84 



THOMAS BEWICK. 



extreme weakness to maintain that all women are good," and faults only to 

 be ascribed to man. 



"I am obliged," he says, " to admit that there are good and bad of each sex. 

 I have often attempted to make an estimate of their comparative numbers, in which 

 I have felt some difficulties. Sometimes my barometer of estimation has risen to 

 the height of ten to one in favour of the fair sex ; at other times it has fluctuated, 

 and has fallen down some degrees lower in the scale " (notice his tact — he won't say 

 how far it had gone down J ; " but with me it is now settled, and I cannot go lower 

 than four good women to one good man. I have often wondered how any man 

 could look healthy, beautiful, sensible, and virtuous women in the face without 

 considering them as the link between men and angels. For my part, I have often 

 felt myself so overpowered with reverence in their presence that I have been unable 

 to speak, and they must often have noticed my embarrassment. I could mention the 

 names of many, but it might offend their delicacy. When a man can get such a 

 help-mate for life, his happiness must be secured ; for such a one is of inestimable 

 value; her price is far above rubies." — Memoir, p. 97. 



This was a favourite theme with Bewick, and he seems never to weary in 

 showing the claims of woman to entire respect, and on the question of 

 marriage his views were quite as decided. "Marriage," he states, "is an 

 engagement of the utmost importance to individuals and to society, and 

 which of all others ought to be the most unbiassed ; for it cannot be attended 

 with honour, nor blessed with happiness, if it has not its origin in mutual 

 affection." And again in his Memoir he gives old-fashioned but everlastingly 

 true advice as to what he lays down as rules for matrimony ; and such is 

 his energy in urging that a careful selection should be made that if a man 

 is not able to find a suitable spinster in his own country, he says "he had 

 better travel in search of one from Land's End to John o' Groat's." 



Such were the feelings of the man who was now thinking seriously of 

 matrimony for himself. It is all very well to moralise, and say what others 

 ought to do when circumstances are favourable, but frequently quite another 

 thing to do the right. Fortunately Bewick never was put to the actual test ; 

 but his general character points to the unlikelihood of his taking a wrong 



