vi Friendship with Bent ley 63 



was honourable to both ; and perhaps there is nothing- 

 finer in commercial communications than the warm and 

 cordial intercourse between these two memorable men. 



Wedgwood was very busy after his return to Burslem. 

 There were long arrears of correspondence to overtake ; 

 there were still many orders to execute, and in their 

 fulfilment Wedgwood's presence was quite indispensable. 

 There were the experiments on various clays to con- 

 tinue with a view to further improvement, and there 

 was all manner of chemical analyses to pursue in order 

 to test the knowledge he had acquired at Liverpool. 

 He could not leave Burslem even for a day. To his 

 friend Bentley he wrote : " I am tied down to this 

 rugged potmaking spot of earth, and cannot leave at 

 present without suffering for it." 



Wedgwood took no important step without con- 

 sulting Bentley, who on his side was always ready to 

 reply to him with confidence and zeal. He many times 

 visited Burslem, and Wedgwood returned his visits to 

 Liverpool. At length he insisted on Bentley becoming 

 his partner. On removing his works from Burslem, 

 Wedgwood built a house for Bentley's accommodation. 

 But Bentley never occupied it, as his services were 

 found to be more valuable in London, the most im- 

 portant centre of Wedgwood's business arrangements. 



