CHAP. XIV. HIS BEQUESTS. 491 



cialism in this ; but when young men are thrown into 

 the world, with all its temptations and snares, it is well 

 that the recollections of home and kindred should survive 

 to hold them in the path of rectitude, and cheer them in 

 their onward and upright course in life. And there is 

 no doubt that Telford was borne up on many occasions 

 by the thought of what the folks in the valley would say 

 about him and his progress in life, when they met toge- 

 ther at market, or at the Westerkirk church porch on 

 Sabbath mornings. In this light, provincialism or 

 local patriotism is a prolific source of good ; and may 

 be regarded as among the most valuable and beautiful 

 emanations of the parish life of our country. Although 

 Telford was honoured with the titles and orders of 

 merit conferred upon him by foreign monarchs, what he 

 esteemed beyond them all was the respect and gratitude 

 of his own countrymen ; and, not least, the honour 

 which his really noble and beneficent career was calcu- 

 lated to reflect upon " the folks of the nook," the remote 

 inhabitants of his " beloved Eskdale." 



When the engineer proceeded to dispose of his savings 

 by will, which he did a few months before his death, the 

 distribution was a comparatively easy matter. The total 

 amount of his bequeathments was 16,600/. About one- 

 fourth of the whole he set apart for educational pur- 

 poses, 2,000. to the Civil Engineers' Institute, and 

 1,000. each to the ministers of Langholm and Wester- 

 kirk, in trust for the parish libraries. The rest was 

 bequeathed, in sums of from 200/. to 500/., to different 

 persons who had acted as clerks, assistants, and sur- 

 veyors, in his various public works ; and to his intimate 

 personal friends. Amongst these latter were Colonel 

 Pasley, the nephew of his early benefactor ; Mr. Rick- 

 man, Mr. Milne, and Mr. Hope, his three executors ; and 

 Robert Southey and Thomas Campbell, the poets. To 

 both of these last the gift was most welcome. Southey 

 said of his : " Mr. Telford has most kindly and unex- 



