280 Josiah Wedgwood CHAP. 



ever, postpone till we have the pleasure of seeing you 

 here." 



On a future occasion, Dr. Darwin asked Wedgwood 

 as to his merits as a potter. His reply was : " To your 

 first question, I only pretend to have attempted to copy 

 the fine antique forms, but not with absolute servility ; 

 I have endeavoured to preserve the style and spirit or, 

 if you please, the elegant simplicity of the antique 

 forms, and, in so doing, to introduce all the variety I am 

 able ; and this Sir William Hamilton assures me that I 

 may venture to do, and that it is the true way of copy- 

 ing the antique. 



" To your second, viz. 'Was anything of consequence 

 done in the Medallion or Cameo kind before you, in 

 real stones, or in imitation of real stones, in paste or 

 soft coloured glasses ? ' Much has formerly been done. 

 Witness the Portland Vase, and numberless pieces of 

 inferior note. Bas-reliefs of various sizes have like- 

 wise been made of a coarse brown earth of one colour. 

 But of the improved kind of two or more colours, and a 

 true peculiar texture, none were made by the ancients, 

 or attempted by the moderns that I could hear of, till 

 some of them began to copy, in an inferior manner, my 

 jasper cameos. But this sounds so like blowing my 

 own trumpet, that I shall say no more." 



Wedgwood might have written a better answer to 

 Dr. Darwin had he copied his statement to the Court 

 (27th July 17*71) when he defended his action against 

 the persons who desired to infringe his solitary patent. 



