184 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



book ; and, as it had afforded me much pleasure, 

 I thought, with better executed designs, it would 

 impart the same kind of delight to others that I 

 had experienced from attentively reading it. I 

 was also of opinion, that it had (while admiring 

 the cuts) led hundreds of young men into the paths 

 of wisdom and rectitude, and in that way had 

 materially assisted the pulpit. 



As soon as I was so far recovered as to be 

 able to sit at the window at home, I began to 

 draw designs upon the wood of the fables and 

 vignettes; and to me this was a most delightful 

 task. In impatiently pushing forward to get to 

 press with the publication, I availed myself of the 

 help of my pupils my son, William Harvey, and 

 William Temple who were also eager to do their 

 utmost to forward me in the engraving business, 

 and in my struggles to get the book ushered into 

 the world. Notwithstanding the pleasurable busi- 

 ness of bringing out this publication, I felt it an 

 arduous undertaking. The execution of the fine 

 work of the cuts, during day-light, was very trying 

 to the eyes, and the compiling or writing the book 

 by candle-light, in my evenings at home, together 

 injured the optic nerve, and that put all the rest of 

 the nerves " out of tune ;" so thajt I was obliged, 

 for a short time, to leave off such intense applica- 

 tion until I somewhat recovered the proper tone 

 of memory and of sight. Indeed I found in this 

 book more difficulties to conquer than I had 

 experienced with either the " Quadrupeds" or the 

 " Birds." The work was finished at press on the 

 first of October, 1818, and was not so well printed 

 as I expected and wished, the ink for such fine 

 work being much too strong, black and thick. 



