.UKMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 63 



best of characters. In his workshop I often spent 

 my winter evenings. This was also the case with 

 a number of young men, who might be considered 

 as his pupils ; many of whom, I have no doubt, 

 he directed into the paths of truth and integrity, 

 and who revered his memory through life. He 

 rose early to work, lay down when he felt weary, 

 and rose again when refreshed. His diet was of 

 the simplest kind ; and he eat when hungry, and 

 drank when dry, without paying regard to meal 

 times. By steadily pursuing this mode of life, he 

 was enabled to accumulate sums of money from 

 ten to thirty pounds. This enabled him to get 

 books, of an entertaining and moral tendency, 

 printed and circulated at a cheap rate.* His 

 great object was, by every possible means, to 

 promote honourable feelings in the minds of 

 youth, and to prepare them for becoming good 

 members of society. I have often discovered that 

 he did not overlook ingenious mechanics, whose 

 misfortunes perhaps mismanagement had led 

 them to a lodging in Newgate. To these he 

 directed his compassionate eye, and for the de- 

 serving (in his estimation), he paid their debt, 

 and set them at liberty. He felt hurt at seeing 

 the hands of an ingenious man tied up in prison, 

 where they were of no use either to himself or to 

 the community. This worthy man had been 

 educated for a priest ; but he would say to me, 

 " of a ' trouth/ Thomas, I did not like their ways." 

 So he gave up the thoughts of being a priest, and 

 bent his way from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, where 



[* I.e. "The Countryman's Treasure," " Multum in Parvo," "The 

 Complete Fabulist," and so forth. These he used to sell to the 

 people who attended the market on Saturdays.] 



