xvii Wedgwood and Flaxman 219 



and you know upon this occasion expedition is of great 

 consequence, so I will detain you no longer than whilst 

 I beg your pardon for this exercise of your patience, 

 and that you will believe me, with compliments to 

 Mrs. Flaxman, dear sir, yours, etc. Jos. WEDGWOOD. 



" I have some doubt of Hercules being a proper re- 

 presentation of Virtue. A female figure may perhaps be 

 better, but this is left to your better judgment, J. W." 



In 1785, Flaxman had finished his drawings of 

 the Chessmen, had modelled the King of Sweden, a 

 portrait of Governor Hastings, and designed Mr. and 

 Mrs. Meerman's portraits. During the two next years, 

 he was mainly occupied with the plaques, some of 

 which embodied his finest works. There was Mercury 

 joining the hands of England and France ; and Peace 

 preventing Mars from bursting the door of Janus's 

 Temple. He also finished the bas-relief of Hercules in 

 the Gardens of the Hesperides, and he was now able to 

 mention the cost of the work, which was 23. In 

 the following letter, Flaxman refers to two of these 

 designs : 



"Wardour Street, 12th January 1787. Sir I 

 have the honour to trouble you with my bas-relief of 

 Mars and Peace, which I hope you will like. I have 

 sent the model without any mould, because I ap- 

 prehend, on second thoughts, your people will make a 

 model better and fitter for your purpose than I can; 

 and it will be some advantage for them to see the taste 

 of finishing before it undergoes that operation; which 



