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diff --git a/old/60075-0.txt b/old/60075-0.txt deleted file mode 100644 index b8e33e4..0000000 --- a/old/60075-0.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8366 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of A Memoir of Thomas Bewick, by Thomas Bewick - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere in the United States and most -other parts of the world at no cost and with almost no restrictions -whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of -the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at -www.gutenberg.org. If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - -Title: A Memoir of Thomas Bewick - Written by himself - -Author: Thomas Bewick - -Release Date: August 9, 2019 [EBook #60075] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - -[Illustration: - - _DRAWN by JOHN BEWICK, 1781_ - CHERRYBURN. -] - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - A - - MEMOIR - - OF - - THOMAS BEWICK, - - WRITTEN BY HIMSELF. - - - EMBELLISHED BY - - NUMEROUS WOOD ENGRAVINGS, - - DESIGNED AND ENGRAVED BY THE AUTHOR FOR A WORK ON - BRITISH FISHES, AND NEVER BEFORE PUBLISHED. - - -[Illustration] - - - Newcastle≈on≈Tyne: - PRINTED BY ROBERT WARD, DEAN STREET, - FOR JANE BEWICK, GATESHEAD. - - London: - LONGMAN, GREEN, LONGMAN, AND ROBERTS, - AND SOLD BY ALL BOOKSELLERS. - 1862. - - [_The Right of Translation is Reserved._] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -“While speaking of the English school, I must not omit to notice a truly -original genius, who, though not a painter, was an artist of the highest -order in his way—Thomas Bewick, the admirable designer and engraver on -wood. His works, indeed, are of the smallest dimensions, but this makes -it only the more surprising that so much interest could be comprised -within such little spaces. The wood cuts that illustrate his books of -natural history may be studied with advantage by the most ambitious -votary of the highest classes of art—filled as they are by the truest -feeling for nature, and though often representing the most ordinary -objects, yet never, in a single instance, degenerating into -common-place. The charming vignettes that ornament these books abound in -incidents from real life, diversified by genuine humour, as well as by -the truest pathos—of which the single figure of a shipwrecked sailor -saying his prayers on a rock, with the waves rising round him, is an -instance. There is often in these little things a deep meaning that -places his art on a level with styles which the world is apt to consider -as greatly above it, in proof of which I would mention the party of boys -playing at soldiers among graves, and mounted on a row of upright -tombstones for horses; while for quaint humour, extracted from a very -simple source, may be noticed a procession of geese which have just -waddled through a stream, while their line of march is continued by a -row of stepping-stones. The student of landscape can never consult the -works of Bewick without improvement. The backgrounds to the figures of -his Quadrupeds and his Birds, and his vignettes, have a charm of nature -quite his own. He gives us, in these, every season of the year; and his -trees, whether in the clothing of summer, or in the nakedness of winter, -are the trees of an artist bred in the country. He is equally true in -his little home scenes, his farm-yards and cottages, as in the wild -coast scenery, with the flocks of sea birds wheeling round the rocks. In -one of these subjects there stands a ruined church, towards which the -sea has encroached, the rising tide threatening to submerge a tombstone -raised “to perpetuate the memory,” &c. Bewick resembles Hogarth in this, -that his illustrations of the stories of others are not to be compared -with his own inventions. His feeling for the beauties of nature as they -were impressed on him directly, and not at second-hand, is akin to the -feeling of Burns, and his own designs remind me, therefore, much more of -Burns than the few which he made from the poet.”—_Leslie’s Hand Book for -Young Painters._ - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration] - - - - - PREFACE. - - -The anxiety necessarily attendant upon the publication of this volume -being now brought to a close, it only remains to apologise for the -delay, for which many reasons might be adduced, and to express a hope -that it may be received with the same favour which has for so long a -period been kindly extended to the works of Thomas Bewick. It may be -matter of interest to many of his admirers to learn that the whole of -the wood cuts now in the hands of the family are in as good preservation -as when they left the graver.[1] - -Footnote 1: - - As evidence of which, it is impossible to distinguish the cuts - introduced into the last edition of “Birds” from those previously - published. This is due to the well-known fact, as mentioned at page - 243, that an immense number of impressions may be taken from a wood - block; and to the system, peculiar to Thomas Bewick, of lowering all - the more delicate parts. - -This volume was considerably advanced at press before it was decided to -append the cuts of the Fishes; an arrangement which it is hoped may meet -with general approbation—more particularly as, by that means, the cuts -and the vignettes[2] engraved for the History of Fishes will thus go -together. Much additional matter respecting the Fishes, which had -occupied so much time and attention, would doubtless have found a place -in the pages of the Memoir, had not the hand of Death so suddenly -arrested the labours of the Author. From the ample materials which -exist, the Appendix might have been greatly extended, but it is now felt -to be desirable to bring the publication to a termination as speedily as -possible. - - J. B. - -Gateshead-on-Tyne, May, 1862. - -Footnote 2: - - The vignette placed at page 286—a view of Cherryburn, with Mickley - Bank in the distance, and a funeral procession descending the sloping - pasture towards the boat, waiting to convey it across the Tyne to the - last resting-place of the family at Ovingham—appears, from the date - attached, to be the last vignette ever executed by Thomas Bewick. - - -[Illustration] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -It is at this period when the full value of a well-spent life will shine -with full effulgence upon the mind, and spread over it a -self-approbation of more worth than all the riches of the world. An -ill-spent life, on the contrary, will bring forward its recollections, -and send the guilty and polluted body unregretted to the grave, and the -degraded soul to the Giver of it, to be disposed of, in the justice and -mercy it will be found to deserve.—_Loose Note._ - - T. B. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration] - - - - - CONTENTS. - - - CHAPTER I. - - Introductory—Parentage—Birth, 1753—Mickley School—Ovingham 1–13 - School—First attempts at drawing—Hunting - parties—Sheep—Shelter for sheep in snow - storms—Birds—Border songs and laments—Earl of - Derwentwater—Whins food for cattle - - - CHAPTER II. - - Employments in spring—Angling—Mischievous pranks—Floggings 14–31 - at school—Ghosts and Boggles—Change in the - mind—Man-fights, dog-fights, cock-fights—Fear of ghosts - entertained by the bulk of the people—Meet the Devil going - a-guising—Miss Gregson’s reproof—Mr. Gregson’s - lecture—Birds and their nests—Ants—Bees - - - CHAPTER III. - - Description of Cherryburn—The surrounding common—The 32–49 - peasantry—Will Bewick—Anthony Liddell—Thos. Forster—John - Chapman—Their peculiarities and way of life—The very old - men—Their avidity for news—Old Soldiers—John Cowie—Ben - Garlick—Their enthusiastic description of the battles they - had fought—The Borderers—Their propensity for war and - rapine—Their names—The farmers of Tyneside—The lairds—The - gentry—Plan of the late Duke of Northumberland for raising - the character of the peasantry—Parish relief - degrading—Proposed iron works at Eltringham—Failure of the - scheme - - - CHAPTER IV. - - Sent on trial to Ralph Beilby, engraver—Day of the binding 50–61 - arrives—Grief on leaving the country—Call at the - parsonage, Ovingham—Assembling of the villagers at the - church-yard gates—Betty Kell’s luck penny—Journey to - Newcastle, accompanied by the Rev. Mr. Gregson and his - son—Lecture—Christopher Gregson bound on the same - day—Scrape at King Jamie’s Well—New master and his - discipline—Sketch of the Family—Copy Copeland’s - Ornaments—Block out the diagrams for Charles Hutton’s - work—Etch sword-blades for W. and N. Oley, of Shotley - Bridge—Coarse work of the shop—Silversmiths’ work—Wood cut - of George and the Dragon—Cuts for Children’s books—Story - Teller—Gay’s Fables—Select Fables—Obtain a premium for the - cut of the old hound—Mr. Gregson’s congratulations - thereupon - - - CHAPTER V. - - Lodge with Mrs. Blackett—Gilbert Gray—His excellent 62–79 - character—Lodge at Hatfields—Scamps and tramps—Rise early - and obtain access to my master’s books, and to those at - the workshop of Wm. Gray—Religious books—Become unwell—Dr. - Bailes prescribes—Recommends temperance and exercise—Walks - to Elswick Whey-house—Bread and milk diet—Walks to - Cherryburn after shop hours—Reflections on getting into - debt—William Bulmer, printer—Robert Pollard, - engraver—Thomas Spence—His vagaries—George Gray—His worthy - character—Engrave cuts for Dr. Hutton’s Mathematical - Works, 1773, and for Dr. Horsley’s edition of Sir Isaac - Newton’s works, 1778—Bird catchers and bird - dealers—Profligate men—Serjeant Hymers—Whittaker - Shadforth—Practise the manual exercise—Miss Beilby—Her - death - - - CHAPTER VI. - - Expiration of apprenticeship, 1774—Return to 80–93 - Cherryburn—Employed on wood cuts for printers—Remain at - Cherryburn till 1776—Beauty of - Tyneside—Hunting—Angling—Northumberland pipes—Pedestrian - tour to Cumberland—Carlisle—Langholm—Hawick— - Selkirk—Dalkeith—Edinburgh—Border scenery—Auld Reekie—Walk - to Glasgow—To Dumbarton—Smollett’s monument on the side of - the Leven—Walk through the Highlands of Scotland—Grandeur - of the scenery—Admiration of the people—Their - dwellings—Their loyalty to Prince Charles—Their - hospitality—Fairs and trysts—Scotch music and - dancing—Leave the Highlands with regret—Walk to - Stirling—Thence by Linlithgow to Edinburgh—Return to - Newcastle by sea - - - CHAPTER VII. - - Visit London, 1776—Meeting with friends and 94–104 - schoolfellows—Execute wood cuts for Isaac Taylor—Meet with - Serjeant Hymers—Wood cuts for Thomas Hodgson—Work for Mr. - Carnan and Mr. Newberry—Fallen women and their - misery—Reverse of the picture—Celebrated - preachers—Religions of different sects—Preference for the - Church of England—Offer of procuring employment with Mr. - Pingo of the Mint—Surplus cash, how disposed of—Dislike to - London—Determine to leave it—Mr. Taylor remonstrates on - the subject—Mr. Hodgson’s kind offer to furnish - employment—His legacy—Leave London by sea—Arrive at - Newcastle, 1777 - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - Fit up a work bench at Hatfields—Offer of partnership with 105–114 - Mr. Beilby—Reflections thereon—Brother John Bewick—His - amiable disposition—His talent—Visits to Cherryburn with - him—His early death, 1795—Angling—River-side - scenery—Change of the seasons—Reflections—Hardy - constitution - - - CHAPTER IX. - - Presentiment of a change at Cherryburn—Death of father, 115–123 - mother, and sister, 1785—Sketches of their - characters—Visits to Cherryburn cease—George - Parkin—Diabolical attempt on his life - - - CHAPTER X. - - Isaac Hymen—Mr. Langlands—Matthew Prior—American war—Alfred 124–134 - the Great—Become acquainted with a society of literary - young men—Their dinners—Their songs—Northumberland pipes - introduced at the Theatre—Peacock—Cant—John Bowman—His - skill on the fife - - - CHAPTER XI. - - Thomas Lawson—Walk to York with Philip Gregson—Return by 135–143 - Borough Bridge—Darlington—Westward by Bowes—Over - Stainmore—To Penrith and Ainstable—To Cherryburn and - Newcastle—Perambulation to Berwick—Stop at Elwick—Nearly - swept away by the tide in crossing to Holy Island—Speeches - delivered at Alnwick—Swarley’s Club—Wood cuts for - Hutchinson’s History of Durham—For Walker, of Hereford—For - Nicholson, of Ludlow—For Bulmer’s publications of - Parnell’s Hermit and Goldsmith’s Deserted Village—Copper - plates for Sir Harry Liddell’s tour to Lapland—Canal - plates, 1796 - - - CHAPTER XII. - - Commence the History of Quadrupeds with the wood cut of the 144–152 - Dromedary, 1785—Rev. R. Oliphant—Rev. T. Hornby—Marriage - with Miss Elliot—Her death, 1826—Visit to Chillingham, - 1789—Large wood cut of the Chillingham Bull—Visit John - Bell at Eslington—Make a drawing there of a Newfoundland - dog—Illness of Rev. C. Gregson—His death, 1790—His - estimable character - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - Commence first volume of the History of Birds—Charmed with 153–165 - the subject—Ornithological works of that - day—Correspondence with friends and amateurs on the - subject—Visit Mr. Tunstal’s museum at Wycliffe, 1791—Make - drawings of birds there—Lodge with John Goundry—Rev. Dr. - Zouch—His hospitality—His liberality of - sentiment—Christians and Christianity—Thoughts on the - Deity—Man in Society—Genus homo—Canine race—Their - instincts—Return from Wycliffe—Visit an old - schoolfellow—Preserved birds superseded by birds newly - shot—Birds sent by General Dalbiac, Lieutenant-Colonel - Dalton, Major Shore, Major H. F. Gibson, and from all - parts of the kingdom—First volume of History of Birds - finished at press, 1797—Mr. Beilby retires—Gratitude a - rare virtue—Carelessness in money matters—Second volume of - the Birds published, 1804—Additions to the first - volume—Severe confinement and application—Motives for - labours—Encouraged by amateurs - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - Natural History retarded by the work of the shop—Writing 166–171 - engraving—Plates for bank notes—Prevention of - forgery—Carlisle bank note—King George III. approves of - this note—Correspondence with S. Thornton, Esq., 1801—Ends - in nothing—Commission appointed to investigate the subject - of forgery, 1818—Engrave plates for the Berwick Bank—The - Northumberland Bank—Gave in a plan to the - commissioners—The leading objects permanency, - &c.—Correspondence with Sir Joseph Banks on the - subject—Fairman, Perkins, and Heath—Their - specimens—Opinions of the commissioners delivered in the - House of Commons by Mr. Pierce—Sir William Congreve a - commissioner—His successful operations - - - CHAPTER XV. - - Illness, 1812—Æsop’s Fables commenced—An arduous 172–184 - undertaking—Published, 1818—Remarks on the French - Revolution, 1789—Causes of it—War declared by England, - 1793—Waste of life and treasure—Apathy of country - gentlemen—Remarks on the loyalty of that day—Valour of - British seamen—Rise in the value of land—Incites to - agricultural improvements—Messrs. Bailey and Culley—Their - agricultural reports—Mr. Smith’s Cheviot sheep—Make a - drawing of a ram—Sagacity of the shepherd’s dog—Fat cattle - for Durham report - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - Further remarks on the measures and supporters of Mr. 185–189 - Pitt—Witches—Their treatment—Consequences of ignorance—Mr. - Pitt’s motives—General Bonaparte’s victories—His ambition - and consequent ruin—Reflections on war and its - horrors—What might have been done with the men and the - money—The moss-troopers—Their ferocity - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - Gifts of Omnipotence to the human race—Duty of man to 190–199 - cultivate these gifts—Consequences of neglecting these - duties—Education to be given to every one—An imperative - duty upon the community—To check the reasoning power a - crime—Masters and servants—Equality impossible—Patriotism - a first duty—Alfred the Great—Foundation of England’s - glory laid by him—Free discussion should be - encouraged—Review of past transactions—Foreign despots and - demi-oligarchs—Loans wrung from the people—Jacobins, - Levellers, and Radicals—Fears for the safety of Great - Britain—The King can settle this question, and entitle - himself to the gratitude of posterity - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - Major Cartwright—Disapprove of his scheme of universal 200–207 - suffrage—Elections may be simplified—Wasteful expenditure - to be avoided—Holy Alliance—Spain and - Italy—Superstition—Society for the Suppression of - Vice—Constitutional Association—Its object—Betrayers of - innocence, robbers of widows—Tattoo their - backs—Criminals—Plan to redeem their characters—Laws of - England—Need of revision—The learned - professions—Preference for medical men - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - Remarks on the education of children—Their health and 208–217 - pursuits—Education of girls—Horticulture and Floriculture - recommended to ladies—Freeholders—Their - duties—Oaths—Immorality—Profligacy—Thoughts on - marriage—Education of boys - - - CHAPTER XX. - - The game laws—Riflemen—The fisheries—Grants in feudal 218–230 - times—A change necessary—The way to effect - this—Remuneration to the present owners—Salmon formerly - abundant in the Tyne—Spawning places—Weirs and dams—Impure - water—Appointment of vigilant guards—Destruction of Salmon - by the porpoise—Suggestions for catching the porpoise—Uses - to which they may be applied—Necessity of protecting the - parent fishes—Incredible number of the fry—The - angler—Angling ought to be unchecked—Preserved waters - debar the angler—Formation of Waltonian Societies - recommended—Their duties—Constant beating of the streams - to be discountenanced—Pought nets—Catching the fry in - mill-races, and liming the burns, to be prohibited—Angling - and its delights—Beautiful scenery—Permanent pools may be - stocked with eels—Further reflections on the subject - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - Visit Edinburgh, 1823—Kind attentions shown—Morning walks to 231–236 - Elswick Lane—Contemplations in church-yards—Thoughts on - monuments—Inscriptions on rocks—Erection of pillars over - copious springs - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - First efforts in engraving on wood—Progress—Difficulties to 237–244 - contend with—Albert Durer—His cross-hatching and drawings - on the wood—Printing from two or three blocks—Artists of - the present day—Improved methods of Printing wood - blocks—Attempt at colour on the wood—Lowering the - back-ground—Stronger lines left to protect the cut—A - delicate _fac_ known to have printed above 900,000 - impressions - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - Prints from large blocks formerly in use in cottages—Great 245–250 - variety of the subjects—Blocks printed in colours—Gubitz - of Berlin—Impressions from duplicate and triplicate - blocks, by J. B. Jackson—Stroke engraving—Its capabilities - in landscape—William Woollett—His unequalled landscapes on - copper—His probable excellence as a wood engraver, so as - to rival copper—Further notice of John Bewick and R. E. - Bewick - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - Advice to artists—Difficulties of choosing a 251–257 - profession—Study of nature to be preferred—Old - masters—Their varied excellences—Poetry and - painting—Musical talent—Beauty of wild - scenery—Thompson—Allan Ramsay - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - The Bible—The sublime precepts it contains—The 258–264 - Israelites—Intentions of Omnipotence—Wonders of the - universe—The deluge—Early history of mankind—The Bible the - first instrument of knowledge—A future state - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - Interpretation of the Scriptures—The mind, the soul, and the 265–270 - reasoning powers of man—Religion natural and necessary to - man—The inspired Author of Christianity—His pure and - perfect doctrines - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - The miracle of creation—Adoration due to the great Author of 271–277 - the whole—Paganism and succeeding errors—Evils of - intolerance—Good effected by monks of old—The - Reformation—American institutions—Established clergy—Their - learning and acquirements—Fanaticism—Ravings of Ranters - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - Religion and philosophy conjoined necessary to human 278–285 - happiness—Selection of clergymen—Wonders of the - universe—Intended for the contemplation of every human - being—Revenues of the clergy—More equal division - recommended—Ireland and the Irish-Catholic - emancipation—Absentees—Protestants and - Catholics—Reflections on the value of religious - education—Colleges for the purpose—No limit to the - improvement of the human mind—Nor to the capabilities of - the human frame - - FINAL 286 - - APPENDIX 289–344 - - - -[Illustration] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK. - - - ------- - - - - - CHAPTER I. - - - Tynemouth, November, 1822. - -MY DEAR JANE, - -It is in compliance with your wish that I have, after much hesitation -and delay, made up my mind to give you some account of my life, as it -may at a future day amuse you and your brother and sisters in your -passage through the crooked as well as the pleasant paths of the world. -I will commence by giving you some account of your pedigree as far back -as I can. - -My grandfather, Thomas Bewick, farmed the lands of Painshaw Field and -Birches Nook, near Bywell, and also the Colliery on Mickley Bank, or -Mickley Common—how long since I know not, but it might probably be about -the year 1700. He had the character of being one of the most -intelligent, active, and best farmers on Tyneside, and it was said that, -by his good management and great industry, he became very rich; but, -except his being an expert angler, I know little more about him. My -grandmother’s maiden name was Agnes Arthur, the daughter of a laird of -that name at Kirkheaton, at which place my father was born in the year -1715, while his mother was there (I believe) on a visit to her friends. - -My maternal grandfather, Thomas Wilson, and my grandmother, whose maiden -name was Hannah Thompson, lived at Ainstable, in Cumberland; but whether -he was curate of the parish of that place, or parish clerk, I do not -know. It is certain, however, that he was one or the other, and that he -taught a school there; and, from the circumstance of his teaching his -sons, and some of his daughters, Latin, I conclude he taught some of his -scholars the same language. When he died, his eldest son, Christopher, -became possessed of his freehold property, consisting of a house, &c., -and a few fields adjoining. The rest of his family were left little -beside a good education, and were spread abroad in the world to do the -best they could for themselves. In this state of their affairs, my -mother, Jane, and her youngest sister, Hannah, were taken by a distant -relation, a Mrs. Gregson, of Appleby, to remain with her until she could -get them places to live at. About this time, the Rev. Christopher -Gregson had been appointed to the curacy of Ovingham, and wanted a -housekeeper; and my mother, though young, was thought able to undertake -that office, and accordingly engaged to perform it. - -Your maternal grandfather’s name was Robert Elliot, and your -grandmother’s Jane Forster. He farmed the land of Woodgate, near Bill -Quay, where your mother was born. He afterwards removed to a farm at -Ovingham, where he died in 1777, leaving the character of a sensible, -honest, and industrious man. - -How long my mother lived with Mr. Gregson, before her marriage, I know -not; but from him I afterwards learned that she was a valuable servant -to him, both with respect to his house-keeping concerns, and for the -occasional assistance she afforded him in hearing his pupils their Latin -tasks. From Ovingham, in the year 1752, she married my father, and went -to live with him at Cherryburn House, near the small village or Hamlet -of Eltringham, where all their family, of which I was the eldest, were -born. The family consisted of myself and brothers, John and William; and -my sisters Hannah, Agnes, Ann, Sarah, and Jane. Sarah died at the age of -16; the rest were reared to maturity, and were sent off, one way or -another, into the world. - -In August, 1753, I was born, and was mostly entrusted to the care of my -aunt Hannah, (my mother’s sister), and my grandmother, Agnes Bewick; and -the first thing I can remember was, that the latter indulged me in every -thing I had a wish for; or, in other words, made me a great “pet.” I was -not to be “snubbed” (as it was called), do what I would; and, in -consequence of my being thus suffered to have my own way, I was often -scalded and burnt, or put in danger of breaking my bones by falls from -heights I had clambered up to. - -The next circumstance, which I well remember, was that of my being sent -to Mickley School when very young; and this was not done so much with a -view to my learning, as to keep me out of “harm’s way.” I was some time -at this school without making much progress in learning my letters or -spelling small words; the master, perhaps, was instructed not to keep me -very close at my book; but, in process of time, he began to be more and -more severe upon me; and I see clearly at this day, that he frequently -beat me when faultless, and also for not learning what it was not in my -power to comprehend. Others suffered in the same way. He was looked upon -as a severe, or “cross,” man, and did not spare his rod. He was tall and -thin; and, with a countenance severe and grim, he walked about the -school-room, with the tawse or a switch in his hand. He, no doubt, -thought he was keeping the boys to their lessons, while the gabbering -and noise they made, was enough to stun any one, and impressed the -people passing by with the idea that Bedlam was let loose. How long he -went on in this way, I do not recollect; but, like many others of his -profession, who were at that time appointed to fill the most important -office of a teacher, no pains had been taken to enquire whether he -possessed the requisite qualifications befitting him for it. He went on -with a senseless system of severity, where ignorance and arrogance were -equally conspicuous. Conduct like this, sours the minds of some boys, -renders others stupid, and serves to make all more or less disgusted -with learning. Upon some occasion or other, he ordered me to be flogged; -and this was to be done by what was called “hugging,” that is, by -mounting me upon the back of a stout boy, who kept hold of my hands over -his shoulders while the posteriors were laid bare, where he supposed he -could do the business freely. In this instance, however, he was -mistaken; for, with a most indignant rage, I sprawled, kicked, and -flung, and, I was told, bit the innocent boy, on the neck, when he -instantly roared out, and threw me down; and, on my being seized again -by the old man, I rebelled, and broke his shins with my iron-hooped -clogs, and ran off. By this time, the boy’s mother, who was a spirited -woman, and lived close by, attracted by the ferment that was raised, -flew (I understood) into the school-room, when a fierce scold ensued -between the master and her. After this I went no more to his school, but -played the truant every day, and amused myself by making dams and -swimming boats, in a small burn, which ran through a place then called -the “Colliers Close Wood,” till the evening, when I returned home with -my more fortunate or more obedient school-fellows. - -How long it was before my absence from school was discovered, I know -not, but I got many severe beatings from my father and mother, in the -interval between my leaving the school and the old master’s death. As -soon as another schoolmaster (James Burn) was appointed, I was sent to -him; and he happened to be of a directly opposite character to the late -one. With him I was quite happy, and learned as fast as any other of the -boys, and with as great pleasure. After the death of this much respected -young man, who lived only a very few years after his appointment, my -learning any more at Mickley school was at an end. - -Some time after this, my father put me to school under the care of the -Rev. C. Gregson, of Ovingham; and well do I remember the conversation -that passed between them on the occasion. It was little to my credit; -for my father began by telling him that I was so very unguidable that he -could not manage me, and he begged of my new master that he would -undertake that task, and they both agreed that “to spare the rod was to -spoil the child.” This precept was, I think, too severely acted upon, -sometimes upon trivial occasions and sometimes otherwise. - -I was for some time kept at reading, writing, and figures,—how long, I -know not, but I know that as soon as my question was done upon my slate, -I spent as much time as I could find in filling with my pencil all the -unoccupied spaces, with representations of such objects as struck my -fancy; and these were rubbed out, for fear of a beating, before my -question was given in. As soon as I reached Fractions, Decimals, &c., I -was put to learn Latin, and in this I was for some time complimented by -my master for the great progress I was making; but, as I never knew for -what purpose I had to learn it, and was wearied out with getting off -long tasks, I rather flagged in this department of my education, and the -margins of my books, and every space of spare and blank paper, became -filled with various kinds of devices or scenes I had met with; and these -were accompanied with wretched rhymes explanatory of them. As soon as I -filled all the blank spaces in my books, I had recourse, at all spare -times, to the gravestones and the floor of the church porch, with a bit -of chalk, to give vent to this propensity of mind of figuring whatever I -had seen. At that time I had never heard of the word “drawing;” nor did -I know of any other paintings besides the king’s arms in the church, and -the signs in Ovingham of the Black Bull, the White Hare, the Salmon, and -the Hounds and Hare. I always thought I could make a far better hunting -scene than the latter: the others were beyond my hand. I remember once -of my master overlooking me while I was very busy with my chalk in the -porch, and of his putting me very greatly to the blush by ridiculing and -calling me a conjurer. My father, also, found a deal of fault for -“mispending my time in such idle pursuits;” but my propensity for -drawing was so rooted that nothing could deter me from persevering in -it; and many of my evenings at home were spent in filling the flags of -the floor and the hearth-stone with my chalky designs. - -After I had long scorched my face in this way, a friend, in compassion, -furnished me with some paper upon which to execute my designs. Here I -had more scope. Pen and ink, and the juice of the brambleberry, made a -grand change. These were succeeded by a camel-hair pencil and shells of -colours; and, thus supplied, I became completely set up; but of -patterns, or drawings, I had none. The beasts and birds, which enlivened -the beautiful scenery of woods and wilds surrounding my native hamlet, -furnished me with an endless supply of subjects. I now, in the -estimation of my rustic neighbours, became an eminent painter, and the -walls of their houses were ornamented with an abundance of my rude -productions, _at a very cheap rate_. These chiefly consisted of -particular hunting scenes, in which the portraits of the hunters, the -horses, and of every dog in the pack, were, in their opinion, _as well -as my own_, faithfully delineated. But while I was proceeding in this -way, I was at the same time deeply engaged in matters nearly allied to -this propensity for drawing; for I early became acquainted, not only -with the history and the character of the domestic animals, but also -with those which roamed at large. - -The conversations of the Nimrods of that day, in which the instincts and -peculiar properties of the various wild animals were described in -glowing terms, attracted my keenest attention; and to their rude and -lengthened narratives I listened with extreme delight. With me they made -a winter’s evening fly fast away. At holiday times,—and at other times -when prevented by the floods of the Tyne from getting across to -school,—I was sure, with the most ardent glee, to make one of the number -in the hunting parties which frequently took place at that time; whether -it might be in the chase of the fox or the hare, or in tracing the -foumart in the snow, or hunting the badger at midnight. The pursuing, -bating, or killing, these animals, never at that time struck me as being -cruel. The mind had not as yet been impressed with the feelings of -humanity. This, however, came upon me at last; and the first time I felt -the change happened by my having (in hunting) caught the hare in my -arms, while surrounded by the dogs and the hunters, when the poor, -terrified creature screamed out so piteously,—like a child,—that I would -have given anything to have saved its life. In this, however, I was -prevented; for a farmer well known to me, who stood close by, pressed -upon me, and desired I would “give her to him;” and, from his being -better able (as I thought) to save its life, I complied with his wish. -This was no sooner done than he proposed to those about him, “to have a -bit more sport with her,” and this was to be done by first breaking one -of its legs, and then again setting the poor animal off a little before -the dogs. I wandered away to a little distance, oppressed by my own -feelings, and could not join the crew again, but learned with pleasure -that their intended victim had made its escape. - -The “musical din” of the hounds still continued to have its charms, and -I still continued to follow them; but from that day forward, I have ever -wished that this poor, persecuted, innocent creature might escape with -its life. The worrying of foxes, the baiting of foumarts, otters, -badgers, &c., did not awaken in me similar feelings; for in the fierce -conflicts between them and the dogs, there was something like an -exchange of retaliation, and not unfrequently the aggressors were -beaten; and I have with pleasure seen that wonderfully courageous -animal, the badger (with fair play), beat the dogs of a whole -neighbourhood, one after another, completely off. - -In the vermin-hunting excursions in the depth of winter, while the whole -face of nature was bound in frost and covered with deep snow, in -traversing through bogs, amidst reeds and rushes, I have often felt -charmed with the sight of birds,—flushed, and sometimes caught, by the -terrier dogs,—which I had never seen or heard of before; and I am still -in doubt whether some of them have not escaped being noticed as British -birds. - -These were the diversions of the winter months, which I enjoyed in an -extreme degree, amidst the storm and the tempest. In that season I was -also sometimes better employed in looking after a small flock of sheep -on the fell, a part of which was my own.[3] The extremity of the weather -had taught them to seek a place of shelter under a steep but low “brae,” -overhung with whins, under which, in such weather, I was almost certain -to find them and their associates all huddled together. To this place, -through wreaths of snow, I early bent my way, with a bundle of hay on my -back, and my pockets sometimes filled with oats, which I distributed -amongst them. Upon these occasions, though at other times extremely -wild, they were quite tame, and seemed to know me. - -Footnote 3: - - They were of the long-legged, black-faced kind, which were almost the - only sort at that time kept in this part of the country. The _improved - breed_, with their fatting qualities, were then not known. The mutton - of the former eats like dark, juicy venison, while that of the latter - puts one in mind of blubber. - -From my sheep thus drawing into shelter, gave rise to an opinion I -formed, and which has been confirmed by long reflection, that much may -yet be done to protect the larger flocks from being over-blown and lost -on the bleak moors, in great snow storms. Were long avenues made by -double rows of whin hedges, planted parallel to each other at about six -feet asunder, and continued in the form of two sides of a square, with -the whins of each side drawn together, and to grow interplatted at the -tops, so as to form an arched kind of roof, the sheep would, on -instinctively seeing the coming storm, immediately avail themselves of -such asylums, and particularly in the lambing season. In the corner of -the angle of this square, the shepherd might have his hovel, thatched -with heather and ling, and his beds for himself and his dogs, made of -the same materials; and the whole of this “bield” might be rendered so -snug as greatly to defy the severity of the winter’s drifting blasts and -wreaths of snow. - -At that time of life, every season had its charms; and I recollect well -of listening with delight, from the little window at my bed-head, to the -murmuring of the flooded burn which passed my father’s house, and -sometimes roused me from my bed, to see what it was like. After this, my -first and common employment was to “muck” the byer; and, when the -servant girl did not come soon enough, I frequently tried my hand at -milking the cows; and I was always particularly keen of being there in -snow storms. When this was the case, within the byer door, I snugly -watched the appearance of various birds, which passed the little dean -below, and which the severity of the weather drove from place to place, -in search of shelter. With the sight of my intimate acquaintances, the -robins, wrens, blackbirds, sparrows, a solitary crow, and some others, I -was not much attracted, but always felt an extreme pleasure and -curiosity in seeing the more rare visitants,—such as the woodcock, the -snipe, and other waders, with the red wings, fieldfares, &c.,—make their -appearance. - -The winter evenings were often spent in listening to the traditionary -tales and songs, relating to men who had been eminent for their prowess -and bravery in the border wars, and of others who had been esteemed for -better and milder qualities, such as their having been good landlords, -kind neighbours, and otherwise in every respect bold, independent, and -honest men. I used to be particularly affected with the warlike music, -and with the songs relative to the former description of characters; but -with the songs regarding the latter, a different kind of feeling was -drawn forth, and I was greatly distressed, and often gave vent to it in -tears. These songs and “laments” were commemorative of many worthies; -but the most particular ones that I now remember were those respecting -the Earl of Derwentwater, who was beheaded in the year 1715, and was -looked upon as having been a victim to the cruelty of the reigning -family, and who was venerated as a saint upon earth. It was said that -the light from Heaven attended his corpse to the vault at Dilston Hall, -and that prosperity would shine no more upon Tyneside. Then followed the -sorrowful remembrances of those that were dead and gone. To sigh over -them was unavailing; they had filled the space allotted to them on this -side of Time, and the winds had blown over their silent graves for ages -past. The predictions that the mansions of those that remained would -soon, for want of heirs, become desolate—these and such like melancholy -reflections made a deep impression on my mind; and I have often since, -with feelings of extreme regret, beheld these mansions, once the seats -of hospitality, dilapidated, and the families which once occupied them -extinct and forgotten. - -When the winter began somewhat to abate of its rigours, or in the early -spring, it was a common job for me, before setting off to school, to -rise betimes in the morning,—as indeed I was always accustomed to -do,—and equipt with an apron, an old dyking mitten, and a sharpened -broken sickle, to set off amongst the whin bushes, which were near at -hand, to cut off their last year’s sprouts. These were laid into a -corner till the evening, when I stript, and fell to work to “cree” them -with a wooden “mell,” in a stone trough, till the tops of the whins were -beaten to the consistency of soft, wet grass; and, with this mess, I fed -the horses before I went to bed, or in the morning as occasion might -require. They were shy about eating this kind of provender at first, and -I was obliged to mix oats with it; but they soon became so fond of it, -alone, that there was no need of any mixture. I know not whether a -scarcity of fodder first gave rise to the suggestion of using this -expedient, or it was tried as an experiment; but certain it is that this -kind of food agreed so well with the horses that they became soon very -sleek, and cast their winter coats of hair long before other horses that -were fed in the common way. Cows would not eat the whin tops thus -prepared, but, in a winter of scarcity, I have known all hands at work -in cutting ivy from the trees, and even small ash twigs, to be given to -the cattle as fodder. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER II. - - -FROM the little window at my bed-head, I noticed all the varying seasons -of the year; and, when the spring put in, I felt charmed with the music -of birds, which strained their little throats to proclaim it. The chief -business imposed upon me as a task, at this season, was my being set to -work to “scale” the pastures and meadows; that is, to spread the -mole-hills over the surface of the ground. This, with gardening, and -such like jobs, was very hungry work, and often made me think dinner was -long in coming; and, when at last it was sent to me, be it what it -might, I sat down on the “lown” side of a hedge and eat it with a relish -that needed no sauce. - -As soon as the bushes and trees began to put forth their buds, and make -the face of nature look gay—this was the signal for the angler to -prepare his fishing tackle. In doing this I was not behind hand. Fishing -rods, set gads, and night lines were all soon made fit for use, and with -them, late and early, I had a busy time of it, during the summer months, -until the frosts of autumn forbid me to proceed. The uneasiness which my -late evening wadings by the waterside gave to my father and mother, I -have often since reflected upon with regret. They could not go to bed -with the hopes of getting to sleep, while haunted with the apprehension -of my being drowned; and well do I remember to this day my father’s -well-known whistle, which called me home. He went to a little distance -from the house, where nothing obstructed the sound, and whistled so -loud, through his finger and thumb, that in the still hours of evening -it might be heard echoing up the vale of the Tyne, to a very great -distance. This whistle I learned to imitate, and answered it as well as -I could, and then posted home. - -From early in the morning till night, I was scarcely ever out of an -action either good or bad; or, when not kept close at school, or in -doing jobs such as those I have described, I was almost constantly -engaged in some mischievous prank or other; but with a detail of these -it would be wearisome to load my narrative: they were occasioned by the -overflowings of an active, wild disposition. At one time, in imitation -of the savages described in “Robinson Crusoe,”—or some other savages,—I -often, in a morning, set off _stark naked_ across the fell, where I was -joined by some associates, who, in like manner, ran about like mad -things, or like Bedlamites who had escaped. Climbing the tall trees at -Eltringham for rook nests, at the hazard of breaking our necks or our -bones, was another piece of business which employed our attention. I was -also engaged in another equally dangerous. Having formed the resolution -of curing a vicious, “runaway” horse belonging to my father, which no -one durst mount, I, however, took the opportunity, when out of sight of -any of the family, to do so. With my hand entwined in his mane, and -bare-backed, I set him a-going, and let him run over “sykes” and burns, -up hill and down hill, until he was quite spent. In a short time I -discovered that, to make him run at all, he must be whipt to it. At -other times I swam him in the river. This, and such like treatment, made -him look ill, and quite tamed him. - -I have often since shuddered at the thoughts of doing these and such -like desperate acts, and wondered how I escaped; but neither caution nor -fear had at that time taken a place in the mind; on the contrary, any -uncommon or frightful exploit had charms in it that I could not resist. -One of these pranks, however, attracted the attention of the -neighbourhood, brought me into a great dilemma, and occasioned me a -severe beating. I engaged a constant associate, who was ever ready at my -command to help me, as soon as I communicated any design to him. I had -discovered two oxen in a little savannah, or bit of grazing ground, -surrounded with hazel and other bushes, near the brink of the river. -Thither we went in order to enjoy so tempting a sight as to see them -plunge overhead into the flood. When all was ready, we suddenly, with -long branches in our hands, sprang upon them from the bushes overhanging -the precipice, the danger of which they did not see; and they were -plunged, with such a _delightful dash_, overhead into the river! They, -however, happened to be no worse for it; for they were driven down by -the rapid current of the flood, and landed safely at a distance below. -This exploit, happening on a Sunday forenoon, was an aggravation of the -crime. - -After this my father mostly took me with him to church, where I -frequently employed myself in drawing figures upon the soft, painted -book-board with a pin. In doing this, no one noticed me, especially as I -held down my head; and, having got the church service off, I repeated it -the same as the congregation. This apparently regular behaviour was not, -however, of long duration, and was broken in upon at last. Sunday after -Sunday a clownish fellow had obtruded himself into our pew. I did not -think this quite right, and wished to put an end to it; and this -happened in a very rude way in the end. A dumb man (“Dummy, of Wylam”), -a constant church-goer, had a seat in a pew before ours, where, -regularly during the service, he fell fast asleep. When in that state, -and sitting right before our obtruder, I reached aside, and gave “Dummy” -a smart blow on the head, and instantly, as if I knew nothing of the -matter, I seemed to be quite grave, and intent on looking on my prayer -book, while the obtruder was putting on a broad grin. At this poor Dummy -was enraged, and with a distorted countenance, he kept thumping the man -on the face and head, at the same time making a hideous noise, which was -heightened by the fellow’s shouting, and calling him “fool,” at the same -time assuring him that it was I who gave the blow, and not he. To the -deaf man this was a waste of words. It need not be added that the -congregation was greatly disturbed, while perhaps none knew or suspected -the cause except my father and my preceptor in the pulpit. - -Sometimes the lads in the same class I belonged to, when we had been -doing amiss, were sent to cut birch rods to whip us with. At other times -we were locked into the belfry, where we often amused ourselves by -drawing each other up by the bell ropes to the first floor; but one of -our comrades having (by the rope slipping through the hands of those who -held it), been precipitated to the ground, by which he was a good deal -hurt, that mode of punishment was altogether dropped. The parson, poor -man, had a troublesome time of it with one or other of us; and I -remember, once in particular, of putting him into very great pain and -distress of mind. After a great flood, a large piece of ice, about the -size of the floor of a room, had been left in a place called “Ned’s -Hole,” by the side of the river. This I got upon, and persuaded several -others to do the same, and we then set to work with a “boat stower” to -push it off shore; and, in this manner, we got some distance up the -river, opposite to the parsonage garden, where our master happened to -be, and saw us. I could see by his agitated motions, and his uplifted -hands, that he was put into a state much easier to be felt than -described. After having been guilty of misdemeanors of this kind, I did -not go back to school for the remainder of the day; but waded, or -otherwise crossed, the river, and sat down or amused myself among the -bushes, on the water banks, until the rest of the scholars left school, -when I joined them and went home. But as it would not have been safe for -me to go to bed (if conscious of guilt, or if otherwise betrayed) for -fear of a visit from my father, I always took up my abode for the night -in the byer loft, among the hay or straw, knowing well that, when his -passion subsided, I should escape a beating from his hands. - -The first cause of my preceptor beginning a severe system of flogging -(beside the quantum I received for mischievous acts), was for not -getting off my Latin tasks. When this was not done to his mind, he, by -way of punishment, gave me another still worse to do, and still longer, -till at length I gave up even attempting to get through them at all, and -began to stand a flogging without being much put about by it. I think -(at this day) my very worthy preceptor, in following this rather -indiscriminate system of severe punishments, was wrong. He often beat -his own son,[4] a youth of an uncommonly mild, kind, and cheerful -disposition, whom I felt more distressed at seeing punished than if it -had been myself; for I mostly considered that I richly deserved the -stripes inflicted upon me, and that he did not. - -Footnote 4: - - Christopher Greason, of Apothecaries Hall, London. He died 181—, and - was buried at Ovingham. - -There was a misdemeanor for which, above all the rest, I was more -severely punished, both at school and at home, than for any other fault; -and that was for fighting with other boys. To put a stop to this -practice, was the particular request of my mother. To her it was odious -in the extreme. Her reasons I do not forget. She quoted Scripture in -support of them. Therein, she said, we were directed “if we were struck -on one cheek, to turn the other also,” (I forget the exact words): it is -a portion of Scripture I did not obey. She also maintained that the -business of fighting was degrading to human nature, and put a man that -practised it on a level with dogs. I am conscious that I never sought a -quarrel with any one; but I found an insult very bad to bear, and -generally in the most secret manner contrived “to fight it out.” - -When the floggings inflicted upon me had in a great measure begun to -lose their effect, another mode of punishment was fallen upon; and that -was, after the school hours were over, to lock me into the church, where -I was kept till the dusk of the evening. This solitary confinement was -very irksome to me; as I had not at that time got over a belief in -ghosts and boggles, for the sight of which I was constantly upon the -look out. Oppressed with fear, I peeped here and there into every -corner, in dread of seeing some terrible spirit. In time, however, this -abated, and I amused myself, as well as I could, in surveying the -surrounding objects, and in climbing up the pillars, with the help of a -rope or a handkerchief, as I used to do in getting up large trees. It -happened one evening, when my master, as usual, came to let me out, that -I was sitting astride upon the capital of one of the pillars, where he -did not see me. He called on me, but I made no answer, and he then -posted off to see if the door was fast, and having ascertained that it -was, he marched along the aisles in great perturbation of mind, -frequently exclaiming “God bless me!” &c. When he was gone, I slipped -down, and found the choir door only bolted on the inside, so I waded the -river and posted home, and slept in my old asylum the hay loft. I have -frequently bitterly repented of having given a man I afterwards so -highly respected through life so much pain and trouble. - -I have before noticed that the first time I felt compassion for a dumb -animal, was upon my having caught a hare in my arms. The next occurrence -of the kind happened with a bird. I had no doubt knocked many down with -stones before, but they had escaped being taken. This time, however, the -little victim dropped from the tree, and I picked it up. It was alive, -and looked me piteously in the face; and, as I thought, could it have -spoken, it would have asked me why I had taken away its life. I felt -greatly hurt at what I had done, and did not quit it all the afternoon. -I turned it over and over, admiring its plumage, its feet, its bill, and -every part of it. It was a bullfinch. I did not then know its name, but -I was told it was a “little Matthew Martin.” This was the last bird I -killed; but many, indeed, have been killed since on my account. - -I had been at man-fights, dog-fights, and cock-fights, without feeling -much compassion. Indeed, with the last of these exhibitions, I was more -entertained at seeing the wry faces, contortions, and agitations of the -clowns who surrounded the cock-pit, or circle, than I was with the cocks -fighting. It was long before I felt disgusted at seeing men fight. This, -however, happened at last. A travelling merchant, or respectable -pedlar,—a slim-made, genteel-looking man,—had perhaps forgotten himself -over a glass, and not minded what company he was in. He could not, -however, be long in such society without being insulted; but, be that as -it might, a fight ensued, in which the stranger was over-matched. I saw -only the concluding part, and was extremely shocked; for the stranger -was sitting propped up with his arms behind him, quite spent and -speechless, and looked like a corpse. After sitting a short time in this -helpless state, his opponent walked coolly up to him, and with a blow on -the face or head laid him flat on the ground. I thought he was killed, -at which I became so frantic with rage and indignation, that I believe, -at the moment, if I had had a pistol at hand, I would have shot the -sturdy barbarian. - -In going along with my narrative, I have noticed some of the first -impressions which produced a change, and left a strong effect on my -mind. In some of these, the change was quick and decisive; in others of -a more tardy nature; and prejudices which were early rooted were not -easily removed. Among the worst, was that of a belief in ghosts, -boggles, apparitions, &c. These wrought powerfully upon the fears of the -great bulk of the people at that time, and, with many, these fears are -not rooted out even at this day. The stories so circumstantially told -respecting these phantoms and supernatural things, I listened to with -the dread they inspired, and it took many an effort, and I suffered -much, before it could be removed. What helped me greatly to conquer -fears of that kind was my knowing that my father constantly scouted such -idle, or, indeed, such pernicious tales. He would not allow me to plead -fear as any excuse, when he had to send me an errand at night; and, -perhaps, my being frequently alone in the dark might have the effect of -enabling me greatly to rise superior to such weakness. - -I have known men, both old and young, who dared to encounter almost any -danger, yet _were afraid of their own shadows_; and I remember well of -trying the experiment, one night, upon a servant man of my father’s, who -was a kind of village Cæsar, and feared not to stand the most desperate -battles with others of the same cast, upon any occasion. I began by -sneering at his courage, and then bet him a penny that I durst do what -he dared not. All I intended to do I set about rather deliberately, and -then rose to perform _my feat_, which was to walk along the dark passage -to the back door, and to repeat something (rather ominous, indeed) about -“Silky” and “Hedley Kow.” After performing my task, I returned with -apparent agitation and fear, and sat down in silence close beside him -for some time, and then asked him if he durst do the like. I, however, -saw, by his hesitation, that the performance by him was given up, and he -only remarked that “one may soon get what one’ll never cast.” - -At another time, in broad day light, I took it into my head to make -another trial of this kind upon my father’s pitmen. For this purpose I -detained our cur dog, until I buckled him up in a pair of old “sods,” -which covered him beyond both head and tail, and set him off to the pit, -knowing well that he would go straight there; for he was accustomed -every day to leave the pit lodge, and go home, where he waited until he -saw that dinner was ready, and then his reappearance at the pit was as -good as telling my father and his servants to come home. I durst not -have thus amused myself if I had not known that my father was out of the -way. I set off on the inside of the hedge, keeping pace with the dog all -the way up to the pit heap, near which I stopped, and peeped to see the -effect that would be produced; and this was really curious. One of the -men, seeing the odd appearance of something alive, with a long body, -without either legs, head, or tail, moving straight forward towards him, -knew not what to make of it; and, after rubbing his eyes, he ran off to -his companions, who, when they had taken a peep, all set off, with -speed, on their way home. - -In a business of a similar kind, which happened not long after, it was -my lot to be the sufferer. A few companions used to come at nights to -our house to play at cards with me, and I, in turn, visited them for the -same purpose. We were, however, taken to task by a bigotted old woman in -the neighbourhood, who called the cards the “devil’s books.” She told me -one night before setting off to play with my companions, as usual, that, -if I looked under the table, I would see the devil; and I recollect that -I several times peeped to see if he were indeed there. When we were done -playing, two of the gamesters, as was customary, set me across part of -the fell towards home. I was, however, much surprised at their suddenly -leaving me without saying good night, or making any reply to my shouting -after them, and they were soon out of sight. This was at a place called -the “Sand Holes,” which I then left, and was turning towards home, when, -behold! to my utter amazement, I saw the devil! It was a clear moonlight -night; I could not be mistaken—his horns—his great white, goggle eyes, -and teeth, and tail—his whole person stood fairly before me! As I gazed, -I thought the hair lifted the hat on my head. He stood, and I stood, for -some time; and, I believe, if he had then come up to me, I must have -dropped down. Certain it is, however, that desperation succeeded fear. I -moved aside, and he did the same. I involuntarily got my “jackleg -knife,” and, if he had then approached me, he to a certainty would have -been stabbed. I slipped off my clogs, made a start in a bending -direction, and at full speed ran home. He pursued me nearly to the door, -but I beat him in the race. I had always understood that any person who -had seen a ghost, or evil spirit, would faint on coming into a house -with a fire in it. I feared this, but I fainted none! and when my father -asked me what was the matter, I told him I had seen the devil. He, -perhaps without thinking, gave me a slap on the head. It was not long, -however, till the following affair transpired. The man who personated -the devil, when he met me, had been on his way to a “kirn supper,” and -was going “a guising.” When my father heard the whole transaction, he -wrought himself up into a great rage; and very shortly after, meeting -the man, in the street at Corbridge, who had frightened me, he instantly -paid him off by giving him a sound beating. When the people, who always -considered my father as a remarkably peaceable man, saw him thus -engaged, they expressed their surprise; but, as soon as they heard the -reason for what had been done, they were also exasperated, and, I was -given to understand, the man was obliged to leave the village. - -The first time I took notice of any of my female school-fellows arose -from a reproof I met with, and the manner it was given, from one of -them. The amiable person alluded to, was Miss Betty Gregson, my -preceptor’s daughter, and somewhere about my own age. She kept a messet -dog, and the sleek, fat, useless animal was much disliked by me as well -as by some of the other boys. When it made its appearance in the -churchyard, which it sometimes did, we set about frightening it; and, -for this purpose, some of us met it at every gate and outlet, and -stopped its retreat till it became quite distressed. The last time that -this kind of sport was practised on her little dog, I happened to be the -only actor. Having met with it at a little distance from its home, I had -stopped it from entering the house, and had pursued it about and about, -or met it at the end of every avenue, till it was put into great “bodily -fear!” This behaviour towards her little favourite, was very offensive -to Miss Gregson. She could endure it no longer, and she called me to -account for it. I can never forget her looks upon the occasion. She no -doubt intended to scold me, but the natural sweetness of her disposition -soon showed itself in its true colours. She did not know how to scold; -for, after some embarrassing attempts at it, and some hesitation, she -put me in mind of my being related to her, and of her uniform kindness -to me, and with irresistible arguments and persuasions made me see the -impropriety of my conduct. With me this left its mark; for from that -time forward I never plagued any of the girls at school, nor did any -thing that might give them offence; nor has this impression ever been -effaced from my mind, but has been there fostered through life and -settled into a fixed respect and tender regard for the whole sex. - -Hitherto my life at school and at home might be considered as a life of -warfare, and punishments of various kinds had been inflicted upon me -apparently with little effect. As a cure for my misdeeds, my worthy -master, however, at length found out a better and more effectual way. He -one day invited me to dine with him, and after showing me the greatest -kindness, he followed this up in a friendly, plain, and open way, by -remonstrating with me on the impropriety of my past conduct, the evil -tendency of it, and the pain and trouble it had given him; urging me, at -the same time, in such a persuasive tone, instantly to desist from it, -that I felt quite overpowered with his discourse, and fell into a flood -of tears. The result was, I never dared to encounter another of these -friendly meetings; and, while I remained at his school, he never again -had occasion to find fault with me. - -The transactions in which I afterwards became engaged, afforded me more -real enjoyment. As silent time stole away, in the varied seasons of the -long-measured years, changes gradually took place in many of the -erroneous notions I had formed of things. As the mind became more -expanded, curiosity led me to enquire into the nature of the objects -which attracted my attention. Among the first was that of birds, their -nests, their eggs, and their young. These to me were long a source of -great delight, and many a spring morning I watched and looked after -them. I also spent many a summer evening, on my way home from school, -lost in wonder in examining the works going forward among a nation of -ants. The place they occupied was on the top of the “Boat Hill,” near -Eltringham, and the colony was the largest I had ever seen. From it -their narrow roads, through the grass, radiated in various directions to -a great distance. These were like as many turnpike roads, and as busily -crowded as any among men, leading to or from a great fair. I have -sometimes with a stick overturned their accumulated gatherings, when it -was curious to observe the effect produced. The greatest bustle and -confusion ensued; and yet I have observed with surprise, that next -morning every thing was restored to the same order as before. I noticed -that they had other enemies that broke in upon them, and which perhaps -injured them more than I did; and these were the turkeys from the -village, where great numbers were bred every year. As soon as the young -brood were able to walk abroad, the mother led them every day to this -great ant hill, were they no doubt made terrible havoc among the -inhabitants and their works.