an autobiography-第9章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


ed；　and　the　basement　of　the　design　will　be　admired　by　every　true　artist。　　It　is　regarded　as　a　great　ornament；　and　is　thoroughly　in　keeping　with　the　beauty　of　the　surrounding　scenery。

Shortly　after　the　death　of　Lord　Nelson　it　was　proposed　to　erect　a　monument　to　his　memory　on　the　Calton　Hill。　　My　father　supplied　a　design；　which　was　laid　before　the　Monument　Committee。　　It　was　so　much　approved　that　the　required　sum　was　rapidly　subscribed。　　But　as　the　estimated　cost　of　this　erection　was　found　slightly　to　exceed　the　amount　subscribed；　a　nominally　cheaper　design　was　privately　adopted。　It　was　literally　a　job。　　The　vulgar；　churn…like　monument　was　thus　thrust　on　the　public　and　actually　erected；　and　there　it　stands　to　this　day；　a　piteous　sight　to　beholders。　　It　was　eventually　found　greatly　to　exceed　in　cost　the　amount　of　the　estimate　for　my　father's　design。　　I　give　a　sketch　of　my　father's　memorial；　and　I　am　led　to　do　this　because　it　is　erroneously　alleged　that　he　was　the　architect　of　the　present　inverted　spy　glass；　called　〃Nelson's　Monument〃

＇Image＇　　Nelson's　Monument　as　it　should　have　been。

Then；　with　respect　to　my　father's　powers　as　a　mechanic。　　This　was　an　inherited　faculty；　and　I　leave　my　readers　to　infer　from　the　following　pages　whether　I　have　not　had　my　fair　share　of　this　inheritance。　Besides　his　painting　room；　my　father　had　a　workroom　fitted　up　with　all　sorts　of　mechanical　tools。　　It　was　one　of　his　greatest　pleasures　to　occupy　himself　there　as　a　relief　from　sitting　at　the　easel；　or　while　within　doors　from　the　inclemency　of　the　weather。　　The　walls　and　shelves　of　his　workroom　were　crowded　with　a　multitude　of　artistic　and　ingenious　mechanical　objects；　nearly　all　of　which　were　the　production　of　his　own　hands。　　Many　of　them　were　associated　with　the　most　eventful　incidents　in　his　life。　　He　only　admitted　his　most　intimate　friends；　or　such　as　could　understand　and　appreciate　the　variety　of　objects　connected　with　art　and　mechanism；　to　his　workroom。　　His　natural　taste　for　neatness　and　arrangement　gave　it　a　very　orderly　aspect；　however　crowded　its　walls　and　shelves　might　be。　　Everything　was　in　its　place；　and　there　was　a　place　for　everything。　　It　was　in　this　workroom　that　I　first　began　to　handle　mechanical　tools。　　It　was　my　primary　technical　schoolthe　very　foreground　of　my　life。

＇Image＇　　Bow…and…string　Roofs　and　Bridges

I　may　mention　one　or　two　of　my　father's　mechanical　efforts；　or　rather　his　inventions　in　applied　science。　　One　of　the　most　important　was　the　〃bow…and…string　bridge；〃　as　he　first　called　it；　to　which　he　early　directed　his　attention。　　He　invented　this　important　method　of　construction　about　the　year　1794。　　The　first　bow…and…string　bridge　was　erected　in　the　island　of　St。　Helena　over　a　deep　ravine。

Many　considered；　from　its　apparent　slightness；　that　it　was　not　fitted　to　sustain　any　considerable　load。　　A　remarkable　and　convincing　proof　was；　however；　given　of　its　stability　by　the　passage　over　it　of　a　herd　of　wild　oxen；　that　rushed　across　without　the　slightest　damage　to　its　structure。　　After　so　severe　a　test　it　was　for　many　succeeding　years　employed　as　a　most　valuable　addition　to　the　accessibility　of　an　important　portion　of　the　island。　　The　bow…and…string　bridge　has　since　been　largely　employed　in　spanning　wide　spaces　over　which　suburban　and　other　railways　pass；　and　in　roofing　over　such　stations　as　those　at　Birmingham；　Charing　Cross；　and　other　Great　Metropolitan　centres；　as　well　as　in　bow…and…string　bridges　over　rivers。　　I　give　the　fac…simile　of　his　original　drawings*　　＇footnote。。。　　The　original　drawings　of　these　bow…and…string　bridges；　of　various　spans；　are　now　deposited　at　the　Gallery　of　the　Museum　of　Naval　Architecture　at　South　Kensington；　and　are　signed　〃Alexander　Nasmyth　1796。〃　　。。。＇　for　the　purpose　of　showing　our　great　railway　engineers　the　originator　of　the　graceful　and　economical　method　of　spanning　wide　spaces；　now　practised　in　every　part　of　the　civilised　world。

