viii Wedgwood appointed Queen s Potter 75 



adapt the vases so that the designs will appear to 

 be made for each other and intended for royalty, nor 

 must you trust to the contrary. But I am one group 

 or design short, which I have sketched out and enclose, 

 and desire you get it done by Wale, unless you know 

 a better hand." 



Wedgwood was most careful in his execution of this 

 first royal order. He himself superintended the whole 

 proceeding, the burning in of the gold and the illumina- 

 tion of the borders with flowers. In his early years, 

 while passing across the moors to school at Newcastle, 

 he had observed with delight the wild flowers which 

 grew upon the waste ground, and vividly remembered 

 them. As in the case of many a successful man his early 

 intimacy with nature developed his talent for keen 

 observation, and the faculty which he had cultivated 

 from the beginning of his life for taking pains in all 

 that he did, became his strongest discipline, and 

 eventually led to his remarkable conquest over all his 

 difficulties and misfortunes. 



He had indeed many troubles at this time. One of 

 the greatest was the incompetence of his workmen. " I 

 am just teased out of my life," he wrote to his brother in 

 London, " with dilatory, drunken, idle, worthless work- 

 men ; they prevent my proceeding with the tea service, 

 to which more sorts of workmen are necessary than 

 one would imagine." The uncertain element of fire 

 was, as has already been stated, a serious obstacle. 

 This is one of the enemies which the potter has to en- 