[5] - -Footnote 5: - - The history and economy of these very interesting insects are, I - think, not well known. They appear to manage their affairs with as - much forethought and industry as mankind; but to what degree their - reasoning and instinctive powers extend is yet a mystery. After they - have spent a certain time toiling on earth, they get wings, and soar - aloft into the atmosphere. What change they undergo before they assume - this new character, or what becomes of them afterwards, seems - doubtful. - -Bees also attracted much of my attention. I could not see into the -interior of their works, but I made every inquiry of those who had long -kept them, and gathered, in this way, as good a knowledge of their -history and economy as I could. One of my morning jobs was to sit before -the hives, with a stick like a spatula, to kill the wasps as they -alighted to enter and rob them. I could see the bees enter, loaded with -what they had culled from every flower, but never could see them attack -or repel their enemies. - -I frequently amused myself in observing the murders of a large spider, -which had placed its web in a corner of the little window at my bed -head. Being wishful to see how it managed its affairs, I prevented the -servant girl from brushing the web away. Its proceedings did not excite -in me any favourable opinion. Having seen it seize every innocent fly -that set foot upon its snares, I had a mind to try how it would conduct -itself towards a more powerful opponent. For this purpose, I caught a -wasp, which I held by its wings upon the web until its feet got -entangled, when out came the hitherto unthwarted tyrant; and, after some -apparent hesitation, it at length was tempted to pounce upon the -obtruder. The struggle was, however, very short. I soon perceived the -wasp double itself up and dart its sting into the body of its enemy, -which instantly retired, and never afterwards returned. This is only one -experiment, but further trials of the kind might be made to come at -truth. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER III. - - -CHERRYBURN House, the place of my nativity, and which for many years my -eyes beheld with cherished delight, is situated on the south side of the -Tyne, in the county of Northumberland, a short distance from the river. -The house, stables, &c., stand on the west side of a little dean, at the -foot of which runs a burn.[6] The dean was embellished with a number of -cherry and plumb trees, which were terminated by a garden on the north. -Near the house, were two large ash trees growing from one root; and, at -a little distance, stood another of the same kind. At the south end of -the premises, was a spring well, overhung by a large hawthorn bush, -behind which was a holly hedge; and further away was a little boggy -dean, with underwood and trees of different kinds. Near the termination -of this dean, towards the river, were a good many remarkably tall ash -trees, and one of oak, supposed to be one of the tallest and straightest -in the kingdom. On the tops of these was a rookery, the sable -inhabitants of which, by their consultations and cawings, and the bustle -they made when building their nests, were among the first of the -feathered race to proclaim the approaching spring. The corn-fields and -pastures to the eastward were surrounded with very large oak and ash -trees. Indeed, at that time, the country between Wylam and Bywell was -beautified with a great deal of wood, which presented the appearance of -a continued forest; but these are long since stubbed up. Needy gentry -care little about the beauty of a country, and part of it is now, -comparatively, as bare as a mole-hill. - -Footnote 6: - - This, formerly, was supplied by a copious spring of fine water, which - having found its way into some pit workings and disappeared, the burn - is now only fed by day water from the fields. - -To the westward, adjoining the house, lay the common or fell, which -extended some few miles in length, and was of various breadths. It was -mostly fine, green sward or pasturage, broken or divided, indeed, with -clumps of “blossom’d whins,” foxglove, fern, and some junipers, and with -heather in profusion, sufficient to scent the whole air. Near the burns, -which guttered its sides, were to be seen the remains of old oaks, -hollowed out by Time, with alders, willows, and birch, which were often -to be met with in the same state; and these seemed to me to point out -the length of time that these domains had belonged to no one. On this -common,—the poor man’s heritage for ages past, where he kept a few -sheep, or a Kyloe cow, perhaps a flock of geese, and mostly a stock of -bee-hives,—it was with infinite pleasure that I long beheld the -beautiful wild scenery which was there exhibited, and it is with the -opposite feelings of regret that I now find all swept away.[7] Here and -there on this common were to be seen the cottage, or rather hovel, of -some labouring man, built at his own expense, and mostly with his own -hands; and to this he always added a garth and a garden, upon which -great pains and labour were bestowed to make both productive; and for -this purpose not a bit of manure was suffered to be wasted away on the -“lonnings” or public roads. These various concerns excited the attention -and industry of the hardy occupants, which enabled them to prosper, and -made them despise being ever numbered with the parish poor. These men, -whose children were neither pampered nor spoiled, might truly be called— - -Footnote 7: - - This fell, or common, containing about 1852 acres, was divided in - 1812. By this division, the poor man was rooted out, and the various - mechanics of the villages deprived of all benefit of it. The - neighbouring farmers who reared their young cattle, and kept as many - sheep upon it as they pleased, must now pay rent for the allotments - laid to their farms. The wisdom which dictated this change is - questionable, but the selfish greediness of it is quite apparent. - - “A bold peasantry, their country’s pride;” - -and to this day I think I see their broad shoulders and their hardy -sun-burnt looks, which altogether bespoke the vigour of their -constitutions. - -These cottagers (at least those of them I knew) were of an honest and -independent character, while at the same time they held the neighbouring -gentry in the greatest estimation and respect; and these, again, in -return, did not overlook them, but were interested in knowing that they -were happy and well. Most of these poor men, from their having little -intercourse with the world, were in all their actions and behaviour -truly original; and, except reading the Bible, local histories, and old -ballads, their knowledge was generally limited. And yet one of -these—“Will Bewick”—from being much struck with my performances, which -he called pictures, became exceedingly kind to me, and was the first -person from whom I gathered a sort of general knowledge of astronomy and -of the magnitude of the universe. He had, the year through, noticed the -appearances of the stars and the planets, and would discourse “largely” -on the subject. I think I see him yet, sitting on a mound, or seat, by -the hedge of his garden, regardless of the cold, and intent upon viewing -the heavenly bodies; pointing to them with his large hands, and eagerly -imparting his knowledge to me with a strong voice such as one now seldom -hears. I well remember being much struck with his appearance—his -stern-looking brows, high cheek bones, quick eye, and longish visage; -and at his resolution (upon another occasion) when he determined upon -risking his own life to save that of another man. The latter, in the -employ of my father, while at work as a pitman, had lost his way in the -coal workings, and was missing for perhaps a day or two, (my father -being from home), when our old neighbour, just described, who was also a -pitman and knew the workings, equipped himself with everything he -thought necessary for so hazardous an undertaking; and, when he was -about to go down the pit shaft, I felt much distressed at seeing my -mother trembling in great agitation of mind for his safety and that of -his lost associate. After traversing through the old workings of the -colliery for a long time,—so long, indeed, that it was feared he had -also lost himself,—he found the man alive, when, with his well-known -thundering voice, he called from the bottom of the shaft, “all’s well,” -to the inexpressible joy of all who crowded the pit’s mouth. - -Another of our fell-side neighbours, Anthony Liddell, was a man of a -very singular character, and was noticed as such by the whole -neighbourhood; but a full account of him would far exceed the bounds I -wish to set to my narrative. He might, indeed, be called the “village -Hampden.” The whole cast of his character was formed by the Bible, which -he had read with attention, through and through. Acts of Parliament -which appeared to him to clash with the laws laid down in it, as the -Word of God, he treated with contempt. He maintained that the fowls of -the air and the fish of the sea were free for all men; consequently, -game laws, or laws to protect the fisheries, had no weight with him. He -would not, indeed, take a salmon out of the locks on any account, but -what he could catch with his “click-hook,” in the river, he deemed his -own. As to what he could do in shooting game, he was so inexpert, that -he afforded to sportsmen many a hearty laugh at his awkwardness; for he -could shoot none till he fixed a hay-fork in the ground to rest his -piece upon. Indeed, the very birds themselves might, by a stretch of -imagination, be supposed also to laugh at him; but his deficiencies did -not deter him from traversing over the country-side as eagerly as other -sportsmen, notwithstanding his want of success. Whatever he did was -always done in open day; for, as he feared no man, he scorned to skulk -or to do anything by stealth. The gaol had no terrors for him, for he -lived better there than he did at home; and, on one occasion of his -being confined, when he returned home he expressed his surprise to his -neighbours, that all the time “he had not had a single hand’s turn to -do,” and exulted not a little that the opportunity had thus been given -him of again reading the Bible through. He was a great reader of -history, especially those parts where wars and battles were described; -and, in any meetings with his neighbours, he took the lead in discourses -founded on knowledge of that kind. After the Bible, “Josephus” was his -favourite author, next the “Holy Wars”—these and “Bishop Taylor’s -Sermons” composed his whole library; and his memory enabled him nearly -to repeat whatever he had read. His deportment and behaviour were -generally the reverse of anything like sauciness; but, except in ability -and acquirements,—which, indeed, commanded his respect,—he treated all -men as equals. When full-dressed, he wore a rusty black coat. In other -respects he was like no other person. In what king’s reign his hat had -been made was only to be guessed at, but the flipes of it were very -large. His wig was of the large curled kind, such as was worn about the -period of the revolution. His waistcoat, or doublet, was made of the -skin of some animal. His buckskin breeches were black and glossy with -long wear, and of the same antiquated fashion as the rest of his -apparel. Thus equipt, and with his fierce look, he made a curious figure -when taken before the justices of the peace; and this, together with his -always—when summoned before them—undauntedly pleading his own cause, -often afforded them so much amusement that it was difficult for them to -keep their gravity. - -Thomas Forster was a man of a different character from the last, but -singular enough in his way. He was distinguished for his frugality and -industry, and always showed a wish to be looked upon in a respectable -light. He used to call at our house on a Sunday afternoon, for the -purpose of having a bit of chat with my father and mother. He took a -liking to me, and would observe that, though I was mischievous enough, -yet he never could find that I was “parrentory,”—that is, impudent or -saucy with any one. Besides this part of the good opinion he had formed, -he must have had confidence as to my keeping any secrets he might impart -to me. He kept a few sheep on the fell; but his secret and main business -there was looking after his bees. He had a great number of hives placed -in very hidden and curious situations. Some of them were concealed under -the boundary hedge of the common, and were surrounded by a great extent -of whin bushes. Other hives were sheltered under the branches of old -thorns, and almost covered or overhung by brambles, woodbine, and hip -briars, which, when in blossom, looked beautifully picturesque, while at -the same time they served to keep the eye from viewing the treasures -thus concealed beneath. Others, again, were placed in the midst of a -“whin rush”—that is, a great extent of old whins, the stems of which -were about the thickness of a man’s arm. The entrance to these last was -always by a “smout hole,” or small opening, through which we crept on -hands and knees to the hives, and which, on leaving, was stopped up by a -bushy-topped whin. By way of taking off the attention of the -“over-inquisitive” as to his stock of honey, he kept hives in his garden -at home, and sold the produce of these to his neighbours; but the -greater part of his stock was sold at distant parts of the country. In -this way, and by his industry and good management, he became what was -accounted very rich; and, as prosperity excites envy, some people, in a -kind of derision (his mother being a midwife), called him “Tom Howdy.” - -I might swell the list of such like characters (among the unnoticed -poor) as those I have described, but it would perhaps be tedious, -although, I think it is to be regretted that they are not better known -to some of the unthinking _great_; as it might serve to take off the -hauteur, which is too often shown towards them. - -Another of these uncultivated, singular characters which exhibit human -nature left to the guidance of its uncontrolled will, but which, -sometimes, may be found—from the force of innate natural pride—to soar -above every meanness, was John Chapman. This man, though clothed in -rags, was noticed for his honour and integrity; and his word was -considered to be as good as one thousand pounds bond. He was one of my -father’s workmen,—either as a pitman, a labourer, or a sinker,—and was -of so strong a constitution that he thought it no hardship, on a cold, -frosty morning, to be let down to the bottom of a sinking pit, where he -was to be up to the middle, or perhaps to the breast, in water, which he -was to lave into buckets, to be drawn up to the top. He endured the -labour of every job he undertook without grumbling or thinking it hard. -His living was of the poorest kind. Bread, potatoes, and oatmeal, was -the only provender he kept by him; and with milk or water he finished -his repasts. When, by this mode of living, he had saved the overplus -money of his wages for a month or six weeks, he then posted off to -Newcastle to spend it in beer; and this he called “lowsening his skin.” -I was at this time located in Newcastle, and when the misguided man had -spent all his money, he commonly borrowed two shillings of me to set him -home again. In this irrational way of life he continued for many years. -On one occasion, when changing his beer house, and taking up his -quarters in another, he had made no stipulation with his new landlord as -to the place where he was to sleep at night; and, judging from his -ragged appearance, he was thought unfit to be trusted as an inmate -without inquiry being made into his character. I was, therefore, applied -to by the landlord, whom I satisfied by assuring him that, -notwithstanding the outward appearance of his singular-looking guest, he -might be trusted safely even with untold gold. I further told him that -the man who could sleep upon the fallen leaves in a wood wanted no bed -in his house better than a wooden seat, which would be as comfortable a -bed as he would wish for. Matters being now perfectly settled, he was -permitted, during his rambles, to make this house his home. He had been -but a short time in this asylum until he got a pretty numerous -acquaintance amongst the tradesmen who frequented the house, to whom his -singularity, his droll and witty stories, and his songs, afforded great -entertainment. Old age, however, overtook him at last, and he was then -obliged to seek parish relief. On this occasion, a neighbouring laird -persuaded him that his settlement was upon Eltringham, and prevailed on -him to swear to it. When he called upon the farmers there for his -pittance, and they convinced him that he had sworn to what was false, he -was much shocked, and never called upon them again for his pay. On being -asked why he had not done so, he said, “I would sooner have my hand cut -off, or be found dead on the highway through want, than claim or receive -money to which I am not justly entitled.” After this he wandered away -from Eltringham, and took up his abode in the glass house at Bill Quay, -where he did any little jobs in his power, and at the same time made -himself very agreeable and often very entertaining to the workmen, who -long remembered “Johnny Chapman.” From this place he set off on a visit -to a friend, at some distance, when he was rather unwell, and not very -able to undertake the journey, and was found dead on the road between -Morpeth and Newcastle. - -Before taking leave of these hardy inhabitants of the fells and wastes, -whose cottages were surrounded with whins and heather, I must observe -that they always appeared to me, notwithstanding their apparent poverty, -to enjoy health and happiness in a degree surpassing that of most other -men. Their daily fare was coarse bread, potatoes, oatmeal porridge, and -milk, only varied by their boiling the pot with animal food, cabbage, or -other succulent vegetables, and broth, on Sundays. When tired, at night, -with labour, having few cares to perplex them, they lay down and slept -soundly, and arose refreshed from their hard beds early in the morning. -I have always felt much pleasure in revisiting them, and, over a tankard -of ale, in listening to their discourse. It was chiefly upon local -biography, in which they sometimes traced the pedigree of their -neighbours a long way back. With the aged men I felt much amused. From -the avidity with which they gathered news, they seemed to live upon it. -Several of them met every day at the lodge,[8] or earth-built hovel, -close by my father’s pit, for the purpose of being gratified in this -way. The carts and wains came in all directions, and many of them from a -great distance, for coals, the drivers of which imparted to them all -they knew of what was going on in their several neighbourhoods. The -information thus obtained was then speedily given in detail at the -smith’s shop at Mickley, whence it was spread over the neighbouring -country. One of these old men, John Newton (the laird of the Neuk), -almost every morning, while I was young, met me and my schoolfellows at -or near the Haly Well (Holy Well) as we were going to Mickley School, -and he seldom passed me without clapping my head, accompanied with some -good wishes. Many years after this, while I lived at the Forth, -Newcastle, I met a little boy, one morning coming to school there, when -I clapped his head, and hoped he was a good boy. I had not long passed -him, till I was rather struck with the coincident recollection of his -grandfather’s grandfather (above named) so long before having passed me -in the same way. - -Footnote 8: - - This lodge having always a good fire kept on in it, with a bed of - straw on each side, bounded by the trunks of two old trees, to answer - the double purpose of bed-stocks and seats, often proved a comfortable - asylum to the benighted, weary, shivering traveller wandering on the - road. - -To these I must add another description of men scattered about the -neighbourhood, with whose histories and narratives I at that time felt -greatly interested. Their minute account of the battles they had been -engaged in, with the hardships they had endured, and their hairbreadth -escapes, told with so much enthusiasm and exultation, imparted the same -kind of feeling to me. This was long before I had reasoned myself into a -detestation of war, its cruelty, its horrors, and the superlative -wickedness of the authors of it. I had not pictured to my mind the -thousands and tens of thousands of men in their prime being pitted -against a like number of others towards whom they could have no -enmity—to murder each other!!—for what? It is foreign to my purpose to -enlarge upon this subject: I must leave that to others; and there is an -abundant scope to dilate upon, and to depicture, the horrors of war in -their true colours. The old soldiers, above alluded to, were mostly the -descendants of the Borderers, whose propensity for war might, perhaps, -be innate. I think, however, that the breed is thinned, from the numbers -that have been killed off in our wars. One of these—a near -relative—would describe how he had had his knapsack, as well as his coat -laps and the cocks of his hat, shot through and through, and yet had -escaped unhurt. Others of them would give similar descriptive accounts; -and, when a party of them met over their ale, it is not easy to -depicture the warmth with which they greeted each other, and prided -themselves on the battles they had won. One of these, during a walk, in -which I fell in with him, from Newcastle to Ovingham, described the -minute particulars of the battle of Minden; and how, in the absence of -Lord Sackville, they shook hands the whole length of the line, vowing to -stand by each other without flinching. This tall, stout man, John Cowie, -though old, appeared to be in all the vigour of youth. He lived at -Ovington. His associate, Ben Garlick, of Prudhoe, appeared as if his -constitution had been broken down. They had served in a corps called -Napier’s Grenadiers. Cowie appeared occasionally in his old military -coat, &c. After he died, this coat, which had been shot at at Minden and -elsewhere, was at last hung up on a stake on the corn rigs as a -scare-crow. - -The ferocious people from whom, as I have intimated, the above -individuals were probably descended, bore nearly the same names on both -sides of the Border; their character seemed to have been distinct from -both their English and Scottish neighbours; and war and rapine had long -been their almost constant employment. Many of these—the retainers of -the chieftains of old, whose feet were swift to shed blood—were called -by names descriptive of their characters and persons, and which were -mostly continued by their offspring. These consisted of a great variety -of names of cunning or ferocious birds and beasts, as well as some -others, the meaning of which is now unknown. There were among them the -Hawk, Glead, Falcon, Fox, Wolf, Bloodhound, Greyhound, Raven, Crow, -Gorfoot, Crowfoot, &c., &c. - -The farmers of the neighbourhood, at the early period which I have been -describing, always appeared to me to be not of so intelligent a cast as -the poor labouring men. Their minds being more exclusively occupied with -the management of their farms, they read but little. They were mostly of -a kind and hospitable disposition, and well-intentioned, plain, plodding -men, who went jogging on in their several occupations as their fathers -had done before them. - -The next advance in society were the Lairds, who lived upon their own -lands. I have always, through life, been of opinion that there is no -business of any kind that can be compared to that of a man who farms his -own land. It appears to me that every earthly pleasure, with health, is -within his reach. But numbers of these men were grossly ignorant, and in -exact proportion to that ignorance they were sure to be offensively -proud. This led them to attempt appearing above their station, which -hastened them on to their ruin; but, indeed, this disposition and this -kind of conduct invariably leads to such results. There were many of -these lairds on Tyneside; as well as many who held their lands on the -tenure of “suit and service,” and were nearly on the same level as the -lairds. Some of the latter lost their lands (not fairly I think) in a -way they could not help; many of the former, by their misdirected pride -and folly, were driven into towns, to slide away into nothingness, and -to sink into oblivion, while their “ha’ houses” (halls), that ought to -have remained in their families from generation to generation, have -mouldered away. I have always felt extremely grieved to see the ancient -mansions of many of the country gentlemen, from somewhat similar causes, -meet with a similar fate. The gentry should, in an especial manner, -prove by their conduct that they are guarded against showing any symptom -of foolish pride, at the same time that they soar above every meanness, -and that their conduct is guided by truth, integrity, and patriotism. If -they wish the people to partake with them in these good qualities, they -must set them the example, without which no real respect can ever be -paid to them. Gentlemen ought never to forget the respectable station -they hold in society, and that they are the natural guardians of public -morals, and may with propriety be considered as the head and the heart -of the country, while “a bold peasantry” are, in truth, the arms, the -sinews, and the strength of the same; but when these last are degraded, -they soon become dispirited and mean, and often dishonest and useless. - -I think the late Duke of Northumberland must have had an eye to raising -the character of the peasantry when he granted them small portions of -land at a reasonable rate. If so, in my way of judging, he was an honour -to the peerage, and set an example worthy of himself and worthy of -imitation. By going a step further, and planting healthy, strong, men -and women on these spots, his patriotism would have been crowned with -immortality; for I cannot help thinking that, if the same pains were -taken in breeding mankind that gentlemen have bestowed upon the breeding -of horses and dogs, human nature might, as it were, be new modelled, -hereditary diseases banished, and such a race might people the country -as we can form no conception of. Instead of a nation of mongrels, there -would in time appear a nation of “Admirable Chrichtons.” If the lands -commonly attached to townships had been continued as such, and let in -small portions to mechanics and labourers (as the late Duke did), -instead of dividing them by act of Parliament among those who already -had too much, the good effects to the community at large would have been -soon felt; and, in addition to this, if savings banks and benefit -societies were encouraged by every possible means, there would be little -occasion for poor laws except as a provision for helpless children, and -the lame and the blind. By such means as these, perhaps, this national -evil might be done away. All men ought to provide for the necessities of -old age, and be made sensible of the manly pleasure of being -independent. It is degrading, and in most cases disgraceful, to those -who look to parish assistance after a life spent in laziness and -mismanagement. - -I must not omit mentioning a circumstance that happened to Eltringham -while I was a boy. It was to have been called “Little Birmingham,” but -this was not accomplished. In 17—, a person of the name of Laidler, who -was said to have amassed a large fortune in London, came to the North, -and established the Iron Works at Busy Cottage, near Newcastle; and, on -his taking a view of Tyneside, he fixed upon Eltringham as a place at -which he could carry on works to a much greater extent. He set about -this business in great haste. All kinds of workmen were gathered -together for the purpose of speedily accomplishing what he had in view; -and, while some of them were busy in making the mills and machinery, -others were digging a mill-race of about a quarter of a mile in length. -But lo! when this was done,—not being permitted to encroach on the bed -of the river,—it was found they had not much more than a foot of -waterfall; and, as the sides of the mill-race were cut perpendicularly, -about two yards deep, through the dark fine soil, the first great flood -of the Tyne nearly levelled and filled it up. The people in and about -the place, including my father, who had got licenses to sell ale, &c., -were obliged to decline, and the sign of my father’s house,—the Seven -Stars,—which hung up between the two ash trees, was taken down. The -projector made our house his home while the works were going on, and the -men were paid their wages there. All was as suddenly sold off as it was -begun, and my father came to some loss after all the trouble and turmoil -he had been put to. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IV. - - -BEING now nearly fourteen years of age, and a stout boy, it was thought -time to set me off to business; and my father and mother had long been -planning and consulting, and were greatly at a loss what it would be -best to fix upon. Any place where I could see pictures, or where I -thought I could have an opportunity of drawing them, was such only as I -could think of. A Newcastle bookseller, whose windows were filled with -prints, had applied to Mr. Gregson for a boy; and, when I was asked if I -would like to go to him, I readily expressed my hearty consent; but, -upon my father making enquiry respecting him, he was given to understand -that he bore a very bad character: so that business was at an end. The -same year—1767—during the summer, William Beilby and his brother Ralph -took a ride to Bywell, to see their intimate acquaintance, Mrs. Simons, -who was my godmother, and the widow of the late vicar there. She gave -them a most flattering account of me; so much so, that they, along with -her and her daughter, set off that same afternoon to Cherryburn to visit -us, and to drink tea. When the Newcastle visitors had given an account -of their enamellings, drawings, and engravings, with which I felt much -pleased, I was asked which of them I should like to be bound to; and, -liking the look and deportment of Ralph the best, I gave the preference -to him. Matters bearing upon this business were slightly talked over, -and my grandmother having left me twenty pounds for an apprentice fee, -it was not long till a good understanding between parties took place, -and I soon afterwards went to R. Beilby upon trial. - -[Illustration: - - THOMAS BEWICK _NEWCASTLE_ - was Bound October the first 1767 -] - -The first of October was the day fixed upon for the binding. The -eventful day arrived at last, and a most grievous one it was to me. I -liked my master; I liked the business; but to part from the country, and -to leave all its beauties behind me, with which I had been all my life -charmed in an extreme degree,—and in a way I cannot describe,—I can only -say my heart was like to break; and, as we passed away, I inwardly bade -farewell to the whinny wilds, to Mickley bank, to the Stob-cross hill, -to the water banks, the woods, and to particular trees, and even to the -large hollow old elm,[9] which had lain perhaps for centuries past, on -the haugh near the ford we were about to pass, and which had sheltered -the salmon fishers, while at work there, from many a bitter blast. We -called upon my much-esteemed schoolfellow, Christopher Gregson, at -Ovingham, where he and his father were waiting to accompany us to -Newcastle—all on the same errand—(we were both bound on that day). While -we were condoling:—comforting each other—I know not what to call it—at -the parsonage gates, many of the old neighbours assembled at the -churchyard wall, to see us set off, and to express their good wishes; -and, amongst the rest, was a good, sensible old woman of the village, -named Betty Kell, who gave us her blessing, and each a penny for good -luck. This being done, our horses were mounted, and we commenced our -journey. The parties kept at a little distance from each other. I -suppose our late preceptor was lecturing his son, and my father was -equally busied in the same way with me. He had always set me the example -and taken every opportunity of showing how much he detested meanness, -and of drawing forth every particle of pride within me, for the purpose -of directing it in the right way. He continued a long while on subjects -of this kind, and on the importance and inestimable value of honour and -honesty; and he urgently pressed upon me to do my duty to my master, in -faithfully and obediently fulfilling all his commands, to be beforehand -in meeting his wishes, and, in particular, to be always upon my guard -against listening to the insinuations and the wicked advice of worthless -persons, who I would find ever ready to poison my ear against him. He -next turned his discourse on another topic—new to me from him—of great -importance—religion—and pressed this also upon me in a way I did not -forget. He begged I would never omit, morning and evening, addressing -myself to my Maker, and said that if I ceased to do so, then he believed -and feared every evil would follow. I was greatly surprised to hear him -dwell on this subject; for I think it was the first time. He used, -indeed, to go to church; but I do not recollect his ever commenting upon -the sermons he heard there, further than that, the good man’s discourse -from the pulpit seemed to him to be wasted upon the majority of his -congregation, and of his calling some of them “holy professors.” My -mother, who was of a religious turn, had, indeed, all her life -endeavoured to make me so too; but, as I did not clearly understand her -well-intended lectures, they made little impression. My father’s pithy -illustrations, as before hinted at, were much more forcibly and clearly -made out: I understood them well, and they operated powerfully upon -me.[10] I have often reflected since upon the very high importance, and -the necessity, of instilling this species of education into the minds of -youth; for, were pains taken to draw forth the pride naturally implanted -in their minds for the wisest and best purposes, if properly directed, -it would exalt human nature, and be of the utmost importance to -individuals and to society. It is the want of this education, and the -want of industry, that occasions and spreads misery over the land. How -can I doubt that, if my father had been a thief, I would have been one -also, or, if a highwayman or robber, as expert as himself. In my -opinion, there are two descriptions of persons who ought to forbear, or -be prevented, from marrying—viz., those of a base, wicked, and dishonest -character, and those who have broken down their constitutions and -debased both mind and body by dissipation. The latter entail misery upon -their innocent offspring: the children of the former, by the bad example -shown to them, become a curse to the community in which they live. - -Footnote 9: - - This old tree was swept away by the great flood of the 17th November, - 1771. - -Footnote 10: - - I recollect one instance where I felt the force of this species of - education. I might enumerate some others, but this left its mark upon - me. Having fallen in with, and joined, two untutored lads, in Prudhoe - “lonning,” they jumped over the hedge and filled their pockets with - potatoes. The farmer was watching, but they escaped. Not having - followed their example, I did not offer to fly, but he seized me, and - threatened what he would do. At this I was extremely distressed, and - had it not been that I consoled myself with the certainty that my - father and mother would believe me, on my asserting that I had not - stolen any of his potatoes, I believe I would have drowned myself. - -When we arrived at Newcastle, the documents were soon made ready to bind -my companion and myself. He was bound to Messrs. Doughty and Wiggins, -chemists and druggists; but Mr. Beilby (perhaps from his having heard -some unfavourable account of me) and my father not readily agreeing upon -the exact terms of my servitude, some fears were entertained that the -business between us might be broken off. On this occasion my preceptor -interfered very ardently, spoke warmly in my praise, and dwelt forcibly, -in particular (notwithstanding my wild, boyish behaviour at school), -upon my never being saucy or sulky, nor in the least indulging in -anything like revenge. In this business, Mr. Gregson was ably seconded -by his relation and my kind friend, Mr. Joseph Langstaff, of Newcastle, -who was also acquainted with my new master; and so the business of -binding was settled at last. - -My new master, who, I believe, had laid down plans for the regulation of -his own conduct, began with me upon a system of rigid discipline, from -which he never varied or relaxed, and it was not long before I gave -occasion to his putting it in force. Having walked out on a Sunday -afternoon to see the environs of the town, the first place that -attracted my attention was “King Jamie’s Well.” There I fell in with bad -company, consisting of three low blackguard ’prentice lads, from the -Close. Having no wish to have anything to say to them, I endeavoured to -shun their company; but they, seeing me in a strange and perhaps -somewhat clownish dress, followed and insulted me; and this they -persisted in till I could bear it no longer, when, turning upon one of -the sauciest of them, I presently levelled him, and was about serving -the second in the same way, when they all three fell upon me and showed -no mercy, so that, in the end, I went home to my master’s house with a -scratched face and black eyes. This was an abominable sight to the -family, which no excuse could palliate. After this, I was obliged to -attend my master to church twice a day, every Sunday, and, at night, to -read the Bible, or some other good book, to old Mrs. Beilby and her -daughter, or others of the family; and this continued during the time of -the term I boarded in the house with them. - -The father of Mr. Beilby followed the business of a goldsmith and -jeweller in Durham, where he was greatly respected. He had taken care to -give all his family a good education, His eldest son, Richard, had -served his apprenticeship to a die-sinker, or seal engraver, in -Birmingham. His second son, William, had learned enamelling and painting -in the same place. The former of these had taught my master -seal-cutting, and the latter taught his brother Thomas and sister Mary -enamelling and painting; and, in this way, this most respectable and -industrious family lived together and maintained themselves. But, prior -to this state of things, while the family were more dependant upon the -industry of their father, he had failed in business, left Durham, and -begun business in Gateshead, where he and his eldest son Richard died. - -I have been informed that the family had to struggle with great -difficulties about this period, and that, by way of helping to get -through them, their mother taught a school in Gateshead. But this state -of things could not have lasted long; for the industry, ingenuity, and -united energies of the family must soon have enabled them to soar above -every obstacle. My master had wrought as a jeweller with his father -before he went to his brother Richard to learn seal-cutting, which was -only for a very short time before his death. He had also assisted his -brother and sister in their constant employment of enamel painting upon -glass. At this time a circumstance happened which made an opening for my -future master to get forward in business unopposed by any one. An -engraver of the name of Jameson, who had the whole stroke of the -business in Newcastle, having been detected in committing a forgery upon -the old bank, he was tried for the crime. His life was saved by the -perjury of a Mrs. Grey; but Jameson left the town. - -For some time after I entered the business, I was employed in copying -“Copeland’s Ornaments;” and this was the only kind of drawing upon which -I ever had a lesson given to me from any one. I was never a pupil to any -drawing master, and had not even a lesson from William Beilby, or his -brother Thomas, who, along with their other profession, were also -drawing masters. In the later years of my apprenticeship, my master kept -me so fully employed that I never had any opportunity for such a -purpose, at which I felt much grieved and disappointed. The first jobs I -was put to do was blocking-out the wood about the lines on the diagrams -(which my master finished) for the “Ladies Diary,” on which he was -employed by Charles Hutton,[11] and etching sword blades for William and -Nicholas Oley, sword manufacturers, &c., at Shotley Bridge. It was not -long till the diagrams were wholly put into my hands to finish. After -these, I was kept closely employed upon a variety of other jobs; for -such was the industry of my master that he refused nothing, coarse or -fine. He undertook everything, which he did in the best way he could. He -fitted-up and tempered his own tools, and adapted them to every purpose, -and taught me to do the same. This readiness brought him in an overflow -of work, and the work-place was filled with the coarsest kind of steel -stamps, pipe moulds, bottle moulds, brass clock faces, door plates, -coffin plates, bookbinders letters and stamps, steel, silver, and gold -seals, mourning rings, &c. He also undertook the engraving of arms, -crests and cyphers, on silver, and every kind of job from the -silversmiths; also engraving bills of exchange, bank notes, invoices, -account heads, and cards. These last he executed as well as did most of -the engravers of the time; but what he excelled in was ornamental silver -engraving. In this, as far as I am able to judge, he was one of the best -in the kingdom; and, I think, upon the whole, he might be called an -ingenious, self-taught artist. The higher department of engraving, such -as landscape or historical plates, I dare say, was hardly ever thought -of by my master; at least not till I was nearly out of my -apprenticeship, when he took it into his head to leave me in charge of -the business at home, and to go to London for the purpose of taking -lessons in etching and engraving large copper plates. There was, -however, little or no employment in this way in Newcastle, and he had no -opportunity of becoming clever at it; so he kept labouring on with such -work as before named, in which I aided him with all my might. I think he -was the best master in the world for teaching boys, for he obliged them -to put their hands to every variety of work. Every job, coarse or fine, -either in cutting or engraving, I did as well as I could, cheerfully; -but the business of polishing copper plates, and hardening and polishing -steel seals, was always irksome to me. I had wrought at such as this a -long time, and at the coarser kind of engraving (such as I have noticed -before), till my hands had become as hard and enlarged as those of a -blacksmith. I, however, in due time, had a greater share of better and -nicer work given me to execute; such as the outside and inside mottos on -rings, and sometimes arms and crests on silver, and seals of various -kinds, for which I made all the new steel punches and letters. We had a -great deal of seal-cutting, in which my master was accounted clever, and -in this I did my utmost to surpass him. - -Footnote 11: - - Afterwards the great Dr. Hutton. He died 27th January, 1823, in the - 86th year of his age. - -While we were going on in this way, we were occasionally applied to by -printers to execute wood cuts for them. In this branch my master was -very defective. What he did was wretched. He did not like such jobs; on -which account they were given to me; and the opportunity this afforded -of drawing the designs on the wood was highly gratifying to me. It -happened that one of these,—a cut of the “George and Dragon” for a bar -bill,—attracted so much notice, and had so many praises bestowed upon -it, that this kind of work greatly increased, and orders were received -for cuts for children’s books; chiefly for Thomas Saint, printer, -Newcastle, and successor of John White, who had rendered himself famous -for his numerous publications of histories and old ballads. With the -singing of the latter, the streets of Newcastle were long greatly -enlivened; and, on market days, visitors, as well as the town’s people, -were often highly gratified with it. What a cheerful, lively time this -appeared to me and many others! This state of things, however, changed -when public matters cast a surly gloom over the character of the whole -country; and these singing days, instead of being regulated by the -magistrates, were, in their wisdom, totally put an end to. - -My time now became greatly taken up with designing and cutting a set of -wood blocks for the “Story-teller,” “Gay’s Fables,” and “Select Fables,” -together with cuts of a similar kind, for printers. Some of the Fable -cuts were thought so well of by my master that he, in my name, sent -impressions of a few of them to be laid before the Society for the -Encouragement of Arts, &c., and I obtained a premium. This I received -shortly after I was out of my apprenticeship, and it was left to my -choice whether I would have it in a gold medal, or money, (seven -guineas). I preferred the latter; and I never in my life felt greater -pleasure than in presenting it to my mother. On this occasion, amongst -the several congratulations of kind neighbours, those of Mr. Gregson, my -old master, stood pre-eminent. He flew from Ovingham, where the news -first arrived, over to Eltringham, to congratulate my father and mother; -and the feelings and overflowings of his heart can be better imagined -than described. - -[Illustration] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER V. - - -DURING the time I was an inmate in my master’s house, along with his -mother, brothers, and sister, I attended his brother’s horse, and made -myself as useful to the family as I could. At that time I had no -acquaintances,—at least none to be very intimate with. I needed none. I -wandered in the fields, and on the Town Moor, alone, and amused myself -with my own thoughts. When the time arrived that I was to cater for -myself upon four shillings and sixpence per week, I went to lodge with -my aunt Blackett, who, being the widow of a freeman,[12] kept a cow upon -the Town Moor, and I was abundantly supplied with milk, which was the -chief thing I lived upon. - -Footnote 12: - - Thomas Blackett, silversmith. He was one of my godfathers, and had - been foreman to the late John Langlands, by whom he was much noticed - as a man of a most intrepid spirit. He was remarkable for his honour, - honesty, and punctuality. - -At Mrs. Blackett’s I became acquainted with Gilbert Gray, bookbinder; -and this singular and worthy man was perhaps the most invaluable -acquaintance and friend I ever met with. His moral lectures and advice -to me formed a most important succedaneum to those imparted by my -parents. His wise remarks, his detestation of vice, his industry, and -his temperance, crowned with a most lively and cheerful disposition, -altogether made him appear to me as one of the best of characters. In -his workshop I often spent my winter evenings. This was also the case -with a number of young men, who might be considered as his pupils; many -of whom, I have no doubt, he directed into the paths of truth and -integrity, and who revered his memory through life. He rose early to -work, lay down when he felt weary, and rose again when refreshed. His -diet was of the simplest kind; and he eat when hungry, and drank when -dry, without paying regard to meal times. By steadily pursuing this mode -of life, he was enabled to accumulate sums of money—from ten to thirty -pounds. This enabled him to get books, of an entertaining and moral -tendency, printed and circulated at a cheap rate. His great object was, -by every possible means, to promote honourable feelings in the minds of -youth, and to prepare them for becoming good members of society. I have -often discovered that he did not overlook ingenious mechanics, whose -misfortunes—perhaps mismanagement—had led them to a lodging in Newgate. -To these he directed his compassionate eye, and for the deserving (in -his estimation), he paid their debt, and set them at liberty. He felt -hurt at seeing the hands of an ingenious man tied up in prison, where -they were of no use either to himself or to the community. This worthy -man had been educated for a priest; but he would say to me, “of a -‘trouth,’ Thomas, I did not like their ways.” So he gave up the thoughts -of being a priest, and bent his way from Aberdeen to Edinburgh, where he -engaged himself to Allan Ramsay, the poet, then a bookseller at the -latter place, in whose service he was both shopman and bookbinder. From -Edinburgh he came to Newcastle. Gilbert had had a liberal education -bestowed upon him. He had read a great deal, and had reflected upon what -he had read. This, with his retentive memory, enabled him to be a -pleasant and communicative companion. I lived in habits of intimacy with -him to the end of his life; and, when he died, I, with others of his -friends, attended his remains to the grave at the Ballast Hills.