CHAPTER XVIII 



WEDGWOOD AT WORK AGAIN DEATH OF BENTLEY 



HAVING already occupied so much space with the 

 history of Flaxman and his work for the great potter, 

 it is necessary that we should return to the personal 

 history of Wedgwood himself. 



For him there was no finality in the development of 

 his profession. It was not enough that he had achieved 

 success. He went forward with improvements on what 

 he had already done, and his fame steadily grew. His 

 works at Etruria became a point of attraction to numer- 

 ous visitors from all parts of Europe. 



"The importance of the manufacture which he 

 brought to so prosperous a state/' says Marryat in his 

 History of Pottery and Porcelain, "is proved by the 

 fact that, although many of the states of Europe had 

 prohibited the admission of British earthenware, and 

 others had loaded it with very high duties, five-sixths 

 of the quantity which he made were exported ; and his 

 earthenware cameos were so esteemed by foreigners 

 that they were eagerly purchased by them, and may be 



