I 12 



THOMAS BEWICK. 



each Creature, and the masterly execution of the Wood Engravings, will, it is 

 hoped, strongly recommend this Work to every Admirer of that Part of Nature's 

 Productions. Many of the animals have been accurately drawn from Nature ; and 

 in this respect the Editor has been peculiarly fortunate, in being enabled to offer to 

 the Public more faithful Representations of some rare Quadrupeds than have 

 hitherto appeared. 



"%* The work will be neatly printed, in One Volume Octavo, on a good Paper, 

 with entire new Types. 



" §f § Price to Subscribers 8 Shillings in Boards. To be paid on Delivery. 

 Printed for, and sold by S. Hodgson, by whom Subscriptions are taken in ; also by 

 Beilby and Bewick, Engravers, &c." 



This prospectus had specimens of the woodcuts proposed to be inserted. 

 They were printed on drawing paper, each with three or four examples. 



In connection with this prospectus, the first number of the Bibliographer 

 (Dec, 1881) published a letter from Bewick to the secretary of the London 

 Society of Arts, dated from Newcastle, May 22nd, 1788. In this, after a few 

 preliminaries, Bewick says : — 



" The favourable reception which some of my juvenile performances have met 

 with from that honourable body (the Society of Arts) and their request to me at that 

 time (1775, when Bewick won a premium), ' That I would not rest satisfied with one 

 attempt, but subject my future performances to their inspection,' have again 

 emboldened me to submit my labours to their view. I know not that there is at 

 this time any reward offered by the Society, or any competition in the way ; but if I 

 should be so happy as to find that the work now in hand meets with their approba- 

 tion and patronage, it might silence the clamour of ill-natured criticism, and tend to 

 promote its sale. When the curious are served with the best impressions, a second 

 and inferior edition will be done for the use of youths at school, with a view more 

 widely to diffuse a better knowledge of this branch of natural history, and also to 

 awaken in the contemplative mind an admiration of the wonderful works of Nature. 

 If you think it worth your notice, I will send you the rest of the prints to complete 

 the set as soon as they are done." 



From this letter it will be seen that Bewick was still thinking of his 

 favourite scheme of improving the minds of the young by his labours, and it 

 had evidently been his intention to publish a cheap edition of the work. 

 Very possibly the partners were not able to agree how this should be done ; 