[13] - -Footnote 13: - - He died on the 12th February, 1794, in the 86th year of his age. - -How long I remained with my aunt, I have now forgotten. After I left her -house, I went to lodge with a person named Hatfield, whose wife was an -excellent cook and market woman, and who had long lived in the family of -“Willy Scott,” the father of the present Lord Chancellor of England. My -landlord afterwards got into a very unfortunate way of doing business. -Being a flax dresser, his brethren prevailed upon him and his wife to -permit the tramps—or scamps—in that line to take up their lodgings with -them. Here I was introduced, or at least had an opportunity of becoming -acquainted with them, and a pretty set they were. Their conduct was -wicked in the extreme. The proper effect, however, was produced upon me; -for I looked upon their behaviour with the utmost disgust. After my -landlord had for some time been cheated and defrauded by this set, he at -length got done with them, and boarded and lodged others of a better -cast of character. - -Long before the death of my friend Gilbert, I had ceased to have the -privilege of reading his books, and what I could save out of my wages -only afforded me a scanty supply. I had, however, an opportunity, per -favour of my master’s servant, (who admitted me early in the morning -into his parlour), of reading through, with great attention, the then -new publication of “Smollett’s History of England;” and, for a long time -afterwards, I clearly remembered everything of note which it contained. -With some of the characters therein depicted, I was greatly pleased, but -with others I was shocked and disgusted. They appeared to me like fiends -obtruded upon the community, as a curse and a scourge; and yet how -surprising it is that some of these can be spoken of, by authors, with -complacency. Another source from whence to obtain a supply of books -presently fell in my way, through the kindness of William Gray, the son -of Gilbert. He was a bookbinder of some repute, and this led him into -employment of a superior cast to that of his father, and his workshop -was often filled with works of the best authors. To these, while -binding, I had ready access; for which purpose I rose early in the -morning; and to him my well-known whistle in the street was the signal -for his quickly preparing to get to his work, and I remained with him -till my work hour came. - -I feel it as a misfortune, that a bias, somehow or other, took place in -my mind at this time, which led me deeply into the chaos of what is -called religious works; and, for the purpose of getting into a thorough -knowledge of all matters of this important kind, I spent much time, and -took great pains, to obtain information; but, instead of this, I got -myself into a labyrinth—bewildered with dogmas, creeds, and opinions, -mostly the fanatical reveries, or the bigoted inventions, of interested -or designing men, that seemed to me to be without end; and, after all my -pains, I left off in a more unsettled state of mind than when I began. I -may be mistaken; but I think, many a well-meaning man has spun out his -life, and spent his time, on subjects of this kind in vain. Waggon loads -of sermons have been published—some of them, perhaps, good—in order to -prove matters (in my opinion) of no importance either to religion or -morality. If it be true that every thing in perfection is simple, so it -must be with religion. There may be many moral and religious duties for -man to fulfil in his passage through life; but the rules for doing so -are so plain and easily understood that common sense only is necessary -for all that is required of us in the performance of them. The beauty -and simplicity of the doctrines laid down by the inspired and benevolent -Author of the Christian Religion, however they may have been distorted -and disfigured, are yet in themselves perfect. They may, indeed, be -compared to a mathematical point—a point of perfection for all men to -aim at, but to which none can fully attain. The inspired writings of the -prophets of old are also full of simplicity, as well as of indescribable -beauty, and may be read and considered with ever-increasing delight. -Poets and moralists, of more modern times, have also laboured most -clearly to point out the paths which lead to religion, to virtue, and to -happiness. As far as I am able to judge, all we can do is to commune -with and reverence and adore the Creator, and to yield with humility and -resignation to His will. With the most serious intention of forming a -right judgment, all the conclusion I can come to is, that there is only -one God and one religion; and I know of no better way of what is called -serving God than that of being good to his creatures, and of fulfilling -the moral duties, as that of being good sons, brothers, husbands, -fathers, and members of society. - -At this time, I had few that I could call intimate acquaintances. My -almost only ones were books, over which I spent my time, mornings and -evenings, late and early. This too intense application to books, -together with my sedentary employment, and being placed at a very low -work bench, took away my healthy appearance, and I put on a more -delicate look, and became poorly in health. When my master saw this, he -sent for medical aid, and Nathaniel Bailes,[14] surgeon, was consulted. -But, before he uttered a word as to my ailment, he took me to his own -house, and there he stripped and examined me, and, looking me in the -face, told me “I was as strong as a horse.” He then made up some -medicine to cause expectoration. This was all soon done, but not so the -lecture he gave my master, whom he addressed in terms which I thought -both long and rude. “What!” said he, “have you no more sense than to set -a growing, country lad to work, doubled up at a low bench, which will -inevitably destroy him?” and, in his passion, he cursed Mr. Beilby for -his ignorance or something worse. From this time the Doctor took a -liking to me, and often criticised my work. He also took great pains to -direct me how to live and to manage myself, under so sedentary an -employment; and an intimacy commenced between us which lasted as long as -he lived. He urged upon me the necessity of temperance and exercise. I -then began to act upon his advice, and to live as he directed, both as -to diet and exercise. I had read “Lewis Cornaro,” and other books, which -treated of temperance; and I greatly valued the advice given in the -“Spectator,” which strongly recommended all people to have their days of -abstinence. Through life I have experienced the uncommon benefit derived -from occasionally pursuing this plan, which always keeps the stomach in -proper tone. I regularly pursued my walks, and, whilst thus exercising, -my mind was commonly engaged in devising plans for my conduct in life. - -Footnote 14: - - He was commonly called Dr. Bailes. He was a Newcastle worthy, and was - accounted a man of great skill in his profession, as well as eminent - for his learning and other attainments. He was ingenious and - enterprising, a tolerably good engraver, and a good mechanic. He was - called the “Eloquent Sword-bearer.” He headed the committee of the - Burgesses, in 17—, who tried and beat the magistrates of Newcastle - respecting their exclusive claim to the Town Moor; and he was active - in everything relative to the good of the town. He invented a harpoon - for killing whales, for which he got a patent. It was of a triangular - shape, or like three razors, back to back, and brought to a sharp - point, and it was strongly barbed at its termination, towards the - socket. By its use, lines and cords were saved. The price was three - guineas, which, being deemed too high, was probably the cause of a - confederacy of harpoon makers, sea-captains, and others (who knew not - how to appreciate its value) to set their faces against using it. The - Doctor, who did not like to be kept debating with ignorance and - prejudice, and was not actuated by pecuniary motives, suffered the - business to go to neglect. He died 16th July, 1791, aged 74, and was - buried in St. Nicholas’ Church, Newcastle. - -For a long time, both in summer and winter, I went to Elswick three -times a day, at the expense of a penny each time for bread and milk. I -had an hour allowed me for dinner; and, as to my mornings and evenings, -I could take a much longer time. A very small matter of animal food, -when I missed going to Elswick, was amply sufficient for me; for I think -my constitution did not require to be stimulated. By persevering in this -system of temperance and exercise, I was astonished to find how much I -improved in health, strength, and agility. I thought nothing of leaving -Newcastle after I had done work—7 o’clock—on a winter’s night, and of -setting off to walk to Cherryburn. In this I was stimulated by an ardent -desire to visit my parents as often as possible; and the desire -continued to act upon me as long as they lived. - -In my solitary walks (as before noticed), the first resolution made was -that of living within my income; and another of similar import, was that -of never getting anything upon trust; but, indeed, my limited income, at -this time, led me carefully to observe these rules, and I have never -since forgotten them. The train of reflections they brought along with -them has also dwelt upon my mind. I could not help observing the -inevitable ill consequences which a contrary course (at first entered -upon, perhaps, unthinkingly) led thousands into, and the misery it -entailed. The more I have thought upon this subject, the more clearly I -have seen its importance. Getting into debt is followed by leading -people to live beyond their incomes; and this makes all who do so, soon -become demoralised and dishonest; and, when the mind has been thus -blunted and degraded, anxiety and trouble must be its attendants, till -vice and misery close the scene. - -Amongst the acquaintances I made at the workshops of Gilbert and William -Grey, was William Bulmer, afterwards rendered famous as the proprietor -of the Shakespeare Printing Office, in Cleveland Row, London, who was -the first that set the example, and soon led the way, to fine printing -in England. He used, while he was an apprentice, to prove the cuts I had -executed. In this he was countenanced by his master, John Thompson, who -was himself extremely curious and eager to see wood engraving succeed; -for at that time the printing of wood cuts was very imperfectly known. - -About this time I commenced a most intimate acquaintance and friendship -with Robert Pollard, afterwards an engraver and printseller of eminence -in London. He was bound apprentice to John Kirkup, a silversmith in -Newcastle; and, from his being frequently sent to our workshop with -crests, cyphers, &c., to engrave, he took a great liking to engraving, -and was indefatigable in his endeavours to become master of it. In -furtherance of this, we spent many of our evenings together at his -father’s house, which to me was a kind of home. On his master declining -business, my young friend was engaged for a term of years to learn -engraving with Isaac Taylor, of Holborn, London. - -In my frequent visits to the workshops of Gilbert Grey, and to that of -his son William, I first fell in with Thomas Spence.[15] He was one of -the warmest philanthropists in the world. The happiness of mankind -seemed with him to absorb every other consideration. He was of a -cheerful disposition, warm in his attachment to his friends, and in his -patriotism to his country; but he was violent against people whom he -considered of an opposite character. With such he kept no bounds. For -the purpose chiefly of making converts to his opinion “that property in -land is everyone’s right,” he got a number of young men gathered -together, and formed into a debating society, which was held in the -evenings in his school-room, in the Broad Garth, Newcastle. One night -when his favourite question was to be debated, he reckoned upon me as -one of his “backers.” In this, however, he was mistaken; for, -notwithstanding my tacitly assenting in a certain degree to his -plan,—viz., as to the probability of its succeeding in some uninhabited -country or island,—I could not at all agree with him in thinking it -right to upset the present state of society, by taking from people what -is their own, and then launching out upon his speculations. I considered -that property ought to be held sacred, and, besides, that the honestly -obtaining of it was the great stimulant to industry, which kept all -things in order, and society in full health and vigour. The question -having been given against him without my having said a word in its -defence, he became swollen with indignation, which, after the company -was gone, he vented upon me. To reason with him was useless. He began by -calling me—from my silence—“a Sir Walter Blackett;”[16] adding, “If I -had been as stout as you are, I would have thrashed you, but there is -another way in which I can do the business, and have at you.” He then -produced a pair of cudgels, and to work we fell. He did not know that I -was a proficient in cudgel playing, and I soon found that he was very -defective. After I had blackened the insides of his thighs and arms, he -became quite outrageous and acted very unfairly, which obliged me to -give him a severe beating. - -Footnote 15: - - Afterwards famous in London as at the head of the “Spenceans.” He was - sent to Dorchester gaol for (I believe) some of his publications, - promulgating his doctrines. He taught a school at the Broad Garth, - Newcastle; afterwards writing and arithmetic in the great school at - Haydon Bridge; and, lastly, he was master of St. Ann’s public school, - Sandgate, Newcastle. At one time he was a member of a most respectable - Literary and Philosophical society in Newcastle, one of the rules of - which required that each member should read in turn a written lecture - on any subject he pleased. Spence’s was, of course, on that of - “Property in land,” &c. These lectures were, by the rules of the - society, prohibited from publication; but Spence broke the rule and - was expelled in consequence. - -Footnote 16: - - Sir Walter Blackett, bart., was five times mayor of Newcastle, and - represented the borough in seven Parliaments; having been fifty years - a member. He died February 8th, 1777, aged 68. As an orator he made no - figure in the House, and having changed his politics in his later - years, he became rather unpopular. His public and private charities - were on a munificent scale; for which, indeed, he was greatly - distinguished. - -I cut the steel punches for Spence’s types, and my master struck them on -the matrices for casting his newly-invented letters of the alphabet, for -his “Spelling and Pronouncing Dictionary.” He published, in London, many -curious books in his peculiar way of spelling. Most of them, I believe, -on his favourite subject of property in land being everyone’s right. -However mistaken he might be in his notions on this subject, I am -clearly of opinion that his intentions were both sincere and honest. - -The next most eccentric individual, and at the same time one of the most -worthy characters, I early became acquainted with was George Gray, son -of Gilbert, and half-brother of William Gray. He was bound apprentice to -a man of the name of Jones, a fruit painter. The latter, who, I believe, -was accounted eminent in his profession, lived beyond his income, and -departed from Newcastle. George being thus left to himself, commenced in -the same way of business, and became eminent as a fruit painter; but, -from his versatility of disposition, he dipped into almost every art and -science, and excelled in many pursuits. He was accounted one of the best -botanists and chemists in this part of the country. He was also a -geologist, and was fixed upon as a leader or director to a party -employed by Prince Poniatowsky, to take a survey of the various strata -of Poland; but George, being slovenly in his dress and negligent in his -person, felt himself slighted, and left those who put on a more -respectable appearance to profit by his superior knowledge, and to do -the best they could, and he returned home. Whether it was before or -after this time I have forgotten, but he visited North America, and -travelled in quest of knowledge pretty far into the interior of that -country. On his return he resumed his old employment, in a room never -cleaned or swept, and surrounded with models, crucibles, gallipots, -brushes, paints, palettes, bottles, jars, retorts, and distills, in such -a chaos of confusion as no words can describe. From this _sanctum -sanctorum_, he corresponded with gentlemen of science in London and -other parts. Few men were better liked by private friends—as well for -his knowledge as for his honesty, and the genuine simplicity of his -manners.[17] - -In addition to the various jobs already noticed as keeping my master and -myself fully employed, I had others which fell exclusively to my lot to -execute; and, amongst these were the mathematical works of Charles -Hutton, who frequently came into the room in which I worked, to inspect -what I was doing. He was always very civil, but seemed to me to be of a -grave or shy deportment. He lived in habits of intimacy with my master, -and used to write designs for him to engrave from, particularly for the -heads of invoices or bills of parcels; and I remember that he wrote them -with an ink, or preparation, which was easily transferred to the copper. -This was before his appointment in the royal military academy of -Woolwich, in 1773, and long before he had the well-merited title of -L.L.D. added to his respected name. Dr. Hutton was that kind of man, who -never forget old friends; and, some years after, when I was in -partnership with my old master, he recommended us to the notice of Dr. -Horsley,[18] who was commencing his publication of Sir Isaac Newton’s -works, the execution of the whole of the cuts for which devolved upon -me. This transaction took place in 1778. - -Footnote 17: - - He died on the 9th December, 1819, aged 61 years, and was buried in - St. John’s Church-yard, Newcastle. - -Footnote 18: - - Afterwards Bishop of St. Asaph. - -I continued to take up my abode with Hatfield, and, the spirits being -bouyant, everything pleased me. I cannot help noticing the happy time I -spent there. I was also entertained with the curious characters who -resorted to his house. These were mostly bird-catchers and bird-dealers, -to whose narratives respecting their pursuits I listened with interest. -My landlord was almost constantly busied in rearing a numerous brood of -canaries, which he sold to a bird merchant, who travelled with them to -Edinburgh, Glasgow, &c., for sale. - -I also, at various periods of the time I remained under Hatfield’s roof, -got into a knowledge of the misguided ways which too many young fellows -pursued; and I watched, and saw the wretched consequences of the kind of -life they led. I felt grieved for them, and did all in my power to -dissuade them from pursuing such a course of life. For this advice they -laughed at me, and called me “the old man.” It was not very long, -however, till two of them sent for me to come and see them on their -death beds. The die was cast, and I cannot forget their thanks to me, -and the bitterness with which they reproached themselves for not -listening to what I had so sincerely recommended. Such conduct as I have -been alluding to appears to me to be of the very blackest die. It is -amongst the most shocking of murders. It is to be regretted that the -seducer and the seduced cannot be obliged to live together for life, -and, while they live, be allowed to herd only with such as themselves; -for they ought to be banished from the society of the modest and -virtuous part of the community. I think it a great omission in parents -and teachers not to make unguarded youth fully apprized of the risks -they run in towns of getting acquainted with the lost and polluted women -of this stamp. Nothing can be so sure a guard against this vice as that -of making young men see it in its true light—to be disgusted at it. -Magistrates, no doubt, have it in their power, in some degree, to lessen -this great evil, by preventing abandoned women from appearing in the -streets of a town; but I have often felt for magistrates on account of -the great and gratuitous trouble they take, and the difficulties they -must have to encounter, in their endeavours to keep the wicked within -due bounds. - -My last fellow-lodgers, before I was out of my apprenticeship, were John -Hymers, who had been a sergeant in the Life Guards, and had retired upon -his pension, and Whittaker Shadforth, a watchmaker, and also a musician. -The latter was of a quite different character from those before noticed, -but was wild, enthusiastic, and romantic. Among the many whims and -fancies we indulged in, one of them was to learn the manual exercise. -The sergeant, who had often laughed at our follies, very readily agreed -to undertake this task, provided we would strictly obey the rules he -prescribed to us. This we agreed to. He began with a kind of lecture on -the necessity of soldiers being obedient to their officers, and standing -like a brick wall without flinching; adding that he would not use his -cane upon our backs, but only to put us in mind to be very attentive. -This being settled, we were in the mornings to appear before him in -“bare buff,” that is, without our shirts and upper-clothing. This -discipline was pursued steadily for some time, notwithstanding the -switches he gave us on our bare backs with his rod or cane, which we -bore with the utmost _sang froid_. I think the sergeant, notwithstanding -the entertainment we thus afforded him, began to tire first; for he at -last lay in bed while he was giving us our lessons, and at length gave -the business up. - -From the length of time I had known and noticed Miss Beilby, I had -formed a strong attachment to her, but could not make this known to her -or to any one else. I could have married her before I was done with my -apprenticeship without any fears on my part, but I felt for her, and -pined and fretted at so many bars being in the way of our union. One of -the greatest was the supposed contempt in which I was held by the rest -of the family, who, I thought, treated me with great hauteur, though I -had done everything in my power to oblige them. I had, like a stable -boy, waited upon their horse; and had cheerfully done everything they -wanted at my hands till one of the brothers grossly affronted me in the -business of the stable. This I instantly resented, and refused -attendance there any more. Before I was out of my time, Miss Beilby had -a paralytic stroke, which very greatly altered her look, and rendered -her for some time unhappy. Long after this she went with her eldest -brother into Fifeshire, where she died. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VI. - - -THE first of October, 1774, arrived at last; and, for the first time in -my life, I felt myself at liberty. I worked a few weeks with my old -master, and then set off to spend the winter at Cherryburn. There I had -plenty of work to do, chiefly from Thomas Angus, printer, Newcastle. I -continued there, employed by him and others, till the summer of 1776. -This was a time of great enjoyment, for the charms of the country were -highly relished by me, and after so long an almost absence from it, gave -even that relish a zest which I have not words to describe. I continued -to execute wood cuts and other jobs, but often rambled about among my -old neighbours, and became more and more attached to them, as well as to -the country. - -In the storms of winter, I joined the Nimrods as of old. In spring and -summer, my favourite sport of angling was pretty closely followed up. -About Christmas, as I had done before when a boy, I went with my father -to a distance to collect the money due to him for coals. In these -rounds, I had the opportunity of witnessing the kindness and hospitality -of the people. The countenances of all, both high and low, beamed with -cheerfulness; and this was heightened everywhere by the music of old -tunes, from the well-known, exhilarating, wild notes of the -Northumberland pipes, amidst the buzz occasioned by “foulpleughs” -(morrice or sword dancers) from various parts of the country. This -altogether left an impression on my mind which the cares of the world -have never effaced from it. The gentry, the farmers, and even the -working people, of that day had their Christmas home-brewed ale, made -only from malt and hops. This was before the pernicious use of chemical -compounds was known, or agricultural improvements had quickened the eyes -of landlords, banished many small farmers, soured their countenances, -and altered for the worse the characters of the larger ones that -remained. - -Having all my life, at home, at school, and during my apprenticeship, -lived under perpetual restraints, when I thus felt myself at liberty, I -became, as I suppose, like a bird which had escaped from its cage. Even -angling, of which I was so fond, and of which I thought I never could -tire, became rather dull when I found I could take as much of it as I -pleased. While I was pursuing this sport on a hot day in June, I gave it -up; and, laying down my rod awhile, I then tied it up and walked home. -Having resolved to see more of the country, I requested my mother to put -me up some shirts, &c., and I told her I was going to see my uncle (her -brother) in Cumberland. She soon complied with my request, amidst -expressions of fear for my safety; showing the natural feelings of a -good mother. After sewing three guineas in my breeches waistband, I set -off that afternoon, and walked to Haydon Bridge. There I visited an old -acquaintance, Thomas Spence, then a teacher in Haydon Bridge school, -with whom I was a welcome guest, and stopped two days. Leave of absence -from school having been given to him, I rambled with him over the -neighbourhood, and visited everything worth notice. When I departed, he -accompanied me on the road nearly to Haltwhistle. After this, I met with -little to attract notice except Naworth Castle; and, when I left it, and -was proceeding across the country, I lost my way by following paths -which led only to holes that had been made by digging peats and turf, -and did not reach my uncle’s house at Ainstable till late in the -evening. I remained at Ainstable about a week, during which time I -rambled about the neighbourhood, visited my friends at Kirkoswald and -elsewhere, and spent what time I could spare in fishing for trout in the -Croglin. - -After I had seen Armanthwaite and Penrith, I began to think of moving -further abroad; and my cousin having occasion to go to Carlisle, I went -with him there, where we parted. I wandered about the old city; and, in -the afternoon, looked into the shop of a watchmaker, to whom I was known -as having been employed, by my master, to engrave many clock faces for -him, during my apprenticeship. While I was in his shop, in came a man—a -kind of scamp—of the name of Graham, who asked me what road I was going? -“To Scotland,” I replied. “So am I,” said he; “and, if you can keep foot -with me, I will be glad of your company.” We had no sooner set off, than -I found he was a vapouring fop who was very vain of his great prowess as -a pedestrian. I could soon see that he wanted to walk me off my foot; -but, having been long practised in that way, he found himself mistaken, -and long before we reached Longtown, he had called in at several public -houses for refreshment, and invited me to do the same. I, however, was -not thirsty, and not being used to drink, I sat on the seats at the -doors until he came out. He kept on in this way till we reached -Langholm, when he surveyed me with an attentive eye, but said nothing. - -At Langholm, my landlord, who was a Cumberland man and knew my relatives -there, was very kind to me; and, among many other matters concerning -them, told me that my cousin who had accompanied me to Carlisle had won -nine belts in his wrestling matches in that county. From Langholm, I set -off to Hawick and Selkirk, and from the latter place, next morning, by -Dalkeith, to Edinburgh. I had been, in this short tramp, particularly -charmed with the border scenery; the roads, in places, twined about the -bottoms of the hills, which were beautifully green, like velvet, spotted -over with white sheep, which grazed on their sides, watched by the -peaceful shepherd and his dog. I could not help depicturing in my mind -the change which had taken place, and comparing it with the times of old -that had passed away, and in inwardly rejoicing at the happy reverse. It -is horrid to contemplate the ferocious battles of that day, between men -descended from the same stock, and bearing the same names on both sides -of the border, only divided from each other by a river, a rivulet, a -burn, or a stripe of ground;—that they should have been, at the nod of -their chieftains, called out to the wild foray by the slogan horn, or -the shrill notes of the bugle; that they should have been led to meet -and slaughter each other, to manure the ground with their blood, amidst -the clash of arms and the thrilling music of the pipes, which helped to -excite them on to close their eyes in death. These transactions, which -are handed down to their descendants of the present generation in -traditionary tales, and kept in remembrance by the songs and tunes of -old times, serve now only as food for reflection or amusement. - -On entering Edinburgh, having been recommended to the George Inn, -Bristoport, I halted there; but, being quite unacquainted with the -customs of living in such places, I knew not what to do, or how to -conduct myself. I, however, called for a pint of beer,—and I think it -was the first I ever called for in my life,—when, lo! a good-looking -girl, bare-footed and bare-legged, entered with a pewter pot, almost the -size of a half leg of a boot. This I thought I could not empty in a -week. As I found I could not remain in this place, I sought for another, -and luckily fell in with an old Newcastle acquaintance; and to her I -stated my case, went with her, and felt quite at home in her house. -After I had seen as much of “Auld Reekie” as I could, and been lost in -admiration at the grandeur of its situation, and of its old buildings, I -next day called upon Hector Gavin, an engraver, in Parliament Close. -This kind man—a stranger to me—after a bit of chat about the arts, &c., -threw by his tools, and was quite at my service. The warmth of his -kindness I never can forget. He took me all over Edinburgh, and gave me -a history and explanation of everything he thought worthy of notice. -Having parted from him with his best and warmest wishes, I rose early on -the next morning and walked to Glasgow. After leaving my bundle at an -inn, to which I had been recommended, I took a ramble through the city. -There I fell in, by chance, with an old acquaintance, and who I supposed -was dead long ago. He was not like me; he could drink plenty; so that I -was at no loss what to do at this inn, as I had been in Edinburgh. He -called upon me next morning with a well-informed man, when they showed -me everything they thought worthy of notice in Glasgow, which, though a -large city, containing many handsome buildings, I was not so charmed -with as I had been with Edinburgh. - -From Glasgow, I set off to Dumbarton; and, on my way, took as good a -survey of the country, and whatever was new to me, as I could. My -landlord at Dumbarton had seen a deal of the world, either as a soldier -or a gentleman’s servant, and was very communicative; and I think I -spent the next day with him, in walking about and viewing everything -that he could think of that might please or entertain me. After leaving -him, I wished much to see the printing at the cotton works, and the -print fields, as they were called, on the river Leven, near Dumbarton. -To these, however, I could not get admission; so I kept passing onward, -up the Leven, till Smollett’s monument, near the side of it, arrested my -attention. There I stopped, for I had read Smollett’s works, and almost -adored him as an author. On the pedestal of the monument, was a long -Latin inscription, which I was endeavouring to translate, but was -puzzled to make out; having never looked into a Latin book since I had -left school; and, for the first time, I felt mortified at not having -done so. While I was thus employed, up came a “lish,” clever young man, -a Highlander, smartly dressed in the garb of his country. He jumped down -beside me, and we together made out the translation. When this was done, -on learning from me that my sole object was to see Scotland, he pressed -me to accompany him to some place or other, the name of which I do not -now remember. We, however, walked a long way together on the western -side of Loch Lomond, and I know I did not visit Inverary, the seat of -Argyle, but stopped with my companion at a grazier’s, or farmer’s, -house, not a long way from it. - -Having made up my mind not to visit any town, or put up at any inn, I -commenced my “wild-goose chase,” and bent my way, in many a zig-zag -direction, through the interior of part of the Highlands, by the sides -of its lakes and its mountains. The beauty and serenity of the former, -and the grandeur or terrific aspect of the latter, I gazed upon with -wonder, and with both was charmed to ecstacy. In moving forward, I was -often accompanied or directed to some farmer’s or grazier’s house, by -the herds or drovers, whom I fell in with; and, in some of these houses, -I took up my abode, and often, by the pressing solicitations of my host -or hostess, was prevailed upon to remain with them a day or two. These -kind—these hospitable people—I have never forgotten. Often the mistress -of the house in these remote places, never having seen any person from -England, examined my dress from head to foot, and in English—which, it -was easy to discover, had been imperfectly taught her—made many -enquiries respecting the country from whence I came; while the herds, -with their bare knees, sat listening around, very seldom knowing what we -were talking about. These herds, or some of the family, generally set or -directed me to the house of some other distant grazier; and I met with -the same kind and warm reception throughout my wanderings I had -experienced at first. It sometimes happened that, by my having stopped -too long on my way, in admiration of the varied prospects I met with, -that I was benighted, and was obliged to take shelter under some rocky -projection, or to lay myself down amongst the heather, till daylight. In -my traversings and wanderings, I called in at all the houses on my way, -whether situated in the beautiful little valleys, in the glens, or on -the sides of heathery hills. In these places it was common to see three -houses, one added to another. The first contained a young married couple -with their healthy-looking children; the next, or middle one, was -occupied by the father and mother, and perhaps the brothers and sisters, -of this couple; and, further on, at the end, was the habitation of the -old people. These places had always garths and gardens adjoining, with -peat stacks and other fuel at hand for the winter; and the whole was -enlivened with numbers of ducks, chickens, &c. On my getting some -refreshment of whey or milk in such places as these, I always found it -difficult to get payment made for anything, as it seemed to give -offence; and, when I could get any money slipped into the hands of the -children, I was sure to be pursued, and obliged to accept of a pocket -full of bannocks and scones. - -On one occasion, I was detained all day and all night at a house of this -kind, in listening to the tunes of a young man of the family who played -well upon the Scottish pipes. I, in turn, whistled several Tyneside -tunes to him; so that we could hardly get separated. Before my departure -next day, I contrived by stealth to put some money into the hands of the -children. I had not got far from the house till I was pursued by a -beautiful young woman, who accosted me in “badish” English, which she -must have got off by heart just before she left the house, the purport -of which was to urge my acceptance of the usual present. This I wished -to refuse; but, with a face and neck blushed with scarlet, she pressed -it upon me with such sweetness—while I thought at the same time that she -invited me to return—that (I could not help it) I seized her, and -smacked her lips. She then sprang away from me, with her bare legs, like -a deer, and left me fixed to the spot, not knowing what to do. I was -particularly struck with her whole handsome appearance. It was a -compound of loveliness, health, and agility. Her hair, I think, had been -flaxen or light, but was tanned to a pale brown by being exposed to the -sun. This was tied behind with a riband, and dangled down her back; and, -as she bounded along, it flowed in the air. I had not seen her while I -was in the house, and felt grieved because I could not hope ever to see -her more. - -After having wandered about in this way for some time longer, during -which I uniformly met with the same kind treatment among these -unpolluted, unspoiled, honourable, and kind people, I began to think of -the long way I had to get over on my return towards home; for, although -my money was not greatly diminished among the Highlanders, yet I knew -not how much I might want in or near towns, in the more _civilised_ -districts; so I turned back in a south-easterly direction through the -country, where I met, in my various wanderings, the same warm and -friendly reception. From that time to this, I have ever felt pleased at -the name of Highlander. Were not these people proof against the -temptation of a bribe of thirty thousand pounds, held out to them to -betray the unfortunate Prince Charles Stuart. Is it not to be regretted -that agricultural improvements have taught the landlords, or chieftains, -to turn numerous farms into one, and to banish thousands of these hardy -descendants of the ancient Britons,—these brave race of men to whose -forefathers they owed so much,—to seek an asylum in foreign climes? In -exchange for _men_, they have filled the country with sheep! Property, -in every country, should be held sacred, but it should also have its -bounds; and, in my opinion, it should be, in a certain degree, held in -trust, jointly, for the benefit of its owners, and the good of society. -To exercise a right of property beyond this is despotism, the offspring -of misplaced aristocratic pride. - -I have not noticed that I was sometimes, in passing along, detained at -fairs and “trysts.” These, with their merry-makings, were something like -the “hoppings” and “feasts” on Tyneside; and the girls had the same -ruddy look as the farmer’s servants who are put to do field work in -Northumberland and Durham. With the Scotch music and dancing, I was very -much pleased. They were certainly good dancers, and seemed quite wild, -or exhilarated to excess. - -I left the Highlands with regret. The last day’s journey was a very long -one, and a very hungry one; after which I entered Stirling in the night. -I told the landlord of the public house there that I was almost -famished, not having stopped at any house on my very long journey to -that place; and I begged of him to hasten to get me something to eat. He -told me he had nothing left but eggs, as his company had eaten up -everything that had been in the house. I did not get my eggs till -midnight; for a quarrel, or an affray, happened in the house at the time -I ought to have had them. They were brought in to me at last, and were -boiled as hard as eggs could be. With them, in my eagerness to eat, I -was nearly choked. - -I remained about two or three days at Stirling, chiefly on account of my -face having been so blistered by the heat of the sun that I thought it -best to halt till the effects of it could be removed. My landlord was -very kind. He had seen the world; and, when he found that I was an -engraver, he expressed his surprise that I had not carried my tools with -me; for, if I had done so, he said he had no manner of doubt, with my -knowledge of heraldry, &c., that I could have found plenty of employment -among the gentry and the lairds, in engraving their arms, crests, and -other devices, besides being handed from chieftain to chieftain, and -seeing the whole country in a very different way from that which I had, -through wildernesses, so wildly pursued. On my way to Edinburgh, by -Falkirk, I visited Carron Works, and passed under the canal, where, for -the first time, I saw vessels afloat that had passed over my head. I was -also shown the ground where the Battle of Bannockburn was fought. - -As soon as I could, I made my way, by Linlithgow, to Edinburgh. I -engaged a passage by sea, in a ship belonging to Whitby, which had to -touch at Shields. I attended upon this vessel every tide, late and -early, for several days, notwithstanding which I missed my time, and was -left behind. In this emergency, I got on board a Leith sloop, bound for -Newcastle, then moving from the pier. We had no sooner got down the -Frith of Forth, to the open sea, than we met a heavy swell, and -presently encountered a violent gale which soon tore our sails to -shivers, drove us far out of sight of land, and put our crew in a great -bustle and dilemma. In this small vessel, the crew and passengers -amounted to twenty-six. For these latter there was no accommodation. The -boat upon deck was full of the sick, covered by an old sail, and the -rest were obliged to sit or lie down in any corner where they could find -room. The first night was a sickly, suffocating one; and for three more -nights and three days, there was little or no amendment of our -situation. On board this sloop there were only two beds that were not -stowed with goods; and, from my wanting rest so long before I left -Edinburgh, I crept into one of them as soon as I could, but found it so -low that I could not lie on my side, or easily turn over. So I could get -no sleep; and, to mend the matter, I had not been long in this wretched -bed till an infant was put in beside me, its mother being dismally sick -in the boat upon deck; and the child fell exclusively into my charge. I -nursed it as well as I could during the whole voyage; and, I think, had -I not done so, it must have died. After resting a day or two at South -Shields, I set off to Newcastle, where I arrived (in the assize week, I -think), on the 12th of August, 1776. After my long absence, I found I -had a few shillings left. On this occasion, my friends in Newcastle -quizzed me not a little for having, as they termed it, begged my way -through Scotland. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VII. - - -I REMAINED no longer in Newcastle than until I earned as much money as -would pay my way to London. I then took my passage on board a collier -bound to the great city; and, after beating about in good weather and -bad weather for about three weeks, I arrived in London on the first -October, 1776. - -The first Cockney I met was the scullerman, who was engaged to land me -and my luggage near Temple Bar. I was amused at his slang and his -chatter all the way to London Bridge; and, on approaching it, he asked -me if I was “a-feared;” but, not knowing what I was to be afraid of, I -returned the question, at which he looked queer. We passed the gulf -about which he wanted to talk, and I again asked him if he was -“a-feared.” - -It was not long before I found out my old school-fellows, Christopher -and Philip Gregson, my old companion, William Gray, then a bookbinder in -Chancery Lane, and my friend, Robert Pollard. The first had provided me -with a lodging, and the last—through the kindness and influence of his -master, Isaac Taylor—with plenty of work. Before commencing work, I -thought it best to take a ramble through the city and its environs. The -first day I went alone, and saw nobody I knew. On the second day, I fell -in—by chance—with Sergeant Hymers, in the Strand, who, on seeing me, -seemed quite surprised. He held up both his hands—he looked—he -laughed—shook me by the hand, over and over again, and seemed not to -know how to be kind enough. He then took me back with him till he got -dressed; and, when this was done, he made a very handsome appearance -indeed. The rest of the day he devoted wholly to my service. He first -took me to the blackguard places in London. I suppose this was done with -a view to corroborate the truth of the stories he had told me before, in -Newcastle. After I had seen enough of these places, he took me to others -better worth notice; and, having rambled about till I had seen a good -deal of the exterior as well as the interior of London—of which it would -be superfluous to give an account—I sat down closely to work until I got -through the wood cuts which, through Isaac Taylor’s kindness, had been -provided for me. I then called upon Thomas Hodgson, printer, George -Court, Clerkenwell, who had also provided work for me, to meet my -arrival in London, and who had impatiently waited for my assistance.[19] -I was subsequently employed by Mr. Carnan, and by Mr. Newberry, of St. -Paul’s Church Yard. - -Footnote 19: - - Thomas Hodgson had served his apprenticeship as a printer to John - White, Newcastle (before named); and, having taken a liking to wood - engraving, he had employed most of his time in embellishing the - endless number of old ballads and histories printed at that office, - with rude devices, as head-pieces to them. He was a most assiduous, - careful, and recluse man. What he published in London, I cannot - enumerate; but I understood he employed some Germans, as well as - myself, to cut blocks for him. He also employed me to make designs for - many of these cuts. When he died, he left me a legacy of five pounds. - This is the only money that I have ever received that I have not - wrought for. - -Having served my time as a kind of “Jack of all trades,” I felt desirous -to work amongst the Cockneys, to see if I could find anything amongst -them; but in this I was disappointed; for I was never permitted to see -any of them at work. They, indeed, seemed desirous of seeing what I was -doing, and occasionally peeped in upon me for that purpose. I thought -such of them as did so were a most saucy, ignorant, and impudent set. -Wherever I went, the ignorant part of the Cockneys called me -“Scotchman.” At this I was not offended; but, when they added other -impudent remarks, I could not endure them; and this often led me into -quarrels of a kind I wished to avoid, and had not been used to engage -in. - -It is not worth while noticing these quarrels, but only as they served -to help out my dislike to London. They were only trivial compared to -other matters. One of the first things that struck me, and that -constantly hurt my feelings, was the seeing such a number of -fine-looking women engaged in the wretched business of “street-walking.” -Of these I often enquired as to the cause of their becoming so lost to -themselves and to the world. Their usual reply was that they had been -basely seduced, and then basely betrayed. This I believed, and was -grieved to think that they were thus, perhaps, prevented from becoming -the best of mothers to an offspring of lovely and healthy children. I -often told them so; and this ended in their tears: and, if they were in -poverty, I contributed my mite to relieve them. What a pity it is that -this wretchedness is not prevented. Base men treat women as if they were -inferior beings, made only to be used like brutes and tyrannized over as -slaves. I have always beheld such conduct towards women with abhorrence; -for my conceptions of this wretched state of things are of the most -soul-harrowing description. It would be extreme weakness to maintain an -opinion that all women are good, and that the faults here noticed are -always ascribable to the men only. This is not the case; for I am -obliged to admit that there are good and bad of each sex. I have often -attempted to make an estimate of their comparative numbers, in which I -have felt some difficulties. Sometimes my barometer of estimation has -risen to the height of ten to one in favour of the fair sex; at other -times it has fluctuated, and has fallen down some degrees lower in the -scale; but, with me, it is now settled, and I cannot go lower than four -good women to one good man. I have often wondered how any man could look -healthy, beautiful, sensible, and virtuous women in the face without -considering them as the link between men and angels. For my part, I have -often felt myself so overpowered with reverence in their presence that I -have been almost unable to speak, and they must often have noticed my -embarrassment. I could mention the names of many, but it might offend -their delicacy. When a man can get such a helpmate for life, his -happiness must be secured; for such a one is of inestimable value: “Her -price is far above rubies.” - -I often spent my evenings at the “George,” in Brook Street, kept by a -person of the name of Darby, whose wife, a Cumberland woman, claimed a -distant relationship to me. At this house, I met with some very -respectable and pleasant tradesmen. While I was there one evening, a -stranger to me joined us. I think he was a traveller. He had, however, -been in Scotland, and had a mighty itch to speak very disrespectfully of -that country, and was vociferous in attempting to entertain the company -with his account of the filth and dirt he had met with in it. This I -could not bear: their kindness was fresh in my memory; and I felt -resentment rising in me. I, however, quashed that feeling, and only told -him that I believed I had travelled on foot, perhaps, about three -hundred miles through Scotland, and had met with no such people there, -nor such dirtiness as he described. There might, indeed, be some such in -every country for aught I knew; but I was confident such might be found -without going much beyond the street we were in, and who, in addition to -their filthiness, were also the most wretched and abandoned of the human -race. Some of them, indeed, appeared to me to be scarcely human. I -concluded by observing that I was afraid he had been keeping very bad -company in Scotland. A laugh by this was raised against him, and he felt -him himself quashed by his own folly. - -I very frequently visited Westminster Abbey, on some part of the Sunday; -and, on the forenoons of that day, I mostly went with my friend Pollard -to hear the Rev. — Harrison, at St. Andrew’s Church, Holborn. I -sometimes, also, went to hear eminent preachers at other places. I was -once invited by my friend William Watson, of the Treasury, who had -married the eldest Miss Beilby, to go with him to hear the Rev. Dr. Dodd -preach at the Magdalen Chapel. Whether this was at the time he was -arrested for forgery I am not certain, but I know I did not see him. I -also went with Mr. Watson to hear the Rev. — Maxwell, another eminent -divine; but, indeed, I believe I did not miss hearing any of the popular -preachers in London. - -For many years after I left London, I went to hear the preachers of -various persuasions, and attempted to find out the general character of -their several congregations. Having been brought up under the creeds and -doctrines of the Church of England, I may, perhaps, have some -partialities about me respecting that church, but I have ever considered -that its clergy are the most learned of any, and that, excepting some of -the higher orders of them, they, as well as their hearers, are the most -tolerant. I have always felt grieved that a great number of them should -consist of very learned and good men with curacies or poor livings that -do not afford them a much better income than the wages of common -mechanics; and that, however great their abilities may be, it is only by -patronage that they can be advanced, while enormous stipends are -lavished upon others, very often for the most useless, or, perhaps, the -most corrupt purposes. I think it would be much better if the incomes of -the clergy could be equalized; for, so long as matters are managed -otherwise, so long will it be considered as a system of revenue of which -religion is only the pretext. - -But it is unnecessary here to dwell on these opinions of mine. Every man -should be welcome to follow his own opinions on the all-important -subject of religion. If these are founded in truth, there can be no fear -of their being injured by unreserved discussion. Whatever the creed may -be, there can be no objection to the religion of a virtuous man; and it -is to be hoped that the distinctions and bickerings amongst different -denominations of Christians will cease, and the causes of them be -thought of no more importance than whether a man uses his quid of -tobacco in the right cheek or in the left. - -After this digression, I must now turn my attention again to London. My -friend Mr. Watson was very desirous to get me work with Mr. Pingo, in -the Mint; and, from his being so well-known and respected by the -gentlemen in most of the government offices, he thought this might be -easily accomplished. My mind was, however, bent quite another way, and -no more was done for me in that business. The constant attention and -kindness of my London friends, whose company I enjoyed, was unabated. -They walked with me everywhere, and the house of William Gray was a home -to me. I met other Newcastle friends, every Monday night, at the -“Hole-in-the-Wall,” Fleet Street, where I went to see the Newcastle -newspapers. Some of these occasionally wanted assistance, and got my -last sixpence. At this time I earned a deal of money; and, from my -habits of temperance, I spent little for my own living, and thus -discovered what a small sum was sufficient to make me independent, and I -never lost sight of the inestimable value of being so. I, however, never -had a surplus of cash long in my possession; for one or another had -occasion for it, and I could not bear to see distress without relieving -it. - -Notwithstanding my being so situated amongst my friends, and being so -much gratified in seeing such a variety of excellent performances in -every art and science,—painting, statuary, engraving, carving, &c.,—yet -I did not like London. It appeared to me to be a world of itself, where -everything in the extreme might at once be seen: extreme riches, extreme -poverty, extreme grandeur, and extreme wretchedness—all of which were -such as I had not contemplated before. Perhaps I might, indeed, take too -full a view of London on its gloomy side. I could not help it. I tired -of it, and determined to return home. The country of my old friends—the -manners of the people of that day—the scenery of Tyneside—seemed -altogether to form a paradise for me, and I longed to see it again. -While I was thus turning these matters over in my mind, my warm friend -and patron, Isaac Taylor, waited upon me: and, on my telling him I was -going to Newcastle, he enquired how long it would be before I returned. -“Never,” was my reply; at which he seemed both surprised and displeased. -He then warmly remonstrated with me upon this impropriety of my conduct, -told me of the prospects before me, and, amongst many other matters, -that of his having engaged me to draw in the Duke of Richmond’s Gallery; -and he strenuously urged me to change my mind. I told him that no -temptation of gain, of honour, or of anything else, however great, could -ever have any weight with me; and that I would even enlist for a -soldier, or go and herd sheep at five shillings per week, as long as I -lived, rather than be tied to live in London. I told him how sensible I -was of his uncommon kindness to me, and thanked him for it. My kind -friend left me in the pet, and I never saw him more. He afterwards, when -an old man, visited Newcastle, but left it again without my knowing it -till after he was gone. At this I felt much grieved and disappointed. I -do not remember how long he lived after this; but a memoir of him was -published in the “Analytical Magazine” at the time, together with a -letter I had written to him sometime before his death, which he never -answered. He was, in his day, accounted the best engraver of -embellishments for books, most of which he designed himself. The -frontispiece to the first edition of “Cunningham’s Poems” was one of his -early productions; and at that time my friend Pollard and myself thought -it was the best thing that ever was done.[20] - -Footnote 20: - - John Cunningham, the pastoral poet, died September, 1773, aged 43 - years, and was buried in St. John’s Church Yard, Newcastle. - -The same kind persuasions were urged upon me by Mr. Hodgson, to remain -in London, as had been used by Mr. Taylor, which ended in a similar way. -The former, however, went further, and told me that, if I were -determined upon leaving London, and would continue to work for him in -Newcastle, he would furnish me with plenty of it; and that he would -begin by giving me as much as would keep me employed for two years. This -was particularly pleasing to me, because I could not bear the thoughts -of beginning business in Newcastle in opposition to my old master, for -whom I had the greatest respect. - -Having spent the evening till a late hour with my friends at the -“George,” in Brook Street, and in the morning taken leave of my landlord -and landlady, Mr. and Mrs. Kendal, and their family, in Wharton’s Court, -Holborn, I then posted off to the Pool, and got on board a collier; and, -after a very short passage, arrived in sight of St. Nicholas’ Church -steeple, about the 22nd June, 1777. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER VIII. - - -THE first thing after my arrival in Newcastle was to see my old master, -and the next to engage my old lodgings at Hatfields, and to fit up a -work bench there. I then set to work upon my wood cuts. This, however, -was interrupted by other jobs; and the first of the kind was that of -engraving a copper plate of the “Theban Harp,” for the Rev. James -Murray, for some of his publications.