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THOMAS BEWICK. 



with large flaps to his waistcoat, grey woollen stockings, and large buckles. In 

 his under lip he had a prodigious large quid of tobacco, and he leaned on a very- 

 thick oaken cudgel, which, I afterwards learned, he cut in the woods of Hawthornden. 

 His broad, bright, and benevolent countenance, at one glance bespoke powerful 

 intellect and unbounded good-will, with a very visible sparkle of merry wit. The 

 discourse at first turned on politics (for the paper was in his hand), on which he at 

 once openly avowed himself a warm Whig, but clearly without the slightest wish to 

 provoke opposition. I at length succeeded in turning the conversation into the 

 fields of natural history. ... In many instances, though frequently succeeding to 

 the broadest humour, his countenance and conversation assumed and emitted flashes 

 and features of absolutely the highest sublimity." 



In the summer of 1825 a project was put into tangible form of having 

 a marble portrait bust of Bewick "executed by an eminent artist at the 

 expense of his friends, to be placed in the Library Room" (then new) "of 

 the Literary and Philosophical Society, as a testimony of respect to their 

 distinguished townsman due to his high character and talent." A meeting 

 was called on June 6th, and a resolution to the foregoing effect having been 

 unanimously passed and the subscription limited to one guinea, " in order to 

 give his numerous friends an opportunity of testifying their respect," it was 

 arranged to ask Baily, the celebrated sculptor, to undertake the execution 

 of the bust. Subscriptions were duly received, and Bewick having given 

 his consent to the project, the next thing to consider was the costume 

 in which he was to be taken. Baily proceeded to Newcastle from London, 

 and proposed to put the usual loose garment round the shoulders. " Agrinst 

 this, however, Bewick at once rebelled: he was resolved," says the "British 

 Quarterly Review," " if he must appear on earth after his death, to do so 

 after the fashion of Hamlet's father, ' in his habit as he lived,' and from this 

 resolution he would not budge. The toga was accordingly given up, and the 

 artist was taken in his coat and waistcoat, not forgetting his neckcloth and 

 ruffled shirt." The bust still remains in the Institution. 



Early in 1826 the first break in Bewick's family circle took place, 

 and when the newspapers announced, "At Gateshead, on Feb. 1, died, aged 



