264 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



the same effect was a presumptous attempt, especially in 

 his own jasper compositions. 



Wedgwood took a vast amount of advice before he 

 proceeded with the work. While still busy studying 

 the Portland Vase, he wrote to Lord Auckland, then 

 Ambassador at Madrid. In the course of his letter, 

 Wedgwood said : " I employ several modellers constantly 

 in Koine, and get what I can from Paris, and am very 

 happy when I can have anything done by my own 

 artists in England; but my works are too small and 

 delicate for them, so that little assistance can be ob- 

 tained in England, except what is done under my own 

 eye at Etruria. You will perhaps wonder at your not 

 having heard something of the Barberini Vase. I was 

 always very sensible of the difficulty of attempting to 

 copy so exquisite a piece of workmanship ; but in the 

 progress of the undertaking, difficulties have occurred 

 which nothing but practice could have discovered to 

 me. The prospect, however, brightens before me, and 

 after having made several defective copies, I think I 

 begin to see my way to the final completion of it. I 

 shall take the liberty of troubling your Excellency with 

 a further account of my progress in this great work 

 for such you must permit me to call it as I advance 

 nearer to the end." 



Wedgwood also took the advice of Sir William 

 Hamilton, at one time the possessor of the Portland 

 Vase. Sir William replied : " Naples, 24th July 1786. 

 Sir I will not delay answering, as well as I am able, 



