432 Zj/^, Genius^ and Personal Habits of BemcJc, 



versal world in all ages has been sensible, as his admirable 

 preface and introduction amply illustrate. My business is with 

 his " designs on wood," as he modestly calls some of the most 

 masterly productions of invention, drawing, and execution the 

 progress of the fine arts has ever displayed. Herein his 

 figures and animals have their usual life, motion, spirit, and 

 expression ; their passions are visible, and their very speech 

 audible. Yet excellent as are the actors, the scenery is nothing 

 less so. Landscapes, trees, buildings, towered cities, still life, 

 interior walls and utensils, streets and towns, with all the intri- 

 cacy and accuracy of perspective, are profusely depicted, with 

 interminable variety, in the back-ground of these minute en- 

 gravings ; and, though cut on wood, their excellence absolutely 

 becomes enhanced by the application of a moderate lens. I 

 could dilate with rapture on each, nay, on the snatches of 

 sunny views that are shown through the open doors and win- 

 dows, did I not feel it an incumbent duty to drop a word or 

 two on a most important department of this mighty master's 

 imaginative and executive powers. A life of Bewick, without 

 a word on his numberless and enrapturing vignettes, would 

 be the story of Aladdin without his Lamp. He is the very 

 Autolycus of tail-pieces, which he flings out faster and more 

 profusely, in ribands of all ramifications, than a fire-eater at a 

 fair; ay, " he utters them as if he had eaten ballads, and all 

 men's ears grew to his tunes." Do, reader, whatever be thy 

 temperament, open any one of his books, and thou wilt touch 

 a key accordant. Look at the boy-soldiers riding on grave- 

 stones, with rush-caps and swords of seg: the two hindermost 

 blackguard ragamuffins, tattered and bare-legged ; the next 

 a great awkward booby, son of some scoundrel attorney ; and 

 the captain, smallest of all, well clothed, and in good shoes 

 and stockings, he is the squire's son, whose hall is seen be- 

 hind ; a pretty emblem of incipient aristocracy. Twenty years 

 hence that little fellow will blow his twopenny trumpet among 

 the Tories, and cry " the church in danger;" the next rascal 

 will bamboozle him out of his money, and the two villains 

 behind poach in his covers. If thou lovest a good ghost 

 story, as I do marvellously, look at the terrified thief, mis- 

 taking the stumps and grey ranpikes, in the gloomy moonshine, 

 for devils and horned goblins, with white wicker ribs and 

 lanky skeleton arms. Wouldst thou know the cause of his 

 terror ? look into the back-ground: he has just passed a gallows. 

 I have heard a great painter say that Hogarth might feel proud 

 of this piece. — Ha ! that is the murine phaeton, drawn by four 

 cocked-tailed mice : Sir Whisker and Lady Mouselllna with 

 her parasol, of Mouse- Cottage; their mouse footman, and the 



