252 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



this country, and civilised the world. Their vene- 

 rated names, with their maxims, or quotations from 

 their works, would fill up many of these rocks, 

 which are waiting for them, and might make all 

 who beheld them inclined to profit by, or to imitate, 

 their virtues. How many incomparably good, wise, 

 and beautiful texts from the Bible might also 

 with great propriety be added to fill up every 

 vacant spot.* I often lamented that I had not 

 the means to enable me to be at the expense of 

 getting such quotations inscribed in this way. 

 Often, while angling on a hot, sunny day, which 

 slackened my sport, I have sat down by the water 

 side, and thought over some of the beautiful lines 

 of our poets, fit to be applied in this way ; and 

 remember my having thought of those lines of 

 Cunningham, which I would, if I could have 

 afforded it, have committed to the care of a rock. 

 He says : 



"How smooth that rapid river glides 



Progressive to the deep ! 

 The poppies pendent o'er its sides 



Have lull'd the waves to sleep. 

 "Pleasure's intoxicated sons! 



Ye indolent! ye gay! 

 Reflect, for as the river runs 

 Time wings his trackless way." 



How easy would it be for gentlemen to get the 

 names of the illustrious dead thus inscribed upon 

 rocks; or, where that could not be done, to erect 



[* Bewick illustrated this idea in several of his designs. See, 

 for example, the lines inscribed upon a rock at p. 28 of the 

 " Fables of ALsop," and the tail-pieces at pp. 198 and 370. A 

 propos of the words at p. 152 "O God of infinite Wisdom, Truth, 

 Justice, and Mercy, I thank Thee," Miss Bewick says "My dear 

 Father once told me that these lines (with the, Lord's prayer) 

 composed his only prayers to the Great Disposer of events." 

 (Bewick MSS.)] 



