THOMAS BEWICK. 



207 



my mind ; there was no choice ; absolute necessity compelled me to ' write a book.' 

 In 1800 death deprived us of Mr. Solomon Hodgson, after he had printed four 

 editions of the Quadrupeds, and the first volume of the Birds. With him we might 

 have gone on peaceably to the end, but we soon found his ' widow and executrix ' to 

 be a very different person, and disputes without end were what we had to look to 

 In order to avoid this cloud of mischief Mr. Beilby sold me his share in the Quad- 

 rupeds and left me the publication of that book to do the best I could with my new 

 associate. With our squabbles it would be impertinent to trouble the world ; they 

 have been painful to me ; they have been with the widow of my deceased friend. 

 By these disputes I was compelled to intrust the printing of the Water Birds to 

 another office, where this kind of work had not previously been attended to, and 

 consequently I had to run the hazard of an experiment which might have injured 

 the reputation of the work. Fortunately this experiment succeeded, and this, I 

 believe, is one motive for Mrs. Hodgson's attack. — I am, Sir, &c, Thomas Bewick. 

 Newcastle, October 8th, 1805." * 



This is one of the most interesting letters Bewick ever wrote, and gives us 

 a better conception of the man's aims and methods than is elsewhere to be 

 found. The editor of the Magazine declined to allow further correspondence 

 on the subject, and no more is heard publicly of the matter, but better counsels 

 prevailed, and the publication of the fifth edition of the Quadrupeds took place 

 on May 13th, 1807. This was, however, "Printed by Ed. Walker for 

 T. Bewick and S. Hodgson," being a change in the imprint from the 1800 

 edition, which bears, " Printed by and for S. Hodgson, R. Beilby, and 

 T. Bewick." The sixth edition (181 1) was again different, and is, " Printed 

 by Edward Walker for T. Bewick and Longman," etc. ; the 1820 and 1824 

 editions being the same as the 181 1, as regards the proprietors' names. 



In an article in the Newcastle Courant for April 14th, 1881, which claims 

 to have been written by one who knew Bewick personally, it is said that at 

 the beginning of the century — 



" The business of engraver was thought highly genteel, and the country gentry 

 were glad to apprentice their sons to a rising artist like Bewick. Some of these 

 votaries of the graving tool had rather aristocratic notions — not having heard the 



* The "Monthly Magazine," 1805, vol. xx. p. 303. 



