104 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



and, from my habits of temperance, I spent little 

 for my own living, and thus discovered what a 

 small sum was sufficient to make me independent, 

 and I never lost sight of the inestimable value of 

 being so. I, however, never had a surplus of cash 

 long in my possession ; for one or another had 

 occasion for it, and I could not bear to see distress 

 without relieving it. 



Notwithstanding my being so situated amongst 

 my friends, and being so much gratified in seeing 

 such a variety of excellent performances in every 

 art and science, painting, statuary, engraving, 

 carving, &c., yet I did not like London. It 

 appeared to me to be a world of itself, where 

 everything in the extreme might at once be 

 seen : extreme riches, extreme poverty, extreme 

 grandeur, and extreme wretchedness all of which 

 were such as I had not contemplated before. 

 Perhaps I might, indeed, take too full a view of 

 London on its gloomy side. I could not help it. 

 I tired of it, and determined to return home. The 

 country of my old friends the manners of the 

 people of that day the scenery of Tyneside 

 seemed altogether to form a paradise for me, and 

 I longed to see it again. While I was thus turn- 

 ing these matters over in my mind, my warm 

 friend and patron, Isaac Taylor, waited upon me : 

 and on my telling him I was going to Newcastle, 

 he enquired how long it would -be before I re- 

 turned. "Never," was my reply; at which he 

 seemed both surprised and displeased. He then 

 warmly remonstrated with me upon this impro- 

 priety of my conduct, told me of the prospects 

 before me, and, amongst many other matters, that 

 of his having engaged me to draw in the Duke of 



