CHAP. IV. HIS STUDIES. 319 



some opinion of politics : he adds, however, " not if it 

 interfere with my business mind that ! " His friend 

 had told him that he proposed translating a system of 

 chemistry. " Now you know," said he, " that I am 

 chemistry mad ; and if I were near you, I would make 

 you promise to communicate any information on the 

 subject that you thought would be of service to your 

 friend, especially about calcareous matters and the mode 

 of forming the best composition for building with, as 

 well above as below water. But not to be confined to 

 that alone, for you must know I have a book for the 

 pocket, 1 which I always carry with me, into which I 

 have extracted the essence of Fourcroy's Lectures, Black 

 on Quicklime, Scheele's Essays, Watson's Essays, and 

 various points from the letters of my respected friend 

 Dr. Irving, 2 So much for chemistry. But I have also 

 crammed into it facts relating to mechanics, hydrostatics, 

 pneumatics, and all manner of stuff, to which I keep 

 continually adding, and it will be a charity to me if you 

 will kindly contribute your mite." 3 He says it has 

 been, and will continue to be, his aim to endeavour to 

 unite those " two frequently jarring pursuits, literature 

 and business ;" and he does not see why a man should 

 be less efficient in the latter capacity because he has 

 well informed, stored, and humanized his mind by the 

 cultivation of letters. There was both good sense and 

 sound practical wisdom in this view of Telford. 



While the gaol was in course of erection, after the im- 

 proved plans suggested by Howard, a variety of important 

 matters occupied the county surveyor's attention. During 



1 This practice of noting down in- being printed in the appendix to the 



formation, the result of reading and 4to. ' Life of Telford ' published by his 



observation, was continued by Mr. executors in 1838. Pp. 663-90. 



Telford until the close of his life ; his j 2 A medical man, a native of Esk- 



last pocket memorandum book, con- dale, of great promise, who died com- 



taining a large amount of valuable j paratively young, 



information on mechanical subjects | 3 Letter to Mr. Andrew Little, 



a sort of engineer's vade mecum ' Langholm. 



