122 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



never ill from a disease in his life ; and I have 

 heard him say "he wondered how folks felt when 

 they were bad." He was of a cheerful temper, 

 and he possessed an uncommon vein of humour 

 and a fund of anecdote. He was much noticed by 

 the gentlemen and others of the neighbourhood 

 for these qualities, as well as for his integrity. He 

 had, however, some traits that might be deemed 

 singular, and not in order. He never would pro- 

 secute any one for theft ; he hated going to law, 

 but he took it at his own hand, and now and then 

 gave thieves a severe beating, and sometimes 

 otherwise punished them in a singular and whim- 

 sical way. I have known him, on a winter night, 

 rise suddenly up from his seat, and, with a stick 

 in his hand, set off to the colliery, in order to 

 catch the depredators whom he might detect steal- 

 ing his coals. I remember one instance of his 

 thus catching a young fellow, a farmer with his 

 loaded cart, and of his giving him a severe beat- 

 ing, or, what -was called, a "hideing," and of his 

 making him leave his booty and go home empty. 

 The thieves themselves were sure to keep the 

 business secret, and he himself never spoke of it 

 beyond his own fireside. In these robberies, 

 which he saw with his own eyes, he conceived he 

 did not need the help of either witnesses, judge, 

 or jury, nor the occasion to employ any attorney 

 to empty his pockets. I have sometimes heard 

 Mm make remarks upon people whom he knew 

 to be hypocrites, and on their loud praying and 

 holding up their hands at church. After having 

 noticed that one of these, one Sunday, had acted 

 thus, and remained to take the Sacrament, some 

 person called, in the afternoon, with the news that 



