Mr. Atkinson's Sketch of the late T. Bewick. 133 



square pointed punch, and the only reasonable objection to this inge- 

 nious idea, seems to be, the difficulty (without a complicated apparatus) 

 of ensuring the requisite uniformity on each application of the punch. 

 I should be rather inclined to think that this effect was produced by 

 some chemical process on the principle of etching, a solution of some 

 unctuous substance capable of resisting the acid, being employed ; 

 this, of course, would protect the block wherever it was laid on, and 

 leave a projection to receive the ink. In fact, the practicability of this 

 method has been proved by Mr. D. Somerville, who introduced the 

 hatching with great freedom and delicacy. It was intended by that 

 gentleman, I believe, to make his discoveries the subject of publication ; 

 and surely those persons, who in the smallest degree assist in lifting the 

 veil which once so closely enveloped our scientific knowledge, and which 

 we (as well as our fathers) imagine must be now almost entirely with- 

 drawn, deserve the warmest gratitude of mankind.* 



After the time of Durer and Holbein, the art seems to have taken a 

 refreshing nap of a century or two, for we find no improvement in the 

 executive part till late in the eighteenth century, when a boy named 

 Bewick rambled alone into the old lady's chamber, and, seizing her re- 

 solutely by the shoulder, gave her such a shaking, and kept her in such 

 high good humour with the entertaining and instructive stories he told, 

 all the time making her participate in them, that I question if she will 

 ever retire again, particularly as she has made such favourites of some 

 of the present generation. 



The works of Bewick are very numerous ; more so, I believe, than 

 those of any other engraver, either on copper or wood. They con- 

 sist chiefly of subjects, done on wood to illustrate his History of Qua- 

 drupeds, and of British Birds ; of original designs for the Fables of ^sop 

 and others, and of humourous vignettes or tail pieces, interspersed 

 throughout these works. A History of Fishes was the next subject 

 which engaged his attention ; in this, however, he had only advanced 



* Since writing the above, I have been informed that the hatching introduced witli such 

 beautiful freedom in Mr. Harvey's wood cut of the Death of Dentatus, was entirely pro- 

 duced by the usual method of cutting. 



VOL. I. T 