[21] Some of the silversmiths also -began to press their jobs upon me. I had not, however, been long at work -for myself till proposals were made to me to join in partnership with my -late master; and this was brought about by a mutual friend (?) This -proposal—which was to set me down at once in a well-established -business—I did not relish so warmly as our _mutual friend_ expected. I -had formed a plan of working alone, without apprentices, or being -interrupted by any one; and I am not certain, at this day, whether I -would not have been happier in doing so than in the way I was led to -pursue. I had often, in my lonely walks, debated this business over in -my mind; but, whether it would have been for the better or the worse, I -can now only conjecture. I tried the one plan, and not the other: -perhaps each might have had advantages and disadvantages. I should not -have experienced the envy and ingratitude of some of my pupils, neither -should I, on the contrary, have felt the pride and the pleasure I -derived from so many of them having received medals or premiums from the -Society for the Encouragement of Arts, and taken the lead, as engravers -on wood, in the Metropolis. Notwithstanding this pride and this -pleasure, I am inclined to think I should have had—balancing the good -against the bad—more pleasure in working alone for myself. - -Footnote 21: - - The Rev. James Murray, a Church of Scotland minister, with whom I had - been long acquainted. He was accounted one of the best Hebrew scholars - of his day. His “Sermons to Asses” attracted much notice, and so did - many of his other works. He was a keen, satirical writer, and, amongst - his friends, he was of a lively, witty, and pleasant temper, and - greatly valued by a numerous acquaintance for his humanity and good - sense. He died in January, 1782, aged 50 years, and was buried in St. - Andrew’s Church Yard, Newcastle. - -During my absence in London, Mr. Beilby had taken an apprentice with a -premium; and, to make us equal, I took my brother John as mine. With him -I was extremely happy. He was constantly cheerful, lively, and very -active, and my friends were his friends. Mr. Beilby was as well pleased -with him as I could possibly be; for, besides his affable temper, he -took every kind of work in hand so pleasantly, and so very soon learned -to execute it well, that he could not miss giving satisfaction. This he -continued to do as long as he was with us; but other parts of his -conduct, when he arrived at manhood, was not so well, and gave me great -uneasiness; for he got acquainted with companions whom I thought badly -of, and my remonstrances respecting them proved in vain. He would not, -as he called it, be dictated to by me; but this I persisted in till it -made us often quarrel, which was distressing to me, for my regard for -him was too deeply rooted ever to think of suffering him to tread in the -paths which led to ruin, without endeavouring to prevent it. To the -latest day of his life, he repented of having turned a deaf ear to my -advice; and as bitterly and sincerely did he acknowledge the slighted -obligations he owed me. He _rued_; and that is as painful a word as any -in the English language. - -As soon as I thought my brother might be able to work his way in the -world,—he having been, I think, about five years with me,—I gave him his -liberty, and he set off to London, where, being freed from his former -associates, his conduct was all that could be desired, and he was highly -respected and esteemed. He was as industrious in London as he had been -with us, and had plenty of work to do. He was almost entirely employed -by the publishers and booksellers in designing and cutting an endless -variety of blocks for them. He was extremely quick at his work, and did -it at a very low rate. His too close confinement, however, impaired his -health. He revisited Cherryburn, where he did not remain long till he -thought himself quite recovered, and he then returned to London, where -he continued a few years longer, and where the same kind of confinement -affected his health as before. A similar visit to his native air was -found necessary; his health was again restored to him; and again he -returned to London. He, however, found that he could not pursue the same -kind of close confinement, on which account he engaged to teach drawing -at the Hornsey Academy, then kept by Mr. Nathaniel Norton, which obliged -him to keep a pony to ride backwards and forwards; thus dividing his -time between his work-office in London and the school for some years, -when his health began again to decline, and he finally left London early -in the summer of 1795, and returned once more to the banks of the Tyne. -Here he intended to follow the wood engraving for his London friends, -and particularly for Wm. Bulmer, for whom he was engaged to execute a -number of blocks for the “Fabliaux” or “Tales of Le Grand,” and for -“Somerville’s Chace.” Many of the former he had, I believe, finished in -London, and had sketched others on the blocks, which he finished at -Cherryburn. He had also sketched the designs on the blocks for the -“Chace;” and to these I put the finishing hand, after his decease, which -happened on the 5th of December, 1795, aged 35 years. The last thing I -could do for him was putting up a stone to his memory at the west end of -Ovingham Church, where I hope, when my “glass is run out,” to be laid -down beside him. - -While my brother was my apprentice, he frequently accompanied me on my -weekly visits to Cherryburn. He was then a clever, springy youth, and -our bounding along together was often compared to the scamperings of a -pair of wild colts. These journeys commenced while I was an apprentice. -I then mostly went and returned on the same day; but, when I became my -own master, for many years—in summer’s heat and winter’s freezing cold—I -did not miss a single week. When I was an apprentice, I had a few -holydays at Easter and Whitsuntide allowed me, according to promise; and -these were wholly employed in angling; but, after the time came when I -might do as I pleased, I mostly stopped, when the weather suited, in -spring and summer, and spent the Mondays in various streams, at this my -favourite—and, indeed, only—diversion. In this I was accompanied by my -cheerful associate, “Jack Roe,” with his flies and his tackle; and, when -we had got a sufficient number, I returned to Newcastle with my creel -well filled with fish, which I divided amongst my friends. With an -account of these hungry, stream-wading ramblings, and the days spent in -angling, and with a description of the beautiful scenery of water-sides, -and the renovating charms which these altogether inspired, a volume -might be filled, in imitation of the patriarch of anglers, Izaac Walton: -as might also one of a descriptive or sentimental journal of these my -weekly visits to my parents. These visits continued regularly from 1777 -till 1785, in which year my mother, my eldest sister, and my father, all -died. - -It will readily be believed that, if I had not felt uncommon pleasure in -these journeys, I would not have persisted in them; nor in facing the -snow storms, the floods, and the dark nights of so many winters. This, -to some, appeared like insanity, but my stimulant, as well as my reward, -was in seeing my father and mother in their happy home. I always -reflected that this would have an end, and that the time would come when -I should have no feelings of warm regard called up on their account. -Besides these gratifications, I felt others in observing the weekly -changes of the long-lengthened and varied year, which, by being so -measured out, appeared like living double one’s time. The “Seasons,” by -the inimitable Thomson, had charmed me greatly; but, viewing nature thus -experimentally, pleased me much more. To be placed in the midst of a -wood in the night, in whirlwinds of snow, while the tempest howled above -my head, was sublimity itself, and drew forth aspirations to Omnipotence -such as had not warmed my imagination so highly before; but, indeed, -without being supported by ecstacies of this kind, the spirits, beset as -they were, would have flagged, and I should have sunk down. - -As soon as the days began to lengthen, and the sprouting herbage had -covered the ground, I often stopped with delight by the sides of woods, -to admire the dangling woodbine and roses, and the grasses powdered or -spangled with pearly drops of dew; and also, week after week, the -continued succession of plants and wild flowers. The primrose, the wild -hyacinth, the harebell, the daisy, the cowslip, &c.,—these, altogether, -I thought no painter ever could imitate. I had not, at that time, ever -heard the name of the great and good Linnæus, and knew plants only by -their common English names. While admiring these beautifully-enamelled -spots on my way, I was also charmed with the equally beautiful little -songsters, which were constantly pouring out their various notes to -proclaim the spring. While this exhilarating season glided on by -imperceptible degrees, unfolding its blossoms till they faded into -summer, and as the days lengthened, my hours of rising became more and -more early. I have often thought, that not one half of mankind knew -anything of the beauty, the serenity, and the stillness of the summer -mornings in the country, nor have ever witnessed the rising sun’s -shining forth upon the new day. - -I had often listened with great pleasure and attention to my father’s -description of the morning, with his remarks upon the various wild -quadrupeds and the strange birds he had seen or heard in these still -hours throughout the year; for he left his bed very early in summer, and -seldom later than four or five o’clock in the winter. The autumn I -viewed as the most interesting season, and, in its appearance, the most -beautiful. It is then that the yellow harvest of the fields, and the -produce of the orchards, are gathered in, as the reward of the labours -of the year; while the picturesque beauties and varying foliage of the -fading woods, with their falling leaves, and the assembling in flocks of -the small birds, put me in mind of the gloomy months with which the year -is closed. - -This is the short account of many years of uninterrupted health, bouyant -spirits, and of great happiness to me. I had begun betimes, and by -degrees, to habituate myself to temperance and exercise, which hardened -the constitution to such a pitch that neither wet nor cold had any bad -effect upon me. On setting out upon my weekly pedestrian “flights” up -the Tyne, I never looked out to see whether it was a good day or a bad -one; the worst that ever fell from the skies never deterred me from -undertaking my journey. On setting out, I always waded through the first -pool I met with, and had sometimes the river to wade at the far end. I -never changed my clothes, however they might be soaked with wet, or -stiffened by the frost, on my returning home at night, till I went to -bed. I had inured myself to this hardship, by always sleeping with my -windows open, by which a thorough air, as well as the snow, blew through -my room. In this way, I lay down, rolled in a blanket, upon a mattrass -as hard as I could make it. Notwithstanding this mode of treating -myself, I never had any ailment, even in the shape of a cold, while I -continued to live in this way; nor did I experience any difference -until, when I married, I was obliged to alter my plans, and to live and -behave like other folks. If persons brought up and habituated to the -tender indulgences common in the world, and not trained by degrees to -bear the mode of life I have been describing, were to try it, -unprepared, the experiment would be at their peril. My travelling -expenses for the day, were commonly only a penny or twopence for -crossing the water. On the hottest day, I was never made violently to -perspire, but only felt a dampness on my brow. I carried no useless -weight of fat about me, and the muscular parts were as hard as it was -possible to be on any human being. On being asked by a gentleman—an -acquaintance whom I met at Ovingham—what I got to drink on such hot -days, on my road, my reply was—“Nothing.” He had not been used to such -doings himself; and was surprised, and could hardly believe me. He -earnestly persuaded me to try the experiment of the amazing good a glass -of brandy and water would do me in hot weather. This I took no notice of -for some time: at length, however, on a thundery, hot day, on being -scorched with heat, and in danger of being struck with lightning, which -darted from a sky almost as black as ink, I stepped into a public house, -and, for the first time in my life, called for a glass of brandy and -water. I was then about 28 years old. This would not be worth noticing, -but only on account of its being a beginning to me, and which I did not, -when occasion pressed me, leave off for some years afterwards. - -This life of rapturous enjoyment has its acids, and at length comes to -an end; and so did my walks, and my reflections, or contemplations, -which passed through the mind while engaged in them. These, at the time, -were mostly communicated to a moralising, sensible, and religious -friend, who waited my return on the Sunday evenings, when, over our -supper, he, in return, detailed to me the import of the sermons he had -heard through the day. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER IX. - - -IN Christmas week, 1784, while I was amusing myself with sliding on the -ice at Ovingham, which was as smooth almost as a looking glass, between -Eltringham and that place,—I know not what came over my mind, but -something ominous haunted it, of a gloomy change impending over the -family. At this I was surprised, for I had never before felt any such -sensation, and presently scouted it as some whim of the imagination. The -day was to be one of cheerfulness; for Mr. and Mrs. Storey—distant -relations of my father’s, and for whom my parents had the greatest -regard—had been, with other friends, invited to dine with us at -Cherryburn. At dinner all was kindness and cheerfulness, and my father -was, as usual, full of his jokes, and telling some of his facetious -stories and anecdotes. For two, or perhaps three Sundays after this, I -was prevented from getting over the water, by the ice and other floods, -and returned from Ovingham without seeing or hearing how all were at -home. The Sunday after, upon my making my usual call at the gardener’s -in Ovingham,—where, when at school, we always left our dinner poke, and -dined,—he informed me, with looks of grief, that my mother was very -unwell. I posted off, in haste, across the river, to see her. Upon my -asking her, earnestly, how she was, she took me apart, and told me it -was nearly all over with her; and she described to me how she had got -her death. She had been called up, on a severe frosty night, to see a -young woman in the hamlet below, who was taken ill; and, thinking the -bog she had to pass through, might be frozen hard enough to bear her, -she “slumped” deep into it, and, before she had waded through it, she -got very wet and a “perishment” of cold; and, in that state, she went to -give her advice as to what was best to be done with her patient. I -employed my friend, Dr. Bailes, to visit her; and I ran up from -Newcastle two or three times a week with his medicines for her; but all -would not do: she died on the 20th February, 1785, aged 58 years. She -was possessed of great innate powers of mind, which had been cultivated -by a good education, as well as by her own endeavours. For these, and -for her benevolent, humane, disposition, and good sense, she was greatly -respected, and, indeed, revered by the whole neighbourhood. My eldest -sister, who was down from London on a visit to her home, at the time of -my mother’s illness and death, by her over-exertion and anxiety, brought -on an illness; and, for the convenience of medical aid, and better -nursing, I brought her to my hitherto little happy cot, at the Forth, -where she died on the 24th June, 1785, aged 30 years. These were gloomy -days to me! Some short time before my sister died, upon her requesting -me, and my promising her, that I would see her buried at Ovingham, she -proposed to sing me a song. I thought this very strange, and felt both -sorrow and surprise at it; but she smiled at me, and began her song of -“All Things have but a Time.” I had heard the old song before, and -thought pretty well of it; but her’s was a later and a very much better -version of it. - -During this time I observed a great change in the looks and deportment -of my father. He had, what is called, “never held up his head” since the -death of my mother; and, upon my anxiously pressing him to tell me what -ailed him, he said he had felt as if he were shot through from the -breast to the shoulders with a great pain that hindered him from -breathing freely. Upon my mentioning medical assistance, he rejected it, -and told me, if I sent him any drugs, I might depend upon it he would -throw them all behind the fire. He wandered about all summer alone, with -a kind of serious look, and took no pleasure in anything, till near the -15th November, which, I understand, was his birthday, and on which he -completed his 70th year, and on that day he died. He was buried beside -my mother and sister at Ovingham. After this, I left off my walks to -Cherryburn; the main attractions to it were gone; and it became a place -the thoughts of which now raked up sorrowful reflections in my mind. -Some particulars respecting my father, and illustrative of his -character, may, perhaps, be thought not uninteresting. I shall give a -few of such as I recollect them. In his person, he was a stout, -square-made, strong, and active man, and through life was a pattern of -health. I was told by some of my aunts, who were older than he, that he -was never ill from a disease in his life; and I have heard him say “he -wondered how folks felt when they were ill.” He was of a cheerful -temper, and he possessed an uncommon vein of humour and a fund of -anecdote. He was much noticed by the gentlemen and others of the -neighbourhood for these qualities, as well as for his integrity. He had, -however, some traits that might be deemed singular, and not in order. He -never would prosecute any one for theft; he hated going to law, but he -took it at his own hand, and now and then gave thieves a severe beating, -and sometimes otherwise punished them in a singular and whimsical way. I -have known him, on a winter night, rise suddenly up from his seat, and, -with a stick in his hand, set off to the colliery, in order to catch the -depredators whom he might detect stealing his coals. I remember one -instance of his thus catching a young fellow, a farmer, with his loaded -cart, and of his giving him a severe beating, or, what was called, a -“hideing,” and of his making him leave his booty and go home empty. The -thieves themselves were sure to keep the business secret, and he himself -never spoke of it beyond his own fireside. In these robberies, which he -saw with his own eyes, he conceived he did not need the help of either -witnesses, judge, or jury, nor the occasion to employ any attorney to -empty his pockets. I have sometimes heard him make remarks upon people -whom he knew to be hypocrites, and on their loud praying and holding up -their hands at church. After having noticed that one of these, one -Sunday, had acted thus, and remained to take the Sacrament, some person -called, in the afternoon, with the news that this very man had, on his -way home, caught a poor man’s galloway, which had entered through a gap -in the hedge into his field, and had driven it before him into the -pinfold. This was sufficient; this was the spark which kindled up and -increased to a blaze, which my father could not muster temper enough to -keep down. Next morning, he set off to the smith’s shop, and sent for -this choleric, purse-proud man, to whom, in rude terms, he opened out -upon his hypocrisy, and at length obliged him to release the galloway -from its hungry imprisonment. He recommended him to make his peace with -the poor but honest and respected man, and to go no more to church, nor -to take the Sacrament, till a change had taken place in his mind. He -also told him that he ought that very night, before he slept, to sit -down on his bare knees, and implore forgiveness of the God he had -offended. - -The last transaction I shall mention, on this subject,—and which bore a -more serious complexion than the foregoing,—happened when I was an -apprentice. A pitman, George Parkin, who had long wrought in the -colliery, was highly valued by my father for his industry, sobriety, and -honesty. He would not do anything unfairly himself in working the coal -in the boards, nor suffer others to do so. For this conduct he became -deservedly a great favourite,—so much so that one of the old lodges had -been comfortably fitted up for him and his family to live in rent free; -and a garth, besides, was taken off the common for his use. For these he -often expressed himself so highly pleased that he used to say, he was -happier than a prince. My father, for many years, had made it a point to -let the men down to their work himself; so that he might see with his -own eyes that all was safe. All passed on pleasantly in this way for a -long while, till one morning, when thus employed letting the men down, -George, who was always the first at his work, having fixed himself on -the chain, with his son on his arm, to be both let down together, had -given the signal, “Wise-away,” and at the same time holding up his “low -rope,” he observed the pit rope which was to bear their weight had been -cut near the chain. On this he shouted “Stop,” and started back upon the -“seddle boards,” just in time to prevent himself and the boy from being -precipitated to the bottom of the pit. The poor man was almost -overpowered with the shock, when my father, keeping the “dreg” upon the -“start,” caught hold of him and the boy, and conducted both into the -lodge. On examining the rope, my father found it had been cut through to -the last strand. He then stopped the working of the pit for that day. -George, in great distress of mind, set off to Newcastle to inform me of -what had happened. I was grieved to hear his tale; and this was -heightened by his declaring that all his pleasures were at an end; for -he never could go back to his work, nor to his happy home again. - -For some time, my father seemed lost in pondering over this mysterious -affair. He, however, at length began to be fixed in his suspicions, and, -as was usual on such occasions, his indignation, step by step, rose to -the greatest height. In this state of mind, he set off unusually soon in -the morning, to let the men down to their work; knowing that the object -of his suspicions,—a wicked, ignorant, young fellow—would be the first, -and alone. He began by accusing him of the horrid deed, and instantly to -beat and overpower him; threatening him that he would drag him to the -pit, and throw him down the shaft, if he did not confess. The threat -succeeded; he was afraid of his life, and confessed. My father instantly -dismissed him from his employment. When the rest of the men came to -their work, they saw, by the blood, and the retaliating blows on my -father’s face, that something unusual had occurred. He then told them -the particulars, at which they greatly rejoiced. In this state of -things, the _accusing culprit_, while he bore the marks of violence upon -him, set crippling off to lodge his complaint to the justices, and my -father was summoned to appear before them. When met together, the -justices (Captains Smith and Bainbridge,[22] of the Riding), heard the -charge of assault, which, from the first appearance of the complainant -before them, they had no reason to doubt. They both expressed their -surprise to find such a charge against my father, with whom they had -been in habits of neighbourly intimacy, and who was the last man on -earth they could suspect as capable of committing such an outrage. After -laying down the law in such cases, they wished to hear what he had to -say for himself. He readily acknowledged what he had done, and his -reasons for doing so. They seemed much shocked at the horrid narrative; -and, after conferring together in private a short time, the business was -resumed. “Pray,” said one of them to the culprit, “were not you the man -who robbed Bywell Lock, and”—looking him sternly in the face—“was not -this master of yours the very friend by whose unceasing endeavours and -influence you were saved from transportation? Begone! leave the country, -and never let us see you more.” The man left the country for many years, -and, on his return, I was both pleased and surprised to find he was much -reformed. In addition to this long account, I must add, that my father -could not be troubled to harbour ill-will in his mind, and that, if he -were passionate, he was equally compassionate. - -Footnote 22: - - Now Major Bainbridge, who has been many years in the commission of the - peace, in which he is much respected as a magistrate and a man. - Without knowing what side he took in politics, I have always - considered him as a local patriot, keen of promoting everything for - the benefit of Tyneside. While I am writing this (23rd June, 1823) he - is living, and in his 87th year. Captain Smith I did not know. Major - Bainbridge died 6th December, 1826, in his 91st year. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER X. - - -FOR many years, including a part of those of my apprenticeship, my -master and self were fully employed upon such work as I have named -before, from silversmiths, watchmakers, and hardwaremen; but a new -customer (Isaac Hymen, a Jew), came in the way with his seal-cutting -orders, which amounted to more, in that way, than all the rest put -together. This man, besides his box of watches, trinkets, &c., had -gathered together a large collection of impressions of well-cut seals; -and, being a man of good address, and a good singer, had introduced -himself into coffee-rooms frequented by gentlemen and respectable -tradesmen, where he exhibited his impressions as the work of his own -hands; and, by this management—for he knew nothing whatever of -engraving—he got orders. Somehow or other, it was propagated throughout -the town that his seals surpassed by far anything we ever did, or could -do; and, although we had done the whole of his orders, this was -believed, and there seemed to be only one opinion as to his very -superior excellence. I remember once rising early in the morning, and -working till late at night, and, on that day, cutting five steel seals -with cyphers and initials, for which our common wholesale charge was -3_s._ 6_d._, and to our private customers, 5_s._ For these he charged -12_s._ 6_d._ each to his friends. He observed to me, on my remarking to -him on his extravagant charges, “that it was foolish in us to do as we -did;” and, for himself, he said, “you know, I must live.” My wages for -the short time I worked for my master, after I was out of my -apprenticeship, was a guinea per week, but Isaac offered me two guineas -if I would travel with him. The travelling part I should have liked well -enough, but not to travel with a Jew. He went on in this way, with his -orders, till we had no other customer in that department; and my master -then, as well as when I became his partner, often expressed himself -highly chagrined that some of his old private friends went past him, and -even joined others in lessening our work. Our friend Isaac continued -long uninterruptedly thus to carry all before him, till some of our old -customers became irritated at him, and particularly a watchmaker, who -took great pains to open out and expose the business. Isaac then left -Newcastle, and report said he was found dead on the road between -Sunderland and Durham. I have often seen, in London,—and perhaps the -same may be observed in every large town,—“The pale artist ply his -sickly trade,” to keep in affluence such managing, money-making, -pretended artists as Isaac Hymen; and this must continue to be the case -so long as gentlemen will not go themselves to the fountain head, and be -at the pains to encourage merit. - -Our main supporter in the silver engraving, was John Langlands, who was -of a cheerful, hospitable, and charitable disposition, full of stories -and anecdotes, and who greatly esteemed men of ability, integrity, and -industry. These he never forgot when age or infirmities brought them -down. He then shook hands with them as he had done before, but his own -mostly concealed his token of respect—a half guinea. I spent many a -cheerful evening in Mr. L.’s house, in company with others who also -partook of his hospitable board. The most remarkable of these was -Matthew Prior, who had the character of being one of the best mechanics -in the kingdom. He was assay master, a musical instrument maker, and a -turner, in which last he particularly excelled. The many remarkable -pieces of dexterous workmanship he had done in that way drew upon him -the notice of many gentlemen in the two northern counties, with whom -also, as an angler, a sportsman, and a jovial companion, he was a -welcome guest. It happened, on some pretence or other, that an attempt -was made to take away the assay business from Newcastle, which -occasioned Prior to be sent for, to be examined by (I believe) a -committee of the House of Commons, as to his ability in conducting that -business. The ease, the clearness, as well as the straight-forward way -in which he answered all questions excited some surprise, as well as -approbation. When questioned as to the accuracy of his scale-beam, he -said a hair clipped from the back of his hand would turn his scales -either way. For a wager, he turned two billiard balls of such equal -weights that the difference was as nothing. He was of a most independent -cast of character, and open and frank in his conversation. It had been -reported that Prior had said of a proud, high-minded gentleman that “he -durst do what neither the gentleman nor any of his family dared do.” -Prior had never said any such thing; but this gentleman took him to task -about it, and, with great indignation, accused him of saying so. At -this, Prior, in his turn, felt offended, and told him, though he had -never said so, he would now say so to his face. This produced a wager -between them; and Matthew told him he would double the bet if he -pleased. “Now,” said the gentleman, in high ill-humour, “what is it you -dare do?” “Do!” said Prior, “I dare spend the last shilling I have in -the world!”[23] - -During a great part of the time I have been noticing, the American War -was going on. The “press” broke out just after I landed in London, and, -to escape the gang, one of our crew came and took refuge with me. This -poor fellow, a decent man, had in his youth been on board a ship of war; -and, as far as concerned himself, he said he did not mind going again; -but the thoughts of being dragged from his family threw him into very -great distress. Political writings and debatings sometimes ran very high -between those who were advocates for a system of corruption, and -profited by the taxes, and those who were advocates for the liberties of -mankind; but it always appeared to me that a very great majority of the -people were decidedly against the war. These writings and debatings, -which the war occasioned, certainly served greatly to alter the notions -and the opinions of the people respecting the purity of the British -government, and its representative system; and this attempt at doing it -away altogether in America seemed a prelude to the same system of -misrule, when, by slower degrees, a future opportunity offered for doing -it away at home. In these political debatings, the question was often -asked, “Whether the government was made for the people, or the people -for the government?” Great numbers, who hoped for the best, still clung -to the government under which they had been brought up, and had been -taught to revere as excellency itself. While others were contending -whether a kingly government or a republic was best, it was generally -admitted that a deal might be said _pro_ and _con_; for many examples -might be adduced of mal-administration under both forms. Some of these -disputants would repeat what Pope had said— - -Footnote 23: - - Matthew Prior died June 15, 1800, aged 65, and was buried in St. - Nicholas’ Church, Newcastle. - - “For modes of faith let graceless zealots fight, - His can’t be wrong whose life is in the right; - For forms of government, it is confest - That which is best administered is best.” - -In England the people may boast that their forefathers had a king, in -Alfred the Great, the wisest, the bravest, and the best the world ever -knew; by whose excellent conduct was laid the foundation of the -liberties of his country, and from the influence of which there can be -no doubt that the English language will be spoken over the whole Globe. -Were kings to endeavour to follow his example, and ever to keep in mind -that they and their ministers ought to consider themselves as a royal -society for the promotion of arts and sciences, and of everything that -can enlighten the minds and ameliorate the condition of mankind, they -would do right. Kings would then reign in the hearts of the great -overwhelming mass of the people, and no confederacy or conspiracy of -nobles or others could ever upset their rule. But, while they continue -to suffer themselves to be surrounded by flatterers, sycophants, and -selfish knaves, no good need be expected; for they are thus brought up, -like petted children, and have not the same chance of becoming wise as -other men. Thus situated, they are to be pitied. One would think that -the respectable part of the old nobility, or other opulent men of great -abilities, might be found with patriotism enough to perform the offices -of the ministry gratis, scorning high salaries, and only looking to -honourable distinction. This would of itself put an end to corruption. -Justices of the peace take the very great trouble of acting their parts -gratuitously; churchwardens and overseers do the same; and why do not -the great and rich men of the land follow the praiseworthy example? - -In reverting back to take another look at the American war, one may -reckon to a certainty of its having been made the subject of debatings, -and of furnishing matter for the thinking part of mankind, over the -whole of the civilised world. George the Third and his advisers did not, -perhaps, think of this, nor its consequences; neither did they ever -contemplate the mighty events they were thus bringing about in rearing -and establishing the wisest and greatest republic and nation the world -ever saw. When its immense territory is filled with an enlightened -population, and its government, like a rock, founded on the liberties -and the rights of man, it is beyond human comprehension to foresee the -strides the nation will make towards perfection. It is likely they will -cast a compassionate eye on the rest of the world, grovelling under -arbitrary power, banish it from the face of the earth, and kill despots -with a frown. One would fain hope, however, that kings and their -advisers will coolly reflect upon the improving intellect of mankind, -and take measures to govern in a way more befitting the state of the -people over whom they are called upon to rule. - -During the long continuance of this war, and the debatings as before -noticed, I became acquainted with a number of young men of a literary -turn, who had a library of books. I did not join their society, but I -sometimes dined with them at their annual, cheerful dinner. I was never -fond of public dinners or dining parties; and I think I would not have -partaken with them had I not been tempted to do so by way of bearing -their songs, with which I felt much charmed, but particularly with the -Scotch songs, with which one of the members (Walter Cannaway) used so -highly to delight the company on these occasions. He, according to my -notions, was the best singer I ever heard. I have always been more -charmed with the human voice, when well attuned, than with any -instrumental music whatever; and his voice was extremely good. Many -others, perhaps, might have as good a voice, and as correct an ear for -music as he, and would have been equally as charming had they not been -spoiled by the fashion they had got into to please the surfeited tastes -of coxcombical connoisseurs and a vitiated, aping public. I have ever -been much disgusted to hear and see these spoiled performers, quavering -and spinning out their unnatural falsetto voices until almost spent. It -showed well how long-winded these kind of performers were, but I never -could sit to hear any of them; as it appeared to me to be anything but -music, or music run mad. - -On my first going to business, I had an opportunity of sometimes hearing -musical concerts. My master belonged to a musical society; and, when I -had any message to take to him, I was commonly invited to remain. The -two sons of Charles Avison, the musical composer, belonged to this -society, and Mr. Beilby and family were on terms of intimacy with them. -I also occasionally heard the band at the theatre, but I cannot say I -felt much pleasure in listening to them, and I well remember on one -occasion of setting them aside. The late Mr. Dibden, who often called -upon me, had some performance to exhibit at our theatre, and had -quarrelled with the theatrical band on account of their exorbitant -demands; and, in this dilemma, he expressed himself much disappointed, -and knew not what to do. I told him I thought, if he would leave the -matter to me, I could set all right; and I instantly applied to old Wm. -Lamshaw, the Duke of Northumberland’s piper, to play at the theatre. I -being well-acquainted with the old man, he readily assented. I then told -my friend Dibden what I had done, and satisfied him as to the preference -the audience would give to the piper. In this I was not mistaken; for -all went well off, and everyone expressed both pleasure and surprise at -the change. - -Some time before the American war broke out, there had been a lack of -musical performers in our streets, and in this interval, I used to -engage John Peacock, our inimitable performer, to play on the -Northumberland or small pipes; and with his old tunes, his lilts, his -pauses, and his variations, I was always excessively pleased. At one -time I was afraid that these old times, and this ancient instrument, -might, from neglect of encouragement, get out of use, and I did -everything in my power to prevent this, and to revive it, by urging -Peacock to teach pupils to become masters of this kind of music; and I -flatter myself that my efforts were not lost. I was afraid that the -Northumberland family were beginning to feel indifferent, or to overlook -these their ancient minstrels, who had for ages past been much esteemed, -and kept in attendance by their forefathers. It was, however, with great -pleasure I found that they had appointed William Cant,[24] a pupil of -old William Lamshaw, to be piper to the Northumberland Regiment of -Militia; and he kept up with great spirit and effect this department of -their music while he remained in the regiment. Nor was the regiment -behind in the other departments of music; for it was allowed by judges -that their fifers and drummers were inferior to none in the kingdom. One -man, in particular—John Bowman—it was asserted, was the best performer -on the fife that was “known in the world.” Certain it is that every year -for twenty-two years, he challenged the fifers of every regiment -stationed in Newcastle, to a trial of skill on that instrument; but none -of them could compete with him. He could draw out tones from it the most -soft and graceful, as well as the most stunning and loud, such as the -ear could not endure in a room, and which were only fit to be heard in -the open air. - -Footnote 24: - - On his death, I sent the following notice to Mr. Walker’s newspaper:— - “July 15th, 1821, died, Mr. William Cant, of the Blue Bell Inn, - Newcastle, aged 70 years. He was an excellent performer on the violin - and the Northumberland pipes; and, like his great predecessors on the - latter instrument—Turnbull, Gilley, Old Lamshaw, and Peacock—he kept - up the ancient tunes with all their charming lilts and pauses, - unspoiled by the _modern improvers_ of music, with their ‘Idiot notes - impertinently long.’ He played ‘his native wood-notes wild,’ such as - pleased the ears of the yeomanry of old at Otterburn, Hedgley Moor, - and Flodden Field. For— - - ‘Whene’er his pipe did silence break - You’d thought the instrument would speak.’” - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XI. - - -I HAVE noticed several of my friends and acquaintances whose characters -stood high in my estimation. I have now another to introduce, the -play-fellow of my youth, Thomas Lawson, as remarkable as any of them. He -left Tyneside, his and my home, and came to Newcastle about 1777 or ’78, -to launch out into the world of exertion and turmoil; and, from his -abilities and integrity, he seemed well befitted to make a great figure -in it, and, had he been spared, he would, in my opinion, have shone out -like another Benjamin Franklin. He was for a short time one of my -schoolfellows at Ovingham; but, from his father having been beggared by -the failure of a coal-owner for whom he had been employed many years, my -young friend was obliged to leave school, and to seek out some -employment for himself. In the interim, he took up his abode in my -father’s house as a home. The first employment that my companion got was -that of a plough-driver. He next became a farmer’s servant, and -afterwards a manager of a farm and brewery. In all these departments, he -was distinguished for his industry, good sense, good management, and -great integrity. It happened, however, that he, being handsome in his -person and manly in his deportment, his employer began to suspect that -the young lady of the house was showing a marked partiality towards him; -and this having occasioned some frowns and hints which his spirit could -not brook, he gave up his place and set off to Newcastle, where he bound -himself to a printer, as a pressman; for which he was to be paid 8_s._ -per week. With this wage, he contrived to maintain himself, and to pay -out of it for a night-school education. His progress was truly -astonishing in figures, languages, the use of the globes, &c.; but his -memory was so tenacious that he retained whatever he learned, and he -could repeat the longest harangue, (as far as I was able to judge) -verbatim. I once had an opportunity of witnessing this, in his repeating -the whole of a charity sermon, preached by the eloquent the Rev. Dr. -Scott, of Simonburn. While he was employed in the drudgery of the -printing press, he, at the same time, made himself master of the -business of a compositor. Shortly after, he left this employment, and -married a young woman of respectable parentage. It happened that the -printing of a Bible in numbers had been established; but the publisher, -either from mismanagement, or something amiss, was on the verge of a -failure. In this state of affairs, Lawson turned his attention to the -business, and applied to his wife’s friends for assistance, but they -could, at that time, only spare him about thirty pounds; and with this -sum in hand, he made a proposal for purchasing the types, and everything -belonging to the printing office. It is singular enough that the printer -referred to, having left Newcastle, lived and had his printing office in -the governor’s house at Tynemouth, whither I went with my friend when -the bargain was to be closed between them. He now commenced business on -his own account, but how long he had to struggle through difficulties, -before he got well established, I have forgotten. It is remarkable that -he met with unsolicited aid from many friends; for every one who knew -him became interested in his welfare. He lived till he surmounted every -obstacle to his prosperity; but, in doing this, his too great -application and exertion ruined his health. He pined away and died, in a -house close by mine at the Forth, on the 7th March, 1783, aged 31 years. -I, with many other of his friends, accompanied his remains to Ovingham, -where he was buried. This was the first time in my life that I felt -poignant grief. - -My old schoolfellow and friend, Philip Gregson, of the Custom House, -London, being on a visit to his relatives and friends in the north, in -1780, I, being fond of rambling, proposed setting him on his return -home, as far as York, if he would walk with me to that city, to which he -agreed; and, after spending a day or two with him there, we parted. On -my return, I took the road by Boroughbridge to Ripon, where I stayed a -short time till I had viewed the country round it, and particularly -Studley Park and its beautiful scenery. I then returned to Darlington, -and changed my route to the westward, by Barnard Castle, Bowes, over -Stainmore to Brough, Appleby, and Penrith; and from thence to my uncle’s -at Ainstable. On leaving him and his family, I walked home that day to -Cherryburn, and so on the next to Newcastle. - -I have not interlarded this journey with any of my remarks on the -road—on the grandeur of York Minster—the large upright stones called -“The Devil’s Arrows,” near Boroughbridge—the extensive prospects from -Cross Fell, &c.; and therefore the whole of this may be regarded as -merely one of my “tramps,” and a description of these places by others -may be referred to. - -In another of my perambulations, I prevailed on an acquaintance to -accompany me to Berwick. We set off, on an Easter Sunday morning, in -1784, by the seaside, and our first halt was at Chevington, beyond -Widdrington. I had not broken my fast, and was quite ready to make a -hearty meal upon some dry barley cake and cheese, whilst my thirsty -companion, with equal pleasure, enjoyed himself with hearty draughts of -ale. We reached Lesbury in the afternoon, and, when my fellow-traveller -sat down, he observed, that I might go on if I pleased, but he would not -move a foot further that night. Next day, after sauntering about a -little in the villages on our road, we reached Elwick, the hospitable -mansion of my friend Thomas Younghusband, Esq., where we stopped that -night. Mr. Younghusband happened to have a few of his friends to spend -the evening with him. We got on to make merry and to sing songs; and, -when it came to my companion’s turn, the party were so agreeably -surprised and pleased at his performance that we did not separate till -the morning. My companion and I set off to Berwick, and, after seeing -the town, we returned to Elwick by Holy Island. In the performance of -this day’s journey we had to encounter some difficulties which might -have been attended with fatal consequences. We had been cautioned -against attempting, after a certain hour, to walk across the extensive -flat left bare by the ebb tide. We were beyond the time named, but -resolved to proceed, and had to run the greatest part of the way; and it -was well we did so; for, before we reached the Island, we found the tide -was rapidly advancing between us and the shore, and we had to wade -deeply before we reached it. On looking back, over the flat space we had -just left, we were surprised to view it as a sea. My companion, being -rather corpulent, was in a sad state of perspiration with over exertion, -and I think I was not much better, from the anxiety I felt for him, -while I was constantly urging him to mend his speed. We now hastened to -a public house, dripping with wet, where my companion took a few glasses -of gin, and prevailed on me to take one along with him; and this is the -first glass of that liquor I ever recollect taking. Our next business -was to get a boat to set us across the arm of the sea, between the -island and the nearest shore, towards Elwick. It was then nearly dark; -and, before the boatmen got us rowed across, it was quite so. Where they -landed us we knew not, but we had to wade to the dry beach. In shaping -our course to Elwick, we lost ourselves in the fields, and it was late -before we arrived there. We were in as dirty a state as wet and mire -could make us. Mrs. Younghusband, however, lost no time in fitting us up -with dry clothes, and in making us as comfortable as she could. My -companion having some business of his own to attend to, I remained a day -or two at Elwick, and made a few visits with Mr. Younghusband in the -neighbourhood. Mr. Y. had to attend a meeting of freeholders, on some -election business, at the town hall, Alnwick, and I accompanied him -thither. Never having before heard any speeches, I was much entertained -with those now made. This being about the time that Mr. Pitt came into -the administration, and being the son of the great Chatham, most people -hoped and expected he would follow the bright, the patriotic example -that had been set him; but one gentleman appeared to differ in opinion -from the majority, and, in what I conceived to be an eloquent speech, -foretold that he would turn out, in character, to be quite a different -kind of man. - -About the year 1790, I became a member of “Swarley’s Club,” held in the -evenings, at the Black Boy Inn. This was the most rational society or -meeting I ever knew. The few rules which bound us together were only -verbal. The first was that every member should conduct himself with -decorum, and as a gentleman. If any one transgressed on this point, he -was immediately fined, and if he did not pay, he was sent to Coventry, -or dismissed. On entering the room, every member paid fourpence, which -was to be spent in refreshment. Any member might introduce his friend at -the same expense. There were no fines for non-attendance and no regular -debatings allowed on any subject but such as might occasionally arise -out of the passing conversation, and the company separated at ten -o’clock. Conversations amongst the friends thus associated,—consisting -of merchants, or respectable tradesmen,—were carried on without -restraint, and only interrupted for the moment while the president -claimed attention to any particular news of the day that might be worth -notice. Such a place of meeting proved convenient and pleasant to many a -stranger who visited the town, and the expense was as nothing. It may -seem strange that, out of a fourpenny club like this, there was commonly -an overplus left, to give away at Christmas and Easter to some -charitable purpose. I went to this club when I had time to spare in an -evening, and seldom missed a week to an end. This happy society was at -length broken up, at the time when war on behalf of despotism was -raging, and the spy system was set afloat. Some spies, and others of the -same stamp, contrived to get themselves introduced, and to broach -political questions, for the purpose of exciting debates, and feeling -the pulse of the members, who before this had very seldom touched upon -subjects of that kind. - -Besides being kept busy with the routine business of our work-office, I -was often engaged in executing wood cuts for publishers and printers, at -various times from about the year 1788 to 1790. The first of any -importance was the wood cuts of Roman altars, and the arms of the -Bishops of Durham, for “Hutchinson’s History of Durham,” in which my -friend, the late George Allan, Esq., of the Grange, Darlington, took a -conspicuous part. A set of cuts was done for “Goldsmith’s Deserted -Village,” for Mr. Walker, printer, of Hereford. Mr. Nicholson, printer -of Ludlow and Poughnill, the publisher of “Elegant Selections from -Various Authors,” employed me to embellish some of these with wood cuts. -My old friend, William Bulmer, of the Shakespeare Printing Office, -London, also employed me to execute the cuts for “Parnell’s Hermit” and -“Goldsmith’s Deserted Village.” Many other cuts were done, from time to -time, for printers in various parts of the kingdom. These formed an -almost endless variety. I engraved a series of copper plates, at a low -rate, for Sir Harry Liddell’s and Captain Consett’s “Tour to Lapland,” -in 1786. My partner and self were busily engaged in engraving, about the -year 1796, the plan of the proposed canal from Newcastle to Carlisle, as -projected by Mr. Chapman, engineer, and plans of estates and views of -the mansion houses of a few gentlemen who opposed the canal, on the -north side of the Tyne. After a great deal of scheming and manœuvering, -under the management of an attorney of great ability, the whole of this -great, this important national as well as local undertaking was baffled -and set aside. Most men of discernment were of opinion that the -coalowners “below bridge” were the cause of it. The canal, as projected -by Mr. Dodd, in 1795, would have certainly opened out a territory of -coal that might have affected their interest. It would appear, at least, -that they dreaded it; and in this, as in almost every other case, -private interest was found to overpower public good. