The Hound and the Huntsman. " Gay's Fables," 1779. By Thomas Bewick. 

 Lent by Messrs. Chatto and Windus. 



CHAPTER VI. 



WORK DURING APPRENTICESHIP. 



FTER living some time with his aunt, Bewick left her and went to lodge 



* with a flax-dresser called Hatfield. This was not altogether a desir- 

 able change for the young engraver, Hatfield having a number of rather 

 disreputable acquaintances coming about his place. Although Bewick felt 

 displeased at their ways, he still remained in his lodgings ; yet it is right to 

 mention it was only for a time that specimens of the very lowest class of the 

 flax-dressing community resided with his landlord. Hatfield, besides his 

 regular business, eked out his earnings by breeding canaries, and this brought 

 another class of people frequently to the house. These were mostly dealers, 

 who made their living by trapping and rearing birds. 



Mixing much with those people in the evenings, Bewick listened with 

 interest to the tales they had to tell of the feathered creation. It is easily 

 understood that to one like Bewick such stories would have more than 

 ordinary attraction. He had been brought up in the country, where he had 

 himself seen many a device to entrap the birds ; and interested as he was in 

 all things relating to animal life, it is not to be wondered that he found 



G 



