CHAPTER X. 



FOR many years, including 1 a part of those of 

 my apprenticeship, my master and self were fully 

 employed upon such work as I have named before, 

 from silversmiths, watchmakers, and hardware- 

 men; but a new customer (Isaac Hymen, a Jew), 

 came in the way with his seal-cutting 1 orders, 

 which amounted to more, in that way, than all 

 the rest put together. This man, besides his box 

 of watches, trinkets, &c., had gathered together 

 a large collection of impressions of well-cut seals; 

 and, being a man of good address, and a good 

 singer, had introduced himself into coffee-rooms 

 frequented by gentlemen and respectable trades- 

 men, where he exhibited his impressions as the 

 work of his own hands; and, by this management 

 for he knew nothing whatever of engraving he 

 got orders. Somehow or other, it was propagated 

 throughout the town that his seals surpassed by 

 far anything we ever did, or could do ; and, 

 although we had done the whole of his orders, 

 this was believed, and there seemed to be only 

 one opinion as to his very superior excellence. I 

 remember once rising early in the morning, and 

 working till late at night, and, on that day', 

 cutting five steel seals with cyphers and initials, 

 for which our common wholesale charge was 

 35. 6d., and to our private customers, 55. For 

 these he charged 125. 6d. each to his friends. He 

 observed to me, on my remarking to him on his 



