THOMAS BEWICK. 



107 



might not be supposed as proceeding from my own knowledge ; and on 

 referring to the page, you will find that I merely mentioned the circumstance 

 as a report. My words are, ' it is said.' I am, however, strongly inclined to 

 believe that the report was correct, and that there are circumstances connected 

 with the taking of an additional number of parchment or vellum impressions 

 which in all probability your father neither heard of nor suspected." 



Hugo states, nevertheless, that these impressions are second states, and 

 bear the name of the artist, so that they must have been pulled after 

 Bewick's first attempt at putting the block together. 



The first ten impressions of the block on vellum show no mark of the split ; 

 they have the ornamental border, with no title and without Bewick's name at 

 the left low corner ; the reproduction given is a fac-simile of this state, impres- 

 sions of which are both scarce and valuable. 



The second state differs from the first by having T. Bewick, Newcastle, 

 1789, at the corner left dark in the first state, the T and B being in 

 monogram. The following title is at the foot: — "The Wild Bull, of the 

 Ancient Caledonian Breed, now in the Park at Chillingham Castle, Northum- 

 berland, 1789." These were pulled after Bewick had taken the cut home, and 

 after he had been able to close it up so that some impressions were obtained 

 without showing the crack.* The value of these is not nearly so great as the 

 first state, yet a high price has been paid for a perfect copy. Several 

 impressions of this state also exist with the cracks as they appeared after they 

 began to show again. 



The third state, in which the block remained until 181 7, shows the block in 

 a dilapidated condition ; the cracks present themselves over the plate, 

 across the centre, lengthwise, and in other places ; the small piece which was 



* A prominent collector in Newcastle has an impression which he believes to have been taken surreptitiously 

 on the Sunday. This is unsigned, but taken on paper, and without the ornamental border, but considered by its 

 owner to be unique ; the workman, it is thought, having feared to use the border, it being a separate piece of wood. 



P 2 



