men of invention and industry-第62部分

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A　man's　character　often　exhibits　itself　in　his　amusements。　　One

must　have　a　high　respect　for　the　character　of　John　Robertson；　who

looks　at　the　manner　in　which　he　spends　his　spare　time。　　His

astronomical　work　is　altogether　a　labour　of　love。　　It　is　his

hobby；　and　the　working　man　may　have　his　hobby　as　well　as　the

rich。　　In　his　case　he　is　never　less　idle　than　when　idle。　　Some

may　think　that　he　is　casting　his　bread　upon　the　waters；　and　that

he　may　find　it　after　many　days。　　But　it　is　not　with　this　object

that　he　carries　on　his　leisure…hour　pursuits。　　Some　have　tried

sheriff　Barclay　among　others＇5＇to　obtain　appointments　for　him

in　connection　with　astronomical　observation；　others　to　secure

advancement　for　him　in　his　own　line。　　But　he　is　a　man　who　is

satisfied　with　his　lotone　of　the　rarest　things　on　earth。　

Perhaps　it　is　by　looking　so　much　up　to　the　heavens　that　he　has

been　enabled　to　obtain　his　portion　of　contentment。



Next　morning　I　found　him　busy　at　the　station；　making　arrangements

for　the　departure　of　the　passenger　train　for　Perth；　and　evidently

upon　the　best　of　terms　with　everybody。　　And　here　I　leave　John

Robertson；　the　contented　Coupar　Angus　astronomer。



Some　years　ago　I　received　from　my　friend　Mr。　Nasmyth　a　letter　of

introduction　to　the　late　Mr。　Cooke　of　York；　while　the　latter　was

still　living。　　I　did　not　present　it　at　the　time；　but　I　now

proposed　to　visit；　on　my　return　homewards；　the　establishment

which　he　had　founded　at　York　for　the　manufacture　of　telescopes

and　other　optical　instruments。　　Indeed；　what　a　man　may　do　for

himself　as　well　as　for　science；　cannot　be　better　illustrated　than

by　the　life　of　this　remarkable　man。



Mr。　Nasmyth　says　that　he　had　an　account　from　Cooke　himself　of　his

small　beginnings。　　He　was　originally　a　shoemaker　in　a　small

country　village。　　Many　a　man　has　risen　to　distinction　from　a

shoemaker's　seat。　　Bulwer；　in　his　'What　will　He　do　with　It？'　has

discussed　the　difference　between　shoemakers　and　tailors。　　〃The

one　is　thrown　upon　his　own　resources；　the　other　works　in　the

company　of　his　fellows：　　the　one　thinks；　the　other　communicates。



Cooke　was　a　man　of　natural　ability；　and　he　made　the　best　use　of

his　powers。　　Opportunity；　sooner　or　later；　comes　to　nearly　all

who　work　and　wait；　and　are　duly　persevering。　　Shoemaking　was　not

found　very　productive；　and　Cooke；　being　fairly　educated　as　well

as　self…educated；　opened　a　village　school。　　He　succeeded

tolerably　well。　　He　taught　himself　geometry　and　mathematics；　and

daily　application　made　him　more　perfect　in　his　studies。　　In

course　of　time　an　extraordinary　ambition　took　possession　of　him：

no　less　than　the　construction　of　a　reflecting　telescope　of　six

inches　diameter。　　The　idea　would　not　let　him　rest　until　he　had

accomplished　his　purpose。　　He　cast　and　polished　the　speculum　with

great　labour；　but　just　as　he　was　about　to　finish　it；　the　casting

broke！　What　was　to　be　done？　　About　one…fifth　had　broken　away；　but

still　there　remained　a　large　piece；　which　he　proceeded　to　grind

down　to　a　proper　diameter。　　His　perseverance　was　rewarded　by　the

possession　of　a　3　1/2　inch　speculum；　which　by　his　rare　skill　he

worked　into　a　reflecting　telescope　of　very　good　quality。



He　was；　however；　so　much　annoyed　by　the　treacherously　brittle

