io8 



THOMAS BEWICK. 



added to the block, so as to make it fit the border, also shows more distinctly; 

 the border itself has disappeared (it has been lost sight of for many years), 

 and only a simple double line of black surrounds it. 



In 1 817 the block was repaired by having an iron band screwed round it, 

 and impressions were pulled without showing the crack. Underneath " New- 

 castle, printed by Ed. Walker, 181 7," was inserted. In this, the fourth state, 

 many impressions were taken, and their value is just what the collector cares 

 to give, the published price in 1847 being 5s., as shown in the advertisement 

 at the end of the History of Birds of that year. 



The Chillingham Bull original wood block without the border was sold to 

 Mr. Hugo for £\o, and in 1877 was again sold for £26 among Mr. Hugo's 

 collection. It is now the property of Mr. Gow, of Cambo, near Newcastle. 

 In 1877 it was then in the clamped condition it had been put into sixty years 

 before, and the cracks were again apparent. Since then the block has been 

 reclamped, and the fifth state was first published in Newcastle in 1878. The 

 impressions are advertised to be " equal in brilliancy and richness of tone to 

 any hitherto printed, with the exception of some few special copies." A few 

 impressions have been taken on vellum, and also a larger number on paper, 

 some of which are still to be had at a moderate price. 



In Mr. Hugo's collection there was a proof of the Bull "without the 

 border and title, and spaced out by Bewick with a blacklead pencil into 

 squares for re-engraving." This had been obtained from W. Garret, of New- 

 castle, who said in a letter to Hugo on the subject, " This impression of the 

 Bull is a curious and valuable one, for when the block was cracked Bewick 

 despaired of its ever being repaired, and therefore set to work and squared 

 out an impression (the one under notice) for a new block, should he not 

 succeed in clamping it together." Bewick did not engrave another large 

 block, but there is reason to think that he either copied, or deputed some of his 

 apprentices to copy, the design in a much smaller size. Bell, in his Appendix, 

 says Bewick engraved such a cut, and mentions the great rarity of the impres- 



