Life^ Genius^ and Personal Habits of BemcL 431 



therefore, yet despair, who have missed becoming purchasers 

 in the rapid, and now, since the good man's death, more rapid, 

 sale of his valuable works. 



At his table we had the pleasure of dining with several 

 gentlemen of distinguished literary character, whom he had 

 most politely invited on our account. After dinner, having 

 largely enjoyed the full flow of his friends' conversation, and 

 launched on its tide many a full and sunny sail of his own, 

 our good host for a moment fell asleep in his elbow-chair ; 

 during which interval a gentleman narrated the following little 

 anecdote, which, I find, my venerable friend's modesty has 

 omitted in his own Memoir. The Duke of Northumberland, 

 when first he called to see Mr. Bewick's workshops, was not 

 personally known to my friend ; yet he showed him his birds, 

 blocks, and drawings, as he did to all, with the greatest libe- 

 rality and cheerfulness ; but, on discovering the high rank of 

 his visitor, exclaimed, "I beg pardon. My Lord, I did not 

 know Your Grace, and was unaware I had the honour of talk- 

 ing to so great a man." To which the duke good-humouredly 

 replied, " You are a much greater man than am I, Mr. 

 Bewick." To which my friend, with his ready wit that never 

 failed or offended, resumed, " No, My Lord; but were / Duke 

 of Northumberland perhaps I could be." 



Having a considerable part of our tour yet to make in 

 Yorkshire, and my friend Bowman, on account of his bank, 

 being somewhat under the control of time, we tore ourselves 

 from this delightful society on a much earlier day than ac- 

 corded with our inclinations. On my return, however, to my 

 peaceful and pleasant groves here at Westfelton, I renewed 

 my ornithological and other communications to my aged and 

 honoured friend, and sent him curious birds of the neighbour- 

 hood and our Welsh border, if not with more attention, with 

 redoubled ardour : for I had borne away in my satchel many 

 valuable proofs of his art and his attachment, and in my mind 

 many impressions that mightily enhanced their value, that 

 flung around my reflections a brighter halo of happiness, 

 embodying into dreamy shapes the airy nothingness of my 

 sylvan hamadryads, and giving them, in the Elysium of my 

 bosom, a something more than merely poetical habitation. 

 Our correspondence consequently became far more full and 

 frequent ; from his part whereof it was my wish to have given 

 some extracts, but that during this my hasty composition, my 

 full memory is continually oscillating between the desire of 

 dilation, and the propriety of compression. 



In 1818 he published his first edition of the Fables of Msop 

 and others. Of the utility and sweetness of fables the uni- 



F F 4 