nature　of　the　speculum　metal　that　he　abandoned　its　use；　and

betook　himself　to　glass。　　He　found　that　before　he　could　make　a

good　achromatic　telescope　it　was　necessary　that　he　should

calculate　his　curves　from　data　depending　upon　the　nature　of　the

glass。　　He　accordingly　proceeded　to　study　the　optical　laws　of

refraction；　in　which　his　knowledge　of　geometry　and　mathematics

greatly　helped　him。　　And　in　course　of　time；　by　his　rare　and

exquisite　manipulative　skill；　he　succeeded　in　constructing　a

four…inch　refractor；　or　achromatic　telescope；　of　admirable

defining　power。



The　excellence　of　his　first　works　became　noised　abroad。　

Astronomical　observers　took　an　interest　in　him；　and　friends　began

to　gather　round　him；　amongst　others　the　late　Professor　Phillips

and　the　Rev。　Vernon　Harcourt；　Dean　of　York。　　Cooke　received　an

order　for　a　telescope　like　his　own；　then　he　received　other

orders。　　At　last　he　gave　up　teaching；　and　took　to　telescope

making。　　He　advanced　step　by　step；　and　like　a　practical；

thoughtful　man；　he　invented　special　tools　and　machinery　for　the

purpose　of　grinding　and　polishing　his　glasses。　　He　opened　a　shop

in　York；　and　established　himself　as　a　professed　maker　of

telescopes。　　He　added　to　this　the　business　of　a　general　optician；

his　wife　attending　to　the　sale　in　the　shop；　while　he　himself

attended　to　the　workshop。



Such　was　the　excellence　of　his　work　that　the　demand　for　his

telescopes　largely　increased。　　They　were　not　only　better

manufactured；　but　greatly　cheaper　than　those　which　had　before

been　in　common　use。　　Three　of　the　London　makers　had　before

possessed　a　monopoly　of　the　business；　but　now　the　trade　was

thrown　open　by　the　enterprise　of　Cooke　of　York。　　He　proceeded　to

erect　a　complete　factorythe　Buckingham　Street　works。　　His

brother　took　charge　of　the　grinding　and　polishing　of　the　lenses；

while　his　sons　attended　to　the　mechanism　of　the　workshop；　but

Cooke　himself　was　the　master　spirit　of　the　whole　concern。　

Everything　that　he　did　was　good　and　accurate。　　His　clocks　were

about　the　best　that　could　be　made。　　He　carried　out　his

clock…making　business　with　the　same　zeal　that　he　devoted　to　the

perfection　of　his　achromatic　telescopes。　　His　work　was　always

first…rate。　　There　was　no　scamping　about　it。　　Everything　that　he

did　was　thoroughly　good　and　honest。　　His　4　1/4…inch　equatorials

are　perfect　gems；　and　his　admirable　achromatics；　many　of　them　of

the　largest　class；　are　known　all　over　the　world。　　Altogether；

Thomas　Cooke　was　a　remarkable　instance　of　the　power　of　Self…Help。



Such　was　the　story　of　his　Life；　as　communicated　by　Mr。　Nasmyth。　

I　was　　afterwards　enabled；　through　the　kind　assistance　of　his

widow；　Mrs。　Cooke；　whom　I　saw　at　Saltburn；　in　Yorkshire；　to　add　a

few　particulars　to　his　biography。



〃My　husband；〃　she　said；　〃was　the　son　of　a　working　shoemaker　at

Pocklington；　in　the　East　Riding。　　He　was　born　in　1807。　　His

father's　circumstances　were　so　straitened　that　he　was　not　able　to

do　much　for　him；　but　he　sent　him　to　the　National　school；　where　he

received　some　education。　　He　remained　there　for　about　two　years；

and　then　he　was　put　to　his　father's　trade。　　But　he　greatly

disliked　shoemaking；　and　longed　to　get　away　from　it。　　He　liked

the　sun；　the　sky；　and　the　open　air。　　He　was　eager　to　be　a　sailor；

and；　having　heard　of　the　voyages　of　Captain　Cook；　he　wished　to　go

