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Men of Invention and Industry-Part17_Samuel Smiles(1812-1904)_English Literature(文学名著)-第2页

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Sweden, fiddling his way among the miners; and after making two

voyages, he at last wrested from them the secret of making nails,



and introduced the new industry into the Staffordshire

district.[4] The courage of John Lombe, who introduced the



thrown-silk industry into England, was equallynotable. He was a

native of Norwich. Playfair, in his 'Family Antiquity' (vii.



312), says his name "may have been taken from the French Lolme,

or de Lolme," as there were many persons of French and Flemish



origin settled at Norwich towards the close of the sixteenth

century; but there is no further information as to his special



origin.

John Lombe's father, Henry Lombe, was a worsted weaver, and was



twice married. By his first wife he had two sons, Thomas and

Henry; and by his second, he had also two sons, Benjamin and



John. At his death in 1695, he left his two brothers his

"supervisors," or trustees, and directed them to educate his



children in due time to some useful trade. Thomas, the eldest

son, went to London. He was apprenticed to a trade, and



succeeded in business, as we find him Sheriff of London and

Middlesex in 1727, when in his forty-second year. He was also



knighted in the same year, most probably on the accession of

George II. to the throne.



John, the youngest son of the family, and half-brother of Thomas,

was put an apprentice to a trade. In 1702, we find him at Derby,



working as a mechanic with one Mr. Crotchet. This unfortunate

gentleman started a small silk-mill at Derby, with the object of



participating in the profits derived from the manufacture.

"The wear of silks," says Hutton, in his 'History of Derby,' "was



the taste of the ladies, and the British merchant was obliged to

apply to the Italian with ready money for the article at an



exorbitant price." Crotchet did not succeed in his undertaking.

"Three engines were found necessary for the process: he had but



one. An untoward trade is a dreadful sink for money; and an

imprudent tradesman is still more dreadfuL. We often see



instances where a fortune would last a man much longer if he

lived upon his capital, than if he sent it into trade. Crotchet



soon became insolvent."

John Lombe, who had been a mechanic in Crotchet's silk mill, lost



his situation accordingly. But he seems to have been possessed

by an intense desire to ascertain the Italian method of



silk-throwing. He could not learn it in England. There was no

other method but going to Italy, getting into a silk mill, and



learning the secret of the Italian art. He was a good mechanic

and a clever draughtsman, besides being intelligent and fearless.



But he had not the necessary money wherewith to proceed to Italy.

His half-brother Thomas, however, was doing well in London, and



was willing to help him with the requisite means. Accordingly,

John set out for Italy, not long after the failure of Crotchet.



John Lombe succeeded in getting employment in a silk mill in

Piedmont, where the art of silk-throwing was kept a secret. He



was employed as a mechanic, and had thus an opportunity, in

course of time, of becoming familiar with the operation of the



engine. Hutton says that he bribed the workmen; but this would

have been a dangerous step, and would probably have led to his



expulsion, if not to his execution. Hutton had a great

detestation of the first silk factory at Derby, where he was



employed when a boy; and everything that he says about it must be

taken cum grano salis. When the subject of renewing the patent



was before Parliament in 1731, Mr. Perry, who supported the

petition of Sir Thomas Lombe, said that "the art had been kept so



secret in Piedmont, that no other nation could ever yet come at

the invention, and that Sir Thomas and his brother resolved to



make an attempt for the bringing of this invention into their own

country. They knew that there would be great difficulty and



danger in the undertaking, because the king of Sardinia had made

it death for any man to discover this invention, or attempt to



carry it out of his dominions. The petitioner's brother,

however, resolved to venture his person for the benefit and






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