34 
MEMIOR OF THOMAS HE WICK. 
titled, “ The Fables of iEsop and others, with De- 
signs by T. Bewick.” This work has not, how- 
ever, been received by the public with so much fa- 
vour. 
In 1820, Mr Emerson Charnley, bookseller in 
Newcastle, having purchased of Messrs Wilson o. 
York a large collection of wood-cuts, which had been 
engraved by the Bewicks in early life, for various 
works printed by Saint, conceived the design of em- 
ploying them in the illustration of a volume of Select 
Fables (already referred to). Though aware that 
Mr Bewick wished it to be fully understood that he 
had no wish to “ feed the whimsies of bibliomanists,” 
as he himself expressed it, and perhaps was a little 
jealous of all the imperfections of his youth being set 
before the public, yet the Editor conceived that he 
was rendering to the curious in wood-engraving a 
very acceptable service, by thus rescuing from obli- 
vion so many valuable specimens of the early talents 
of the revivors of this elpgant art. They were thus 
enabled to study the gradual advance towards excel- 
lence of these ingenious artists, from their very ear- 
liest beginnings, and to trace the promise of talents 
at length so conspicuously developed. 
Mr Bewick, however, was also engaged from time 
to time, by himself and his pupils, in furnishing em- 