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XII. - - -HAVING, from the time that I was a school-boy, been displeased with most -of the figures in children’s books, and particularly with those of the -“Three Hundred Animals,” the figures in which, even at that time, I -thought I could depicture much better; and having afterwards very often -turned the matter over in my mind, of making improvements in that -publication—I at last came to the determination of making the attempt. -The extreme interest I had always felt in the hope of administering to -the pleasure and amusement of youth, and judging from the feelings I had -experienced myself that they would be affected in the same way as I had -been, whetted me up and stimulated me to proceed. In this, my only -reward besides was the great pleasure I felt in imitating nature. That I -should ever do anything to attract the notice of the world, in the -manner that has been done, was the farthest thing in my thoughts, and so -far as I was concerned myself at that time, I minded little about any -self-interested considerations. These intentions I communicated to my -partner; and, though he did not doubt of my being able to succeed, yet, -being a cautious and thinking man, he wished to be more satisfied as to -the probability of such a publication paying for the labour. On this -occasion, being little acquainted with the nature of such undertakings, -we consulted Mr. Solomon Hodgson, bookseller and editor of the -“Newcastle Chronicle,” as to the probability of its success, &c., when -he warmly encouraged us to proceed. - -Such animals as I knew, I drew from memory on the wood; others which I -did not know were copied from “Dr. Smellie’s Abridgement of Buffon,” and -other naturalists, and also from the animals which were from time to -time exhibited in itinerant collections. Of these last, I made sketches -first from memory, and then corrected and finished the drawings upon the -wood from a second examination of the different animals. I began this -business of cutting the blocks with the figure of the dromedary, on the -15th November, 1785, the day on which my father died. I then proceeded -in copying such figures as above named as I did not hope to see alive. -While I was busied in drawing and cutting the figures of animals, and -also in designing and engraving the vignettes, Mr. Beilby, being of a -bookish or reading turn, proposed, in his evenings at home, to write or -compile the descriptions. With this I had little more to do than -furnishing him, in many conversations and by written memoranda, with -what I knew of animals, and blotting out, in his manuscript, what was -not truth. In this way we proceeded till the book was published in 1790. - -The greater part of these wood cuts were drawn and engraved at night, -after the day’s work of the shop was over. In these evenings, I -frequently had the company of my friend the Rev. Richard Oliphant,[25] -who took great pleasure in seeing me work, and who occasionally read to -me the sermons he had composed for the next Sunday. I was also often -attended, from a similar curiosity, by my friend, the Rev. Thomas -Hornby,[26] lecturer at St. John’s Church. He would not, like my friend -Oliphant, adjourn to a public house, and join in a tankard of ale, but -he had it sent for to my workplace. We frequently disagreed in our -opinions as to religious matters, he being, as I thought, an intolerant, -high churchman; but, notwithstanding this, he was a warm well-wisher and -kind friend, and was besides of so charitable a disposition that his -purse was ever open to relieve distress, and he would occasionally -commission me to dispose of a guinea anonymously to persons in want. - -Footnote 25: - - Afterwards curate of Longhorsley. - -Footnote 26: - - The Rev. Thomas Hornby, son of Alderman Hornby, died in the prime of - life, on the 28th August, 1798, and was buried at Gosforth. - -As soon as the “History of Quadrupeds” appeared, I was surprised to find -how rapidly it sold. Several other editions quickly followed, and a glut -of praises was bestowed upon the book. These praises however, excited -envy, and were visibly followed by the balance of an opposite feeling -from many people at home; for they raked together, and blew up, the -embers of envy into a transient blaze; but the motives by which I was -actuated stood out of the reach of its sparks, and they returned into -the heap whence they came, and fell into dust. I was much more afraid to -meet the praises which were gathering around than I was of the sneers -which they excited; and a piece of poetry appearing in the newspaper, I -was obliged, for some time, to shun “Swarley’s Club,” of which the -writer, George Byles,[27] was a member, to avoid the warm and sincere -compliments that awaited me there. - -Footnote 27: - - George Byles came from one of the southern counties, and commenced as - a teacher in Newcastle. He was gentlemanly in his manners and - conversation, and of a most lively and animated cast of character. - -I had long made up my mind not to marry whilst my father and mother -lived, in order that my undivided attention might be bestowed upon them. -My mother had, indeed, recommended a young person in the neighbourhood -to me as a wife. She did not know the young lady intimately, but she -knew she was modest in her deportment, handsome in her person, and had a -good fortune; and, in compliance with this recommendation, I got -acquainted with her, but was careful not to proceed further, and soon -discovered that, though her character was innocence itself, she was -mentally one of the weakest of her sex. The smirking lasses of Tyneside -had long thrown out their jibes against me, as being a woman-hater, but -in this they were greatly mistaken. I had, certainly, been very guarded -in my conduct towards them, as I held it extremely wrong and cruel to -sport with the feelings of any one. In this, which was one of my -resolves, sincerity and truth were my guides. As I ever considered a -matrimonial connection as a business of the utmost importance, and which -was to last till death made the separation, while looking about for a -partner for life, my anxious attention was directed to the subject. I -had long considered it to be the duty of every man, on changing his -life, to get a healthy woman for his wife, for the sake of his children, -and a sensible one, as a companion, for his own happiness and -comfort,—that love is the natural guide in this business, and much -misery is its attendant when that is wanting. This being the fixed state -of my mind, I permitted no mercenary considerations to interfere. -Impressed with these sentiments, I had long, my dear Jane, looked upon -your mother as a suitable helpmate for me. I had seen her in prosperity -and in adversity; and in the latter state she appeared to me to the -greatest advantage. In this she soared above her sex, and my -determination was fixed. In due time we were married, and from that day -to this no cloud, as far as concerned ourselves, has passed over us, to -obscure a life-time of uninterrupted happiness. - - MY DEAR ISABELLA DIED, - AFTER A LONG AND PAINFUL ILLNESS, - ON THE 1ST OF FEBRUARY, 1826, - AGED 72; - THE BEST OF WIVES AND VERY BEST - OF MOTHERS. - - -During the time I was busied with the figures of the “History of -Quadrupeds,” many jobs interfered to cause delay; one of which was the -wood cut of the Chillingham wild bull, for the late Marmaduke Tunstal, -Esq., of Wycliffe. This very worthy gentleman and good naturalist -honoured me with his approbation of what I had done, and was one of our -correspondents. He, or my friend George Allan, Esq., employed me to -undertake the job; and, on Easter Sunday, 1789, I set off, accompanied -by an acquaintance, on foot to Chillingham on this business. After -tarrying a little with friends at Morpeth and Alnwick, we took Huln -Abbey on our way across the country to the place of our destination. -Besides seeing the various kinds of pheasants, &c., at the last-named -place, little occurred to attract attention, except our being -surrounded, or beset, in passing over a moor, by burning heather, and -afterwards passing over the surface of immense old winter wreaths of -frozen snow. Arrived at Chillingham, we took up our abode with my kind -old friend John Bailey, and spent a cheerful evening with him after our -fatigue. Next day, Mr. B. accompanied me to the park, for the purpose of -seeing the wild cattle. This, however, did not answer my purpose; for I -could make no drawing of the bull, while he, along with the rest of the -herd, was wheeling about, and then fronting us, in the manner described -in the “History of Quadrupeds.” I was therefore obliged to endeavour to -see one which had been conquered by his rival, and driven to seek -shelter alone, in the quarryholes or in the woods; and, in order to get -a good look at one of this description, I was under the necessity of -creeping on my hands and knees, to leeward, and out of his sight; and I -thus got my sketch or memorandum, from which I made my drawing on the -wood. I was sorry my figure was made from one before he was furnished -with his curled or shaggy neck and mane. - -On our return home, my companion and I took up our abode for two days -and nights, at Eslington, in the apartments of our kind and hearty -friend, John Bell, then steward to Sir Harry Liddell, Bart., and -afterwards a merchant at Alnmouth. Having made a drawing from the large -Newfoundland dog kept there, and rambled about visiting some of Mr. -Bell’s friends, we then bent our way homewards, highly gratified with -the journey, crowned as it was with hospitality and kindness which could -not be surpassed. - -In the year 1790, I was employed much in the same way as I had been in -other years about that period; but this was besides marked by an event -which enwarped and dwelt on my mind. No doubt all thinking men in their -passage through life must have experienced feelings of a similar kind. -My old and revered preceptor, the Rev. Christopher Gregson, died this -year. No sooner did the news of his extreme illness reach me, than I set -off, in my usual way, and with all speed, to Ovingham. I instantly -rushed into his room, and there I found his niece in close attendance -upon him. With her, being intimately acquainted, I used no ceremony, but -pulled the curtain aside, and then beheld my friend, in his last -moments. He gave me his last look, but could not speak. Multitudinous -reflections of things that were passed away, hurried on my mind, and -these overpowered me. I knew not what to say, except “Farewell for ever, -farewell!” Few men have passed away on Tyneside so much respected as Mr. -Gregson. When he was appointed to the curacy of Ovingham, I understand -his income was not more than thirty pounds per annum. Thus set down, he -began by taking pupils to board and educate, chiefly as Latin scholars; -and Mrs. Gregson, after my mother left him, did everything in her power -to make the seminary respectable. He afterwards, however, commenced -teaching on a more extended scale, by taking in scholars of all kinds, -from their A, B, C’s, to the classics. In this, his task must have been -of the most arduous description, which he got through without any usher -or assistant. His assiduity must have attracted the notice of the late -Thomas Charles Bigge, Esq., of Benton, the lay rector, for he added some -land to the glebe, by way of bettering his condition. Little as this -farm was, as to its magnitude, it enabled him, by his good management -and unceasing industry, to show himself a good farmer, and he was not a -little vain on being complimented on this score. As a clergyman, he was -not one of the fittest for that very important office; but this was -chiefly owing to his defective voice, which was so low and raucous, that -his hearers could not so well profit by his sensible discourses. In -another way—I mean as a village lawyer—he stood pre-eminent. His pen was -ever ready at the service of his parishioners, and whatever dispute -arose amongst them there was never any objection to leave the matter to -the decision of Mr. Gregson; and, I have often heard it asserted that -there was not one lawsuit in the parish while he was minister there. He -set out in life on this poor curacy, upon a system of great economy, and -perhaps, like other frugal people, it grew upon him till he was accused -of “nearness;” but, be this as it may, he accumulated, after a life of -great good management, a sum of about nine hundred pounds. If his pen -was ever ready to serve his parishioners, so, on certain occasions was -his purse; for he eyed with great attention the situation of such of his -neighbours as were industrious; and, when he found these were struggling -under untoward circumstances, or unforseen losses, without being -solicited, he lent them money to ward off the evil, and to serve their -need. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIII. - - -WHILE the sale of edition after edition of the “Quadrupeds” was going on -with great success, I turned my thoughts to the “History of British -Birds.” I felt greatly charmed with, and had long paid great attention -to, the subject; and I had busied myself very much in reading various -works. As far as I can now recollect, the first books I had become -acquainted with were “Brookes and Miller’s Natural History,” and “Dr. -Smellie’s Abridgement of Buffon.” These were now thrown, as it were, -into the back-ground; having been succeeded by Pennant’s works. I might -name others I had perused, chiefly lent to me by my kind friend George -Allan, Esq. These consisted of “Albin’s History of Birds,” Belon’s very -old book, Willoughby and Ray, &c. Mr. John Rotherham[28] gave me -“Gesner’s Natural History.” With some of these I was in raptures. -Willoughby and Ray struck me as having led the way to truth, and to -British Ornithology. The late Michael Brian, Esq., of London, lent me -the splendid volumes, “Planche Enluminée,” of Buffon, and George -Silvertop, Esq., of Minsteracres, “Edward’s Natural History.” I was much -pleased with “White’s History of Selborne.” Pennant, however, opened out -the largest field of information, and on his works I bestowed the most -attention. Latham seems to have wound up the whole, and I have often -lamented that it was not—by being embellished with correct figures—made -a great national work, like the Count de Buffon’s. The last of our -Ornithologists, and one of the most indefatigable, was the late Col. -George Montagu,[29] author of the “Ornithological Dictionary.” - -Footnote 28: - - Mr. John Rotherham, son of the late Dr. Rotherham, of Newcastle, who - had been a pupil of the good and great Linnæus. - -Footnote 29: - - George Montagu, Esq., died in July, 1815. I have heard that he was - killed by the overturning of a carriage in which he was travelling. - -As soon as it was spread abroad that I was engaged with the history of -birds and their figures, I was in consequence led into a seemingly -endless correspondence with friends and amateurs; so much so, that I -often felt myself unable duly to acknowledge the obligations I owed -them, and many a letter I have written after being wearied out with the -labours of the day. - -At the beginning of this undertaking I made up my mind to copy nothing -from the works of others, but to stick to nature as closely as I could; -and for this purpose, being invited by Mr. Constable, the then owner of -Wycliffe, I visited the extensive museum there, collected by the late -Marmaduke Tunstal, Esq., to make drawings of the birds. I set off from -Newcastle on the 16th July, 1791, and remained at the above beautiful -place nearly two months, drawing from the stuffed specimens. I lodged in -the house of John Goundry, the person who preserved the birds for Mr. -Tunstal; and boarded at his father’s, George Goundry, the old miller -there. Whilst I remained at Wycliffe, I frequently dined with the Rev. -Thomas Zouch,[30] the rector of the parish. He watched my going out of -church on the Sundays, where I attended, accompanied by old Goundry, to -invite me to dine with him. On these occasions he often made the -character of his late neighbour, Mr. Tunstal, and of George Goundry, the -subject of his conversation, and dwelt with great pleasure on the -excellence of both. Mr. Tunstal was a Roman Catholic, and had a chapel -in his own house; Mr. Zouch was a Church of England minister; and George -Goundry was a Deist; and yet these three uncommonly good men, as -neighbours, lived in constant charity and goodwill towards each other. -One might dwell long with pleasure on such singularly good characters. I -wish the world was better stocked with them. - -Footnote 30: - - The Rev. Thomas Zouch, D.D., F.L.S., prebendary of Durham, and rector - of Scrayingham, Yorkshire. This venerable divine was born in 1737, at - Sandal, and died there on the 17th Dec., 1813. He had been offered the - bishopric of Carlisle, but refused it. - -I have often reflected with pain on the asperity with which one -description of Christians has commonly treated others who differed from -them in opinion on religious matters; or, rather, as to their different -modes of faith; and I have thought that the time would come when that -cruel, bloody, and disgusting portion of history would not be believed, -which has recorded the fact that one denomination of Christians actually -burned others alive, who differed from them in opinion on matters which -ought to have been considered beneath contempt. But, judging from the -past, it is certain that, when men give up their reason, and substitute -faith, or anything else, in lieu thereof, there is nothing however -absurd that may not be believed, and no punishments, however cruel, that -may not be resorted to, to enforce that belief. Men thus degraded may -fairly be called _man-tigers_, being fitted for any cruel, wicked -purpose; and, under equally wicked governments, they have been guided -and commanded to deluge the earth with blood. It is strange to think -that this should have been the case, when it is considered that the -whole of the authorities are derived from one and the same pure source; -bewildered, indeed, by the twisted imaginations of ignorance, bigotry, -and superstition. - -The inspired and benevolent Author of Christianity taught neither -intolerance nor persecution. The doctrines He laid down are plain, pure, -and simple. They hold out mercy to the contrite, aid to the humble, and -eternal happiness to the good. For my own part, it is long since I left -off bewildering myself with dogmas and creeds, and I feel pity for those -that do so. I am quite clear and willing to believe and to allow, that, -whatever modes of faith honest and well-meaning people think best to -adopt, they may in sincerity of heart, and to the best of their -judgments, be doing what is called serving God. They surely ought not to -interfere with the creeds of others, who are equally as sincere as -themselves in the means they pursue for the same end. However various -these modes of faith may be, there is one rule that ought to guide the -whole, and it appears to me to be simple and easy to comprehend,—and -that one is, that all men, to the utmost of their power, should -endeavour through life to steer clear of everything that may degrade -their own souls; that the mysterious, incorporated compound may not, -when summoned to leave this world, have to appear before Omnipotence -polluted and debased. The man who attends to this will fear nothing, but -that of erring and doing wrong. He will fear the face of no man. The -little, strutting authorities of despotism he will despise, and the -virtuous magistrate will ever be his friend. He will break no good laws -that have been made for the guidance of man in society; and, as to his -religion, that is an affair between himself and his Maker only. With the -Author of his Being he will, with unentangled mind, commune freely, at -all times, when his spirit moves him to do so; and no man ever did, or -ever will, feel himself happy that does not pursue this course through -life. - -Ever since I habituated myself to think, I have always seen, as clearly -as I could see anything, that, it is the intention of the Deity that -mankind should live in a state of civilised society, and that no period -of human existence can be comfortable without the pleasures and -endearments of social intercourse. Every object in nature that can be -contemplated shews this; and the full and exact fitness of all its -component parts clearly prove that man, from his social nature, is -destined to live in this state. He has been endowed with reason, as his -guide, for the purpose of regulating and conducting the whole; but, when -that guide is neglected, and he suffers his selfish propensities and bad -passions to _mis_lead him from the path of rectitude, from that moment, -everything, so far as this reaches, goes wrong. For reasons of this -kind, it is necessary that equitable and just laws should be made and -enforced, to restrain vice from breaking down the barriers that are -erected to protect virtue and patriotism. To break through these laws is -sin. But, in the present wretched state of society, it may be difficult -to bring about such a reformation of manners as would ensure the -accomplishment of so desirable an end; for it appears to me that the -character of mankind ought to be new modelled before this can -effectually be done. - -Having long busied myself in wading through systems of natural -history,—the orders, genera, species and varieties,—the whim has often -struck me to lay down an imaginary one of classing mankind. The _genus -homo_ may be made to consist of three species and their varieties. The -first (including in one, the wise and the good) is honest men; the -second is knaves; and the third fools. These and their gradations and -varieties, gliding into each other, form the present jumbled mass of -society—the community of which we all form a part. As any of these may -happen to predominate in the government of society, so, in exact -proportion, will the good, bad, and indifferent effects of their -management be felt by the whole people. I think it will be admitted -that, out of the first species ought to be chosen the persons,—every man -according to his mental powers and the education he may have received to -call forth these powers,—to fill every public office from the constable -upwards. Out of the two latter species, when conjoined, are formed the -great mass of the wicked, gross, vulgar herd (high and low) of mankind. -Amongst these, knaves of great ability ought to be particularly guarded -against. They are a kind of splendid devils who have from time -immemorial spread abroad much misery in the world; but, notwithstanding -their abilities, they would not have got forward in their public -wickedness, nor have formed their majorities, had they not enlisted, as -tools, their ready-made auxiliaries—the fools; and, if we take only a -slight glance at individual misery, it will be seen that most of it is -inflicted by one man upon another:— - - “Man’s inhumanity to Man - Makes countless thousands mourn.” - -Could this be remedied, what a beautiful world would this appear to -thousands, instead of their being obliged to view it through the medium -of an almost perpetual cheerless gloom. - -I have often amused myself in considering the character of the canine -species, and of comparing it, and its varieties, with those of the -untutored part of mankind; and it is curious and interesting to observe -the similarity between them. To his master the dog is an uncommonly -submissive, obedient, and faithful servant, and seems to look upon him -as if he were a god; his sagacity and his courage are equally -conspicuous; and, in defence of his master, he will suffer death. But to -his own species he is ill-behaved, selfish, cruel, and unjust; he only -associates with his fellows for the purpose of packing together to -destroy other animals, which cannot be effected otherwise. He will -sometimes, indeed, let a supplicating dog, into which he has inspired -terror, sneak off; and I have often watched to see the wary, circumspect -plan that a strange dog adopts on his being obliged to pass through a -village, or through amongst those of his equally ill-behaved brethren, -the butchers’ dogs in a town. It is curious to see the stranger, upon -these occasions, view his danger, and then affect lameness, and go -“hirpling” through amongst them unmolested. I knew their instinct was -surprising, but some of their reasoning powers I had not tried; and, for -this purpose, when a boy, I cut two thin slices of meat and plastered -the insides with mustard, and then threw it to one of my father’s dogs. -This, he being very apt at “kepping” caught in his mouth, and, as -quickly as he could, got quit of it again; and, from that time, he would -rather run the risk of losing it than “kep” any more. To prove how far -selfishness and malignity would operate upon him, I placed two basins -filled with very hot, fat broth, at a distance from each other, when he -ran from one to the other to prevent a spaniel bitch from partaking of -either of them. His attention was so taken up with thus watching her, -that at length his patience was exhausted, by going so often from one -basin to the other, that, with the utmost vengeance, he seized her, and -tore away his mouthful of skin from her side. - -On my return from Wycliffe, being thoroughly drenched with an incessant -rain, I called upon an old and much-esteemed schoolfellow, at Bishop -Auckland, and spent a day or two with him, in busy converse about our -former transactions at school, &c. Perhaps few have passed through life -without experiencing the pleasure that a retrospect of the times gone by -thus afford to old cronies, in talking over the recollections of -youthful frolics, and even of the discipline which followed in -consequence of them. - -As soon as I arrived in Newcastle, I immediately began to engrave from -the drawings of the birds I had made at Wycliffe; but I had not been -long thus engaged till I found the very great difference between -preserved specimens and those from Nature; no regard having been paid, -at that time, to fix the former in their proper attitudes, nor to place -the different series of the feathers so as to fall properly upon each -other. It has always given me a great deal of trouble to get at the -markings of the dishevelled plumage; and, when done with every pains, I -never felt satisfied with them. I was on this account driven to wait for -birds newly shot, or brought to me alive, and in the intervals employed -my time in designing and engraving tail-pieces, or vignettes. My -sporting friends, however, supplied me with birds as fast as they could; -but none more so than my kind friend the late Major H. F. Gibson, of the -4th Dragoons. Lieut.-Col. Dalton, Major Shore, Captain (now General) -Dalbiac, and other officers of the same regiment, also shewed great -attention to the growing work. Besides these, many birds were sent to me -by friends from various parts of the Kingdom, but the obligations I owe -are mostly acknowledged in their proper places in the work. After -working many a late hour upon the cuts, the first volume of the book was -at length finished at press in September, 1797. Mr. Beilby undertook the -writing or compilation of this the first volume, in which I assisted him -a great deal more than I had done with the Quadrupeds. After this, Mr. -Beilby gave up the engraving business, and dedicated his whole time to -the watch-crystal and clock manufactory, in which he had been long -engaged before our separation. - -The printing of other editions of the first volume of the Birds still -met with a ready sale; but some disputes happening respecting the -printing of the Quadrupeds, Mr. Beilby, who now sought repose, and could -not be turmoiled with disputes of any kind, sold me his share of that -publication. Sometime before the second volume of the Birds was put to -press, he also sold me his share of the first volume. I had no sooner -agreed to give the price demanded than many recollections of the past -crowded upon my mind, and, looking at the unfavourable side, I could not -help thinking of the extra labour and time I had spent in the completion -of these works, wherein he had born comparatively a small part—not even -an equivalent in time and labour in the other department of our -business; and in this instance I could not help thinking that he had -suffered greediness to take possession of his mind; but, having promised -to pay the sum, I made no further observations to any one. On the other -side of this account, I called to my remembrance the many obligations I -owed him, for the wise admonitions he had given, and the example he had -set me, while I was only a wild and giddy youth. These I never could -forget, and they implanted so rooted a respect for him that I had -grudged nothing I could do to promote his happiness. I had noticed, for -some time past, that he had been led under a guidance and influence that -made an alteration in his conduct for the worse; and he appeared to me -not to be the Ralph Beilby[31] he had been. I used to think him careful -and sometimes penurious, and this disposition might indeed have crept -and increased upon him; but, whatever natural failings might be in his -composition, these had heretofore been checked and regulated by the -rules of morality and religion. It seemed to me that it must have been a -maxim with him to do justice to all, but not to confer favours upon any -one; and yet he often joined me in conferring such, in various ways, -upon our apprentices and others of our workpeople, for which we commonly -had dirt thrown in our faces. - -Footnote 31: - - Ralph Beilby, engraver, Newcastle, died 4th Jan. 1817, aged 73, and - was buried at St. Andrew’s. - -It does not require any great stretch of observation to discover that -gratitude is a rare virtue, and that, whatever favours are conferred -upon an ungrateful man, he will conclude that these would not have been -bestowed upon him had he not deserved them. In these our gifts, I was to -blame in thus conferring favours that it would have been as well to let -alone. In other charities he was not backward in contributing his mite, -but in these matters he was led by wisdom. In the former case, mine, by -giving vent to my feelings, were led by folly; but, indeed, these -follies were trivial compared with others relative to money matters, in -which I had been led away by my feelings, in lending money to some, and -in being bound for the payment of it for others, which, if I had been -more of his disposition, would not have happened; and I now clearly see -and feel that, had it not been for these imprudences, I should, at this -day, have found myself in better and very different circumstances than -those I am in. My partner, indeed, often watched, and sometimes -prevented me, from engaging in such ruinous concerns, and would remark -to me that it was impossible to serve any man who would not serve -himself. - -As soon as Mr. Beilby left me, I was obliged, from necessity, not -choice, to commence author. As soon as each bird was finished on the -wood, I set about describing it from my specimen, and at the same time -consulted every authority I could meet with, to know what had been said; -and this together with what I knew, from my own knowledge, were then -compared; and, in this way, I finished as truly as I could the second -volume of the History of Birds. I also examined the first volume, with a -view to correct its errors, and to add many new figures and descriptions -of them to it. Although all this could not be done but by close, and, -indeed, severe confinement and application, yet I was supported by the -extreme pleasure I felt in depicturing and describing these beautiful -and interesting aerial wanderers of the British Isles. I also hoped that -my labours might perhaps have the effect of inveigling my youthful -countrymen to be smitten with the charms which this branch,—and, indeed, -every other department of Natural History,—imparts, and with the endless -pleasures afforded to all who wish to “trace Nature up to Nature’s God.” - -While I was thus proceeding, I was encouraged and flattered by amateurs, -who took a deep interest in my growing work, and seemed to partake of -the ardour in which I had long indulged. From them birds were sent to me -from far and near; but, to give a list of the names of these friends, -and to detail the kindness I experienced first and last, might indeed be -giving vent to my feelings of gratitude, but it would far exceed the -bounds prescribed to this Memoir. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIV. - - -WHILST I was engaged with figures of the Water-Birds, and the Vignettes, -and writing the History, I was greatly retarded by being obliged often -to lay that work aside, to do various other jobs in the wood engraving, -and also the work of the shop, for my customers in the town, -particularly writing engraving, which, I may say, I was obliged to learn -and to pursue after Mr. Beilby left me. The most interesting part of -this kind of work was plates for bank notes; but, as one of the most -important of these was a five pound note for the Carlisle Bank, which -attracted much notice, it may be right to give some account of it. It -happened, one evening, that, whilst I was in company with George Losh, -Esq., who was in some way connected with that bank, he asked me if I -could engrave a bank note that could not be easily forged. In reply, I -told him I thought I could. “Then,” said he, “do it immediately;” and I -lost no time in beginning upon it. I had, at that time, never seen a -ruling machine, nor the beautiful engine-turning lately brought into use -by Perkins, Fairman, and Heath, which were at that time, I believe, -utterly unknown. I however, proceeded with my plate, and my object was -to make the device look like a wood cut; and in this, though a first -attempt, I succeeded; and the number of impressions wanted were sent to -Carlisle. - -Soon after this, I was told by Sir T. F—, Bart., that his brother, who -held some office under government, and was much with the King—George -III., whose curiosity was insatiable as to everything relative to the -arts—had got one of these bank notes. Sir T. F—’s brother showed it to -the King, who greatly admired and approved of it. About two years after -this, in the year 1801, Samuel Thornton, Esq., of the Bank of England, -wrote to me respecting this note, and wished to know how it was -executed, and whether it was done on wood or copper, &c. I was strongly -advised, by a friend, not to give the gentlemen of that bank any -information whatever about my plate; “for,” said he, “as soon as they -know the nature of what they are enquiring after, you will hear no more -from them.” I did not take his advice; and, after a deal of trouble in -writing to them, and stating amongst many other matters, that, “though -my plate would do well for country banks, it would not do for the great -number wanted for the Bank of England,” the business ended in nothing. -It may perhaps be well, while I am on the subject of bank notes, to pass -over a number of years, and come down to the year 1818, when a -commission was appointed to investigate the business of forgery, and to -endeavour to prevent it in future. Some time previous to this, I was -employed by my friend, John Bailey, Esq., of Chillingham, to engrave -plates to prevent a repetition of the pen-and-ink forgeries which had -been committed upon the Berwick Bank, which it was found had been better -imitations than could be made from copper plates. In this I succeeded; -and also, by a simple process, on the plates I engraved for the -Northumberland Bank. Immediately on the heel of this, and as soon as the -commissioners above-mentioned had commenced their enquiries, it seemed -as if the services and abilities of all the artists in the kingdom were -held in requisition, to give in their specimens and their schemes for -this purpose; and, willing to contribute, all in my power to accomplish -so desirable an end, I, amongst many others, gave in my plan. The -leading object with me was permanency, or, in other words, to aim at -executing a device that would _never_ need either alteration or repairs; -and the other part of my plan was, that the device should be of such a -nature, that all men of common discernment could easily recognize the -note as a legitimate one. In my letters to Sir Joseph Banks, I did not -mention anything about using types, or how highly I approved of their -use, because I knew that others had done so before, and to point out in -which way I conceived they would be of importance would now be useless; -since the commissioners, or the Bank, have rejected every scheme (so far -as I know) that has been laid before them. This to me has always -appeared strange; as, in my opinion, there have been several proposals -laid before them very efficient for the purpose of preventing forgeries, -if not for setting that nefarious work at rest. - -The beautiful specimens first produced by Fairman, Perkins, and Heath, -from their steel plates or blocks, were, in my opinion, inimitable, and -quite sufficient to answer the end intended; and those afterwards -brought forward, under the auspices of Sir William Congreve, are nearly -of the same character and import. If an engine turner cannot set his -lathe, so as to trace or copy the delicate and truly exact curves, -lines, &c., which are shown in both, it is not likely that any forgery -would ever be attempted upon either of them. If they had been less -complex, I should have liked them better; but, as they are, the best -engravers on either copper, steel, or wood, will not attempt an -imitation. They may, indeed, gaze at them—_but that is all_. - -It was always surprising to me that none of the ingenious schemes,—so -long under the consideration of the commissioners,—were adopted; but, -when I read, in a newspaper, that Mr. Pierce had stood up in the House -of Commons, and in answer to a question put to him there, had said, in -reply, “that the commissioners were of opinion that _nothing better than -the old bank note could be devised to prevent forgery_!”—then, indeed, I -could scarcely believe my own eyes,—my astonishment was complete, and my -opinion of the whole business of this “mountain in labour” was fixed. - -During the time that the business of the commissioners seemed to me to -be hanging in suspense, I wrote a letter to Sir Joseph Banks, in which I -endeavoured to press upon his attention, and that of his colleagues, as -a means of preventing forgery, the necessity of having the blank paper -for country bank notes printed with a new device in lieu of the little -duty stamp then used, and which had simply in view the collection of the -government duty. Sometime after this, a long account of the inventions -of Sir William Congreve, Bart., were published in the “Repository of -Arts,” for March, 1822, setting forth how much country banks, and the -whole country was obliged to him, as the inventor of, or the person who -first suggested, a scheme so essentially important as this for -preventing forgery. As soon as I read this, I answered it in the -“Monthly Magazine,” of May, 1822, in which I quoted my letters to the -commissioners, with the dates bearing upon this very subject, and -claimed for myself the merit of having first suggested the scheme. At -the same time, I only requested Sir William Congreve would, on the word -of a gentleman, say whether or not the scheme was his or mine. Of this -neither Sir William nor any of the commissioners took any notice, -excepting, indeed, something _purporting to be an answer_ to what I had -said, by a person in the employ of Sir William, as an artist, which, -though it begun very impudently, did not answer my letter at all. This I -could not help treating with contempt. To enter into a paper war with -such a person, I thought would be great folly. Sir William appears to be -going on prosperously, by furnishing bankers with his stamped note -papers, and printing them in the way above described. - -Sir William Congreve, as a commissioner, had the advantage of seeing the -various devices, and of knowing the opinions of the various artists upon -these devices, which enabled him to cull and select such as appeared to -him best calculated to prevent forgery; and, I think, as he was no -artist himself, he should not have taken the credit either of inventor -or executor of any of these devices, nor have turned the profit arising -from them to his own private account. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XV. - - -DURING a severe illness with which I was visited in 1812,—the -particulars of which I need not detail to you, my dear Jane, as the part -you and your mother and sisters took, in nursing me night and day, must -be fresh in all your memories, and which I only here mention on account -of its association,—I determined, if I recovered, to go on with a -publication of “Æsop’s Fables.” While I lay helpless, from weakness, and -pined to a skeleton, without any hopes of recovery being entertained -either by myself or any one else, I became, as it were, all mind and -memory. I had presented to my recollection almost everything that had -passed through life, both what I had done and what I had left undone. -After much debating in my own mind where I should be buried, I fixed -upon Ovingham; and, when this was settled, I became quite resigned to -the will of Omnipotence, and felt happy. I could not, however, help -regretting that I had not published a book similar to “Croxall’s Æsop’s -Fables,” as I had always intended to do. I was extremely fond of that -book; and, as it had afforded me much pleasure, I thought, with better -executed designs, it would impart the same kind of delight to others -that I had experienced from attentively reading it. I was also of -opinion, that it had (while admiring the cuts) led hundreds of young men -into the paths of wisdom and rectitude, and in that way had materially -assisted the pulpit. - -As soon as I was so far recovered as to be able to sit at the window at -home, I began to draw designs upon the wood of the fables and vignettes; -and to me this was a most delightful task. In impatiently pushing -forward to get to press with the publication, I availed myself of the -help of my pupils—my son, William Harvey, and William Temple—who were -eager to do their utmost to forward me in the engraving business, and in -my struggles to get the book ushered into the world. Notwithstanding the -pleasurable business of bringing out this publication, I felt it an -arduous undertaking. The execution of the fine work of the cuts, during -day-light, was very trying to the eyes, and the compiling or writing the -book by candle-light, in my evenings at home, together injured the optic -nerve, and that put all the rest of the nerves “out of tune;” so that I -was obliged, for a short time, to leave off such intense application -until I somewhat recovered the proper tone of memory and of sight. -Indeed I found in this book more difficulties to conquer than I had -experienced with either the “Quadrupeds” or the “Birds.” The work was -finished at press on the first of October, 1818. It was not so well -printed as I expected and wished. - -During the eventful period of the French Revolution, and the -wide-spreading war which followed in consequence of it, and in which our -government became deeply engaged, extending from 1793 to 1814—a time of -blood and slaughter—I frequently, by way of unbending the mind after the -labours of the day, spent my evenings in company with a set of staunch -advocates for the liberties of mankind, who discussed the passing events -mostly with the cool, sensible, and deliberate attention which the -importance of the subject required. In partaking in these debatings, I -now find I spent rather too much time. I fear it was useless; for it -requires little discernment to see that, where a man’s interest is at -stake, he is very unwilling to hear any argument that militates against -it; and people who are well paid are always very loyal. To argue on any -subject, unless a principle, or what mathematicians would call a datum, -is first laid down to go upon, is only gabble. It begins and must end in -nonsense; and I suspect that many of the long, wearisome speeches and -debatings, carried on for such a number of years in the Houses of Lords -and Commons, as well as many of the innumerable weekly or daily essays, -and some of the pamphlets which the revolution and the war gave rise to, -were devoid of a right principle—a principle of rectitude to guide them. -The causes of this Revolution, and the horrible war which ended it, will -form a most interesting subject for the head and the pen of some future -historian of a bold and enlightened mind—truly to depicture it in all -its bearings, perhaps long after the animosity of party feelings and the -parties themselves have passed away. - -From the best consideration I have been able to give to the question, I -cannot help viewing it in this way. In the year 1789, the French -Revolution broke out, first of all from the income of the government not -being sufficient to defray its expenditure, or in other words, from its -finances having become deranged for want of money, and which the people, -having been taxed to the utmost and brought down to poverty, could no -longer supply. The aristocracy and the priesthood (the privileged -orders, as they were called) contributed little or nothing to support -the state; and, instead of being the natural guardians or depositories -of the honour and virtue of the nation, they were chiefly known as its -oppressors. By exaction, cruelty, and tyranny, the people had long been -borne down to the lowest pitch of degradation. They were considered, not -as rational human beings, equal in mind and intellect to their -oppressors, but as beings made for the purpose only of continually -labouring to support them in all their real and imaginary wants. This is -nearly the case in all countries where the aristocracy are kept up and -blinded by pride and guided by ignorance. In this they are supported by -what may be called their satellites—a kind of bastard breed, who, in -aping the worst part of the character of those exalted above them, show -themselves off as the opulent, aspiring, purse-proud gentry of a -country. - - “If aught on earth th’ immortal powers deride, - ’Tis surely this,—the littleness of pride.” - -This kind of treatment, so long shown to the people of France, could be -endured no longer. They, indeed, seemed heartily disposed to settle a -rational and just representative government quietly themselves; but this -did not suit the views of the surrounding despots, to whom the very word -liberty was offensive, and it was determined, at once, that this attempt -of the people to resume their rights should instantly be overwhelmed. -For this purpose, immense armed and well-disciplined mercenaries were -gathered together, and almost surrounded the country. Thus situated, and -remembering the traditionary tales handed down to them of the cruelties -and oppressions under which their forefathers had groaned, the French -people could not bear their condition any longer. They were driven to -madness, and instantly retaliated upon their oppressors, who, they -conceived, meant that they and their children’s children should continue -to be doomed for ages to come. In this state of the public mind, the -French people rose simultaneously, as one man, and with unconquerable -energy and bravery, like a whirlwind, swept the advocates and the armies -of despotism from off the face of the earth. Thus roused, this -confederacy of Legitimates, finding or fearing that they might be -baffled in their attempts, looked to England for support; and grieved, -indeed, were the advocates of rational liberty to find that these -enemies to freedom had not looked in vain; for the government of this -free country and free people—long veering, indeed, from the line of -rectitude—had readily found pretexts for entering into a war in support -of despotism; and war was begun, in the year 1793, against the -republican government of France. - -It had long been the settled opinion of many profound politicians, that -corruption had spread, and was spreading, its baneful influence among -the members of the government of this kingdom; and that the majority -cared nothing about maintaining the constitution in its purity, which to -them was become like an old song. In this state of things, with Mr. Pitt -at their head, and the resources of the British Isles in their hands, it -was calculated upon as a certainty that his weight, added to the already -powerful confederacy, would soon put a stop to the march of intellect, -and, if found necessary, put an extinguisher upon the rights of man. - -It is horrible to contemplate the immense destruction of human beings, -and the waste of treasure, which followed and supported this -superlatively wicked war. Under the mask of patriotism, Mr. Pitt had -begun his career, but he soon changed sides, and, blinded perhaps by -ambition, became the powerful advocate of an opposite and perverted -order of things. Thus situated, nothing could to a certainty serve his -purpose so well as corruption; and the House of Commons had long been -growing into a state befitting his purpose; for its members had, in a -great degree, ceased to be the representatives of the people, and he had -now only to begin an invigorated, new, or more extended system of place -and patronage to have the majority at his nod; and, in aid of this, to -add an extension of the peerage. This demi-oligarchy, cemented together -by feelings of rapacious interests, in his hands was the best organised -system of extorting money that ever had appeared in the world. They met -together to tax—tax—tax; and, under various pretexts, to rob the people -“according to law,” and to divide the spoil amongst themselves and their -friends. Arbitrary laws were enacted, gagging bills were passed, and a -system of espionage spread over the kingdom to keep the people down, -many of whom seemed to have forgotten the exertions of their -forefathers, whose blood had been spilt to purchase a better order of -things. I felt particularly hurt at the apathy of country gentlemen in -these (politically considered) worst of times. Their faculties seemed -benumbed; but, indeed, most of them fell into the vortex of corruption -themselves. They appeared to me to have lost their former independent -character, and to be now looking out to that evil source as a provision -for the younger branches of their own families, unmindful of all other -ill consequences, which this selfishness blindly supported and -maintained. The minions of power were countenanced and protected, by -which they became insolent and impudent, and walked in stately array, -hand in hand, in safety. Although the friends of liberty and the -constitution were both numerous and intrepid, yet, for want of what they -termed respectable heads, they were widely spread and divided, and their -efforts proved in vain. There was also an intermediate or neutral race, -consisting of those who had not laid down any principle to guide them. -They were mostly such as advocated the cause of corruption; and, in -listening to them, I was disgusted at their senseless arguments. They -were proof against reasoning, and thoroughly convinced me that “a wise -man changes his opinion, but a fool never does.” They, however, kept on -the safe side; _they were loyal_; and the gist of their arguments, with -which they ended all their disputes, were summed up in this—“If you do -not like your country, leave it. What do you want? are not _we_ very -well off?” Their reflecting powers reached no further, and they could -not see by what slow degrees the arm of despotism had so often -circumspectly stretched its iron hand over the liberties of the people, -and then crushed them. - -While bickerings and debatings were going on amongst politicians at -home, the Continent was deluged with the blood of many destructive -battles. The sea was also crimsoned in the same way; and it was on this -element that the tide of affairs was first turned in favour of Britain, -who now, by the valour of her seamen, reigned complete “mistress of the -deep,” and the commerce of the world seemed to be poured into her lap. -Estates rose in value to an extraordinary height, and the price of -grain, &c., still more so. The shipping interest wallowed in riches; the -gentry whirled about in aristocratic pomposity; they forgot what their -demeanour and good, kind, behaviour used to be to those in inferior -stations of life; and seemed now far too often to look upon them like -dirt. The character of the richer class of farmers was also changed. -They acted the gentleman very awkwardly, and many of them could not, in -these times, drink anything but wine, and even that was called “humble -port.” When these upstart gentlemen left the market, they were ready to -ride over all they met or overtook on the way; but this was as nothing -compared to the pride and folly which took possession of their empty or -fume-charged heads, when they got dressed in scarlet. They were then -fitted for any purpose, and were called “yeomanry cavalry.” Pride and -folly then became personified. When peace came, it brought with it a -sudden fall in the price of corn; but the taxes continuing the same to -them, and rents still keeping high, they, with few exceptions, suddenly -experienced a woful change. I cannot say, after seeing so much of their -folly, that I was sorry for them; for they mostly deserved this reverse -of fortune. Not so with the industrious labourer. His privations were -great, and he was undeservedly doomed to suffer for want of employment, -and often to waste away and die of hunger and want. - -During the greater portion of the war, the landowners may be said to -have paid little or nothing to support it; for the extra rents paid -almost all their taxes; but at length the evils brought on by so long a -war fell also heavily upon numbers of them, who, on account of tithes -and taxes with which the land was loaded, could hardly get any rent at -all. - -It will seem a wonder to future ages how the British people could so -long have supported the squandered expenditure of the government; still -they were not like the long-worn-down subjects of continental despots; -for what the latter can get from their subjects is like clippings from -the back and sides of swine, while the ingenuity, the industry, and the -energy of the British people furnish the well-grown fleeces of sheep. -Pity it is that they should have been so often wickedly shorn to the -bare skin. - -This state of temporary prosperity, to which I have alluded, incited to -agricultural improvements; and societies for the promotion, and premiums -for the encouragement, of various desiderata blazed forth over a great -part of the kingdom. Cattle, sheep, horses, and swine, all of which were -called “live stock,” occupied a great deal of attention, and in the -improvement of the various breeds agriculturalists succeeded to a -certain, and in some cases, perhaps, to a great extent. And yet I cannot -help thinking that they often suffered their whimsies to overshoot the -mark, and in many instances to lead them on to the ridiculous. - -After all,—these enquiries having opened the eyes of the landlords to -their own interests,—it is not unlikely that the man of industry, the -plain, plodding farmer will, without receiving any reward, have to pay -for these improvements. My kind, my intimate friend, John Bailey, Esq., -of Chillingham, in conjunction with another friend of mine, George -Culley, Esq., of Fowberry, were the active, judicious, and sensible -authors of many of the agricultural reports, in which they did not lose -sight of the farmer. They wished to inculcate the principle of “to live -and let live” between landlord and tenant. - -It will readily be supposed, that, where such exertions were made, and -pains taken to breed the best kinds of all the domestic animals, -jealousy and envy would be excited, and contentions arise as to which -were the best; but for me to dilate upon this would only lead me out of -the way. I shall, however, notice an instance, as it happened to occur -between my two friends, Mr. Smith, of Woodhall, and Mr. Bailey. The -latter, in connection with his report on Cheviot sheep, had given a bad -figure of a ram of that breed. This was construed into a design to -lessen the character of Mr. Smith’s Cheviot sheep, on which, in April, -1798, the latter sent for me to draw and engrave a figure of one of his -rams, by way of contrasting it with the figure Mr. Bailey had given. The -colour Mr. Smith gave to the business was, not to find fault with Mr. -Bailey’s figure, but to show how much he (Mr. Smith) had improved the -breed since Mr. Bailey had written his report. - -Whilst I was at Woodhall, I was struck with the sagacity of a dog -belonging to Mr. Smith. The character for sagacity of the Shepherd’s Dog -was well-known to me, but this instance of it was exemplified before my -own eyes. Mr. Smith wished to have a particular ram brought out from -amongst the flock, for the purpose of my seeing it. Before we set out, -he observed to the shepherd, that he thought the old dog (he was -grey-headed and almost blind) would do well enough for what he wanted -with him. Before we reached the down, where the flock was feeding, I -observed that Mr. Smith was talking to the dog before he ordered him off -on his errand; and, while we were conversing on some indifferent -subject, the dog brought a ram before us. Mr. Smith found a deal of -fault with the dog, saying, Did I not order you so and so? and he -scolded him for bringing a wrong sheep, and then, after fresh -directions, set him off again to bring the one he wished me to see. We -then returned home, and shortly after our arrival there, the dog brought -the very ram wanted, along with a few other sheep, into the fold, where -I took a drawing of him. - -Shortly after my return from Woodhall, I was sent for to Darlington, and -thence to Barmpton, to make drawings of cattle and sheep, to be engraved -for a Durham report. After I had made my drawings from the fat sheep, I -soon saw that they were not approved, but that they were to be made like -certain paintings shown to me. I observed to my employer that the -paintings bore no resemblance to the animals whose figures I had made my -drawings from; and that I would not alter mine to suit the paintings -that were shown to me; but, if it were wished that I should make -engravings from these paintings, I had not the slightest objection to do -so, and I would also endeavour to make _fac similes_ of them. This -proposal would not do; and my journey, as far as concerned these fat -cattle makers, ended in nothing. I objected to put lumps of fat here and -there where I could not see it, at least not in so exaggerated a way as -on the painting before me; so “I got my labour for my trouble.” Many of -the animals were, during this _rage_ for fat cattle, fed up to as great -a weight and bulk as it was possible for feeding to make them; but this -was not enough; they were to be figured monstrously fat before the -owners of them could be pleased. Painters were found who were quite -subservient to this guidance, and nothing else would satisfy. Many of -these paintings will mark the times, and, by the exaggerated productions -of the artists, serve to be laughed at when the folly and the -self-interested motives which gave birth to them are done away. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVI. - - -FROM this time till the peace was concluded, the political debatings, -before noticed, continued, and were almost the constant subject of all -companies. I have often sat and listened with wonder to the jargon of -the protected fools, and heard them argue, if so it may be called, in -defence of all the measures then pursued; and I have seen with surprise -the impudence of those who lived upon the taxes. Knaves and their -abettors appeared to predominate in the land; and they carried their -subserviency to such a length that I think, if Mr. Pitt had proposed to -make a law to transport all men who had pug noses, and to hang all men -above 60 years of age, these persons (those excepted who came within the -meaning of the act) would have advocated it as a brilliant thought and a -wise measure. - -If we examine the history of these times, and look back to those of old, -we shall find that the in-roads of ignorance have ever been the same. -The time was when the magistrates of Newcastle sent to Scotland for a -man who was reputed clever in discovering witches. He came, and easily -convicted many a fine woman, as well as those who were wrinkled by age -and wisdom, and they were by his means tried and put to death.[32] - -Footnote 32: - - “He was for such like villainie condemned in Scotland, and upon the - gallows he confessed he had been the death of two hundred and twenty - women, in England and Scotland, for the gain of twenty shillings - a-peece, and beseeched forgiveness and was executed.”