312 THE WEDGWOODS. 



the fact of its having been copied, with alterations to adapt 

 it to that country, by the French potters of Sevres. In Mr. 

 Hall's possession is one of these curious and interesting 

 pieces. On it the charming figure of Commerce has had 

 her anchor and ship taken 1 away, and has been converted 

 into a figure with a very different meaning, holding in her 

 hand the cap of Liberty; and a pedestal has been introduced, 

 on which hangs the French shield of three fleurs-de-lis 

 " marking the time of its execution before the royal arms 

 were abolished, but after Louis XVI. had adopted the cap 

 of liberty." 



Of the Etruria medallion Dr. Darwin, in his " Botanic 

 Garden," thus speaks : 



t{ Gnomes ! as you now dissect with hammers fine 

 The granite rock, the nodul'd flint calcine ; 

 Grind with strong arm the circling chertz betwixt, 

 Your pure ka-o-lins and pe-tun-tses mixt ; 

 O'er each red sagger's burning cave preside, 

 The keen-eyed Fine-nymphs blazing by your side ; 

 And pleased on WEDGWOOD ray your partial smile, 

 A new Etruria decks Britannia's isle. 

 Charm'd by your touch, the flint liquescent pours 

 Through finer sieves, and falls in whiter showers ; 

 Charm'd by your touch, the kneady clay refines, 

 The biscuit hardens, the enamel shines ; 

 Each nicer mould a softer feature drinks, 

 The bold cameo speaks, the soft intaglio thinks. 



" To call the pearly drops from Pity's eye, 

 Or stay Despair's disanimating sigh, 

 Whether, O friend of Art ! the gem you mould, 

 Rich with new taste, with ancient virtue bold, 

 Form the poor fetter'd SLAVE on bended knee, 

 From Britain's sons imploring to be free ; 

 Or with fair HOPE the brightening scenes improve, 

 And cheer the dreary wastes at Sydney-cove ; 

 Or bid mortality rejoice and mourn 

 O'er the fine forms on Portland's mystic urn." 



To this Darwin appended a note, to say he " alluded to 

 two cameos of Mr. Wedgwood's manufacture : one of a Slave 

 in chains, of which he distributed many hundreds to excite 

 the humane to attend to and assist in the abolition of the 



