20 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



almost indestructibility,* of the wooden block, is be- 

 sides secured ; since it is not subjected to the scrap- 

 ing and rubbing, which so soon destroys the sharp- 

 ness of the lines upon copper : and there is a har- 

 mony produced in the page, by the engraving and 

 the letter-press being of the same colour ; which is 

 very seldom the case where copper-plate vignettes 

 are introduced with letter-press. 



It is difficult, perhaps impossible, to trace the his- 

 tory of wood-engraving, its early principles, the 

 causes of its decay, &c , till its productions came to 

 sink below contempt. But for its revival and pre- 

 sent state we are unquestionably indebted to Bewick 

 and his pupils. 



THOMAS BEWICK was born August 12. 1753, at 

 Cherry-Burn, in the parish of Ovingham, and coun- 

 ty of Northumberland. His father, John Bewick, 

 had for many years a landsale colliery at Mickley- 

 Bank, now in the possession of his son William. 

 John Bewick, Thomas's younger brother, and coad- 



* Many of Mr Bewick's blocks have printed upwards of 

 300,000 : the head-piece of the Newcastle Courant above a 

 million; and a small vignette for a capital letter in the 

 Newcastle Chronicle, during a period of twenty years, at 

 least two millions. 