—_England’s - Grievance, by Ralph Gardner_, 1665. - -I think, if there be a plurality of devils, ignorance must be their -king. The wretchedness which ignorance has, from time to time, spread -over the world is truly appaling. This is a king that should be deposed -without loss of time; and that portion of mankind who are under the -guidance of his imps should have nothing to do with the affairs of -society, and should be carefully looked to and kept out of every kind of -command. Even the poor, innocent, unreasoning animals should, in mercy, -not be allowed to be goaded, and to suffer under their ignorance, in the -shape of folly and cruelty. - -To attempt giving anything like a detail of the history of this eventful -war would, in this place, be useless: that must be left to the -historian. It appears to me that Mr. Pitt was urged into it chiefly by -ambition, and that disappointment broke his heart. General Bonaparte, -from his unparalleled victories, became in his turn blinded by ambition, -which ended in his being conquered and banished to St. Helena for life. -He had divided and conquered almost all his continental enemies, one -after another, and then mostly reinstated them in their dominions. But -this generosity would not do. Despotism, urged on and supported by this -country, was rooted too deeply in the governments of Europe to think of -making any change to better the condition of the people. It would appear -that that is a business they cannot think of; and the old maxim, that -the many are made only to support the few, seems continually uppermost -in their resolves. If Bonaparte had been as good a man as he was a great -one, he had it in his power to settle all this, and to have established -the happiness of both the governors and the governed, over all the -civilised world, for ages to come. Although he had the example of the -incomparable Washington before him, he did not copy it. He ceased to be -first consul, managed to assume the title of emperor, married an -Austrian arch-duchess, and became one of the Legitimates. This added to -the stock of his ambition, and from that time he began to decline. -Fortune at length seemed to frown upon him, and the frost and snow of -Russia cut off and destroyed his immensely large and well-appointed -army. He was baffled in his strenuous efforts to repair his loss, and -his defeat at Waterloo sealed his ruin. - -One would think that the gaining of worlds would not compensate for the -misery and the horrid waste of human life which are the certain -attendants of war; and one would wonder what kind of minds direct the -actions of the authors of it. Were they to reflect, it may be fairly -concluded that they could not bear their own thoughts, and that, after -taking a full survey of the wretchedness they had occasioned, they would -go immediately and hang themselves. They are perhaps not fitted for -reflection, or only for that kind of it which can look at nothing but -ambition or private gain. It would be well for the abettors and -advocates of war to try to weigh the profit and loss (setting aside the -inhumanity) attendant upon it. This we should do at home; and, instead -of celebrating the birthday of the “Heaven-born minister,” ask his -admirers how he deserves such a title, and compare it with his actions. -Might not the lives of, say, a million of men have been saved? Was it -necessary that they should have been sacrificed in such a way? Could he -have avoided it? With his consummate abilities, I humbly think he could. -Would not these men have been sufficient in number to colonize and to -civilize immense unoccupied territories? The money wasted would have -accomplished almost anything. The men and the money would have canaled -Britain and Ireland from end to end, and intersected them from side to -side; and also made piers, where wanted, at the mouths of the rivers of -the two islands; and, besides, would have converted both countries into -gardens. To point out more improvements would be a waste of words. With -such means in hand, they might have been almost endless. Then, per -contra:—What has been done in exchange for the millions of lives and the -millions of money thus spent? They have restored legitimacy; they have -restored “Louis the Desired,” and “Ferdinand the Beloved,” and the -Inquisition! Monarchs are still to be called “God’s vicegerents here on -earth!” When by their actions they shew themselves deserving of such -titles, mankind will not disturb them in these their dreams; but, till -then, they will continue to smile at the conceit, as well as the glitter -they keep up to dazzle the sight of their purblind “loving subjects.” -All wars, except defensive ones, are detestable; and, if governments -admitted morality into their institutions, and were guided by its -precepts, war would, in all probability, grow into disuse, and cease. -But hitherto that treasure of inestimable value, I think, has been -discarded from their councils, and I cannot discover much difference -between them and the lesser banditti of old; for each has been guided by -the strong disposition to rob, (as soon as they thought themselves able -successfully to do so), and to show that “might is right.” From the -feuds of the nobility down to “Rob-in-hood, Will Scarlet, and Little -John;” and from the ferocious combats of the Percy and Douglas, on the -Borders—of Johnny Armstrong and his eight score men, down to “Yeddy -(Adam) Bell,” “Clem of the Clough,” and “William of Cloudsley”—and the -Mosstroopers,—the same wicked principle has guided them and their -ferocious retainers to murder each other and to soak the earth with -blood. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVII. - - -WITHOUT presuming to scan the intentions of Omnipotence, in His gifts to -the human race,—or to probe into the nature of His endless works of -wisdom,—or to grope into matters intended to be out of our reach, and -beyond our comprehension,—yet the reasoning power He has given us, we -cannot doubt, was meant to guide us in our researches to the extent for -which it is capacitated, and to which its uses are fitted to be applied. -In viewing man as connected with this world, and with his station in -society, I think it will appear clearly that the various degrees of his -intellectual and reasoning powers are the gift of Providence; and, -however high this boon may be, the possessor of it ought to be thankful, -but never vain. It is this innate power drawn forth and acted upon by -observation and industry, that enables the philosopher, the poet, the -painter, and the musician, to arrive at excellence; and the same remark -is more or less applicable to men bent upon any pursuit in the whole -round of the arts and sciences. Without using the means to cultivate -their powers, they will remain inert, and be of no use either to the -individual or to society; and men with innate qualifications, and men -without them, are brought down to a level of uselessness. It is greatly -owing to the want of effort that originates the inequalities of rank and -fortune of which the community is composed. The intelligent and -industrious man, guided by honour, will ever be aiming to rise in the -scale of eminence; while, on the contrary, the lazy, the ignorant, or -the wicked man, influenced by pride, dissipation and negligence, is -whirled into the vortex of disgrace, and is attended by poverty and -misery; and, if he cannot redeem his character, becomes abandoned. He is -then in his last stage; his days will be full of sorrow; and, if it be -true that “none are wretched but the wicked,” he will have his fill of -it. - -But to remedy these evils attendant upon ignorance, as far as possible, -and to give every man a fair chance, his reasoning powers ought to be -drawn forth by a rational and virtuous education, and it is a first and -imperative duty upon the community either to provide for, or to see that -it is given to, every one as far as his capacity will permit; for to the -neglect or omission of this kind of instruction may be traced almost all -the wickedness and misrule which disfigure the social compact and spread -misery over the world. To check the reasoning power is a public crime, -which, like individual crime, follows the perpetrators like a shadow. To -argue against the exercise of this gift is to attempt to thwart the -intentions of Omnipotence. It is blasphemy. It never will pollute the -tongues of good and wise men, and could only, like dregs, be reserved to -defile those of tyrants and fools. Men who are not actuated by the -principle of “doing as they would be done by”—governed by a twisted -imagination—would have their fellow men kept in ignorance,—to pass away -their lives like unreasoning animals, lest they might not have -sufficient homage paid to themselves, or that they should forget their -duty as servants, and cease to work for, or to wait upon, their -employers. A sensible servant will never omit doing his duty, but an -ignorant one will; and the reciprocal duties between master and servant -ought to be clearly defined. The former ought not to act the tyrant; the -latter should be obedient; and equal and just laws should guide and -govern them. - -All men of sound understanding, and who are capable of reflection, will -clearly see that there is not, and cannot be, any such thing as -equality. There must, and ever will be, high and low, rich and poor; and -this inequality of rank and fortune, in civilized states, is necessary -for the comfort and happiness of all. A cement is thus formed, which -binds together in union the strength, the beauty, and the symmetry of -the whole. In the freest state, man must not expect to have the -unrestrained liberty of the savage, but must give up a part of his own -freedom for the good of the whole; for liberty consists in this, that -every man may do whatever he pleases, provided he does nothing to injure -his neighbour, or the community of which he is a member; and his -morality ought to be guided by the golden rule, of “doing unto all men -as he would they should do unto him.” Were men made sensible of the -rectitude of this order of things; were they to consider that, in -whatever station in society fortune may have placed them, it is the will -of Providence that it should be so, this reflection would greatly -contribute to their peace of mind and contentment; for no man should -think himself degraded by following an honest calling. - - “Honour and shame from no condition rise; - Act well your part: there all the honour lies.” - -Patriotism ought to direct every man to do honour to himself and to his -country; and it is in this that great national power principally -consists. It is also by the good conduct, and consequent character, of -the great mass of the people that a nation is exalted. The crown—the -richest diamond of our life—is the love of our country; and the man who -neglects this, and ceases to reverence and adore his Maker, is good for -nothing. “The country, surrounded by the briny deep, where all our -ancestors lie buried—in which from youth upwards we have felt the -benefit of equal laws, first acted upon and handed down to us by the -Great Alfred, and maintained from time to time amidst all the attempts -of despotism to overturn them,—by men famed for matchless wisdom and -virtue,—a country so renowned as England, so famous for all that most -strongly attracts the admiration of men,—a country whose genius and -power have, for ages, been such as to make her views and intentions an -object of solicitude with every nation, and with every enlightened -individual in the world,—a country famed for her laws, famed in arts and -arms, famed for the struggles which, age after age, her sons have held -with tyranny in every form it has assumed,—and, beyond all these, famed -for having given birth to, and reared to manhood, those men of matchless -wisdom and virtue whose memories will be held up to admiration, and -whose example will be followed in ages to come—who have rendered the -very name of Englishmen respected in every civilized country in the -world”—(may this be eternal!)—should this country ever sink into -despotism, its reputation will sink also, and with it the high name of -its once enlightened sons; for this renown and this exalted station -cannot be stable unless a pure representation of the people is kept up: -without that, justice will be perverted, and corruption will creep in -and in time overturn the best and wisest plans. Government will become -omnipotent, instead of being the umpire and standing by, like a strong -man, to see that justice is done. Lord Bacon says:—“The ultimate object -which legislators ought to have in view, and to which all their -enactments and sanctions ought to be subservient, is, that the citizens -may live happy. For this purpose it is necessary that they should -receive a religious and pious education; that they should be trained to -good morals; that they should be secured from foreign enemies by proper -military arrangements; that they should be guarded by an effectual -police against seditions and private injuries; that they should be loyal -to government, and obedient to magistrates; and, finally, that they -should abound in wealth, and other national resources.” - -Well constituted governments, if occasionally revised, and as often as -necessary scrupulously amended, may be rendered as permanent as time. If -wisely and virtuously administered, they would be indestructible, and -incalculably contribute, by their vigour and uninterrupted duration, to -the mental and moral aggrandisement of man. It is a truth confirmed by -universal history, that the happiness or misery of a people almost -entirely depend upon the principles of their government, and the conduct -of their rulers. Where just and honourable intentions exist, there is -nothing to dread; but, when only the semblance of these are put on, to -cloak wicked and sinister ends, delusion and artifice of every kind must -be resorted to for their accomplishment. Thence follows the degradation -of man, and the consequent decay of states and nations. But it is not -for want of knowing better that governments get out of the path of -rectitude; it is by the individuals who compose its parts becoming -dishonest. To the sage advice of such men as Bacon and Locke they turn a -deaf ear; they are lost in considerations about their own private, -selfish concerns, or are blinded by a false ambition, regardless of -promoting the public good, or the happiness of mankind; and, until they -are checked in this career, by an enlightened people, it is in vain to -look for any amendment in them. But the great bulk of the people must be -enlightened and amended, before liberty, peace, and happiness, can be -spread over the world. - -The first step preparatory to this desirable order of things, must be -that the people should learn to respect themselves, as reasoning beings, -which is the noblest privilege bestowed upon them by the Creator. To -slight this gift is to act ungratefully to the Giver; for it is only by -the free exercise of their understandings that men can see the face of -truth, or can have the full use of all the means of advancing in -knowledge, or are capable of religion, science, virtue, and rational -happiness, or can be enabled to look backward with comfort or forward -with hope. It is a sure sign that all is not right, or as it should be, -in governments, when they fear even the fullest investigation of any, -and of every, subject. Truth and honesty fear no discussion, and good -governments will freely encourage, instead of checking, them. There -ought to be no libels, but falsehoods. Can any man say, in the face of -the world, that truth ought not to prevail? It is owing to inquisitorial -checks and restraints, that two of the most important concerns to -mankind, Religion and Politics,—on which their happiness, and everything -of importance to them, so much depends,—is by the community, as a whole, -so imperfectly understood, and so blindly acted upon at this day. It is -only by seeing the conduct of public men in a clear light, that a just -judgment can be formed of them and their measures, and of their fitness -or unfitness to conduct the important concerns entrusted to their -control. It may, indeed, be feared that, if tried in the balance, they -will be found very light. Wise and honest councils must be resorted to -and adopted before Religion, Morality, and Politics, Arts and Sciences, -and a better knowledge of this world of wonders, can be developed and -appreciated. Till then no amendment need be expected: religion will not -be freed from superstition and bigotry, nor political institutions -purged from venality and corruption, and conducted by honesty and good -sense. Those who have fixed themselves, like a disease, upon the body -politic should have warning to depart. - -In glancing back upon the transactions of the world, as they have -recently passed in review before us, how can it afford any matter of -wonder that the advocates of liberty should have entertained fears for -its safety, and have wished, as a check, the re-establishment of the -British constitution in its purity. There was, indeed, little hope of -this being acted upon, when foreign despots were leagued to enslave -their peoples; and our own government, supported by a demi-oligarchy, -was so deeply connected with them. Loan after loan was wrung from the -British people under various pretexts, but in reality to support -despotism under the disguise of legitimacy. Granted, that an honest -House of Commons might have supported legitimacy, they should have -openly expressed disapprobation at the lost liberties of nations of -enslaved people. Protests of this kind, however, did not fit with the -notions of the representatives of boroughmongers, who composed the -majority of the honourable House, and who had long been used to treat -the people and their petitions with unblushing neglect or contempt. - -In this state of things, politics ran high; an unpleasant ferment soured -the minds of a great majority of the people; and it cannot be wondered -that they were, with difficulty, kept within bounds. Those who had been -used to batten on the wages of corruption became excessively alarmed, -and, under the pretence of preserving the constitution, resorted to a -system of espionage, and of gaols and bastilles, and left no stone -unturned to throw odium upon their opponents, the advocates of liberty, -who were branded with the nicknames of Jacobins, Levellers, Radicals, -&c., &c. The pen of literature was prostituted to overshade the actions -of good men, and to gloss-over the enormities of the base. The energies -of many members of both Houses of Parliament were unavailing against -this compact confederacy of undeserving placemen and pensioners, who -were bound together by fellow feelings of self-interest, in which all -ideas of public trust were lost in private considerations. They had -sinned themselves out of all shame. This phalanx have kept their ground, -and will do so till, it is to be feared, violence from an enraged people -breaks them up, or, perhaps, till the growing opinions against such a -crooked order of conducting the affairs of this great nation becomes -quite apparent to an immense majority, whose frowns may have the power -of bringing the agents of government to pause upon the brink of the -precipice on which they stand, and to provide in time, by wise and -honest measures, to avert the coming storm. It is appalling to think of -matters of this import being brought to extremities, especially when the -whole might so easily be settled without any convulsion at all. The king -(whose interests are the same as the people’s), if freed from the advice -of evil counsellors, and from the unfitting trammels by which they have -him bound, might insist upon having the constitution restored to its -purity. This would at once settle the business, and would cause him to -be adored by his whole people, and his name to be revered, by the -enlightened in every civilised country, to the latest posterity. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XVIII. - - -I NEVER could agree in opinion with the philanthropic, and -well-intentioned, and honest, Major Cartwright,[33] in his unqualified -scheme of universal suffrage; because I conceive that the ignorant and -the wicked ought to be debarred from voting for anything; they should -neither be honoured with privileges nor employed in any office of public -trust; a virtual representation is all-sufficient for them. Could -matters be so managed that none but sensible, honest men should be -allowed to vote, either for members of Parliament, or for any other -public functionary, the country would, in a short time, put on a very -improved appearance. It is quite natural to suppose that, were elections -entrusted to this description of men, they would elect none but those of -similar character to their own. But, should it be found impracticable -thus to order public affairs, then the next best plan,—and which might -easily be accomplished,—would be to confer the additional elective -franchise upon householders of probity and honour,—that is, upon those -who, in their own spheres, by industry and intelligence, maintain -themselves respectably; for it must be admitted that the poor are -frequently as wise as the rich, and as remarkable for integrity. - -Footnote 33: - - Major Cartwright, died 23rd Sep., 1824, aged 84,—an honour to his - country and to human nature—an upright and inflexible patriot. - -If an overwhelming mass of selfism did not paralyze every improvement, -how easily and how soon all this might be done. By making elections -simple, candidates would be spared the expense of a canvass, and -drunkenness and the base, wicked effects consequent thereon might be -avoided. This business through the whole kingdom might be done in a few -days, by summoning the electors (as soon as the candidates were -nominated) to attend at the several polling places, to vote by ballot or -otherwise as might be determined. The public should only be addressed -through the medium of the newspapers. What a real honour would it be to -be thus elected! What a saving of expense! What can any gentleman, after -spending thousands in the present mode, say for himself? Does he expect -to be repaid, somehow or other, by the nation? or, has he lavished away -such sums for the “honour of the thing,” and thus robbed his own family -by wasteful expenditure? - -While sentiments of patriotism were entertained in our country,—clouded, -indeed, by fears of an opposite tendency, as noticed before,—the -attention of all was drawn aside to view the confederacy of despots -directed to shackle the understandings of mankind, and to keep them in -slavery and degradation. Would any man in his senses, in the present -enlightened state of the civilized world, have thought this possible? -And yet, as a finish, they have called it the “Holy Alliance.” My most -fervent prayer is, that no king of the British Isles will ever keep such -company; but that our sovereigns will ever stand firm, uncontaminated by -the infectious effluvia of arbitrary power, upon this proud ground—this -soil fitly tilled, but only wanting some weeding to render it perfectly -ready to produce a rich crop of liberty. - -Most men were beginning to hope that emperors and kings had discovered -that, if the people were not enlightened, it was high time for them to -use their kingly influence to make them so; and that it is far safer and -better, as well as more honourable, to preside over an intelligent -people, than to govern men brought down to the level of unreasoning -brutes. The wretchedly bigoted, and consequently oppressed, people of -Spain will, no doubt, see things in their true light at some future day, -and free their fine country from misrule. The times in which Galileo -lived have passed away, but we still see the same kind of despotism and -superstition ready as ever to burn such men alive, and to strew their -ashes in the wind. The affairs of mankind, managed in this way, will be -likely at no distant period to put such kings and their priests out of -fashion. Superstition makes despots and tyrants of all the sovereigns -whom it influences: they become the confirmed enemies of knowledge. The -die is then cast. Superstition never did, nor ever will, listen to -reason; for credulity is the offspring of ignorance, and superstition is -the child of credulity; and this breed is nursed and kept up by -despotism, as its mainstay and darling. The sun of reason may be clouded -for a time. As long as falsehood in the garb of truth continues to lead -the great mass of mankind, so long will they struggle in vain to attain -the paths which lead to perfection and happiness. - -“We should always repute it as our business in the world—the end and -purpose of our being—our duty to our kind—the natural use of the powers -we enjoy—and the suitable testimony of gratitude to our Maker, to -contribute something to the general good—to the common fund of happiness -to our species.”[34] Benevolent and patriotic sentiments of this kind -ought always to be kept up, and the mite of the humblest individual -ought to be received and acknowledged: the reveries of such ought not to -pass without being coolly examined by men of experience. I well remember -my name having been set down as that of a person who would, without -hesitation, become a member of a society in Newcastle, “for the -suppression of vice.” To this I decidedly objected, and told my -well-meaning neighbour,[35] who named the matter to me, that I thought -the magistrates were quite competent to manage that business; but that I -would have no hesitation in joining their society if they would change -their plan, and make it “a society for promoting and rewarding virtue.” -I have often thought since that, if such a society as the latter—to be -called “The Society of Honour”—were established in every parish, it -might, if well managed, do great good. The society ought not to annoy -any one, by being over officious, nor to meddle otherwise than by -quietly, and yet publicly, rewarding, or expressing the good opinion -they entertain of the conduct of the person honoured. - -Footnote 34: - - Dr. F. Hutchinson. - -Footnote 35: - - Mr. Benjamin Brunton. He was a popular man, and was often chairman at - patriotic and charitable meetings, and had been one of the committee - who sued the magistrate of Newcastle on the Town Moor business before - mentioned. - -Another society of a very different character to the last-named is at -this time winked at in this land of liberty. I mean the present great -and mighty Inquisition, held under the denomination of “the -Constitutional Association.” These men—the secret admirers of “The Holy -Alliance”—may more properly be called the suppressors and dreaders of -truth. Acting, indeed, under the mask of advocating the cause of -religion and liberty, but in reality in lurking enmity to the latter, -and to all free enquiry and investigation, they have arrogated to -themselves the power of punishing a man for his unbiased opinions, even -on subjects which do not militate against good morals, or against the -happiness of society; thus taking the power out of the hands of the -national authorities, as if they were unfit and insufficient to do their -duty. A House of Commons ought to see this with indignation, and this -self-erected Inquisition, instead of ruining parties by their -prosecutions, should be invited to answer truth with truth, as well as -they can; leaving the world to judge how it stands between them and -their opponents. - -When men break through laws, made with care for the good government of -the community, they ought, as at present, to forfeit their liberty, and -in some cases their lives. It is a pity that those who have betrayed the -innocent, and robbed the fatherless children and widows, cannot be sent -to live with savages, and to have their backs tattooed with -hieroglyphics, expressive of their crimes. - -It has often been a matter of surprise, in the circle of my friends, -that criminals are not transported to the West Indies, there to undergo -a purgation till they have redeemed their characters, in which case they -should be allowed to return home. It has also appeared to us that the -law is defective, in not, somehow or other, protecting such men after -being released from prison. Some association should be formed—some -friends to them and to humanity might be invited forth to pass their -word, for a time, for their good behaviour, to prevent their being thus -cast friendless upon an unforgiving and censorious world; for it matters -not how fervently a man may wish to redeem his character, no one will -employ him, and he is thereby driven to the necessity of flying to some -villainous scheme to enable him to live. - -It is painful to speak about punishments to be inflicted upon one’s -unfortunate fellow men: it is equally so to contemplate their -self-degradation. But, when it is considered what a voluminous mass of -laws we have, neither understood nor explained, we cannot wonder that -they are broken; they are so multifarious and complex, that, as to the -illiterate description of persons they are meant to keep in order, they -are almost useless. An abridgement of the laws of England would perhaps -fill fifty folio volumes. These laws, at the time they were made, might -be good and proper, but most of them are now inapplicable and obsolete. -To amend them seems impossible, and an act to amend or explain an act, -by adding confusion to confusion, is truly farcical. It is a pity that -the whole of them cannot be abolished at once, and short and clear new -ones substituted in their stead. As they stand at present, few men can -understand them, and to men of plain, good sense, or of ordinary -capacities, they appear altogether a great mass of unintelligible -matter, or a complete “riddle-me-ree.” This may, indeed, be intended or -winked at; for it gives employment to a great number of men of the law, -of all kinds of character, from the basest up to others who are -ornaments to their country. Indeed, were it not for the latter -description, the rest would not be endurable. They are more to be -dreaded than highwaymen and housebreakers, and as such are viewed by the -thinking part of the community; but the former find employment from -clients of their own character, who trust to them for their ability in -twisting, evading, and explaining the law away. - -In passing through life, it has fortunately been my lot to have been -intimate with both military and naval gentlemen, as well as with those -of the learned professions; and, though several of each class have stood -high in the estimation of the world, for their gentlemanly manners and -unsullied worth—to which I may be allowed to add my testimony, as well -as to acknowledge the debt of gratitude I owe some of them for their -kindness and attention—yet, on taking a comparative survey of the whole, -I cannot help giving a preference to medical men; for, besides their -learning and attainments in common with other professions, they appear -to me, generally, to be further removed from prejudice, more -enlightened, and more liberal in their sentiments than the other -labourers in the vineyards of science and literature. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XIX. - - -IT is of the utmost importance to individuals and to society that -attention should be watchfully bestowed upon children, both with respect -to their health and their morals. Their future welfare in life depends -upon this, and the important charge falls greatly upon the mother. Her -first lesson—their talent being only imitation—should be that of -obedience, mildly enforced; for, reason being the faculty of comparing -ideas already presented to the mind, it cannot exist in a child, to whom -few or no ideas have been presented. Then follow lessons of truth, -sincerity, industry, honesty. It ought to be impressed upon their minds -that, though they are young, yet the longest life is only like a dream; -and, short as it is, it is rendered shorter by all the time lost in -wickedness, contention, and strife. They ought to be taught that all -they can do, while they sojourn in this world, is to live honourably, -and to take every care that the soul shall return to the Being who gave -it as pure, unpolluted, and spotless as possible; and that there can be -no happiness in this life, unless they hold converse with God. - -With respect to the health of children, I fear the present management is -not right. The mistaken indulgence of parents, in pampering and spoiling -the appetites of children, lays the foundation of a permanent train of -diseases, which an endless supply of medicines and nostrums will never -restore to its pristine vigour. Skilful medical aid may, indeed, be of -use, but nothing is so sure as a recurrence to a plain diet, temperance, -and exercise. The next obstacle to remedy, I fear, will not be easily -removed; for it is built upon the prejudices of mothers themselves, -dictated by notions of fashion and gentility which have taken a deep -root. When folly has given the fashion, she is a persevering dame, and -“folly ever dotes upon her darling.” Instead of impressing upon the -minds of girls the importance of knowing household affairs, and other -useful knowledge, and cultivating cheerfulness and affability along with -the courtesies of life, they must undergo a training to befit them for -appearing in frivolous company. To insure this, the mother, or some -boarding school mistress, insists that these delicate young creatures be -tightened up in a shape-destroying dress, and sit and move in graceful -stiffness. They must not spring about or make use of their limbs, lest -it might be called _romping_, and might give them so vulgar, so robust, -and so red-cheeked a look that they would not appear _like ladies_. The -consequence of this is, that they become like hot-house plants;—the air -must not blow upon them;—and, in this state, they must attend routs and -balls, and midnight assemblies, which send numbers of them to an -untimely grave.[36] If they survive these trials, still they leave -behind a want of health and vigour, which hangs upon them through life, -and they become the nerveless outcasts of nature. They are then unfit to -become the mothers of Englishmen; they twine out a life of _ennui_, and -their generation dies out. I have all my life been grieved to find this -description too often realized. It is paying too dear for female -accomplishments. It is surely desirable that a change should take place, -by which fashionable follies may be narrowed in their boundaries, and a -better line drawn out; prescribed by propriety, affability, modesty, and -good sense, on which the courtesies of life, and the invaluable -embellishments of civilisation, and everything graceful and charming in -society, is founded. I wish the ladies of the British Isles may set the -example, and take the lead in this, so that ignorant rudeness and -vulgarity may be banished from the face of the earth. - -Footnote 36: - - If these assemblies must be kept up—by the gentry who can afford - it—they ought to be held in the day time, that those who attend them - may get their natural rest at night. - -If I could influence the fair sex, there is one thing to which I would -draw their attention; and that is Horticulture; and, connected with -this, I would recommend them, as far as convenient, to become Florists, -as this delightful and healthy employment,—which has been long enough in -the rude hands of men—would entice them into the open air, stimulate -them to exertion, and draw them away from their sedentary mode of life, -mewed up in close rooms, where they are confined like nuns. This would -contribute greatly to their amusement, and exhilarate their spirits. -Every sensible man should encourage the fair sex to follow this pursuit. -What would this world be without their help, to alleviate its burdens? -It would appear a barren waste. It would no longer be a wide-spread -garden of Eden, nor an earthly paradise within the reach of our -enjoyments. May the fruits and flowers of it, reared and presented by -their fair hands, ever operate as a charm in ensuring the attentions and -unabating regard of all men! And of all good men it will. In thus -dictating to them, no embarrassment can follow; and, if they ever know -of the liberty I thus have taken, it will probably be when all -embarrassments are, with me, at an end. And I can only further leave -behind me a wish that health may eternally blush their cheeks, and -virtue their minds. - -Next in consideration to the ladies,—who they must in courtesy -follow,—are the freeholders of this favoured land. Such of these as, by -their attainments, arrive at the degree of gentlemen, are, or ought to -be, the pride and glory of every civilised country in the world. Placed -in opulence and independence, they are, and must be looked up to as, the -patrons of every virtue in the people, who, in their station of life, -may need such help to encourage them. May gentlemen never lose sight of -this important duty, and ever be able to stem the torrent of gambling -and dissipation; so that their ancient mansions may remain in their -names for ever, as pledges of their worth, and as ornaments to the -country. Without their countenance, arts and sciences, and artisans, -would languish, industry would be paralyzed, and barbarism again rear -its benumbed hands and stupid head. It is to be hoped that the business -of their wine vaults, their horses, and their dogs, may cease to be the -main business of their lives, and only be looked to as matters of -amusement wherewith to unbend their minds. And, as no man can, while he -is in possession of his faculties, rest in happiness unless he is -exercising them, and some hobby-horse must engage his attention, it -therefore becomes a question for their consideration in what way they -can best employ themselves. I would earnestly recommend that gentlemen -should endeavour to improve their lands, and lay the foundation of -fertilising them: and instead of spending—perhaps squandering—their -money in follies abroad, as far as possible, spend it at home. The late -good and wise first Lord Ravensworth used to say, there was nothing -grateful but the earth. “You cannot,” said he, “do too much for it; it -will continue to pay tenfold the pains and labour bestowed upon it.” -Estates so managed would then exhibit the appearance of clean-weeded -nurseries. As an act of justice due to the industrious farmer, he ought, -on entering upon his lease, to have his farm valued, and, when his lease -is out, valued again; and, whatever improvements he may have made, ought -to be paid for on his leaving. I am well aware that these remarks may -not be relished by those whose pride, dictated by the wish to domineer, -will not give in to this fair proposal, for fear of the independent -spirit it might rear; but it must be allowed that the landlord could -come to no loss by it, and that the community would be greatly benefited -by the adoption of such a plan. Those gentlemen who have moor lands, -however exposed and bleak they may be, may yet do something to make them -more productive, by enclosing them with dry stone dykes, beset and bound -with ivy, and intersected with whin hedges;[37] and this shelter would -form a bield for sheep and cattle, and besides would produce grass both -in quantity and quality such as never grew there before. - -Footnote 37: - - The very clippings of which (as noticed before) would be healthful - fodder for both sheep and cattle. - -The chief offices which gentlemen and freeholders are called upon to -fulfil are, member of Parliament, magistrate, and juryman. The first is -the most important; but, indeed, in that as well as the others, the -requisite ingredients are honesty and intelligence. If we look at the -wretched tools which boroughmongers obtrude upon the nation, we may -anxiously look to the importance of electing gentlemen who will -unceasingly and boldly oppose such men ever being allowed to sit as -representatives. But these have already gone far on the road towards -paralysing the British constitution, and establishing on its ruins an -oligarchy, which is the worst and most odious of all governments. - -In the troublesome and gratuitous office of magistrate, great sagacity -and penetration are requisite to enable the holders, in their political -capacity, to discriminate between stretching too far the, perhaps, -ill-defined, and often arbitrary laws, beyond the due bounds prescribed -by justice and mercy. They ought to detest being made the tools of -despotic acts of corruption, and being like Turkish Bashaws spread over -the provinces. In their civil capacities, matters come more nearly home -to them; and in this they have much need of cool deliberation, as well -as extreme vigilence, for without these there would be no such thing as -living in peace while such numbers of the dregs of the people remain in -ignorance and depravity. These latter do not know the meaning of either -religion or morality, and it is only the strong arm of the law that can -keep people of this description in order. Their evidence ought always to -be suspected. Oaths have little weight: they are so used to them. One of -our poets says,— - - “Of all the nauseous complicated crimes - “Which both infest and stigmatise the times, - “There’s none which can with impious oaths compare, - “Where vice and folly have an equal share.” - -But, bad as these reprobate oaths are, there are others which I think -are still worse; and these are the numerous oaths used, and indeed -imposed, on so many and on such improper occasions, where Omnipotence is -impiously appealed to in all the little dirty transactions between man -and man. It would be well to remember that an honest man’s word is as -good as his oath,—and so is a rogue’s too. Surely some remedy might be -fallen upon to check these swearing vices; especially perjury, bearing -false witness, as well as when a man is proved to have broken his word -and his honour. - -There is another vice, of an odious complexion, advancing with rapid -strides to enormity, which cries aloud to be checked. Bad men, with -hardened effrontery, only laugh at their breaking down every barrier to -modesty and virtue, and thus disrobing innocence, and rendering deformed -that which ought to be the brightest feature of civilisation. The crime -to which I allude needs only to be examined to convince any one of its -cruelty to the fair sex, and its extensively demoralising influence on -society. Let any man ask himself how he would feel were his daughter or -his sister to be betrayed. This question ought to be fairly canvassed. -Although it will be allowed that men, devoid of honour and modesty, who -have let loose their unbridled, bad passions, will not be easily stopped -in their career, yet, notwithstanding, this evil may be, by the strong -arm of the law, greatly banished from the land, and innate modesty -planted in its stead. - -All men and women in health, and of good character, ought to be -countenanced in marrying; and it is for them to consider whether they -can properly rear and educate a family; and, should there be an -over-abundant population, then colonisation might be resorted to at the -public expense; and this globe will be found large enough to hold -additional millions upon millions of people. There are few contracts -between human beings which should be more delicate than that of -marriage. It is an engagement of the utmost importance to individuals -and to society, and which of all others ought to be the most unbiased; -for it cannot be attended with honour, nor blessed with happiness, if it -has not its origin in mutual affection. The rules to be observed in thus -selecting and fixing the choice are few, simple, and easily understood. -Both males and females, if of unsound constitution, ought to forbear -matrimony. It is the duty of every man to endeavour to get a healthy -woman for the sake of his children, and an amiable one for his own -domestic comfort. The fair sex should observe the like rules. If a woman -marries a man who has broken down his constitution by his own -dissipation, or has imbibed a tainted one from his parents, she must not -be surprised at becoming a nurse to him and his nerveless, puny, -offspring. One cannot help wondering at the uncommon pains a gentleman -will take in buying a horse, to see that the animal is perfectly sound, -and without blemish, and that he should not take the same pains in -choosing a wife, which is of infinitely more importance to him. He, -perhaps to repair his shattered fortune, will marry any woman if she has -plenty of money. She may, indeed, be the innocent heir to the -full-charged hereditary diseases of a pair of voluptuous citizens, just -as that may happen to be. No gentleman need to look far from his home, -to be enabled to meet with an helpmate, possessing every requisite to -make him happy; but, if he cannot meet with such a one, or cannot please -himself in his own neighbourhood, he had better travel in search of one -from Land’s End to John o’ Groat’s House, than not get a proper partner -as the mother of his children. - -I have often thought that the children of gentlemen—boys -particularly—are too soon put to school under improper restraints, and -harassed with education before their minds are fit for it. Were they -sent to the edge of some moor, to scamper about amongst whins and -heather, under the care of some good old man—some mentor—who would teach -them a little every day, without embarrassing them—they would there, in -this kind of preparatory school, lay in a foundation of health, as well -as education. If they were thus allowed to run wild by the sides of -burns—to fish, to wade, and to splash in—they would soon find their -minds intently employed in sports and pleasures of their own choosing. -It would be found that youth so brought up, besides thus working out any -little hereditary ailments, would never forget the charms of the -country, which would impart to them a flow of spirits through life such -as very few, or none, brought up in a town ever know, and, besides this, -lay in a strong frame work on which to build a nervous constitution, -befitting the habitation of an energetic mind and a great soul. Let any -one look at the contrast between men thus brought up, and the generality -of early-matured Lilliputian plants, and he will soon see, with very few -exceptions, the difference, both in body and mind, between them. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XX. - - -THE game laws have for ages past been a miserable source of contention -between those rendered unqualified by severe and even cruel game laws, -and parties who had influence to get these laws enacted for their own -exclusive privilege of killing the game. To convince the intelligent -poor man that the fowls of the air were created only for the rich is -impossible, and will for ever remain so. If it be pleaded that, because -the game are fed on the lands of the latter, they have the exclusive -right to them, this would appear to be carrying the notions of the -sacredness of property too far; for even this ought to have its bounds; -but were this conceded, as property is enjoyed by a rental, and as the -farmers feed the game, they would appear to belong to them more properly -than to any one else. I own I feel great repugnance in saying anything -that might have a tendency to curtail the healthy enjoyments of the -country gentleman, in his field sports, which his fortune and his -leisure enable him so appropriately to pursue; at the same time it is -greatly to be regretted that anything—any over-stretched -distinctions—should ever happen to make a breach between the poor and -the rich. It is, however, to be wished that the unqualified man may find -his attention engaged, and his mind excited in some other way (or by his -business) than that of becoming a poacher. The strange propensity, -however unaccountable, in almost all men TO KILL, and the pleasurable -excitement to do so, is equally strong in the poacher as in the -gentleman sportsman. This excitement, or an extreme desire to exhilarate -the spirits, and to give them energy, as well as pleasure, pervades more -or less, the minds of all mankind, and shows itself in every species of -gambling, from cock-fighting, dog and man fighting, hunting, -horse-racing, and even up to the acme of excitement—or excitement run -mad—that of horrid war. I wish something more rational and better could -be contrived to whet the mind and to rouse its energies; for certain it -is that “the heart that never tastes pleasure shuts up, grows stiff, and -incapable of enjoyment.” The minds of men ought therefore, to be unbent -at certain times,—especially in some constitutions,—to prevent their -becoming nerveless and hypochondriacal, the worst of all diseases, in -which the mind sees everything with an obliquity of intellect, and -creates numberless cruel and imaginary evils which continually surround -and embarrass it. Only let a man who cannot employ himself with some -hobby or other know that he is provided for, and has nothing to do, and -it will soon be seen how _ennui_, with benumbing steps, will thrust -itself upon him, and what a stupid and unhappy being he is. - -If I have reasoned correctly in the foregoing observations, it is, then, -desirable that sports and pastimes should be resorted to that might, in -many cases, turn out to public good. For this purpose, I have often -thought that small sums might be subscribed and collected to be given as -a prize to the best shot at a mark. The utility and national purpose of -this scheme may at some time be felt; for, so long as surrounding -despots can gather together immense mercenary armies, they ought to be -effectually guarded against, and they certainly might be as effectually -checked by hundreds of thousands of riflemen, (including the militia), -thus trained for the defence of the kingdom, at a comparatively small -expense. They might have their bullets made of baked clay, which would -probably be as efficient as those made of lead, and cost almost nothing. - -The last subject I shall notice, as being kept up by unequal and unjust -laws, is the fisheries, throughout the kingdom. The laws made respecting -them originated in the times of feudal tyranny, when “might was right,” -and everything was carried with a high hand. It was then easy for an -overbearing aristocracy, by their influence, to get grants and charters -made entirely on their own behalf. The rights of the community were set -at nought, or were treated with contempt. But those days are passed -away; the march of intellect is spreading over the world; and all public -matters are now viewed with feelings of a very different kind than when -such laws were made, and which ought to have been repealed long since; -but they are still in force, and will continue so as long as the potent -feelings of over-stretched self-interest are allowed to guide those who -have the power to keep the grasp of this their antiquated hold: for such -can hear no reason against their private interest, however unanswerable -it may be. No reasonable plea can ever be set up, to show that the fish -of rivers ought to be the private property of any one. Can it be -pretended that because a river or a rivulet, passes through an estate, -whether the owner of it will or not, that the fish which breed in it, or -which live in it, ought to be his? They are not like the game, which are -all fed by the farmer, for fish cost nobody anything; therefore, in -common justice, they ought to belong to the public, and ought to be -preserved for the public good, in every county through which the rivers -pass, and be let at a rental from the clerk of the peace, and the money -arising therefrom applied to making bridges and roads, or for county or -other rates. Stewards ought to be appointed to receive the rents, and a -committee of auditors elected annually, by ballot, as a check upon the -management of the whole. If the fisheries were not thus rented, the -public would derive little benefit from such an immense supply of food; -for without they were thus disposed of each county would soon be -over-run with such numbers of poachers as would become intolerable. All -this, however, ought to be well considered; for, notwithstanding the -selfish principle which dictated the original grants of the -fisheries,—long since obtained,—the present possessors are not to blame, -and suddenly to deprive any man of what he has been accustomed to -receive may be deemed a harsh measure, and in some cases a cruel one; -therefore some equitable sum should be paid to the owners at once, as a -remuneration in lieu of all future claims; as fish ought not to be -considered as an inheritance to descend to the heirs of any one. - -From about the year 1760 to ’67, when a boy, I was frequently sent by my -parents to purchase a salmon from the fishers of the “strike” at -Eltringham ford. At that time, I never paid more, and often less, than -three halfpence per pound (mostly a heavy, guessed weight, about which -they were not exact). Before, or perhaps about this time, there had -always been an article inserted in every indenture in Newcastle, that -the apprentice was not to be obliged to eat salmon above twice a week, -and the like bargain was made upon hiring ordinary servants. It need not -be added that the _salmo_ tribe then teemed in abundance in the Tyne, -and there can be little doubt that the same immense numbers would return -to it again were proper measures pursued to facilitate their passage -from the sea to breed. All animals, excepting fish, only increase, but -they multiply, and that in so extraordinary a degree as to set all -calculation at defiance. It is well known that they ascend every river, -rivulet, and burn, in search of proper places to deposit their spawn; -and this is the case both with those kinds which quit the sea, and those -which never leave the fresh water. In their thus instinctively searching -for proper spawning places, they make their way up to such shallows as -one would think it impossible for any animal wanting legs and feet ever -to crawl up to; therefore every improper weir or dam that obstructs -their free passage ought to be thrown down, as they are one great cause -of the salmon quitting the proper spawning places in the river, to -return to spawn in the sea as well as they can; where, it is fair to -conclude, their fry, or their roe, are swallowed up by other fish, as -soon as they, or it, are spread abroad along the shores. - -It will readily be perceived, that the fishers’ weirs are made chiefly -with a view of preventing their neighbour fishers from coming in for -their due share; but, were the fisheries let, as before named, the -different fishing places would then be planned out by the stewards, as -well as remedying other faults with an impartial hand. There are, -besides weirs and dams, other causes which occasion the falling off of -the breed of salmon, by greatly preventing them from entering and making -their way up rivers for the purpose of spawning. They have a great -aversion to passing through impure water, and even snow-water stops -them; for they will lie still, and wait until it runs off. The filth of -manufactories is also very injurious, as well as the refuse which is -washed off the uncleaned streets of large towns by heavy rains. Were -this filth in all cases led away and laid on the land, it would be of -great value to the farmer, and persons should be appointed to do that -duty, not in a slovenly or lazy manner, but with punctuality and -despatch. In this the health and comfort of the inhabitants of towns -ought to be considered as of great importance to them, as well as that -of keeping the river as pure as possible on account of the fish. - -Should the evils attendant upon weirs and dams, and other matters, be -rectified, then the next necessary step to be taken should be the -appointment of river conservators and vigilant guards to protect the -kipper, or spawning fish, from being killed while they are in this -sickly and imbecile state. They are then so easily caught, that, -notwithstanding they are very unwholesome as food, very great numbers -are taken in the night, which are eaten by poor people, who do not know -how pernicious they are. But, should all these measures be found not -fully to answer public expectation, the time now allowed for fishing -might be shortened, and in some years, if ever found necessary, the -fishing might be laid in for a season. - -The next important question for consideration, is respecting what can be -done to prevent the destruction of salmon on their first entering a -river, and while they are in full perfection, by their most powerful and -most conspicuously destructive enemy, the porpoise. - -I have seen a shoal of porpoises, off Tynemouth, swimming abreast of -each other, and thus occupying a space of apparently more than a hundred -yards from the shore, seawards, and crossing the mouth of the river, so -that no salmon could enter it. They went backward and forward for more -than a mile, along shore, and with such surprising rapidity that, in -their course, they caused a foam to arise, like the breakers of the sea -in a storm. Might not a couple of steam packets, with strong nets, sweep -on shore hundreds of these at a time? Perhaps by giving premiums for -catching them they might be greatly thinned, and their tough skins be -tanned, or otherwise prepared, so as to be applied to some use. Oil -might be obtained partly to pay for the trouble of taking this kind of -fish; and, lastly, they might be used as an article of food. They were -eaten formerly even by the gentry: and why not make the attempt to apply -them to that purpose again? Perhaps, by pickling or drying them, and by -other aids of cookery, they might prove good and wholesome; for every -animal in season is so, which, when out of season, is quite the reverse. - -If the parent fishes of the _salmo_ tribe were protected, the fry would -soon be seen to swarm in incredible numbers, and perhaps a pair of them -would spawn more than all the anglers from the source to the mouth of -any river could fairly catch in one season. Having from a boy been an -angler, it is with feelings painfully rankling in my mind that I live in -dread (from hints already given) of this recreation being abridged or -stopped. Angling has from time immemorial been followed, and ought to be -indulged in unchecked by arbitrary laws, as the birthright of everyone, -but particularly of the sedentary and the studious. It is cruel to think -of debarring the fair angler, by any checks whatever; the salmon fishers -may, indeed, begrudge to see such fill his creel with a few scores of -the fry; because what is taken might in a short time return to them as -full-grown salmon (for all fish, as well as birds, return to the same -places where they were bred); but, for reasons before named, this -selfishness should not be attended to for a moment, and the fisheries -ought to be taken subject to this kind of toll or imaginary grievance. - -I have always felt extremely disgusted at what is called preserved -waters (except fish ponds); that is, where the fish in these waters are -claimed exclusively as private property. The disposition which sets up -claims of this kind is the same as would—if it could—sell the sea, and -the use of the sun and the rain. Here the angler is debarred by the -surly, selfish owner of the adjoining land, the pleasure of enjoying the -most healthful and comparatively the most innocent of all diversions. It -unbends the minds of the sedentary and the studious, whether it may be -those employed at their desks, or “the pale artist plying his sickly -trade,” and enables such to return to their avocations, or their -studies, with renovated energy, to labour for their own or for the -public good. But as any thing, however good in itself, may be abused, -therefore some regulations should be laid down as a guide to the fair -angler in this his legitimate right, and some check imposed upon the -poacher, who might be inclined to stop at nothing, however unfair. I -think Waltonian societies would be all-sufficient to manage these -matters, if composed of men of good character and good sense. There -ought to be one of these societies established in the principal town in -each district, and to have its honorary members branched out into the -more distant parts. Perhaps a fine imposed, or even the frowns of the -society, might be sufficient to deter poachers. The object ought to be, -to regulate the times for angling, and to discountenance, or send to -Coventry, such as spend almost the whole of their time in “beating the -streams.” They ought also to keep a watchful eye over such as care not -how or in what manner they take fish, so as they may only get plenty of -them. The “Honourable Society of Waltonians” ought to use every means in -their power to protect the “glittering inhabitants of the waters” from -being unfairly taken or destroyed. Pought nets ought to be prohibited, -as well as all catching of the salmon fry in mill races, by putting -thorn bushes into them, to stop their passing through, and then letting -off the water. In this way, a cart load of these have often been known -to be taken at once. Another method, still more destructive than this, -is far too often put in practice; that is, what is called liming the -burns. This ought to be utterly put a stop to by severe punishments. A -clown, from ignorance,—but, perhaps, from something worse,—puts a few -clots of unslaked, or quick, lime into a pool, or hole, in a burn, for -the sake of killing a few trouts that he sees in it; and thus poisons -the water running down to the rivulet, or the river, destroying every -living creature to such a distance as may seem incredible. The attentive -angler must sometimes have observed the almost invisible, incipient, -living spawn in thousands, appearing only like floating mud, sunning -themselves on a shallow sand-bank, which, as soon as the water thus -poisoned reaches them, they drop down like mud indeed, and are no more -seen. - -How vividly do recollections of the enjoyment angling has afforded me -return to the mind, now when those days have passed away, never more to -return. Like the pleasing volume of the patriarch of anglers—Izaac -Walton—volumes might yet be written to point out and to depicture the -beautiful scenery of woods and water sides, in the midst of which the -pleasures attendant upon this exhilarating and health-restoring, hungry, -exercise is pursued. How many narratives of the exploits of the days -thus spent might be raked up to dwell upon, when they are all over, like -a pleasing dream! - -Well do I remember mounting the stile which gave the first peep of the -curling or rapid stream, over the intervening, dewy, daisy-covered -holme—boundered by the early sloe, and the hawthorn-blossomed hedge—and -hung in succession with festoons of the wild rose, the tangling -woodbine, and the bramble, with their bewitching foliage—and the fairy -ground—and the enchanting music of the lark, the blackbird, the -throstle, and the blackcap, rendered soothing and plaintive by the -cooings of the ringdove, which altogether charmed, but perhaps retarded, -the march to the brink of the scene of action, with its willows, its -alders, or its sallows—where early I commenced the days’ patient -campaign. The pleasing excitements of the angler still follow him, -whether he is engaged in his pursuits amidst scenery such as I have -attempted to describe, or on the heathery moor, or by burns guttered out -by mountain torrents, and boundered by rocks or grey moss-covered -stones, which form the rapids and the pools in which is concealed his -beautiful yellow and spotted prey. Here, when tired and alone, I used to -open my wallet and dine on cold meat and coarse rye bread, with an -appetite that made me smile at the trouble people put themselves to in -preparing the sumptuous feast; the only music in attendance was perhaps -the murmuring burn, the whistling cry of the curlew, the solitary water -ouzel, or the whirring wing of the moor game. I would, however, -recommend to anglers not to go alone; a trio of them is better, and -mutual assistance is often necessary. - -It is foreign to my purpose to give any history, in this place, of the -various kinds of fishes which anglers pursue; of this there is no need, -for, I think, more treatises on this subject than on any other have been -printed, to direct the angler to perfection in his art. But I cannot -help noticing, as matter of regret, that more pains have not been taken -to multiply fish, and to increase the breed of eels, as every permanent -pool might so easily be fully stocked with them; and the latter are, -when properly cooked, the most delicious of all fish kind. Walton has -been particular in describing his mode of cooking them; but, unless he -killed them beforehand, his method is a very cruel one. - -In thus dwelling on subjects which stimulate man eagerly to pursue the -work of destruction, and to extend his power over those animals of which -he considers himself as the lord and master, and that they are destined -to contribute to his pleasures or to his support, yet he ought not -totally to forget that what is sport to him is death to them, and that -the less of cruelty the better. - -I think, had I not begun so early to be an angler, and before feelings -of tenderness had entered the mind, my eagerness for angling might have -been, on this score, somewhat abated; but I argued myself into a belief -that fish had little sense, and scarcely any feeling, and they certainly -have very much less of either than any of the land animals; but we see -through all nature that one kind of animal seems destined to prey upon -another, and fishes are the most voracious of all. