drove a Ion-- the Houlevanls meritorious literary men lor writing 



in Paris, nothing could l>e seen of his the well-known ' Hridgewater Tiva- 



Inrdship lor j oodle-dogs looking out ! tises.' He died in February, 1829. 



of the carriage-windows. The poodles 1 Mr. Newbery's 'Lady's 1'oekel- 



sat at table with him at dinner, each ! book.' 



