MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 59 



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

 shoes and stockings, he is the squire's son, whose 

 hall is seen behind ; a pretty emblem of incipient 

 aristocracy. Twenty years hence that little fellow 

 will blow his twopenny trumpet among the Tories, 

 and cry c 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, mistaking the stumps and grey ran- 

 pikes, in the gloomy moonshine, for devils and 

 homed 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 Mousellina with 

 her parasol, of Mouse-CoTTAGE ; their mouse foot- 

 man, and the mouse arms are emblazoned with 

 mouse supporters on the panel, in all the boast of 

 mouse heraldry : they are going to make a call on 

 Lord Frittertiine and Madam Twaddle. See how 

 that heartless and coarse minded tanner grins a 

 brutal laugh at the poor dog to whose tail the 

 naughty boys have tied a tinned kettle : you may 

 hear that it has just had a bouncing bang. Those 

 five methodists, listening to the call of their master, 

 scarce occupy two inches ; yet look at their faces, 

 male and female special grace and election ! ! ! 

 and were it not for the horns and claws of the 