to　sea。　　He　spent　his　spare　hours　in　learning　navigation；　that　he

might　be　a　good　seaman。　　But　when　he　was　ready　to　set　out　for

Hull；　the　entreaties　and　tears　of　his　mother　prevailed　on　him　to

give　up　the　project；　and　then　he　had　to　consider　what　he　should

do　to　maintain　himself　at　home。



〃He　proceeded　with　his　self…education；　and　with　such　small　aids

as　he　could　procure；　he　gathered　together　a　good　deal　of

knowledge。　　He　thought　that　he　might　be　able　to　teach　others。　

Everybody　liked　him；　for　his　diligence；　his　application；　and　his

good　sense。　　At　the　age　of　seventeen　he　was　employed　to　teach　the

sons　of　the　neighbouring　farmers。　　He　succeeded　so　well　that　in

the　following　year　he　opened　a　village　school　at　Beilby。　　He　went

on　educating　himself；　and　learnt　a　little　of　everything。　　He　next

removed　his　school　to　Kirpenbeck；　near　Stamford　Bridge；　and　it

was　there；〃　proceeded　Mrs。　Cooke；　〃that　I　got　to　know　him；　for　I

was　one　of　his　pupils。〃



〃He　first　learned　mathematics　by　buying　an　old　volume　at　a

bookstall；　with　a　spare　shilling。　　That　was　before　he　began　to

teach。　　He　also　got　odd　sheets；　and　read　other　books　about

geometry　and　mathematics；　before　he　could　buy　them；　for　he　had

very　little　to　spare。　　He　studied　and　learnt　as　much　as　he　could。



He　was　very　anxious　to　get　an　insight　into　knowledge。　　He　studied

optics　before　he　had　any　teaching。　　Then　he　tried　to　turn　his

knowledge　to　account。　　While　at　Kirpenbeck　he　made　his　first

object…glass　out　of　a　thick　tumbler　bottom。　　He　ground　the　glass

cleverly　by　hand；　then　he　got　a　piece　of　tin　and　soldered　it

together；　and　mounted　the　object…glass　in　it　so　as　to　form　a

telescope。



〃He　next　got　a　situation　at　the　Rev。　Mr。　Shapkley's　school　in

Micklegate；　York；　where　he　taught　mathematics。　　He　also　taught　in

ladies'　schools　in　the　city；　and　did　what　he　could　to　make　a

little　income。　　Our　intimacy　had　increased；　and　we　had　arranged

to　get　married。　　He　was　twenty…four；　and　I　was　nineteen；　when　we

were　happily　united。　　I　was　then　his　pupil　for　life。



〃Professor　Phillips　saw　his　first　telescope；　with　the

object…glass　made　out　of　the　thick　tumbler　bottom；　and　he　was　so

much　pleased　with　it　that　my　husband　made　it　over　to　him。　　But　he

also　got　an　order　for　another；　from　Mr。　Gray；　solicitor；　more　by

way　of　encouragement　than　because　Mr。　Gray　wanted　it；　for　he　was

a　most　kind　man。　　The　object…glass　was　of　four…inch　aperture；　and

when　mounted　the　defining　power　was　found　excellent。　　My　husband

was　so　successful　with　his　telescopes　that　he　went　on　from

smaller　to　greater；　and　at　length　he　began　to　think　of　devoting

himself　to　optics　altogether。　　His　knowledge　of　mathematics　had

led　him　on；　and　friends　were　always　ready　to　encourage　him　in　his

pursuits。



〃During　this　time　he　had　continued　his　teaching　at　the　school　in

the　day…time；　and　he　also　taught　on　his　own　account　the　sons　of

gentlemen　in　the　evening：　amongst　others　the　sons　of　Dr。　Wake　and

Dr。　Belcomb；　both　medical　men。　　He　was　only　making　about　100L。　a

year；　and　his　family　was　increasing。　　It　was　necessary　to　be　very

economical；　and　I　was　careful　of　everything。　　At　length　my　uncle

Milner　agreed　to　advance　about　100L。　as　a　loan。　　A　shop　was　taken

in　Stonegate　in　1836；　and　provided　with　optical　instruments。　　I

attended　to