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXI. - - -NOT having seen Edinburgh since August, 1776, I longed to see it again, -and set out on this journey on the 11th August, 1823, and went through -by coach on that day. I always thought highly of Edinburgh and its bold -and commanding situation; but the new town, or city of palaces, as it is -sometimes called, had been added to it since I had seen it. But all -these splendid buildings are of trivial import compared with the mass of -intellect and science which had taken root and had been nurtured and -grown up to such a height as to rival, and perhaps to outstrip, every -other city in the world. My stay was only a fortnight; and this was a -busy time, both as to its being taken up with the kindness and -hospitality met with everywhere as well as in visiting its various -scientific and other establishments. It being at a vacation season, when -most of the learned professors were out of town, I saw only Professors -Jameson and Wallace, and was often at the table of the former, which was -surrounded by men of learning and science who visited him from all parts -of the world. The attentions of Professor Wallace were most friendly. He -shewed me the use of the Eidograph, an instrument which he had invented -for the purpose of either reducing or enlarging a drawing or design most -accurately to any size that might be required. I visited Patrick Neil, -Esq., and was much pleased with seeing the tamed birds and other -curiosities which embellished his little paradise. His uncommon kindness -will ever remain impressed upon my memory. I also often called upon my -friend, Mr. Archibald Constable, accounted the first bookseller in -Scotland; and, although he was unwell at the time, I partook of his kind -attentions. I visited the splendid exhibition of paintings of the late -Sir Henry Raeburn, Bart., the rooms of Mr. William Allan, historical -painter, Mr. Stewart, engraver, and those of several others who were -absent. With other artists, who were known to me, I spent some time in -several calls. These calls were upon my old friend, Mr. Nasmyth, -landscape painter; my townsman, Mr. Wm. Nicholson; Mr. James Kirkwood, -now up in years, but who had in his prime led the way to excellence in -engraving. I also paid my respects to the son and successor of my kind -friend of former days, the late Mr. Hector Gavin; and the same to the -sons and successors of the late Mr. D. Lizars. All these had attained to -that degree of excellence which did honour to Edinburgh, now the seat of -learning, and rendered brilliant by the gems of art, and by the science -with which it is adorned. I have almost forgotten to name my being -introduced to Messrs. Ballantyne and Robertson, lithographic printers. -Whilst I was in their office, the latter pressed me to make a sketch on -the stone for him. I was then preparing to leave Edinburgh, and the only -time left me was so short that I was obliged to draw this sketch before -breakfast the next morning, and the proofs were taken from it on the -same day. In doing this, though very slight, I could see what that -manner of making prints was capable of. I left Edinburgh on the 23rd -August, 1823, and I think I shall see Scotland no more. - -After my journeys (long ago) to Cherryburn were ended, I used, as -formerly, seldom to miss going in the mornings to Elswick Lane, to drink -whey, or buttermilk, and commonly fell in with a party who went there -for the same purpose; and this kind of social intercourse continued for -many years. I also, at that time, on the Sunday afternoons, went to -visit and contemplate in the church-yards, and there give vent to my -mind, in feelings of regret, and in repeating a kind of soliloquy over -the graves of those with whom I had been intimate. - - “And then I lov’d to haunt lone burial places, - Pacing the church-yard path with noiseless tread, - To pore on new-made graves for ghastly traces,— - Brown crumbling bones of the forgotten dead.” - -I recounted in my memory the numbers of my friends thus put by to be -forgotten, amongst the millions of others who had been for longer or -shorter periods also in this world, and who have passed away into -Eternity. Even the “frail memorial”—erected to “_perpetuate_ the -_memory_” of those who had been esteemed—seemed to be of little avail, -and their mementos, as well as those decked out with ornamented -flatteries, would, in time, all go to decay, and be no longer remembered -than until all who once knew them were also dead; and the numbers of -both the one and the other appeared to me to be so immense that to -estimate them seemed impossible, and like attempting to count the grains -of sand on the sea beach. It is thus that the grave swallows all up -without distinction. The true estimate of their various merits can only -be known to the Creator of all. It appears clear to those whose souls -habitually adore and commune with Him, while they remain in this state -of probation, that He will, in His infinite goodness, wisdom, truth, -justice, and mercy—place everyone, on quitting this mortal abode, in the -unknowable worlds befitting their reception. - -Besides the temporary mementos dedicated to private worth, others of a -different character may have their use. Monuments might therefore be -erected to those who have, by their virtues and patriotism, promoted the -happiness of mankind. It is a debt of gratitude due to the Author of our -being for the loan of departed worth, and may stimulate others “to do so -likewise.” The posthumous praise or blame of the world is to them of no -avail; they are done with all things on this side of Time, and are out -of the reach of both the one and the other. - -While I was pursuing my ramblings in the Highlands, and beheld with -admiration the great projecting rocks so often to be seen holding up -their bare heads to the winds, it struck me that it was a great pity -they could not be converted to some use: and the best I could think of -was, that the illustrious names of Wallace and Bruce—as well as those of -their other worthies—should be inscribed upon them, to hold up their -heads with these names to the sun for ever. I have often thought since, -that the bare rocks in other parts of our islands might with good effect -be filled up in the same way. The first name to be fixed upon ought to -be that of Alfred the Great, followed by many others—statesmen, -patriots, philosophers, poets, &c.—who have shone out like polished -diamonds, and who have embellished and illumined this country, and -civilized the world. Their venerated names, with their maxims, or -quotations from their works, would fill up many of these rocks, which -are waiting for them, and might make all who beheld them inclined to -profit by, or to imitate, their virtues. How many incomparably good, -wise, and beautiful texts from the Bible might also with great propriety -be added to fill up every vacant spot. I often lamented that I had not -the means to enable me to be at the expense of getting such quotations -inscribed in this way. Often, while angling on a hot, sunny day, which -slackened my sport, I have sat down by the water side, and thought over -some of the beautiful lines of our poets, fit to be applied in this way; -and remember my having thought of those lines of Cunningham, which I -would, if I could have afforded it, have committed to the care of a -rock. He says:— - - “How smooth that rapid river glides - Progressive to the deep! - The poppies pendent o’er its sides - Have lull’d the waves to sleep. - - “Pleasure’s intoxicated sons! - Ye indolent! ye gay! - Reflect,—for as the river runs - Time wings his trackless way.” - -How easy would it be for gentlemen to get the names of the illustrious -dead thus inscribed upon rocks; or, where that could not be done, to -erect pillars, or small obelisks, over copious springs (like the holy -wells of old), to contain such inscriptions as those I have hinted at, -and thus leave these their marks behind them; and which would long -continue to put the passing stranger in mind of some religious, moral, -or patriotic sentiment; and, while he was refreshing himself by -quenching his thirst, he might be put in mind that— - - “Man wants but little here below, - Nor wants that little long.” - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXII. - - -HAVING already noticed my beginnings, or first efforts, in engraving on -wood; and as at that time this department of the arts was at the very -lowest ebb in this country, and, I believe, also in every other country -in Europe, it may perhaps be of some use, or at least may excite some -curiosity, to know the part I took in renewing, or bringing into use, -this to me new art, as far as I was able, with the slender means in my -hands, and the many difficulties I had to contend with and surmount, -before anything like an approach towards perfection could be arrived at. -I ought first distinctly to state that, at that time, it never entered -into my head that it was a branch of art that would stand pre-eminent -for utility, or that it could ever in the least compete with engraving -on copper. I ought also to observe that no vain notions of my arriving -at any eminence ever passed through my mind, and that the sole stimulant -with me was the pleasure I derived from imitating natural objects (and I -had no other patterns to go by), and the opportunity it afforded me of -making and drawing my designs on the wood, as the only way I had in my -power of giving vent to a strong propensity to gratify my feelings in -this way. In process of time, however, as I began to improve, and seeing -the practical use printers were making of wood cuts, the utility and -importance of them began to be unfolded to my view; and the more I have -since thought upon the subject, the more I am confirmed in the opinions -I have entertained, that the use of wood cuts will know no end, or, so -long as the importance of printing is duly appreciated and the liberty -of the press held sacred. - -The first difficulty I felt, as I proceeded, was in getting the cuts I -had executed printed so as to look anything like my drawings on the -blocks of wood, nor corresponding to the labour I had bestowed upon the -cutting of the designs. At that time pressmen were utterly ignorant as -to any proper effect that was to be produced; or even, if one of them -possessed any notions of excellence beyond the common run of workmen, -his materials for working were so defective that he could not execute -even what he himself wished to accomplish. The common pelt balls then in -use, so daubed the cut, and blurred and overlapped its edges, that the -impression looked disgusting. To remedy this defect, I was obliged -carefully to shave down the edges round about; and this answered the end -I had in view. The next difficulty was worse to surmount, and required a -long time to get over it; and that was, to lower down the surface on all -the parts I wished to appear pale, so as to give the appearance of the -required distance; and this process will always continue to call forth -and to exercise the judgment of every wood engraver, even after he knows -what effect his _careful pressman_ maybe enabled to produce, from this -his manner of cutting. On this all artists must form their own ideas. I -think no exact description can be laid down as a rule for others to go -by: they will by practice have to find out this themselves. While I was -patiently labouring and contending with difficulties which I could not -overcome, I was shown some impressions from wood cuts done long ago, -with cross-hatching, such as I thought I should never be able to -execute. These were from wood cuts by Albert Durer, and perhaps some -others of his day, in the collection of the Rev. John Brand, the -Newcastle Historian; and from these I concluded that Albert Durer must -have had some very easy way of loading his blocks with such an useless -profusion of cross-hatching, or he would not have done them so, unless, -indeed, he had found out some easy means of etching the wood (or perhaps -metal plates), quite unknown to me; but, if otherwise, I then, in -changing my opinion, could think of no other way than that he must have -cut his blocks on the plank or side way of the wood, on which it would -be more easy to pick out the interstices between the squares, or the -lozenge-shaped lines, than as I (at that time) thought it possible to do -on the end way of the wood. One of these plank blocks, said to have been -drawn by Albert Durer, was shown to me by my kind friend George Allan, -Esq., of the Grange, Darlington. The drawing, which was done with great -accuracy, seemed to me to have been done by a crow-quill, with a kind of -varnish ink, the strokes of which, from their regularity, looked as if -they had been printed from a well-executed copper plate, and transferred -to the block. After labouring for some time, endeavouring to produce the -like effect on my blocks, on the end way of the wood, not indeed to my -satisfaction, I felt mortified in not succeeding to my wish; and I then -began to think the impressions must have been printed from two blocks. -This, indeed, I soon found to be quite easy to do, as well as being -beautifully correct; and any artist may see this in a few minutes, by -cutting parallel lines on a piece of wood, and from it taking, by his -hand, an impression on a piece of paper, and then again inking the same -cut, and printing it in the same way, either directly in a cross or in -an oblique direction, upon the first impression. This can also easily be -done, from two cuts, at a printing press, and is much easier to do, and -better than the labour necessarily bestowed upon one cross-hatched -block. When I had accomplished this, and satisfied myself that the -process was both simple and perfect, as to obtaining the object I so -much wanted, my curiosity on this score ceased, and I then concluded -that in this way the cross-hatching might be set aside as a thing of no -use at all. The artists indeed of the present day have brought it to -such a pitch of perfection that I do not know that it can be carried any -further; and in this they have also been so marvellously aided by the -improved methods now used in printing their cuts, that one would be led -to conclude that this department has also attained to perfection; and, -had this not been the case, the masterly execution of wood cuts, either -by crossed lines, or otherwise, would have continued to be beheld with -disgust or contempt. I have long been of opinion that the cross-hatching -of wood cuts, for book work, is a waste of time; as every desired effect -can be much easier obtained by plain parallel lines. The other way is -not the legitimate object of wood engraving. Instead of imitating the -manner of copper etchings, at a great cost of labour and time, on the -wood, such drawings might have been as soon etched on the copper at -once; and, where a large impression of any publication was not required, -the copper plate would have cost less, and lasted long enough for the -purpose intended. I never could discover any additional beauty or colour -that the crossed strokes gave to the impression, beyond the effect -produced by plain parallel lines. This is very apparent when to a -certainty the plain surface of the wood will print as black as ink and -balls can make it, without any further labour at all; and it may easily -be seen that the thinnest strokes cut upon the plain surface will throw -_some light_ on the subject or design: and, if these strokes are made -wider and deeper, it will receive more light; and if these strokes, -again, are made still wider, or of equal thickness to the black lines, -the colour these produce will be a grey; and the more the white strokes -are thickened, the nearer will they, in their varied shadings, approach -to white, and, if quite taken away, then a perfect white is obtained. -The methods I have pursued appear to me to be the simple and easy -perfection of wood engraving for book printing, and, no doubt, will -appear better or worse according to the ability of the artist who -executes them. The first time I ever heard anything about colour being -produced by plain engraving was in the compliments paid me by Dr. Thos. -Stout, for my engraving on his large silver box. The device, or design, -I have now forgotten, but never what he said on the occasion; and from -that time I attempted _colour_ upon the wood; and, though I felt much -difficulty in my attempts at producing it, yet the principle is there, -and will shine out under the skill and management of any eminent -engraver on wood who is gifted with a painter’s eye; and his work will -be complete if seconded by a pressman of ability, who may happen to have -a talent and fellow-feeling for the art. - -I have before noticed my lowering down the surface of the wood, in order -to produce the effect of distance, and the same thing holds good with -every figure where different shades of colour is desired. Leaving the -surface of the block without being pared down at all, and relying only -on the lines being left thicker or smaller for producing the requisite -depth of shade, this surface thus left acts as a support to the more -delicate lines, which have been engraved on the lowered part of the cut. -After all the parts are thus lowered, a further paring down of the edges -of the various figures which the cut contains may be necessary to -prevent their appearing as if surrounded by a white line. The delicate -lines thus lowered, go as to print pale or distant parts, and thus -protected by the stronger lines left on the surface—a wood cut, with -care, will print an incredible number: how many it may be difficult -exactly to say; but it once happened that I had the opportunity given me -of guessing pretty nearly at this, from the calculation of the late Mr. -S. Hodgson, when he called upon me with a gentleman (a stranger to me) -who seemed extremely curious to know everything respecting engraving on -wood. One of his queries was made with a view of ascertaining how many -impressions a wood cut would print. Not having anything in mind at the -moment, to enable me to satisfy him, I began to consider, and it then -struck me that a little delicate cut—a view of Newcastle—was done for -Mr. H. many years before, as a _fac_ for his newspaper. I then turned to -the date in my ledger, when he calculated exactly, and found it had -printed above 900,000. This cut was continued in the newspaper several -years afterwards. It was protected in the manner before noticed by a -strong black line, or border, surrounding it, within which the surface -was lowered previous to cutting the view. This cut is still kept; and, -except being somewhat damaged by being tossed about amongst other -castaway cuts, might, by being a little repaired, yet print many -thousands. This is mentioned with a view to show the great length of -time that cuts done in this way will last, if they are carefully -adjusted to the height of the type, and kept out of the hands of -ignorant, rude pressmen. - -I am of opinion that cuts done in the manner called surface-cutting -cannot stand anything like so large an impression as when they are -lowered thus; for the delicate lines, when left on the surface, must -soon break down from the heavy pressure to which they are exposed. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIII. - - -IT is foreign to my purpose to criticize the works of brother artists of -the present day. I behold their excellent productions with pleasure; in -them there is no falling off: they surpass those of the artists of the -olden times. I cannot, however, help lamenting that, in all the -vicissitudes which the art of wood engraving has undergone, some species -of it is lost and done away: I mean the large blocks with the prints -from them, so common to be seen when I was a boy in every cottage and -farm house throughout the country. These blocks, I suppose, from their -size, must have been cut on the plank way on beach, or some other kind -of close-grained wood; and from the immense number of impressions from -them, so cheaply and extensively spread over the whole country, must -have given employment to a great number of artists, in this inferior -department of wood cutting; and must also have formed to them an -important article of traffic. These prints, which were sold at a very -low price, were commonly illustrative of some memorable exploits, or -were, perhaps, the portraits of eminent men, who had distinguished -themselves in the service of their country, or in their patriotic -exertions to serve mankind. Besides these, there were a great variety of -other designs, often with songs added to them of a moral, a patriotic, -or a rural tendency, which served to enliven the circle in which they -were admired. To enumerate the great variety of these _pictures_ would -be a task. A constant one in every house, was “King Charles’ Twelve Good -Rules.” Amongst others were representations of remarkable victories at -sea, and battles on land, often accompanied with portraits of those who -commanded, and others who had borne a conspicuous part in these contests -with the enemy. The house at Ovingham, where our dinner poke was taken -care of when at school, was hung round with views or representations of -the battles of Zondorf, and several others; also the portraits of Tom -Brown, the valiant grenadier, of Admiral Haddock, Admiral Benbow, and -other portraits of admirals. There was also a representation of the -“Victory” man-of-war, of 100 guns, commanded by Admiral Sir John -Balchen, and fully manned with 1,100 picked seamen and volunteers, all -of whom, with this uncommonly fine ship, were lost—_sunk to the bottom -of the sea_. This was accompanied by a poetical lament of the -catastrophe, part of which was— - - “Ah! hapless Victory, what avails - Thy towering masts, thy spreading sails.” - -Some of the portraits, I recollect, now and then to be met with, were -very well done in this way, on wood. In Mr. Gregson’s kitchen, one of -this character hung against the wall many years. It was a remarkably -good likeness of Captain Coram. In cottages everywhere were to be seen -the “Sailor’s Farewell” and his “Happy Return,” “Youthful Sports,” and -the “Feats of Manhood,” “The Bold Archers Shooting at a Mark,” “The Four -Seasons,” &c. Some subjects were of a funny—others of a grave character. -I think the last portraits I remember were of some of the rebel lords -and “Duke Willy.” These kind of wood cut pictures are long since quite -gone out of fashion, which I feel very sorry for, and most heartily wish -they could be revived. It is desirable, indeed, that the subjects should -be well chosen; for it must be of great importance that such should be -the case; as, whatever can serve to instil morality and patriotism into -the minds of the whole people must tend greatly to promote their own -happiness and the good of the community. All men, however poor they may -be, ought to feel that this is their country, as well as it is that of -the first nobleman of the land; and, if so, they will be equally as -interested in its happiness and prosperity. - -There is another way, not yet indeed entered upon, of similar import to -the foregoing, in which prints might with good effect be made of -subjects fit to embellish almost every house throughout our country: and -that is from wood blocks printed in colours, like paper-hangings. Having -seen some such done by paper-stainers, so as almost to equal good -paintings, leads me to wish that this method could be pursued—for the -same ends as those already noticed. The most remarkable productions of -art of this kind from blocks done to print in colours, like beautiful -little paintings, were sent to me by Gubitz, of Berlin; they might -indeed be said to be perfection. Several impressions from duplicate or -triplicate blocks, printed in this way, of a very large size, were also -given to me, as well as a drawing of the press from which they were -printed, many years ago, by Jean Baptiste Jackson, who had been -patronized by the king of France; but, whether these prints had been -done with the design of embellishing the walls of houses in that -country, I know not. They had been taken from paintings of eminent old -masters, and were mostly Scripture pieces. They were well drawn, and -perhaps correctly copied from the originals, yet in my opinion none of -them looked well. Jackson left Newcastle quite enfeebled with age, and, -it was said, ended his days in an asylum, under the protecting care of -Sir Gilbert Elliot, bart., at some place on the border near the Teviot, -or on Tweedside. - -Whether the speculations here noticed may be thought worthy of being -acted upon, I know not, but it is not to any of the above noticed ways -of wood cutting that my attention is directed: it is, in my ardent -desire to see the _stroke_ engraving on wood carried to the utmost -perfection, that I hope the world will be gratified; and I trust the -time is not distant when its superior excellence will be seen, -particularly in landscape scenery, so as to surpass bank notes -engravings. The effect to be produced by wood engraving has not, in that -way, yet been tried, nor its powers made apparent. This is, I think, to -be attained by two, or even more, blocks being employed, on one print, -so that a greater and more natural effect—as to colour and softness—may -be produced. I am well aware that some difficulty may arise, as to -bringing off a clear impression of fine strokes from so large a surface, -but in this age of mechanical improvement and invention, I think this -apparent difficulty will readily be got over. Perhaps printing from a -roller, instead of an even down pull, may easily accomplish this -business. I have often thought, had William Woollett been a wood -engraver, he would have shown its excellence long ago: his prints from -copper have not been equalled; but, from the nature of the wood, and the -effect it produces, he would have advanced a step further, and on it -have outdone his excellence on copper. If I live, health and sight -continued, I will make the attempt to show that all this is not a -visionary theory. Should I not live to get this Memoir printed under my -own inspection,—or whether it will ever be printed at all, I know -not,—but at any rate the manuscript itself will show, were that -necessary, how ardently I have ever wished well to arts and artists; and -though, in my endeavours to show this, I have often been thwarted and -disappointed, yet I never lost sight of my object, nor became -disheartened in my struggles to fight through, and surmount numberless -difficulties and bars thrown in my way. - -I have already noticed my brother John, as my first pupil, and therefore -have little further to say respecting him, only, that Nature seemed to -have befitted him for becoming a first-rate artist; but, at the time he -was with me, the thoughts of arriving at excellence did not enter into -our heads, and he left the world at the time when wood engraving was -only beginning to be looked upon as a matter of any interest. 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 engraving 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. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXIV. - - -HOW far I may venture further to obtrude my opinions, or advice, on the -notice of artists, particularly engravers on wood, I know not, but they -may readily imagine that I cannot help feeling a deep interest, and an -ardent desire, that the art may long flourish, and that those who follow -it may feel happy in the pursuit. Perhaps what I have already said may -not be uninteresting to some of them, and, if I knew how I could go -further, in any way that might urge or stimulate them to feel enthusiasm -for this art, it should not be wanting; for the wish, though tottering -on the down-hill of life, is extended beyond the grave. - -The sedentary artist ought, if possible, to have his dwelling in the -country, where he can follow his business undisturbed, surrounded by -pleasing rural scenery, and the fresh air. He ought not to sit at work -too long at a time, but to unbend his mind with some variety of -employment; for which purpose it is desirable that artists, with their -_little cots_, shall also have each a garden attached, in which they may -find both exercise and amusement, and only occasionally visit the city -or the smoky town; and that chiefly for the purpose of meetings with -their brother artists, in which they may make an interchange of their -sentiments, and commune with each other as to whatever regards the arts. -Were I allowed to become their M.D., my prescription should cost them -nothing, and be easily taken—it being only attentively to observe two or -three rules, the first of which is, that they will contrive to be very -hungry once a day, never to overload the stomach, nor indulge to satiety -in eating anything. By persisting in this, they will find their reward -in great good health, and a vigorous, unclouded mind: by a little -observation they may clearly see that a great portion of mankind “live -to eat”—not eat to live.[38] To say more to men of sense and -artists,—which a desire to contribute everything in my power towards -their peace of mind and happiness prompts me to do,—I may be allowed to -add, that those of them who have attained to eminence will find -themselves pursued by envy; for “There is no species of hatred greater -than that which a man of mediocrity bears to a man of genius; his reach -of thought, his successful combinations, and his sudden felicities are -never forgiven by those whom nature has fashioned in a less perfect -mould.” - -Footnote 38: - - All youths, but especially those who follow sedentary employments, - ought to exercise with dumb-bells half-an-hour or so before going to - bed, and at other times when convenient. Were this more practised, we - should hear of few dying of consumption. - -It is the duty of parents and guardians to endeavour, with the utmost -care, to discover the capacities and fitness of youth for any business -before they engage in it; for, without they are innately gifted with the -power of becoming artists, the want of that power will cause the pursuit -to be felt by them as up-hill work, and be productive of unhappiness to -them through life. But the fondness of parents for their offspring is -mostly such as to blind them in forming a judgment, and disappointment -is sure to follow. It would be well for such parents to read Gay’s fable -of “The Owl, the Swan, the Cock, the Spider, the Ass, and the Farmer.” -It may indeed be conceded that there are some rare exceptions to this -general rule; for a man may be so formed in body and mind—with such -symmetry and health in the one, and such energy in the other—that he may -advance a great way towards perfection in anything he ardently pursues. -But an “Admirable Chrichton,” or a Sir Joshua Reynolds, does not often -appear. Men so gifted by nature, whether as artists, or in any other way -where intellectual powers are to be drawn forth, ought never to despair -of rising to eminence, or to imagine that they can never equal such men -as have excelled all others in their day. It ought to be kept in mind -that the same superintending Providence which gifted those men with -talents to excite wonder and to improve society from time to time, in -all ages, still rules the world and the affairs of mankind, and will -continue to do so for ever, as often as the services of such men are -wanted; and this consideration ought to act as a stimulant to their -successors, to endeavour to surpass in excellence the brilliant -luminaries who have only gone before them to pave the way and to -enlighten their paths. All artists—and indeed till men—ought to divide -their time by regularly appropriating one portion of it to one purpose, -and another part of it to the varied business that may be set apart for -another. In this way a deal of work may be got through; and the artist, -after leaving off his too intense application, would see, as it were, -what he had been doing with _new eyes_, and would thus be enabled to -criticize the almost endless variety of lights, shades, and effects, -which await his pencil to produce. - -Had I been a painter, I never would have copied the works of “old -masters,” or others, however highly they might be esteemed. I would have -gone to nature for all my patterns; for she exhibits an endless variety -not possible to be surpassed, and scarcely ever to be truly imitated. I -would, indeed, have endeavoured to discover how those artists of old -made or compounded their excellent colours, as well as the disposition -of their lights and shades, by which they were enabled to accomplish so -much and so well. - -The work of the painter may be said to be as endless as the objects -which nature continually presents to his view; and it is his judgment -that must direct him in the choice of such as may be interesting. In -this he will see what others have done before him, and the shoals and -quicksands that have retarded their progress, as well as the rocks they -have at last entirely split upon. On his taking a proper survey of all -this, he will see the “labour in vain” that has been bestowed upon -useless designs, which have found, and will continue to find, their way -to a garret, while those of an opposite character will, from their -excellence, be preserved with perhaps increasing value for ages to come. -In performing all this, great industry will be required, and it ought -ever to be kept in mind, that, as in morals, nothing is worth listening -to but truth, so in arts nothing is worth looking at but such -productions as have been faithfully copied from nature. Poetry, indeed, -may launch out or take further liberties to charm the intellect of its -votaries. It is only such youths as Providence has gifted with strong -intellectual, innate powers that are perfectly fit to embark in the fine -arts, and the power and propensity is often found early to bud out and -show itself. This is seen in the young musician, who, without having -even learned his A B C’s, breaks out, with a random kind of unrestrained -freedom, to whistle and sing. How often have I been amused at the first -essays of the ploughboy, and how charmed to find him so soon attempt to -equal his whistling and singing master, at the plough stilts, and who, -with avidity unceasing, never stopped till he thought he excelled him. -The future painter is shown by his strong propensity to sketch whatever -objects in nature attract his attention, and excite him to imitate them. -The poet, indeed, has more difficulties to contend with at first than -the others, because he must know language, or be furnished with words -wherewith to enable him to express himself even in his first essays in -doggrel metre and sing-song rhymes. In all the varied ways by which men -of talent are befitted to enlighten, to charm, and to embellish society, -as they advance through life,—if they entertain the true feeling that -every production they behold is created, not by chance, but by -design,—they will find an increasing and endless pleasure in the -exhaustless stores which nature has provided to attract the attention -and promote the happiness of her votaries during the time of their -sojourning here. - -The painter need not roam very far from his home, in any part of our -beautiful isles, to meet with plenty of charming scenes from which to -copy nature—either on an extended or a limited scale—and in which he may -give full scope to his genius and to his pencil, either in animate or -inanimate subjects. His search will be crowned with success in the -romantic ravine—the placid holme—the hollow dell—or amongst the pendant -foliage of the richly ornamented dean; or by the sides of burns which -roar or dash along, or run murmuring from pool to pool through their -pebbly beds: all this bordered perhaps by a back-ground of ivy-covered, -hollow oaks (thus clothed as if to hide their age),—of elms, willows, -and birch, which seem kindly to offer shelter to an under-growth of -hazel, whins, broom, juniper, and heather, with the wild rose, the -woodbine, and the bramble, and beset with clumps of fern and foxglove; -while the edges of the mossy braes are covered with a profusion of wild -flowers, “born to blush unseen,” which peep out amongst the creeping -groundlings—the bleaberry, the wild strawberry, the harebell, and the -violet; but I feel a want of words to enable the pen to give an adequate -description of the beauty and simplicity of these neglected spots, which -nature has planted as if to invite the admiration of such as have hearts -and eyes to appreciate and enjoy these her exquisite treats, while she -may perhaps smile at the formal, pruning efforts of the gardener, as -well as doubt whether the pencil of the artist will ever accomplish a -correct imitation. But, be all this as it may, she has spread out her -beauties to feast the eyes, and to invite the admiration of all mankind, -and to whet them up to an ardent love of all her works. How often have -I, in my angling excursions, loitered upon such sunny braes, lost in -extacy, and wishing I could impart to others the pleasures I felt on -such occasions: but they must see with their own eyes to feel as I felt, -and to form an opinion how far the scenes depictured by poets fall short -of the reality. The naturalist’s poet—Thompson—has done much: so have -others. Allan Ramsay’s - - “Habbies Howe, - Where a’ the sweets of spring and summer grow,” - -may have exhibited such as I have noticed, but the man endued with a fit -turn of mind, and inclined to search out such “beauty-spots,” will not -need the aid of poets to help him on in his enthusiastic ardour. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXV. - - -WHEN very young I read the Bible through and through, but I, at that -time, minded it no more than other histories with which my scanty -library was furnished. I could not then judge of it, nor properly -estimate the sublime precepts it contains. I felt, indeed, much pleased -and excited by the numerous battles therein described. Sober reflection, -however, respecting them quite altered the bent of my inclination that -way, and I began and continued to consider the political history of the -Israelites as very wicked; for they are so described as under the -direction of Moses, who, it is said, always obtained the command or -sanction of the Lord to set the people at work in the business of war, -at which they appear to have been very ready and very expert. It is, -however, evident that in the nation of the Israelites there were men of -great intellectual powers, and inspired with an ardent desire to trace -the Author of Nature through His works, as well as having a foresight of -their future destiny. It being clear to them that it was the intention -of Omnipotence that men should live in a state of civilized society, -under this impression they set to work, as well as they could with an -uncivilized people, to bring about such a desirable order of things, but -in which they must have felt great difficulties; the first of which was -to abolish Paganism, and to establish the pure religion of worshipping -one God only; thus, “Thou shalt have none other gods but me,” was the -first commandment, and which was most strenuously urged upon the -Israelites in every way, and in every transaction of their lives, while -they were kept together as a nation. Science, and a knowledge of nature, -on which science is founded, could not in those early times be expected -to be known, either by Moses or their other governers and teachers, who -could not explain such important matters to the people otherwise than -they did. The wonders of this world and the magnitude of the universe -were not then contemplated upon; neither was it perhaps necessary to -attempt any explanation of them in those dark ages: and, besides, it -appears it was not a leading object: civilization seems to have been the -first and perhaps the only important business they had at that time in -view. They therefore, in their endeavours to accomplish this, and to -govern and keep the people in awe, attempted to personify the Deity, and -to prescribe the boundary of time and space, as the theatre on which He -acted, that they, the people, might thus understand something of the -meaning of the commands so strenuously laid upon them; not a little of -which was delivered to them in allegory and fable. Moses began by -telling them of the beginning of the world, and the length of time it -took to make it, and the manner in which God created Adam and Eve as the -parents of the whole human race; of Paradise, or the Garden of Eden; of -the disobedience of our first parents in eating forbidden fruit, and -that this transgression entailed misery, sin, and death upon the whole -human race. This “Original Sin,” however strange it may appear to -thinking men, has been kept up _in terrorem_, with uncommon pains, for -hundreds of years past, and is continued with unabating fervency to the -present time. That mankind should suffer under this condemnation, for -the fault of these our first parents, seems impiously to set aside the -justice of an All-wise and Benevolent God. - -As to the time it took to create this world, and the whirling, floating, -universe of which it is comparatively a speck or mote—that is beyond -human comprehension; and Time, Eternity—a Beginning and an End—are still -much more beyond the reach of thought; for the powers of the mind would -soon become bewildered and lost in attempting to form any conception, by -figures, of what is meant by innumerable millions of centuries: and here -on this subject we must rest! This sublime—this amazing—this mighty work -of suns and worlds innumerable is too much for the vision of a finite, -purblind, proud, little atom of the Creation, strutting or crawling -about in the shape of man. It is sufficient for the soul of man in this -life to reverence and adore the Omnipresent, and, except through his -works, the unknowable God, whose wisdom, and power, and goodness, has no -bounds, and who has been pleased to enable his reasoning creatures so -far to see that everything is made by design, and nothing by chance; -and, from the display of His infinite power, that everything in the -universe is systematic; all is connection, adhesion, affinity: hence we -may infer some principle of order, some moving power, some mighty -agent—but all this still ends in the name of Deity, and dwells awfully -retired beyond the reach of mortal eye. - -What Moses has said about the deluge, and the destruction it occasioned -to every living creature, we are led to conclude must have been handed -down to him in ancient Eastern traditions, and it requires no -over-stretched credulity to believe that a deluge happened which -destroyed every living creature on that part of the earth over which its -devastations were spread; for it cannot be doubted that this globe has -undergone many such deluges, convulsions, and changes, equally difficult -to account for; and geologists at this day feel convinced of this, from -the changes which they see matter has undergone, but of which they are -still left greatly to conjecture as to the cause. They cannot, however, -doubt the power of a comet (if it be the will of the Mighty Director) to -melt the ices from the poles, and to throw the sea out of its place, or -to reduce this globe instantly to a cinder—a vitrifaction—to ashes, or -to dust; and that, in its near approach to this our world, it may have -occasioned the various changes and phenomena which have happened, and -may happen again. The marine productions found imbedded in the earth so -many fathoms below its surface, supplies another source of wonder, and -seems either to confirm the foregoing hypothesis, or to lead men to -conclude that a great portion of the earth has once been covered by the -sea; and it may, perhaps, not be carrying conjecture too far to suppose -that nations have been overflowed and sunk to its bottom, while others -have arisen out of it; and that, in the apparently slow changes which -are continually operating upon all matter, new nations may yet arise, -and be now in progress to take their turn on this globe.[39] Every -mountain and hill is becoming less and less, and is by little and little -apparently slowly sliding away into the ocean; and the same waste may be -seen in the many tons of earthy mud which every flooded river carries -off, and deposits in the sea. The lakes are also continually operated -upon, by the wasting or wearing away of the outlets that form the -barriers by which their waters were and are at present stayed, and it is -not unlikely that every valley was once a lake, till they were operated -upon like those still left, preparatory to their change to dry land. - -Footnote 39: - - In my brother’s colliery at Mickley Bank, about 30 fathoms below the - surface, perfect muscles have been found imbedded in ironstone. In - appearance they differed not from those newly taken from the muscle - scarp. The shells effervesced with acid, but the insides were - ironstone, the same as that with which they were surrounded. - -But the early history of mankind, nor the changes, the wonders, nor the -mighty events which have happened to this globe, cannot be known; and we -may reasonably suppose men must have long remained in darkness and -ignorance till rescued from such a state first by hieroglyphics and then -by letters. What they were before these enabled them to interchange -their thoughts, preparatory to a social intercourse, is involved in -darkness, on which conjecture may invent and exhaust itself in vain. -Nation after nation, in unknown ages past, may have glided away, or have -been by the accumulation of their own wickedness, more suddenly hurled -into oblivion, before the reasoning powers were drawn forth or men -bestowed the least thought upon the duties they had to perform, or the -business they had to fulfil, as the will of the Creator while they -sojourned here. But the providence of God is over all His creatures, and -it pleased Him that the reasoning powers should not remain longer -dormant, and the provision made for the change, in the natural order of -things, was placed in the latent intellectual powers gifted to man, and -drawn forth from his inspired mind, which thus put in action, as it may -be presumed, was the first effort of cause and effect that produced the -Bible, which, as far as we know, seems to have been the first instrument -of knowledge that shed its rays over and revealed to mankind the -accountable station they were destined to hold on this globe. Before the -religious and moral precepts of the venerable old Book made their way -over a more civilized world, and taught rational beings to worship one -God, the Father of All, and to consider each other as brethren, it does -not appear that the great mass of mankind had bestowed a thought upon -the astonishing miracles of creation by which they were surrounded, and -which were presented to their understanding and sight in so visible and -tangible a shape that it required no faith to believe in them, nor any -thing to raise doubts in their minds as to their reality. The -brilliantly studded canopy of suns and worlds above their heads, and, as -a part of these, the equally wonderful globe of this earth and sea, -which is allotted to them, they could not, with their clouded intellects -and want of science see nor appreciate, till the mind by research became -illumined by degrees, in the varied blaze of light spread abroad—which -will in some degree enable men to see the perfection of the Omnipotent -Author of the whole. Viewing the Bible as to it moral and religious -contents, in this way, the good old Book ought to be held in veneration -and esteem, as containing the most unequivocal marks of the most exalted -piety and the purest benevolence. Give it therefore, my dear children, a -place in your regards, to which it is entitled; and, amidst the -necessary cares of life, never lose sight of your destination for -another. An infinitely more important state awaits us beyond the grave. -It may be presumed that this original and sacred document will continue -to arrest the attention of reasoning beings as long as men continue to -reason, and be an eternal stimulant—together with other stimulants so -abundantly presented by the wonders of the universe—to lead the soul to -rest its hopes on the source from whence it derived its existence. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVI. - - -I HAVE before ventured my opinion on the political history of the -Israelites and their wars, and I wish I could not believe in them; but I -fear that portion of their history is too true. The example thus set has -been followed since by other nations, to wage the horrid wars in which -they have embarked on the most trivial pretences, whenever their rulers -found it convenient to give vent to their bad passions, wantonly to -engage in them. There are many other matters related in the Bible which -operate as stumbling-blocks to those who otherwise revere it for the -clear truths set forth in its texts. These consist in one part -contradicting, or apparently contradicting, another part, and, in some -cases, of making assertions which appear to be derogatory to the Majesty -of Omnipotence. There may, indeed, be two causes assigned as reasons for -these. The first is, in reading many portions of the Scriptures -literally which must have been intended to be understood allegorically. -It surely could never be meant to be literally understood that the sun -and moon stood still by the command of Joshua, till he was “avenged of -his enemies,” and that the regular order of nature and the universe was -set aside to please Joshua in his man-killing pursuits. That this was -the way by which Omnipotence willed the destruction of whole nations of -people, does not seem to accord with the reverence with which man ought -to view his Maker, when, had it been His will that such nations should -no longer inhabit the earth, the whole of such a people thus devoted -might have been annihilated by a puff of pestilential wind, if -Omnipotence had pleased to do so. Although it does not become us to scan -what was, or what was not, His will, as we can only judge of all such -matters according to our crude and weak conceptions. - -The next cause for suspecting the accuracy of several parts of the -Sacred Book arises from the supposition that these may not have been -correctly translated.