THE EUROPEAN JOURNALS 233 



April llf.. The weather is now becoming tolerable and 

 spring is approaching. The Swallows glide past my win- 

 dows, and the Larks are heard across the Tyne. Thomas 

 Bewick, his whole family, and about a hundred others have 

 kept me busy exhibiting drawings. Mr. Bewick expressed 

 himself as perfectly astounded at the boldness of my under- 

 taking. I am to dine with him to-morrow, Mr. Adamson 

 to-day, and Mr. Johnson on Wednesday if I do not go on 

 to York that day. 



April 15. Mr. Adamson called for me at church time, 

 and we proceeded a short distance and entered St. 

 Nicholas' church. He ordered an officer to take me 

 to what he called the mansion house and I was led along 

 the aisles to a place enclosed by an iron railing and 

 showed a seat. In looking about me I saw a large 

 organ over the door I had entered, and in front of this 

 were seated many children, the lasses in white, the lads 

 in blue. An immense painting of the Lord's Supper 

 filled the end opposite the entrance, and the large Gothic 

 windows were brilliant with highly colored glass. A few 

 minutes passed, when a long train of office bearers and the 

 magistrates of the town, headed by the mayor, came in pro- 

 cession and entered the mansion hojise also ; a gentleman 

 at my elbow rose and bowed to these and I followed his 

 example ; I discovered then that I was seated in the most 

 honorable place. The service and sermon were long and 

 tedious ; often to myself I said, " Why is not Sydney Smith 

 here? " Being in church I sat patiently, but I must say I 

 thought the priest uncommonly stupid. Home to lunch- 

 eon and afterwards went to Heath, the painter,^ who with 

 his wife received me with extreme kindness. He showed 

 me many sketches, a number of which were humorous- 

 He likes Newcastle better than Edinburgh, and I would 

 not give an hour at Edinburgh, especiall}^ were I with 

 friend Lizars, his wife, and sister, for a year here. So 



1 Possibly Charles Heath, engraver, 1784-1S48. 



