316 -^z/^5 Genius, and Personal Habits of Bexvick. 



edition of Gay's Fables. A glance at this cut will show what 

 a low state wood-engraving was at, when a public society- 

 deemed it worthy a reward ; yet even in this are as readily 

 visible some lines and touches of the future great master of 

 this delicious art. He never omitted visiting itinerant cara- 

 vans of animals, from whose living looks and attitudes he 

 made spirited drawings. This led to his History of Qua- 

 drupeds, 1 790 ; the first block, however, of which, he cut the 

 very day of his father's death, Nov. 15. 1785. From this 

 work he obtained very considerable celebrity ; which led him 

 shortly to draw and engrave the wild bull at Chillingham, 

 Lord Tankerville's, the largest of all his wood-cuts, impres- 

 sions of which have actually been sold at twenty guineas each ; 

 and also the zebra, elephant, lion, and tiger, for Pidcock 

 (Exeter Change), copies whereof are now extremely scarce 

 and valuable. He also executed some curious works on cop- 

 per, to illustrate a Tour through Lapland, by Matthew Con- 

 sett, Esq. ; and his Quadrupeds having passed through seven 

 editions, his fame was widely and well established. The 

 famous typographer, Bulmer, of the Shakspeare Press (a na- 

 tive of Newcastle), now employed John Bewick, who, at the 

 age of fourteen, had also been apprenticed to Bielby, in co- 

 operation with his brother Thomas, to embellish a splendid 

 edition of Goldsmith's Deserted Village and Hermit, Parnell's 

 Poems, and Somerville's Chace, The designs and execution 

 of these were so admirable and ingenious, that the late king, 

 George III., doubted their being worked on wood, and re- 

 quested a sight of the blocks, at which he was equally delighted 

 and astonished. It is deeply to be lamented we have so few 

 specimens of the talents of John Bewick, who died of a pul- 

 monary complaint, 1795, at the early age of thirty-five. 



I now, in this hasty, feeble, and divaricated biographical 

 sketch, approach the great and favourite work of my admired 

 friend. The History of British Birds. The first volume of 

 this all-delighting work was published in 1797, jointly by 

 Bielby and Bewick, but was afterwards continued by Bewick 

 alone, some disputes having arisen, which I need not rekindle 

 here, being determined not to make, as I am deeply grieved 

 to see, your pages. Sir, a vehicle for the records of altercation. 

 This beautiful, accurate, animated, and (I may really add) 

 wonderful production, having passed through six editions, 

 each of very numerous impressions, is now universally known 

 and admired. Open the work where ye will, only look at the 

 bird, his attitude, his eye, — is he not alive ? I actually and 

 ardently aver that I have gazed till I have readily imagined 

 motion, ay, colour ! Look at the blackbird ; is he not just 



