258 MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. 



the cross-hatching of wood cuts, for book work, 

 is a waste of time; as every desired effect can be 

 much easier obtained by plain parallel lines. The 

 other way is not the legitimate object of w r ood 

 engraving. Instead of imitating the manner of 

 copper etchings, at a great cost of labour and time, 

 on the wood, such drawings might have been as 

 soon etched on the copper at once; and, where 

 a large impression of any publication was not 

 required, the copper plate would have cost less, 

 and lasted long enough for the purpose intended. 

 I never could discover any additional beauty 

 or colour that the crossed strokes gave to the 

 impression, beyond the effect produced by plain 

 parallel lines. This is very apparent when to a 

 certainty the plain surface of the wood will print 

 as black as ink and balls can make it, without any 

 further labour at all; and it may easily be seen 

 that the thinnest strokes cut upon the plain surface 

 will throw some light on the subject or design: and, 

 if these strokes are made wider and deeper, it will 

 receive more light ; and if these strokes, again, are 

 made still wider, or of equal thickness to the black 

 lines, the colour these produce will be a grey ; and 

 the more the white strokes are thickened, the 

 nearer will they, in their varied shadings, approach 

 to white, and, if quite taken away, then a perfect 

 white is obtained. The methods I have pursued 

 appear to me to be the simple and easy per- 

 fection of wood engraving for book printing, and, 

 no doubt, will appear better or worse according 

 to the ability of the artist who executes them. 

 The first time I ever heard anything about colour 

 being produced by plain engraving was in the 

 compliments paid me by Dr. Thomas Stout, for my 



