MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 185 



I am pleased to find the second edition, December 

 1823, better printed and managed.* 



During the eventful period of the French Revo- 

 lution, and the wide-spreading war which followed 

 in consequence of it, and in which our government 

 became deeply engaged, extending from 1793 to 

 1814 a time of blood and slaughter I frequently, 

 by way of unbending the mind after the labours 

 of the day, spent my evenings chiefly at the Blue 

 Bell, in company with a set of staunch advocates 

 for the liberties of mankind, who discussed the 

 passing events mostly with the cool, sensible, and 

 deliberate attention which the importance of the 

 subject required. I have already before named 

 some of these acquaintances to which I may now 

 add some others, forming altogether a miscel- 

 laneous group, but over whom some men of sense 

 and consequence in Newcastle who were commonly 

 of the party, and from their superior attainments 

 seemed to preside to set the example of propriety 

 of conduct to those of a more violent turn of mind ; 

 but indeed the political enormities of the times 

 excited the indignation of many, which it was not 

 easy to keep within bounds. The parties which 

 frequented the Blue Bell, and the News Room 

 there, consisted of tradesmen, bankers' clerks, 

 artizans, and agents of various kinds. But those 

 with whom I particularly associated there were 

 Ralph Crawford, shoe maker, Joseph Bulmer, 

 builder,! Phineas Crowther, founder, Michael 

 Charlton, white smith, John Mitchell, editor of 



* In the original MS. follows here " Thus far from p. 101 {i.e. p. 

 133 of this volume] was written during my stay in Tynemouth, 

 which I left on the 22 December, 1823." 



f Joseph Bulmer was a man of talent; he died 23 November, 1817, 

 aged 69. 



Y 