Another　of　his　inventions　was　the　method　of　riveting　by　compression　instead　of　by　blows　of　the　hammer。　　It　originated　in　a　slight　circumstance。　　One　wet；　wintry　Sunday　morning　he　went　into　his　workroom。　　There　were　some　slight　mechanical　repairs　to　be　performed　upon　a　beautiful　little　stove　of　his　own　construction。　　To　repair　it；　iron　rivets　were　necessary　to　make　it　serviceable。　　But　as　the　hammering　of　the　hot　rivets　would　annoy　his　neighbours　by　the　unwelcome　sound　of　the　hammer；　he　solved　the　difficulty　by　using　the　jaws　of　his　bench　vice　to　squeeze　in　the　hot　rivets　when　put　into　their　places。　The　stove　was　thus　quickly　repaired　in　the　most　perfect　silence。

This　was；　perhaps；　the　first　occasion　on　which　a　squeeze　or　compressive　action　was　substituted　for　the　percussive　action　of　the　hammer；　in　closing　red…hot　rivets；　for　combining　together　pieces　of　stout　sheet　or　plate　iron。　　This　system　of　riveting　was　long　afterwards　patented　by　Smith　of　Deanston　in　combination　with　William　Fairbairn　of　Manchester；　and　it　was　employed　in　riveting　the　plates　used　in　the　construction　of　the　bridges　over　the　River　Conway　and　the　Menai　Straits。

It　is　also　universally　used　in　boiler　and　girder　making；　and　in　all　other　wrought…iron　structures　in　which　thorough　sound　riveting　is　absolutely　essential；　and　by　the　employment　of　hydraulic　power　in　a　portable　form　a　considerable　portion　of　iron　shipbuilding　is　effected　by　the　silent　squeeze　　system　in　place　of　hammers；　much　to　the　advantage　of　the　soundness　of　the　work。　　My　father　frequently；　in　aftertimes；　practised　this　mode　of　riveting　by　compression　in　place　of　using　the　blow　of　a　hammer；　and　in　remembrance　of　the　special　circumstances　under　which　he　contrived　this　silent　and　most　effective　method　of　riveting；　he　named　it　〃The　Sunday　Rivet。〃


CHAPTER　3。　　　An　Artist's　Family。

Although　Alexander　Nasmyth　had　to　a　considerable　extent　lost　his　aristocratic　connection　as　a　portrait　painter；　yet　many　kind　and　generous　friends　gathered　round　him。　　During　his　sojourn　in　Italy；　in　1783；　he　had　the　good　fortune　to　make　the　acquaintance　of　Sir　James　Hall　of　Dunglass；　Haddingtonshire。　　The　acquaintance　afterwards　ripened　into　a　deeply…rooted　friendship。

During　the　winter　season　Sir　James　resided　with　his　family　in　his　town　house　in　George　Street。　　He　was　passionately　attached　to　the　pursuit　of　art　and　science。　　He　practised　the　art　of　painting　in　my　father's　room；　and　was　greatly　helped　by　him　in　the　requisite　manipulative　skill。　Sir　James　was　at　that　time　engaged　in　writing　his　well…known　essay　〃On　the　Origin　of　Gothic　Architecture；〃　and　in　this　my　father　was　of　important　use　to　him。　　He　executed　the　greater　number　of　the　illustrations　for　this　beautiful　work。　　The　book　when　published　had　a　considerable　influence　in　restoring　the　taste　of　architects　to　a　style　which　they　had　heretofore　either　neglected　or　degraded。

Besides　his　enthusiasm　in　art　and　architecture；　Sir　James　devoted　a　great　deal　of　time　to　the　study　of　geology。　　The　science　was　then　in　its　infancy。　　Being　an　acute　observer；　Hall's　attention　was　first　attracted　to　the　subject　by　the　singular　geological　features　of　the　sea…coast　near　his　mansion　at　Dunglass。　　The　neighbourhood　of　Edinburgh　also　excited　his　interest。　　The　upheaval　of　the　rocks　by　volcanic　heat　as　seen　in　the　Castle　Hill；　the　Calton　Hill；　and　Arthur's　Seat　formed　in　a　great　measure　the　foundation　of　the　picturesque　beauty　of　the　city。　　Those　were　the　days　of　the　Wernerian　and　Huttonian　controversy　as　to　the　origin　of　the　changes　on　the　surface　of　the　earth。　　Sir　James　Ball　was　President　of　the　Edinburgh　Royal　Society；　and　necessarily　took　an　anxious　interest　in　the　discussions。　He　observed　and　experimented；　and　established　the　true　volcanic　nature　of　the　composition　and　formation　of　the　rocks　and　mountains　which　surround　Edinburgh。

