WEDGWOOD'S RELIGIOUS VIEWS AND CHARACTER. 421 



house was ever open to receive men of every rank and station 

 who had the passwords of bright intellect and of scientific 

 or art eminence to recommend them. He was a liberal 

 contributor to the annuity to Dr. Priestley. In religion he* 

 was an Unitarian, and was on intimate terms of friendship 

 with Mr. Willet, the minister of the old Presbyterian Chapel 

 at Newcastle, whose ministry he attended. His religious 

 views, however, were never allowed to influence his actions, 

 whether of friendship or of business. He wisely felt that 

 there was good in all, and that a man's religion was a ques- 

 tion between his own conscience and his Maker, and not one 

 on which commercial relationships or ties of friendship ought 

 to hinge. 



One who knew him well, wrote of him soon after his 

 death, " He was most kind, and he did all he could to make 

 us comfortable. He made a present of one hundred pounds 

 to my little boy. He made me take him (my boy) out in 

 his carriage every day, and being a most superior man, his 

 conversation was very instructive and interesting. Many 

 gentlemen visited him, particularly at breakfast, and I was 

 very much amused and improved by the society of this good 

 man's friends. Oh, money ! what an enchantress art thou ! 

 thou canst raise fairy ground around us, and make men and 

 everything else smile upon us. The frequent visits of this 

 wonderful man, whose portrait is now before me, was in the 

 end a misfortune we lived when he was with us very luxu- 

 riously which was not very easy to change when he left us ; 

 he was so kind to me and to his godson, who was called after 

 him, that I loved him dearly, and felt most desolate when 

 he left us, and we sank into our usual insignificance my 

 husband always having work neglected while our visitor was 

 with us, and now must be done. This period of his visit 

 was very consoling." 



In the works of Sir Charles Hanbury Williams occurs a 

 poem, called " Isabella," describing the morning occupation 

 and visitors of Lady Isabella Montague (circa 1770). Of 

 one of her admirers, a Mr. Bateman, it is said : 



