Preface vii 



letters, to examine them at my leisure. I found many 

 letters of Wedgwood, but none of Bentley, his most 

 intimate friend and correspondent. Wedgwood thought 

 so much of Bentley's letters, that he had them bound 

 into a volume, that he might read them at his leisure. 

 The probability is that they are still in existence, but 

 to the present time they are not forthcoming. At the 

 same time it must be said, that apart from his work as 

 a partner and salesman in London, Bentley had little to 

 do with the great enterprises of Wedgwood. 



I have also been enabled, through the kindness of 

 Miss Goddard, of Little Ashton, near Sutton Lichfield, 

 to insert a number of letters which she obtained from a 

 selection of the Wedgwood manuscripts. Some of these 

 are important, more particularly as regards his discovery 

 of the Thermometer or Pyrometer for testing the highest 

 degrees of heat, in respect of which Wedgwood was 

 elected a member of the Eoyal Society. 



I have not inserted any Illustrations of Wedgwood's 

 works. These have already been published by Llewellyn 

 Jewitt, Miss Meteyard, Professor Church, and others. 

 But the most splendid illustrations, which are about to 

 be published, are those by Mr. Quaritch, on account of 

 Frederick Eathbone, a leading expert in Wedgwood's 

 works. These have been executed by M. F. Appel of 

 Paris, and leave nothing to be desired. The pieces to 



