MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 37 



ficiencies did not deter him from traversing over 

 the country-side as eagerly as other sportsmen, 

 notwithstanding his want of success. Whatever 

 he did was always done in open day ; for, as he 

 feared no man, he scorned to skulk or to do any- 

 thing by stealth. The gaol had no terrors for him, 

 for he lived better there than he did at home ; 

 and, on one occasion of his being confined, when 

 he returned home he expressed his surprise to his 

 neighbours, that all the time "he had not had a 

 single hand's turn to do," and exulted not a little 

 that the opportunity had thus been given him of 

 again reading the Bible through. He was a great 

 reader of history, especially those parts where 

 wars and battles were described ; and, in any 

 meetings with his neighbours, he -took the lead 

 in discourses founded on knowledge of that kind. 

 After the Bible, "Josephus" was his favourite 

 author, next the "Holy Wars" these and "Bishop 

 Taylor's Sermons" composed his whole library; 

 and his memory enabled him nearly to repeat 

 whatever he had read. His deportment and be- 

 haviour were generally the reverse of anything 

 like sauciness ; but, except in ability and acquire- 

 ments, which, indeed, commanded his respect, 

 he treated all men as equals. When full-dressed, 

 he wore a rusty black coat. In other respects he 

 was like no other person. In what king's reign 

 his hat had been made was only to be guessed at, 

 but the flipes of it were very large. His wig was 

 of the large curled kind, such as was worn about 

 the period of the revolution. His waistcoat, or 

 doublet, was made of the skin of some animal. 

 His buckskin breeches were black and glossy with 

 long wear, and of the same antiquated fashion as 



