334 TELFORD'S STUDY OF ARCHITECTURE. PART VHI. 



carefully inspected its colleges and churches, afterwards 

 expressing the great delight and profit which he had 

 derived from his visit. He was entertained while there 

 by Mr. Robertson, an eminent mathematician, then 

 superintending the publication of an edition of the 

 works of Archimedes. The architectural designs of 

 buildings that most pleased him were those of Dr. 

 Aldrich, Dean of Christchurch about the time of Sir 

 Christopher Wren. He tore himself from Oxford with 

 great regret, proceeding by Birmingham on his way 

 home to Shrewsbury. " Birmingham," he says, " famous 

 for its buttons and locks, its ignorance and barbarism- 

 its prosperity increases with the corruption of taste and 

 morals. Its nicknacks, hardware, and gilt gimcracks 

 are proofs of the former ; and its locks and bars, 

 and the recent barbarous conduct of its populace, 1 are 

 evidences of the latter." His principal object in visit- 

 ing the place was to call upon a stained glass maker 

 respecting a window for the new church at Bridge- 

 north. 



On his return to Shrewsbury, Telford proposed to 

 proceed with his favourite study of architecture ; but 

 this, said he, " will probably be very slowly, as I must 

 attend to my every day employment," namely, the 

 superintendence of the county road and bridge repairs, 

 and the direction of the convicts' labour. " If I keep 

 my health, however," he added, " and have no unfore- 

 seen hindrance, it shall not be forgotten, but will be 

 creeping on by degrees." An unforeseen circumstance, 

 though not a hindrance, did very shortly occur, which 

 launched Telford upon a new career, for which his un- 

 remitting study, as well as his carefully improved experi- 

 ence, eminently fitted him : we refer to his appointment 

 as engineer to the Ellesmere Canal Company. 



1 Referring to the burning of Dr. Priestley's library. 



