1 92 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



" A short history of a long journey to London, from a 

 Papa in Town to his good child at home." The history, 

 which is written in the style of a loving father to his 

 playful child, separated from her by several hundred 

 miles, extends to six chapters in length. Some of it 

 is very interesting. Not less interesting were his 

 communications with his boys, over whose education 

 he watched, encouraging them, and assisting them with 

 his immense information. We may quote one of his 

 letters to his eldest son John, or as his father called 

 him " Dear Jackey." The boy was at school at Bolton 

 in Lancashire in 1774, and his father enclosed with the 

 following letter a long and minute account of "The 

 Natural History and Uses of Lead" in its various 

 forms : 



" My dear Boy Having a parcel to send to your 

 good master, I take the opportunity of enclosing a few 

 lines to you, well knowing that you will be glad to hear 

 that your mamma, your brothers and sisters are well, 

 and continue their good will and affections to you. 

 Your brothers often talk of you, and seldom omit 

 drinking your health at dinner. Joss wants much to 

 go to school with his brother Jackey, that he may 

 learn to read, and learn so many things out of books 

 which he is very earnest to know, but finds there is no 

 other way of gaining the knowledge he wants but by 

 becoming a scholar and reading and studying for him- 

 self ; for, if he prevails upon his cousin Jackey or anybody 

 else who is at leisure, to read a little for him, they are 