[40] All these seemingly contradictory passages, -not being clearly understood, have been a most fertile source of -employment for self-interested and bigoted men, who have attempted -giving their explanations and contradictory comments and annotations -upon them, and twisted them into meanings, often to bewilder the common -sense of mankind, to suit certain selfish purposes subservient to their -own ends. It would, I think, have been much better to have left people -to judge upon these texts as well as they could themselves, rather than -trust to such explanations, or to pin their faith on the sleeve of such -men. I fear they have done more harm than good. - -Footnote 40: - - The Rev. James Murray (before mentioned) showed me a chapter of the - Book of Job which he had translated. It was in poetry as near the - original as he was able to make it. The sense and meaning was clear - and easily to be understood, but not so that of the chapter from which - he took it. - -But all these and such like doubts seem trivial and light in the balance -when weighed against the solid, sublime truths and valuable instructions -contained in the ancient, venerable book. The mind of man thus prepared -by the sacred texts laid open to him by the Bible, as well as by the -help of other systems of morality, which all lend their help to lead him -in the paths of rectitude—in this state he sees himself surrounded by -the wonders of creation, and furnished with passions given him for the -wisest purposes, to spur him on to exertions without which the affairs -of this beautiful world would soon be at a stand-still, and he would -then soon revert to unintellectual apathy or savage barbarity, and would -cease to adore God, and seek His providential care and protection. But, -when the passions are not fully kept under by the reasoning guide, man -feels himself to be a strange compound—a heterogeneous mixture of pure -metal and base alloy, and placed in the infancy of an endless, and -therefore an infinitely important and mysterious, but conscious -existence. “Wonderfully and fearfully made,” he views with amazement -“this pleasing, anxious being”—this spirit confined in mortality with -Heaven’s own pilot placed within as its guide, and a soul, fed like the -flame of a lamp, to enlighten his path to eternity. Thus prepared by the -hand of Omnipotence, his reasoning powers commence their operations; his -mind is then his kingdom, and his will his law as to his deeds in this -life, but for which he must render an account before the justice of his -Maker, in another state of existence—in another world; otherwise he has -lived in vain in this. If he avails himself of the reasoning power,—the -choicest gift of his Maker, and by which He has revealed himself to -man,—then will he feel something of a foretaste of the future happiness -he is preparing for himself in eternity. But if he will perversely cease -to commune with his own soul, or reject its admonitions, and turn away -from them, he thus puts himself under another guide, and must then -become debased, degraded, and associated with sin; for he then suffers -his bad passions and gross appetites to overpower his reason, and thus -creates for himself an evil spirit, or a devil and a hell in his own -breast, that consumes or annihilates his good spiritual guide, and -disfigures the image of God within him, before it returns to whence it -came. Thus to appear before his Maker must be a hell of itself of -fearful import—not to be endured—and the greatest possible punishment -the debased and polluted soul can undergo; and it may be well for us all -to keep in remembrance that a year of pleasure can be outbalanced by a -day of pain. To judge simply of all this, it may be concluded that those -who, from pure motives, have shed abroad the greatest _quantum_ of -happiness to mankind, and to all God’s creatures, while they sojourned -here, will, according to our notions of justice (beside the pleasure -derived from self-approbation in this life), be rewarded, and entitled -to such like but more exalted happiness to all eternity. - -Whatever weight these opinions of mine may have upon others, I know not; -they are given with the best intentions, and they concern all men. They -are on a subject which, in its own nature, forms a more sublime and -important object of enquiry than any to which our intellectual powers -can be applied. It is on them that religion, the life of the soul, is -built. Religion is both natural and necessary to man. Those who reject -this primary sentiment of veneration for the Supreme Being, only show -their inferiority to other men: like those born blind, they cannot -perfectly understand the nature of vision, and thence conclude there is -no such thing as light in existence. - -Religion is of a pure and spotless nature; it is uniform, consistent, -and of the same complexion and character in all nations. Languages and -customs may greatly differ, but the language of the pure devotion of the -heart to its Maker is the same over the face of the whole earth. -Religion, therefore, demands our utmost reverence; and, as such, that -which was taught by Jesus of Nazareth. I revere the sublime, and yet -simple, plain doctrines and truly charitable principles which Christ -laid down, and enforced by his own example. His life was a continued -scene of active benevolence: no fatigue was too hard to be borne, no -inconvenience too great to be submitted to, provided he could instruct -the ignorant, reclaim the vicious, relieve the destitute, and comfort -the mournful. Such was the religion of Jesus Christ, “who went about -doing good!” He spoke only of one God, and of Him with the utmost -reverence, as his Heavenly Father and the Father of all mankind. -Christianity, in its purity, is the most liberal and best religion in -the world. Its inspired Author preached up the cheerful doctrine of -man’s reviving again after death, and of the certainty of his afterwards -living to eternity, and did his utmost to persuade all mankind to live -godly lives, that their souls might thereby be prepared to return to -God, the Author and the Giver of all Good, as unblemished as possible; -and thus, so far as his influence reached, and his commands were acted -upon, he may truly be said to be the Saviour of Mankind. But, there are -questions connected with this subject which none but the Almighty God -can solve. It was by the divine will, and by the providence of God, that -he appeared on earth. Gifted with inspired powers, his immaculate mind -thus made him the instrument befitting the mission he held, to teach -mankind, then lost and grovelling in wickedness and corruption, the -important lessons of religion and morality, and to reclaim such of the -lost flock, high and low, as had grown up and established themselves in -iniquity. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVII. - - -I NEVER read Hume on miracles; I did not need to do so; but I have -always thought that the man must be very difficult to please who could -not be thoroughly satisfied with the one—the unutterably great one—the -miracle of the universe: made up, indeed, of millions of other miracles -of its component parts, which will for ever excite the astonishment of -reasoning creatures, and draw forth their adoration to the Great Author -of the whole, as long as it shall please Him to gift them with the power -to do so. - -Those who think for themselves, and can believe in one God, and -reverence, adore, and worship Him, must ever feel disgusted to dwell on -the endless modes of faith with which mankind have been pestered and -stultified for ages past, and also feel grieved to think upon the -evils—the persecutions—the wars—and the miseries, these have from time -to time inflicted upon the half-civilized world. Brother has been set in -enmity against brother, neighbour against neighbour, and nation against -nation, fully charged with vengeance to destroy each other, and by which -rivers of blood have been spilt. Jesus Christ, I believe, never said one -word that could be construed into any such meaning, or to countenance -any such doings; neither did any man possessed of the spirit of the -Christian religion and its attendant humanity ever view all this -otherwise than with horror. - -It would be a tedious and an irksome task to give even a list of all the -religions, as they are called, from the days of Paganism, down to the -present time. Truth long struggled with error, before system after -system passed away. Notwithstanding the exertions of power to keep them -up, they exist now only in story. But do the laws of nature ever alter? -Do the sun, moon, and stars shine in any other way than they did to the -votaries of Jupiter? Do the human passions operate in any other manner -than they did thousands of years ago? No, indeed! Let us, then, rejoice -that true religion is independent of human caprice; it is founded upon -the immutable principles of truth, reason, and common sense, and -therefore must be durable as nature itself. It is not vague and mutable: -it is acquired by experience, not merely the creature of chance, habit, -and prejudice: it is capable of demonstration like the principles of -mathematics, and its necessity is evinced by the very nature of man in -society. There is a rational and an irrational belief, and how can we -distinguish the one from the other without reference to the reason of -the thing? If reason be abandoned, then sense and nonsense are just the -same: religion becomes a chaos, and faith has no merit. I therefore -believe that no faith can be acceptable to God which is not grounded on -reason; nothing but truth brings us lasting and solid advantage. - -But it would appear that the teachers of mankind, in this important -concern, have too seldom been actuated by these pure principles, and the -“caring for men’s souls” has been made only a secondary consideration. -Their leading objects have been the establishment of a system of revenue -and aggrandisement; and, to ensure the accomplishment of these ends, -they began with children, well knowing that, when creeds and catechisms -were once instilled into the infant mind, they would grow with their -growth, and would acquire a firm-rooted footing; for, when early -impressions and prejudices are once fixed in the mind by ignorance, they -can seldom or ever be eradicated. In this state, these victims to -deception might have been made Pagans in India, Mahometans in Turkey, or -disciples of Confucius in China: or, have been moulded into any of the -various sects of misled Christians which have, like wens and carbuncles, -often disfigured the comely face of religion, and the pure and plain -doctrines of Christianity. - -The next important step taken by these teachers, was to get this their -religion, of whatever kind it might be, interwoven deeply into all the -various governments of the different countries under their influence; -but, preparatory to their religion becoming firmly established, the -heads of it, who were called “saints” and “fathers of the Church,” were -gathered together to judge and determine upon the creeds and doctrines -which were to be obeyed. Some of them might, indeed, be actuated by good -and others of them by impure motives, but it always appeared to me like -their own “act of parliament” to oblige people to offer to Omnipotence -that kind of worship only which they had been pleased to dictate, and -which by many is considered as arrogant presumption. But, when these -doctrines were thus interwoven into all the different governments, they -then became “part and parcel of the law of the land;” and, thus fenced, -barricaded, and fortified, few ever dared to say that anything these -laws promulgated was wrong; and, if any man whose mind happened to rise -superior to superstition, ventured to publish his opinions of any of -them, to show that they were absurd, then racks, tortures, inquisitions, -and death, or fine and imprisonment, with attendant ruin, stared him in -the face in this world and threatenings of eternal misery in the next. -It is thus that the free exercise of the understanding, and the full use -of all the means of advancing in religion, virtue, and knowledge, is -checked and debarred; for, unless the free use of writing and publishing -the well-digested opinions and plans of the lovers of mankind is allowed -to go on without risk, all public improvement, which is or ought to be -the chief end of every government to promote, is for want of this -liberty, taken away. But in this business, government itself being -entangled and bound by oaths to support present establishments, may -perhaps be afraid to meddle or countenance any writing tending to a -reform, or that may have the appearance of militating against this order -of things. - -But to dwell on this, the gloomy side of the picture, without noticing -the other side, may be unfair; for the framers of unaccountable creeds -set mankind a-thinking generally upon these and many other matters, -which perhaps they would not otherwise have done; and, besides this, it -is on all hands allowed that the monks and friars of old, amidst all -their superstitions, preserved in their monasteries many records and -much valuable knowledge, which, without their care, would have been lost -to the world. Add to these, their charities to the destitute and their -constant best endeavours to teach the grossly ignorant, and to reclaim -the equally grossly wicked, part of the community, and in examining -impartially into the change effected by the Reformation,—it amounts only -to a lessening or setting aside a portion of the bigotry and -superstition by which the old doctrines were enforced. Although one may -lament that a more rational view of religion, and its very important -concerns, had not been fully contemplated upon, yet even under its -guidance, and with all its defects before the mighty change of the -Reformation was effected, it would appear that the moral conduct of the -common people was generally good, and they were in some respects happier -and better off than they have ever been since. The Romish clergy, or -priests, in those times, though they took the tithes (according to an -old Jewish custom), yet these were more usefully and justly divided than -they are in the present time; for they in their day took only a third -part of these to themselves, and the other two-thirds were expended in -building and repairing their churches and supporting all the poor. There -was then no church cesses, nor poor laws, nor the sickening, harassing, -and continual gathering of the enormous sums of the poor-rate. - -The established clergy are also bound, in a similar way, by old laws and -oaths which have been imposed upon them, to swear to their belief in a -certain string of creeds before they are allowed to enter upon the -clerical office; and all this, backed and encouraged by the lures of -enormous stipends or livings attached to their church, which is -furthermore made sure of by these livings being, as it were, held out as -a provision for the unprovided part of the younger branches of the -families of all the poor gentry of the land. Thus situated, any -alteration or improvement may be looked for in vain, while self-interest -and pride continue so powerfully to guide the actions of mankind. - -Time, indeed, may bring about wonders, and the example and influence of -North America can perhaps alone be looked up to to lead the way as the -regenerator of the Old World. There they have none of the old protecting -laws, nor the old prejudices of Europe, Asia, and South America, to -contend against, and must see the errors these have fallen into, and may -move forward upon clear ground. “The Rites and Ceremonies of all -Nations” will serve them as a kind of text, and also as a beacon and a -guide-post, to show them the way they ought to pursue, so as to steer -clear of the absurdities—to say no worse of them—by which mankind have -been so long led, hoodwinked, into so many egregious follies. - -It must, furthermore, be observed and conceded on behalf of the present -religious establishment of this enlightened and comparatively happy -land, notwithstanding the spots and blemishes which bar the approach to -rationality and perfection, that the regular clergy, with few -exceptions, and taken as a whole—from their learning, their -acquirements, and their piety—are real and valuable ornaments to our -country, without whose help and the example they set, it is to be feared -the people would soon retrograde into barbarism, or, into what is nearly -as bad—fanaticism. To keep down or prevent this latter growing evil from -rising to a height will require the utmost exertions of the regular -clergy, as well as the united wisdom and prudence of the legislature to -discountenance it. To attempt using force would only serve to unite its -votaries and increase their numbers; for as long as ignorance is -stalking abroad, multitudes will be found in every country who see -things with an obliquity of intellect, and are thus ready prepared to -adopt anything new, however stupid; and the reveries of Johanna -Southcote, and the ravings of Ranters, do not appear to them -sufficiently absurd. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - CHAPTER XXVIII. - - -I HAVE, with all the consideration I have been able coolly to bestow -upon the subject, become clearly of opinion, that the highest character -a man can hope to attain to in this life is that of being a religious -philosopher; and he cannot be the latter without religion being deeply -impressed upon his mind; and, without the aid of religion and philosophy -conjointly, he need not hope to feel all the happiness in this world -attendant upon his approach towards perfection. The happiness derived -from ignorance is like that of unreasoning animals; and, in carrying -this a little further, or to the extreme, it is, comparatively, like the -happiness enjoyed by a gate-post. - -It is from amongst men of this enlightened character only that all and -every clergyman ought to be selected, without permitting the least -interference of private patronage; for that has been, and will continue -to be, an evil of the most benumbing magnitude, which will—if not -stopped—upset the best laid plans, and render such nugatory, or null and -void. Could such a stride as this towards purity ever be accomplished, -then every village ought to have its church, and would thus become a -religious, a moral, and a patriotic little community, in which its -preceptors ought to teach youth the usual routine of their education -five days in the week, and those of all ages on the Sunday. This clergy -ought not to be sworn to any belief, nor trammeled with any creeds, but -only to promise, with the help of God, to instil into the minds of their -hearers the purest religious adoration of the Omnipotent, and the best -maxims of morality. In this the Scriptures would supply them with its -pure and sublime precepts, and, above all, the still more sublime and -amazing works contained in the great Book of the Creation is amply -spread out before them, and made up of the living, the visible, words of -God, so plainly to be seen, read, and felt, that howsoever miraculous -and astonishing they are, it would require no stretch of faith to -believe in them all. From these, such a clergy, one after another in -succession for ages, might take their texts, ever new, and preach from -them to all eternity; for, as to the number of subjects to preach from -and explain, they would be found to be endless even on this globe we -dwell upon, without soaring to those in the regions of immensity; and, -if its wonders were productive of disease, enlightened men would die of -wondering! - -Were a clergy of this description established, there could be no fears -entertained of their teaching anything wrong; they would, on the -contrary, from their knowledge and virtue, be the pillars of the state -and the mainstays and ornaments of civilization. Every church ought to -have its library of good books, and its philosophical apparatus, to -illustrate or explain the various phenomena of nature, and the amazing -magnitude and distances of the “Heavenly bodies;” or, rather, the -incalculable number of suns and worlds floating about with the velocity -of light, in immeasurable, endless space. It is from these -contemplations that something like the truest conception of the Adorable -Author of the whole can be formed; and it would soon be found that men -of common capacities, and without having even been taught to read and -write, would be at no loss to understand the clear lectures delivered on -this latter subject. I think it would be folly, or worse than folly, to -entertain any suspicion that poor men, thus enlightened, would forget -the station in which they are placed, and cease to work honestly to -maintain themselves, or to become bad members of society. On the -contrary, it is reasonable to conclude that such a universal spread of -knowledge as would follow this system of education, and this kind of -religious worship, would stamp the character of a whole people as -intelligent, good, subjects; and it appears to me certain that, until -such a mode of enlightened Christianity is adopted and acted upon, -mankind will continue to be torn asunder, as they have too long been, -and that, if it could quickly be spread over the partly civilized world, -there would never more be any religious bickerings or animosities on -that score, and that then, but not till then, all mankind would become -as brethren. - -I am well aware that the pride and the fears of what are called the -dignified clergy, might operate powerfully against the purity and -simplicity of such a change. If so, they will then thus clearly and -decisively show that it is a system of revenue only, and not religion, -that they can be fearful of upsetting; but, if none of these are -deprived of their present livings (or an equivalent to their value), -which they hold only during their lives, what have they to be afraid of? -To sell their present enormous revenues, and fund the amount, and then -divide the interest equally amongst the newly-established clergy, would -be only fair and just; and they, above all other men, ought to be -perfectly independent,—amply provided for, without being obliged to -collect any other revenue,—and made as happy as men can be in this -world; and, whatever might be deemed sufficient, a certain sum taken -from this income ought also to be funded as a provision to support them -in their declining years. Such a body of men as this clergy could not -fail of being revered and held in the greatest respect and estimation by -all good and wise men; and what more any good and wise man can wish for -in this world, I am at a loss to know. - -It is from government, with the aid of our own enlightened and -liberal-minded clergy, and other such like men, that this important -business, in my opinion, ought to be openly and boldly taken up. They -ought to have the honour to show the way, and not leave any other nation -to take the lead of them in such a mighty and momentous concern, in -which the happiness of the whole human race would become most deeply -interested; and, from the change in men’s minds which is now taking -place, and widely spreading, this change, by its own weight, will most -assuredly happen, perhaps at no very distant day. - -Were our own government inclined to make this improvement in religion -and politics, they would assuredly see the happiest results from it: it -would soon be found that there would then be no need to keep Ireland in -subjection, like a conquered country, by an expensive military force. -The Irish, naturally acute, lively, generous, and brave, would soon feel -themselves, under our excellent constitution, as happy and loyal a -people as any in the world, and as much attached to their country, -which, for its healthy climate and fertile soil, may match with any -other on this globe. One would hope that the native gentry would at -length see the very reprehensible injustice of becoming absentees. -Landowners in all countries, as well as in Ireland, ought as far as -possible to spend their rents where they receive them. Where they do not -do so, any country is certain to become poor.[41] Ireland ought -instantly to be put upon a par, in every respect, with their fellow -subjects of the British Isles. To withhold Catholic emancipation from -Ireland appears to me to be invidious and unjust; and, if emancipated, -it would be found at no very distant period that they would, under the -foregoing tuition, individually become enlightened, think for -themselves, adopt a rational religious belief, and throw off the bigotry -and superstition taught them with such sedulous care from their infancy, -and by which they have so long been led blindfold. If they could be -brought to think, and to muster up so much of the reasoning power as to -do all this, they would soon emancipate themselves. But even on this -business it must be observed that the Protestant Establishment does not -interfere with the Catholic modes of faith; they may preach up and -believe in what they please. In this they are not only fully tolerated, -but are also protected in their worship, so that on this score they can -have nothing to complain of. But beyond this the Protestant ascendancy, -having all the rich church livings secured to themselves, are fearful -that the Catholics, ever watchful, and never ceasing in their struggles -to be at the head of all church affairs—they, the Protestants, have -become extremely jealous lest the emancipation now so eagerly wished for -may, if granted, be a prelude to further future strides, and that the -latent objects the Catholics have in view is to partake in these rich -livings, or to get them wholly to themselves. To dwell longer on these -matters seems to me useless; for, so long as rich livings are set apart -as a provision for those whose creeds continue in fashion, all the -various numerous sects who dissent will always be barking at them, until -the purity and simplicity of worshipping one God only can be -established, and which to a certainty will one day happen. Till then, -all arguments on this subject may seem to be in vain. - -Footnote 41: - - In my ardent wish for the perfect happiness and union of the sister - Isles, I have suffered my sanguine imagination to wish and hope that - some great convulsion of nature might some day happen to throw up the - bed of the sea between them, so as to unite them both in one; and - present a south-western rocky front to the ocean. I see no harm in - indulging in such reveries; they may, indeed, be visionary, but they - are innocent ones. - -Having given my opinion on religious matters freely and sincerely, and -with the best intentions, in which I do not wish to dictate, but only -wish mankind to think for themselves on such a momentous and important -affair as that of their present and their future eternal happiness, I -leave them to their own reflections, and shall only furthermore attempt -to show some of the salutary effects which I suppose would follow from -mine. I first picture to myself that I see such a body of learned, -rationally religious, moral, and patriotic men as this clergy spread -over our already matchless country: and that the effects of their -tuition and example, founded on honour and virtue, would very soon be -seen and felt amongst all ranks of society, and would further exalt the -character of our countrymen over the whole globe, as patterns for -imitation to the rest of mankind. It is only by an education like this, -that any country can hope that its institutions can remain unbroken up, -and endure as a nation for ever; but so it will be, if the government is -founded on wisdom and virtue, and backed by a whole people of the same -character. To rear up and establish such a renovated order of things as -I have with diffidence recommended, and coolly and deliberately to do -away with old errors, will not, perhaps, be soon or easily done; for -there are so many interests to consult, and so many men of the character -to doubt and despair of accomplishing anything, however good, that, if -they have influence over weak minds to help them out in this disposition -to despondency, it will have the direct tendency to realize such doubts, -and to throw a cold damp over the best and wisest plans. But we ought -never to despair of accomplishing anything where our objects in view are -good ones. To minds thus gifted, and such as this clergy it is hoped -would possess, there could be little need to dictate. Their own good -sense, aided by the gentry of the land, would constantly enable them to -see when anything was going wrong in each little community, and speedily -to rectify it. Such a number of little colleges spread over the land -would excellently prepare such youths as might be intended to finish -their education in colleges of a higher character, so as to fit them to -fulfil the various offices of the state, in any of its several -departments, as well as the many other employments they might be -destined to pursue; and in this the teachers would have it greatly in -their power to discover the talents or innate powers of mind of their -pupils, as well as the bent of their inclinations, so as to be enabled -to advise or direct inexperienced youths as to what might best suit -their several capacities; and to point out to them the proper course of -education that might lead to the calling or occupation in which they -might make the most respectable figure when they were launched into the -world. This duty of every teacher is an important one, and would require -the keenest observation to make the true discovery; for, after all, we -may be assured of this, that it is impossible to set bounds to the -improvement of the human mind, and it is also equally so to limit the -capabilities of the human frame when duly cultivated.... - -_November 1st, 1828._ - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - FINAL. - - -IN offering these my sentiments and opinions, derived from the -observations I have made in my passage through life, I have never -intended to give offence to good men. With these sentiments some may be -pleased and others displeased, but, conscious of the rectitude of my -intentions, I do not covet the praises of the one nor fear the censures -of the other. It is at another tribunal that I, as well as all other -men, are to account for their conduct. - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - - - THOMAS BEWICK - - GENTLY SIGHED AWAY HIS LAST BREATH - AT HALF-PAST ONE - ON THE MORNING OF THE - 8TH NOVEMBER, 1828. - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - APPENDIX. - - -AFTER Thomas Bewick retired from business in favour of his son, he -continued, till his death, to employ himself closely, at home, in -filling-up gaps in his History of British Birds; and, in conjunction -with his son, he also commenced a History of British Fishes. The -finished specimens of these, on the wood, are now for the first time -published in this Memoir. A portion of a series of appropriate -Vignettes, also executed by him for the work on Fishes, are now employed -as embellishments in the preceding pages. About twenty of the set, -together with six new birds, were printed in the last edition of the -History of Birds. It may be proper to add, that the late Robert Elliot -Bewick left about fifty highly-finished and accurately-coloured drawings -of fishes from nature, together with a portion of the descriptive matter -relating to the work. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - BRITISH FISHES. - -[Illustration: - - BASSE. - (_Perca Labrax._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - FIFTEEN-SPINED STICKLEBACK. - (_Gasterosteus spinachia._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BREAM. - (_Sparus Raii._—BLOCH.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - JOHN DORY. - (_Zeus faber._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BLACK GOBY. - (_Gobius niger._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BALLAN WRASSE. - (_Ballan Wrasse._—PENNANT.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - BARBEL. - (_Cyprinus barbus._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GUDGEON. - (_Cyprinus gobio._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - TENCH. - (_Cyprinus Tinca._—BLOCH.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DACE OR DARE. - (_Cyprinus leuciscus._—BLOCH.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SAURY. - (_Esox Saurus._—PENNANT.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - GAR FISH. - (_Esox Belone._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - SAMLET OR BRANDLING. - (_Salmo Fario._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - LUMP SUCKER. - (_Cyclopterus lumpus._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - DOG FISH. - (_Squalus Acanthias._—LINNÆUS.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - THE MAIGRE. - (_SCIÆNA AQUILA._—CUVIER.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - -[Illustration: - - WEEVER. - (_Trachinus draco._—PENNANT.) -] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - -[Illustration] - - - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration] - - - THE ALARM.[42] - -Footnote 42: - - This fable was written and illustrated by T. Bewick, for his “Fables - of Æsop,” and is now published for the first time. - -THE hollow grumblings of the devils on earth having reached the infernal -regions, Satan ordered an enquiry immediately to be made into the cause -of their outcry, and commanded a trio of his choicest associates -forthwith to fly with the velocity of light to see, and to report to -him, what was the matter. On their arrival on earth, they were met, -during the night, when men were asleep, by a deputation selected from -innumerable hosts of imps from every kingdom and state of the -uncivilized as well as the civilized world. They soon were given to -understand, that an outrageous mutiny, amounting to rebellion, had been -going on for some time against their old king, Ignorance, who was -accused of having become very remiss and negligent of his duty. For this -they resolved to have him hurled from his high station, and to have -another ruler appointed in his stead. It was alleged that, owing to his -neglect, mankind had lately begun to use their intellectual faculties to -such a degree, that it was feared, if they were suffered to go on, Satan -would (though very unjustly) lay the blame on them for the loss of his -subjects. Old Ignorance was immediately brought to judgment, and at the -same time other candidates for his office offered their services to -succeed him. The voting instantly took place, and was decided in the -twinkling of an eye, when it was found that old Ignorance was re-elected -by a great majority; for, on casting up the votes, they stood thus:— - - - PRINCIPALS. SATELLITES. IMPS. - - { Vanity. - } - - Ignorance. { 300,000,000. - Superstition. } - - { Sensuality. - } - - { Arrogance. - } - - Pride. { Envy. 100,000,000. - } - - { Obstinacy. - } - - { Blasphemy. - } - - { Revenge. - } - - Malice. { Injustice. 100,000,000. - } - - { Cruelty. - } - - ───────────────────────────────────────── - Majority for 200,000,000 - old Ignorance - - -The candidates who had lately contended with him in aspiring to supreme -command, having been appointed his chief ministers, he was sworn to -redouble his vigilence: in return for which it was finally decreed that -he should, in future, have seven links added to his tail, and his head -adorned with six horns, instead of two. His infernal honour being thus -pledged, the work of mischief was instantly begun, by his commanding his -ministers and their satellites to redouble their vigilence, by throwing -the mists of ignorance over the minds of the rulers and teachers of -mankind, and to fill their minds with superstition, bigotry, pride, and -arrogant zeal. All the imps of minor consideration were also ordered to -direct the unreasoning, lazy, envious, wicked, gross, vulgar herd of -mankind, high and low, into the paths which lead to misery. Having thus -concluded their mission, the innumerable host set off, like a whirlwind, -amidst the glare of lightning and the roar of thunder, to take up their -abode in the minds of men, where they had been nursed before; but -millions of their number, who had been dismissed from the minds of good -men, dropped behind, and, in their fall through endless space, by the -violence of their motion, ignited, were whirled into balls of fire, and -gravitated to the sun. The rest proceeded; their numbers eclipsed the -moon, and the effluvia which exhaled from them in their flight caused -plague, pestilence, and famine in the countries they passed over, and -the concussion they made in the air is said to have shaken the ices from -the poles. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - APPLICATION. - -IF there be a plurality of devils, Ignorance must be their king; and -through his influence only men are wicked; and, under him and his -satellites, the wretchedness they have dealt out to mankind ever since -their chequered reign began has disfigured the fair face of nature; and -they have too often succeeded, in the struggles between virtue and vice, -in obscuring the reasoning powers of man, and bringing him down to the -level of the brute. For no sooner was it decreed by Omnipotence that his -reasoning creatures should live in a state of civilized society, -suitable to their natures and befitting so high a behest, than these -enemies to this good order of things obtruded themselves upon it, and -have too long and too often succeeded in baffling the efforts of good -men in their aims at approaching towards perfection, and in thwarting -the progress of mental improvement, and the consequent happiness of the -human race. They have, with the glimmering light of their _ignis -fatuus_, led their devotees in zig-zag, backward and forward paths, -through misty bogs and quagmires, into the midnight glooms and chaotic -darkness which envelope their wretched dens. The bloody pages of history -have in part recorded some of the many miseries which have from time to -time been inflicted upon their victims; but to enumerate only a portion -would be an irksome as well as an endless task. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - PRINTS BY MEANS OF A SERIES OF WOOD BLOCKS. - -THE Author, at page 249 of this Memoir, in stating what he believes may -be done by the printing of large wood cuts from two or more blocks, so -as to rival the landscapes of William Woollett on copper, intimates his -intention of making the attempt, to show that it is not a visionary -theory. With this view, he executed a large wood cut, the subject being -an old horse “waiting for death.” A first proof was taken a few days -before his death. An impression at the same time was transferred to a -second block, the exact size of the first, and was intended to have been -engraved to heighten and improve the effect of the print; and a third -was prepared to be used if necessary. A few impressions of the first of -the series were printed in London in 1832, and were accompanied by a -descriptive history of the horse, written so far back as 1785. The print -(in a finished state) was intended to have been dedicated to the -“Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals,” and was also meant -to serve as one of a set of cheap embellishments for the walls of -cottages. The history of the old horse “waiting for death” is -subjoined.[43] - -Footnote 43: - - The vignette at page 53, vol. i, last edition of the “History of - British Birds,” will be found printed with two additional blocks as a - title page to the second edition of the “Quadrupeds,” quarto, without - letterpress, 1824. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - WAITING FOR DEATH. - -In the morning of his days he was handsome, sleek as a raven, sprightly -and spirited, and was then much caressed and happy. When he grew to -perfection, in his performances, even on the turf, and afterwards in the -chase, and in the field, he was equalled by few of his kind. At one time -of his life he saved that of his master, whom he bore, in safety, across -the rapid flood; but having, in climbing the opposite rocky shore, -received a blemish, it was thought _prudent_ to dispose of him; after -which he fell into the hands of different masters, but from none of them -did he ever eat the bread of idleness; and, as he grew in years, his cup -of misery was still augmented with bitterness. - -It was once his hard lot to fall into the hands of _Skinflint_, a -horse-keeper, an authorised wholesale and retail dealer in cruelty, who -employed him alternately, but closely, as a hack, both in the chaise and -for the saddle; for when the traces and trappings, used in the former, -had peeled the skin from off his breast, shoulders, and sides, he was -then, as his back was whole, thought fit for the latter; indeed, his -exertions, in this _service of unfeeling avarice_ and _folly_, were -great beyond belief. He was always, late and early, made ready for -action; he was never allowed to rest, even on the Sabbath day, because -he could trot well, had a good bottom, and was the best hack in town; -and, it being a day of pleasure and pastime, he was much sought after by -beings, _in appearance_, something like gentlemen; in whose hands his -sufferings were greater than his nature could bear. Has not the -compassionate eye beheld him whipped, spurred, and galloped beyond his -strength, in order to accomplish double the length of the journey that -he was engaged to perform, till, by the inward grief expressed in his -countenance, he seemed to plead for mercy, one would have thought most -powerfully, but, alas, in vain! In the whole load which he bore (as was -often the case), not an ounce of humanity could be found; and, his rider -being determined to have pennyworths for his money, the ribs of this -silent slave, where not a hair had for long been suffered to grow, were -still ripped up. He was pushed forward through a stony rivulet, then on -hard road against the hill, and having lost a shoe, split his hoof, and -being quite spent with hunger and fatigue, he fell, broke his nose and -his knees, and was unable to proceed;—and becoming greased, spavined, -ringboned, blind of an eye, and the skin, by repeated friction, being -worn off all the large prominences of his body, he was judged to be only -fit for the dogs:—however, one shilling and sixpence beyond the -dog-horse price saved his life, and he became the property of a poor -dealer and horse doctor. - -It is amazing to think upon the vicissitudes of his life: he had often -been burnished up, his teeth defaced by art, peppered under his tail; -having been the property of a general, a gentleman, a farmer, a miller, -a butcher, a higgler, and a maker of brooms. A hard winter coming on, a -want of money, and a want of meat, obliged his poor owner to turn him -out to shift for himself. His former fame and great value are now, to -him, not worth a handful of oats. But his days and nights of misery are -now drawing to an end; so that, after having faithfully dedicated the -whole of his powers and his time to the service of unfeeling man, he is -at last turned out, unsheltered and unprotected, to starve of hunger and -of cold. - -1785. - -[Illustration] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - JOHN BEWICK. - -THAT rare old book, “A Collection of all the Ancient Poems, Songs, and -Ballads, relative to Robin Hood,” published by Ritson, 1795, was -embellished by John Bewick. Three of the cuts are introduced in the -following pages. A comparison of them with the book itself, will show -the great improvement which has taken place in the printing of wood cuts -since that day. It may not, perhaps, be out of place to insert an -extract from a letter, on the subject of these cuts, written by the -antiquary to the artist, more than half a century ago. - - “Gray’s Inn. - - “J. Ritson is sorry he was gone out when Mr. Bewick called; but - hopes he will proceed with the other cuts, which shall be left - entirely to his own fancy, and in which he will undoubtedly - consult his own reputation.”… - -Amongst the many books illustrated by John Bewick, now very scarce, a -few may be enumerated:—“The Looking Glass for the Mind,” “Proverbs -Exemplified,”[44] “The Progress of Man in Society,” “Blossoms of -Morality.” The last-named was published by Mr. Newberry, to whom, for -his charming little books, the rising generation of that day was under -great obligation. In his preface, dated October 6th, 1796, Mr. N. says:— - -Footnote 44: - - The publisher, Dr. Trussler, quaintly observes, “It is a very proper - book to amuse and instruct youth, and the price, viz. 3_s._, - half-bound, will hurt no one.” - - “Much time has elapsed since the commencement of this edition, - owing to a severe indisposition with which the artist was long - afflicted, and which unfortunately terminated in his death. And - sorry, very sorry, are we to be compelled to state, that this is - the last effort of his incomparable genius.” - -[Illustration] - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - -[Illustration] - -[Illustration] - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - CORRESPONDENCE. - - -THE following letters are selected from a large correspondence, -extending over many years, and, from the matter they contain, may not be -thought uninteresting. The first is addressed to T. Bewick, on the -occasion of his brother’s death, by Mr. Wm. Bulmer, a native of -Newcastle, and who is mentioned at page 70 as the first typographer of -his day. A portrait of this gentleman is given in Dr. Dibdin’s -“Bibliomania” (?) in connection with the “Bodoni Hum.” Mr. Bulmer died -at his villa, Clapham Rise, Surrey, at the close of the year 1828. - - - WILLIAM BULMER TO THOMAS BEWICK. - - Cleveland Row, December 10, 1795. - - DEAR BEWICK, - - The death of your brother has hurt me much, I assure you. He was - a young man whose private virtues and professional talents I - equally admired; so much so, indeed, that as a grateful tribute - to his memory, I have this day clothed myself in mourning. His - death has affected me in a manner that has much depressed my - spirits. If my opinion or assistance in your intended record of - his worth, on the melancholy tombstone that is intended to mark - the place of his interment, can be of any use, I beg you will - command me. The blocks for Mr. Way’s work[45] have come safe to - hand, but he informs me that you have omitted to send the - head-piece to Tale Seventh, “The Mantle Made Amiss,” which I - must beg you will send along with the first parcel of blocks for - the Chase; and, in cutting the remainder of Mr. Way’s work, you - will cut head and tail-piece in the regular succession, - _agreeable to the numbers on the different sketches_, as any - omission on this head causes an interruption in the printing. As - to the blocks for “The Chase,” I have already told you my - situation. I must, therefore, entirely rely on your making a - _bold effort to finish them in the specified time_. The whole - number is only twelve blocks, besides the vignette for the - title. Many of the tail-pieces are small. I wish fine execution - in them, I confess, but yet there must be that happy mixture of - engraving in them that will at the same time produce a boldness - of effect. Mr. Way particularly requests that I will inform you - that the blocks last sent are perfectly to his wishes. Agreeably - to your desire, I have sent the death of your brother to the - London prints. And believe me, - - Yours, very sincerely, - - WILLIAM BULMER. - -Footnote 45: - - “Fabliaux, or Tales abridged from French Manuscripts of the 12th and - 13th Centuries. By M. Le Grand. Translated into English verse, by G. - L. Way, Esq.” 1796. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - THOMAS BEWICK TO —. - - Newcastle, 4th October, 1794. - - DEAR SIR,[46] - - I received yours of the 17th ult., and thank you for the opinion - you have given me of America. Before I get the Birds done, I - have no doubt of matters being brought to such a crisis as will - enable me to see clearly what course to steer. My fears are not - at what you think will happen in America: it is my own - much-loved country that I fear will be involved in the anarchy - you speak of; for I think there is not virtue enough left in the - country gentlemen to prevent it. I cannot hope for anything good - from the violent on either side; that can only be expected from - (I hope) the great majority of moderate men stepping manfully - forward to check the despotism of the one party and the - licentiousness of the other. A reform of abuses, in my opinion, - is wanted, and I wish that could be done with justice and - moderation; but it is because I do not hope or expect that will - take place in the way I wish it that makes me bend my mind - towards America.... - -Footnote 46: - - It appears from the autograph letter here copied, that Thomas Bewick - at one time contemplated emigrating to America. The name of his - correspondent is not known. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - MRS. M—[47] TO THOMAS BEWICK. - - April 4, 1805. - - I cannot resist the pleasure of thanking Mr. Bewick for the - entertainment I have just experienced in looking over the second - volume of the “British Birds.” The vignettes are incomparable. - The one with the string of the kite over the poor man’s hat,—who - cannot extricate himself, having to conduct his horse through - the water,—and that of the man clinging to the arm of the tree, - and, still more, the four little boys riding triumphant on the - tombstones, without a moment’s reflection on the mementos of - death around them, are, I think, excellently done. The little - drawing Captain M— presented me with, from Mr. Bewick, will be - placed in a book with the others I had given me at Newcastle, - which I have the greatest value for, and shall be very happy, if - either business or pleasure brought Mr. Bewick to London, to - show them to him, in the highest preservation, and also to be - introduced to his ingenious son, to whom I beg my compliments; - and remain Mr. Bewick’s very great admirer and obliged - - S. M—. - -Footnote 47: - - The lady here indicated was the wife of an officer. She was an amateur - artist, and was a frequent visitor when at Newcastle. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - THOMAS BEWICK TO MRS. M—. - - Newcastle, May 20, 1805. - - MADAM, - - Your very kind and flattering letter of the 4th ult. has reached - me, and I am happy to find that the second volume of the Birds - meets with your approbation, and that some of my little whimsies - put into vignettes have afforded you any entertainment. Could I - have forseen that the sketches, which your partiality makes you - value, would ever have been thought worthy of your notice, I - certainly would have saved more of them for you, and not have - put so many of them into the fire. And now, if my time and - attention were not so fully taken up with conducting other parts - of my business, I could easily furnish such without end; but, - when the fancies pop into my head, I have not time even to - commit them to paper, and I am often obliged to sketch them at - once upon the wood. A second edition of both volumes of the - Birds is now at press; and, as I believe you wish me success, I - cannot help informing you, that, in my opinion, Mr. Walker, the - printer, is doing the work to look better than either of the - volumes now before the public. He has seen some defects in his - former mode of printing which he is remedying in this. I have - just seen Aikin’s “Annual Review,” in which he dwells at large, - in his criticism, upon the History of the Quadrupeds and the - Birds. There are many misstatements, and some mistakes of the - printer, but, otherwise, he has gone the utmost lengths in - praise of the whole; and, if his praise be just, it is highly - flattering to me. I never hoped to have any compliments paid to - me as an author. I furnished all the original remarks, &c., for - the Quadrupeds, and the first volume of the Birds; but, if I - could have got any person to write a book for me, I would never - have thought upon writing the second volume myself. - Necessity—not choice—set me to work in this way. It was the work - of the winter evenings, at my happy fireside, surrounded by my - wife and girls at work, and cheered at intervals by many a wild - tune on the Northumberland pipes, played by my now stout, - healthy boy. - - I am, Madam, - With best wishes for your health and happiness, - Your much obliged servant, - THOMAS BEWICK. - - P.S.—Should business take me to London, I will certainly take - the liberty to give you a call. My boy thinks himself much - obliged to you for your attention and great kindness to him. I - would fain indulge him with a visit to London, but I think he is - too young yet, and I have some fears that I shall feel awkward - at parting with him even for a short time. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - THOMAS BEWICK TO —[48] - - Newcastle, 15th Nov., 1808. - - DEAR SIR, - - Your letter of the fourth inst., enclosing your promissory note - at six months, came safe to hand. Having calculated upon being - sooner paid, I was, I confess disappointed; but, however, on - thinking all matters over respecting your present expenses in, - as yet, an unproductive publication, and remembering your - continual good wishes towards me, I now see that I have to thank - you for the above remittance. You make me smile when you talk of - my “accumulated wealth.” I might, indeed, have been, by this - time, as rich as I ever wished to be, if my publications had - been.... but that not being the case, that day must be longer - put off. It may, indeed, happen all in good time, viz., when I - am unable in the line of my business to be longer useful to the - world. I may then, indeed, in the down hill of life, have it in - my power to attain to the summit of my wishes, in retiring to a - cottage, by a burn side, surrounded with woods and wilds, such - as I was dragged from when young to exhibit myself upon the - stage of the busy world. To such a place as this I hope to - retire; and, if I am enabled to show kindness to old friends, - and to be a good neighbour to those around me, and at the same - time to fill up my leisure time in contemplation, and in the - amusements of fishing and gardening, then I shall think that - Providence has been pleased to single me out to be one of the - happiest of men. I intend to go to press in the spring with a - new edition of the Birds, printed with the same kind of small - type as the Quadrupeds: the two volumes in one volume demy. I - wish much to have one of your books, but I cannot engage in the - sale of them, being sufficiently embarrassed with my own - publications. - - T. B. - -Footnote 48: - - An eminent publisher by whom he had been employed to embellish - an extensive work. - - - - -[Illustration: - - Thomas Bewick - his mark -] - - - NEWCASTLE-ON-TYNE:— - - ROBERT WARD, PRINTER, FOOT OF DEAN STREET. - - ------------------------------------------------------------------------- - - - - - ● Transcriber’s Notes: - ○ Missing or obscured punctuation was silently corrected. - ○ Typographical errors were silently corrected. - ○ Inconsistent spelling and hyphenation were made consistent - only when a predominant form was found in this book. - ○ Text that was in italics is enclosed by underscores - (_italics_). - - - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's A Memoir of Thomas Bewick, by Thomas Bewick - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK A MEMOIR OF THOMAS BEWICK *** - -***** This file should be named 60075-0.txt or 60075-0.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/6/0/0/7/60075/ - -Produced by Chris Curnow, Barry Abrahamsen, and the Online -Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This -file was produced from images generously made available -by The Internet Archive) - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions will -be renamed. - -Creating the works from print editions not protected by U.S. copyright -law means that no one owns a United States copyright in these works, -so the Foundation (and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United -States without permission and without paying copyright -royalties. 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