I　have　been　led　to　speak　of　this　subject；　because　when　a　boy　I　was　often　present　at　the　discussions　of　these　great　principles。　My　father；　Sir　James　Hall；　Professors　Playfair　and　Leslie；　took　their　accustomed　walks　round　Edinburgh；　and　I　clung　eagerly　to　their　words。　Though　unable　to　understand　everything　that　was　said；　these　walks　had　a　great　influence　upon　my　education。　　Indeed；　what　education　can　compare　with　that　of　listening　attentively　to　the　conversation　and　interchange　of　thought　of　men　of　the　highest　intelligence？　　It　is　on　such　occasions　that　ideas；　not　mere　words；　take　hold　of　the　memory；　and　abide　there　until　the　close　of　life。

Besides　mixing　in　the　society　of　scientific　men；　my　father　enjoyed　a　friendly　intercourse　with　the　artists　of　his　day。　　He　was　often　able　to　give　substantial　help　and　assistance　to　young　students；　and　he　was　most　liberal　in　giving　them　valuable　practical　instruction；　and　in　assisting　them　over　the　manipulative　difficulties　which　lay　in　their　way。　　He　was　especially　assiduous　when　he　saw　them　inspired　by　the　true　spirit　of　art；　and　full　of　application　and　industry；without　which　nothing　can　be　accomplished。　　Amongst　these　young　men　were　David　Wilkie；　Francis　Grant；　David　Roberts；　Clarkson　Stanfield；　William　Allan；　Andrew　Geddes；　〃Grecian〃　Williams；　Lizars　the　engraver；　and　the　Rev。　John　Thomson　of　Duddingston。

Henry　Raeburn　was　one　of　his　most　intimate　friends　and　companions。　He　considered　Raeburn's　broad　and　masterly　style　of　portrait　painting　as　an　era　in　Scottish　art。　　Raeburn；　with　innate　tact；　discerned　the　character　of　his　sitters；　and　he　imparted　so　much　of　their　individuality　into　his　portraits　as　to　make　them　admirable　likenesses　in　the　highest　sense。　　In　connection　with　Raeburn；　I　may　mention　that　when　he　was　knighted　by　George　IV。　in　1822；　my　father；　who　was　then　at　the　head　of　his　profession　in　Scotland；　was　appointed　chairman　at　the　dinner　held　to　do　honour　to　the　great　Scottish　portrait　painter。

Raeburn　often　joined　my　father　in　his　afternoon　walks　round　Edinburgh　a　relaxation　so　very　desirable　after　hours　of　close　attention　to　artistic　work。　　They　took　delight　in　the　wonderful　variety　of　picturesque　scenery　by　which　the　city　is　surrounded。　　The　walks　about　Arthur's　Seat　were　the　most　enjoyable　of　all。　　When　a　boy　I　had　often　the　pleasure　of　accompanying　them；　and　of　listening　to　their　conversation。　　I　thus　picked　up　many　an　idea　that　served　me　well　in　after　life。　　Indeed；　I　may　say；　after　a　long　experience；　that　there　is　no　class　of　men　whose　company　I　more　delight　in　than　that　of　artists。　Their　innate　and　highly…cultivated　power　of　observation；　not　only　as　regards　the　ever…varying　aspects　of　nature；　but　also　as　regards　the　quaint；　droll；　and　humorous　varieties　of　character；　concur　in　rendering　their　conversation　most　delightful。　　I　look　back　on　these　walks　as　among　the　brightest　points　in　my　existence。　　I　have　been　led　to　digress　on　this　subject。　　Although　more　correctly　belonging　to　my　father's　life；　yet　it　is　so　amalgamated　with　my　own　that　it　almost　forms　part　of　it；　and　it　is　difficult　for　me　to　separate　the　one　from　the　other。

And　then　there　were　the　pleasant　evenings　at　home。　　When　the　day's　work　was　over；　friends　looked　in　to　have　a　fireside　cracksometimes　scientific　men；　sometimes　artists；　often　both。　　They　were　all　made　welcome。　　There　was　no　formality　about　their　visits。　　Had　they　been　formal；　there　would　have　been　comparatively　little　pleasure。　The　visitor　came　in　with　his　〃Good　e'en〃；　and　seated　himself