158 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



of the goods which he offered for sale. In one of his 

 catalogues he said : " A competition for cheapness, and 

 not for excellence of workmanship, is the most frequent 

 and certain cause of the rapid decay and entire destruc- 

 tion of arts and manufactures. . . . This observation 

 is equally applicable to manufactures and to the pro- 

 ductions of the fine arts ; but the degradation is more 

 fatal to the latter than the former, for, though an ordi- 

 nary piece of goods for common use is always dearer 

 than the best of the kind, yet an ordinary and tasteless 

 piece of ornament is not only dear at any price, but 

 absolutely useless and ridiculous. . . . The proprietors of 

 this manufactory do not produce works for those who 

 estimate them by their magnitude, and who would buy 

 pictures at so much a foot. They have been happy in 

 the encouragement and support of many illustrious 

 persons who judge of the works of art by better prin- 

 ciples ; and so long as they have the honour of being 

 thus patronised, they will endeavour to support and 

 improve the quality and taste of their manufactures." 



Down to the discovery of the Jasper ware by 

 Wedgwood, his goods were mostly earthenware, and 

 this was shortly after changed for its superior, porce- 

 lain. In a future chapter we shall describe soft and 

 hard porcelain ; because Wedgwood afterwards made a 

 journey to Cornwall in search of the material. He 

 continued employing modellers Tassie on Apollo and 

 Daphne ; Bacon on Night and the God of Day ; Mrs. 

 Landre on Neptune and a large Sea Nymph for a pair 



