" Sweet Auburn ! loveliest village of the plain." 

 From Poems by Goldsmith and Parnell. 



CHAPTER VII. 



END OF BONDAGE. 



HP* HE time for which Bewick was engaged with Beilby now drew to a 

 close, and on October ist, 1774, for the first time in his life, he felt 

 himself at liberty. But though he was sensible of more freedom, he was in 

 no hurry to leave Beilby' s workshop. As we have seen, he was still with 

 him when the Society of Arts' premium was awarded in February, 1775, and 

 he continued probably until the spring-time of that year, when the charm of 

 the budding flowers and lengthening days doubtless proved irresistible to his 

 awaking fancies ; he then gave up his situation and went back to his 

 father's house at Cherryburn. 



But before he did this an opportunity presented itself which, if he had 

 taken, would possibly have lost him to Art. Beilby did much work for 

 a certain Isaac Hymen, a Jew dealer in seals, watches, and trinkets 

 generally. By this man he was frequently employed to do the engraving of 

 the seals, and by a procedure not uncommon still, but dishonest, Hymen 

 represented to his patrons that this work was done by himself. Not only so, 

 but the Jew was clever enough to cause purchasers in Newcastle to believe 



