His first employment seems to have been the engraving of arms and shop-bills. The next step was to design and furnish plates for booksellers; and here we are fortunately supplied with dates.[10] Thirteen folio prints, with his name to each, appeared in "_Aubry de la Motraye's_ Travels," in 1723; seven smaller prints for "_Apuleius'_ Golden Ass" in 1724; fifteen head-pieces to "_Beaver's_ Military Punishments of the Ancients," and five frontispieces for the translation of _Cassandra_, in five volumes, 12°, 1725; seventeen cuts for a duodecimo edition of _Hudibras_ (with _Butler's_ head) in 1726; two for "_Perseus_ and _Andromeda_," in 1730; two for _Milton_ [the date uncertain]; and a variety of others between 1726 and 1733. "No symptom of genius," says Mr. _Walpole_, "dawned in those plates. His _Hudibras_ was the first of his works that marked him as a man above the common; yet, what made him then noticed, now surprises us, to find so little humour in an undertaking so congenial to his talents."--It is certain that he often lamented to his friends the having parted with his property in the prints of the large _Hudibras_, without ever having had an opportunity to improve them. They were purchased by Mr. _Philip Overton_,[11] at the _Golden Buck_, near _St. Dunstan's Church_ in _Fleet-Street_; and still remain in the possession of his successor Mr. _Sayer_. Mr. _Bowles_ at the _Black Horse_ in _Cornhill_ was one of his earliest patrons. I had been told that he bought many a plate from _Hogarth_ by the weight of the copper; but am only certain that this occurrence happened in a single instance, when the elder Mr. _Bowles_ of _St. Paul's Church-yard_ offered, over a bottle, half a crown a pound for a plate just then completed. This circumstance was within the knowledge of Dr. _Ducarel_.--Our artist's next friend in that line was Mr. _Philip Overton_, who paid him a somewhat better price for his labour and ingenuity. When Mr. _Walpole_ speaks of _Hogarth's_ early performances, he observes, that they rose not above the labours of the people who are generally employed by booksellers. Lest any reader should inadvertently suppose this candid writer designed the minutest reflection on those artists to whom the decoration of modern volumes is confided, it is necessary to observe, that his account of _Hogarth_, &c. was printed off above ten years ago, before the names of _Cipriani, Angelica, Bartolozzi, Sherwin,_ and _Mortimer_ were found at the bottom of any plates designed for the ornament of poems, or dramatic pieces.