24-j MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



I think, had I not begun so early to be an 

 angler, and before feelings of tenderness had 

 entered the mind, my eagerness for angling might 

 have been, on this score, somewhat abated ; but I 

 argued myself into a belief that fish had little 

 sense, and scarcely any feeling, and they certainly 

 have very much less of either than any of the 

 land animals; but we see through all nature that 

 one kind of animal seems destined to prey upon 

 another, and fishes are the most voracious of all. 



Before concluding this memoir, it would be un- 

 grateful in me not to acknowledge my obligations 

 to my well-wishers, who have through life been 

 steady in their friendships, and also in conferring 

 their favours in the way of business. But a long 

 list of names might seem tedious, and many of 

 them are long ago numbered with the dead. For 

 several years I had the favours of all the Banks 

 in Newcastle, as well as those of most of the fitters. 

 The first of friends to w r hom my thanks are due is 

 the Corporation of Newcastle for their long and 

 unabating favours as a body, and from time to time 

 all its members individually. The most particular 

 one of these was Alderman Archd. Reed. Among 

 many of such friends, as I had reason to respect, 

 both privately and publicly, one of the oldest in 

 intimacy, affability and kindness was Anthony 

 Easterley, Esq., of Coxlodge. Another whose eye 

 of kindness watched my struggles to prosperity, 

 was Mr. Edmund Robson, patent saddler and 

 hardware man, who, upon his suspecting that, in 

 my publications, I might be labouring under diffi- 

 culties, called k me one night out of Swarley's club 

 room, to say that he had two hundred pounds at 

 my service whenever I pleased. This I considered 



