178 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



Soon after this, I was told by Sir T[homasJ 

 Ffrankland], Bart., that his brother, who held some 

 office under government,* and was much with the 

 King George III., whose curiosity Avas insatiable 

 as to everything relative to the arts had got one 

 of these bank notes. Sir T. F[rankland]'s brother 

 showed it to the King, who greatly admired and 

 approved of it. About two years after this, in the 

 year 1801, Samuel Thornton, Esq., of the Bank 

 of England, wrote to me respecting this note, and 

 wished to know how it was executed, and whether 

 it was done on wood or copper, &c. I was 

 strongly advised, by a friend, not to give the 

 gentlemen of that bank any information whatever 

 about my plate ; " for," said he, " as soon as they 

 know the nature of what they are enquiring after, 

 you will hear no more from them." I did not 

 take his advice ; and, after a deal of trouble in 

 writing to them, and stating amongst many other 

 matters, that, "though my plate would do well 

 for country banks, it would not do for the great 

 number wanted for the Bank of England," the 

 business ended in nothing. It may perhaps be 

 well, while I am on the subject of bank-notes, to 

 pass over a number of years, and come down to 

 the year 1818, when a commission was appointed 

 to investigate the business of forgery, and to 

 endeavour to prevent it in future. ' Some time 

 previous to this, I was employed by my friend, 

 John Bailey, Esq., of Chillingham, to engrave 

 plates to prevent a repetition of the pen-and-ink 

 forgeries which had been committed upon the 



[* He was private secretary to the Duke of Portland. (Bewick 

 MSS.)] 



