strange whims, such as living on vegetable food, mostly bread and water, for eight months, and then launching out into opposite extremes till a second marriage produced new scenes and new cares. I applied myself closely, rather too closely to the arts and lost no time in amusements except some rambles out of town and even then I was attempting sketches.
   In 1802, I undertook the engraving of three hundred cuts for Bewick’s Quadrupeds, a laborious undertaking and poorly paid.
   I did a number of engravings for the late David Longworth, among the rest a set for the Fables of Flora, the head vignettes on copper and the tail pieces on wood. The late Samuel Wood was one of my most constant employers. I did an infinity of cuts for his excellent set of small books.
   Among my acquaintances was John Roberts from Dumfries, the person mentioned by Burns as being good at the burin. I sought his employ in hopes of gaining some improvement from that almost universal genius and assisted in finishing several plates; but there was a downward tendency about the man, and our intimacy was dropped. His end was rather melancholy.
   During the last war with Great Britain my title