88 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



was to become a partner with Wedgwood in a certain 

 portion of his manufactures. The arrangement up to 

 this time had been of considerable advantage to Bentley 

 in his business at Liverpool. Instead of being a general 

 agent, he now confined himself to earthenware only. 

 He superintended the import of clay from Dorsetshire, 

 Cornwall, and Devonshire, and the export of Wedg- 

 wood's goods to America and other countries. The 

 arrangement between the two was an equal division of 

 the profits on the earthenware exports. Bentley took 

 a partner James Boardman, and his firm was after- 

 wards known as that of Bentley and Boardman. 



The partnership between Wedgwood and Bentley 

 took place shortly after Wedgwood's letter to Bentley 

 (November 1766), which was very encouraging. He 

 proposed to build a house for Bentley at Etruria ; but 

 he said that it would be twelve months at least before 

 the works could be built. He also mentioned the orna- 

 mental works that Bentley would have to superintend 

 vases of many sorts, toilet furniture, elegant tea- 

 chests, snuff and other boxes. " If all these good things 

 should fail us," wrote Wedgwood, " I hope your good 

 genius will direct us in the choice of others." 



Wedgwood still carried on assiduously his experi- 

 ments on the raw materials of pottery. It will readily 

 be understood that a thorough knowledge of the many 

 kinds of earth upon the surface of the world, comprises 

 in its highest sense the power of the potter over his 

 clay. It is truly the groundwork of his art. Such 



