Mr. Atkinson^ s Sketch of the late T. Bewick. 149 



This was not the style of his own language, for though interspersed 

 with expressive words of an original description, his grammar was per- 

 fectly correct, and his words very well chosen — these he uttered with a 

 kind of serious earnestness, quite his own, and sometimes expressed his 

 ideas in a language simple but expressive, and with a tone so energetic 

 and solemn, as to impart a degree of grandeur to his conversation, par- 

 ticularly when it turned on the beauties of nature, or the wonderful and 

 benevolent provision of its great Author, a feeling of which he was at 

 .all times exceedingly susceptible. 



The similarity of his character with that of Robert Burns, always 

 forcibly struck me : the same strength of understanding, keenness of 

 observation, and simple originality of thought and expression, seemed 

 peculiar to both ; and many minor points were not wanting to finish 

 the likeness ; humanity and tenderness of disposition, quick perception 

 of the ridiculous, with eminent power in pourtraying it, occurring 

 among the rest ; but the feature which renders the likeness most strik- 

 ing, is their common understanding, and consequent admiration and re- 

 gard for nature. If Burns had been a painter, his subjects would have 

 possessed much of the style of Bewick's vignettes ; and if Bewick had 

 been a poet, his productions would have resembled in a certain degree 

 the compositions of Burns. 



The idea of Socrates " that the summit of our knowledge is only to 

 perceive our own ignorance," was a great favourite with him : he had 

 it (whence I know not) in a poetic form, thus — 



" What is discovered only serves to shew, 



" That nothing's knovi^n, to what is yet to know." 



He used to quote it with great emphasis and solemnity, and often 

 added some such remark as '• Why sir, it v/ould take a man a life time, 

 to write the history of a spider." I heard him use these two expres- 

 sions to some one who was praising him for the benefit he had confer- 

 red on mankind, as a naturalist. 



My acquaintance with him commenced in the summer of 1825 ; my 

 youngest brother, who, from his childhood, had been an observer of 

 nature, obtained at Tirrell near Penrith, the nest and eggs of a bird 



VOL. I. x 



