142 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



accept any more orders. He directed Bentley, then in 

 London, to refuse or postpone them until the works at 

 Etruria could be properly finished for their execution. 

 William Wood and Denby were engaged in making 

 medallions and bas-reliefs from the gems and intaglios. 

 Bentley would have a share of them ; but they must 

 proceed methodically. 



Wedgwood paid another visit to Bentley to arrange 

 some matter concerning the house at Chelsea ; and after 

 the agreement had been settled, he returned to Burslem, 

 or rather to Etruria, at the beginning of November 

 1769. Wedgwood thus cheerfully communicated his 

 reception at his new house to his friend Bentley : 



" We were three days upon the road . . . but at the 

 last stage, Etruria, I was rewarded for all the risk and 

 pains I had undergone during a tedious, long and dirty 

 journey. I found my Sally and family at Etruria! 

 just come there to take possession of the Etruscan 

 plains and sleep upon them for the first night ! Was 

 not this very clever now, of my own dear Girl's con- 

 triving ? She expected her Joss on the very evening 

 he arrived ; had got the disagreeable business of remov- 

 ing all over, and I would not have been another night 

 from home, for the Indies ! 



" To-night we are to sup 120 of our workmen in 

 the Town-Hall, and shall take up our lodgings at 

 Burslem. ... I do not know when I shall write again. 

 The settling of these new hands will find me a world 

 of employment." 



