THOMAS BEWICK. 



209 



Chatto may scoff, that the concluding sentence of the letter was written more 

 with a keen remembrance of his personal experience than with a clear idea of 

 his pupil's future course of life. "When your mind grows rich in integrity," 

 he says, " you will fear the frowns of no man, and only smile at the plots and 

 conspiracies which it is probable will be laid against you by envy, hatred, and 

 malice." 



On January 1st, 181 2, the following advertisement appeared in the New- 

 castle papers : — 



THOMAS BEWICK, 



Engraver and Copperplate Printer, Newcastle-upon-Tyne, 



RETURNS his grateful Thanks to his Friends and 

 Customers for past Favours, and begs Leave to inform 

 them, that he has taken his Son, ROBERT ELLIOT 

 BEWICK, into Partnership. The Business will be carried on 

 in all its Branches, under the Firm of Thomas Bewick & Son ; 

 and all Orders with which they may be favoured, will be punc- 

 tually executed, in the best Manner, and on the lowest Terms. 

 An APPRENTICE wanted. 

 A few Imperial Copies of the History of Quadrupeds, Price 

 il. us. 6d. ; and Royal Copies of the History of British Birds, 

 2 Vols. il. 16s., remain for Sale. — Newcastle, Jan. r, 1812. 



Throughout the artist's writings we hear very little of his son Robert. 

 He appears to have suffered from some serious complaint. In a letter dated 

 7th May, 182 1, written by Thomas Bewick to Richard Wingate, it is said, 

 " My son had another bad bout since I saw you ; he was attacked with it on 

 Friday after dinner, and it kept him in great misery till about midnight on 

 Saturday or towards Sunday morning. It has left him very faint and weak."* 

 Bewick did not think highly of his son's aptitude for engraving; and he closes 

 one of the chapters in his Memoir with the words, " And now, when the time 

 is fast approaching for my winding up all my labours, I may be allowed to 

 name my own son and partner, whose time has been taken up with attending 

 to all the branches of our business, and who, I trust, will not let wood engrav- 

 ing go down ; and though he has not shown any partiality towards it, yet the 

 talent is there, and I hope he will call it forth." 



In the " Synopsis of the Newcastle Museum," published in 1827, there are 



* From a letter in the possession of Admiral Mitford. 

 E E 



