54 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



one layer of finished blocks, with their faces upward, 

 on many of whose maiden lineaments, fresh and 

 sharp from the graver, the ink-ball had never been 

 pressed. They are all cut on box -wood, which is 

 procured from abroad of as large circumference as 

 possible, at a great expense, and is paid for by 

 weight. This is sawn across, at right angles to the 

 cylindrical growth of the tree (I mean as a cucum- 

 ber is sliced), in pieces, when finished, exactly the 

 thickness of the height of the metallic types, with 

 which the blocks are afterwards incorporaf ed in the 

 pressman's form^ or iron frame. One surface of 

 this block is made extremely smooth, on which is 

 traced in black and white lines, the figure or de- 

 sign ; the white is then cut out, and the black left. 

 Though this was the method he took with his 

 pupils, of whom he had constantly a numerous 

 succession, he had early acquired so ready a facility 

 himself, that simply with the graver on little, and 

 often no outline, he worked the design on the blank 

 block at once. His tools, many of his own contri- 

 vance and making, were various in sizes and sorts. 

 Some, broad gouges for wide excavation ; some 

 narrow, for fine white lines ; and some many- 

 pointed for parallels, which, either straight or wavy, 

 he cut with rapidity, by catching the first tooth of 

 the tool in the last stroke, which guided it equi- 

 distant with the former. He spoke with great ap- 

 probation of the graphic talents of his late brother 

 John ; and repeatedly said, that, had he lived, he 

 might have attained to greater eminence than ^ : ~ 



