and road trustees, made common cause
against them. The failure of railways was confidently predicted--indeed,
it was elaborately attempted to be proved that they had failed; and it
was industriously spread abroad that the locomotive engines, having been
found useless and highly dangerous on the Liverpool and Manchester line,
were immediately to be abandoned in favour of horses--a rumour which the
directors of the Company thought it necessary publicly to contradict.

Public meetings were held in all the counties through which the line
would pass between London and Birmingham, at which the project was
denounced, and strong resolutions against it were passed. The attempt
was made to conciliate the landlords by explanations, but all such
efforts proved futile, the owners of nearly seven-eighths of the land
being returned as dissentients. "I remember," said Robert Stephenson,
describing the opposition, "that we called one day on Sir Astley Cooper,
the eminent surgeon, in the hope of overcoming his aversion to the
railway. He was one of our most inveterate and influential opponents.
His country house at Berkhampstead was situated near the intended line,
which passed through part of his property. We found a courtly,
fine-looking old gentleman, of very stately manners, who received us
kindly and heard all we had to say in favour of the project. But he was
quite inflexible in his opposition to it. No deviation or improvement
that we could suggest had any effect in conciliating him. He was opposed
to railways generally, and to this in particular. 'Your scheme,' said
he, 'is preposterous in the extreme. It is of so extravagant a
character, as to be positively absurd. Then look at the recklessness of
your proceedings! You are proposing to cut up our estates in all
directions for the purpose of making an unnecessary road. Do you think
for one moment of the destruction of property involved by it? Why,
gentlemen, if this sort of thing be permitted to go on, you will in a
very few years _destroy the noblesse_!' We left the honourable baronet
without having produced the slightest effect upon him, excepting perhaps,
it might be, increased exasperation against our scheme. 1 could not help
observing to my companions as we left the house, 'Well, it is really
provoking to find one who has been made a "Sir" for cutting that wen out
of George the Fourth's neck, charging us with contemplating the
destruction of the _noblesse_, be