APPENDIX. 363 



JOHN BEWICK. 



THAT rare old book, "A Collection of all the 

 Ancient Poems, Songs, and Ballads, relative to 

 Robin Hood/' published by Ritson, 1795, was em- 

 bellished by John Bewick. Three of the cuts are 

 introduced in the following" pages. A comparison 

 of them with the book itself, will show the great 

 improvement which has taken place in the print- 

 ing of wood cuts since that day.* It may not, 

 perhaps, be out of place to insert an extract from 

 a letter, on the subject of these cuts, written by 

 the antiquary to the artist, more than half a 

 century ago. 



"Gray's Inn. 



"J. Ritson is sorry he was gone out when Mr. 

 Bewick called; but hopes he will proceed with the 

 other cuts, which shall be left entirely to his own 

 fancy, and in which he will undoubtedly consult 

 his own reputation." 



[* These three cuts, as, from a memorandum among the Bewick 

 MSS, Miss Bewick seems to have herself discovered, are not in- 

 cluded in Ritson's " Robin Hood." Her supposition was that they 

 were executed by her father, and " were probably rejected by Ritson 

 on account of the border not having been approved of." " Our 

 possession of them (she adds) cannot otherwise be accounted for, 

 as all Cuts ordered were invariably sent to the person ordering them. 

 My Father always approved of Borders round Woodcuts. He and 

 Northcote had a discussion on the subject in London. They agreed 

 that Woodcuts with borders looked best." It may be added that 

 Bewick regarded borders as a protection (see p. 260.) An edition 

 de luxe of Ritson's "Robin Hood" has lately been reprinted by 

 Mr. Nimmo of King William Street, Strand, from the edition of 

 1832, with illustrations from the original Bewick blocks, long in 

 the possession of another firm of London publishers. A few of them 

 are by Thomas Bewick ; the rest are by John.] 



