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and the ufe of ground flints in "pottery, were introduced at a 

 later period, and, as it is faid, (fee Parkes's Chem. Cate- 

 chifm, ) in confequence of the following incident. About 

 the year 1720, a potter, fuppofed to be the above-mentioned 

 Aftbury, flopped at Dunllable in his way to Loudon, and 

 fought a remedy for a diforder in his horfe's eyes ; and the 

 oftler of the inn by burning a flint ftone reduced it to a fine 

 powder, which he blew into them. The potter, obferving 

 the beautiful white colour of the flint after calcination, in- 

 ftantly thought of applying the difcovery to the improve- 

 ment of his art, and afterwards introduced the white pipe- 

 clays found on the fouth fide of DeTonfhire, inftead of the 

 iron-clays of his own country, and thus produced the white 

 ftone ware. At firfl the flints were pulverized to the great 

 injury of the perfons employed ; till the famous Brindley, 

 in the early period of his life, conftrufted the mills that are 

 now ufed for grinding them in a moid ftate. It is farther 

 faid, that an ingenious mechanic, named Alfager, after- 

 wards improved the conftruftion of the potter's wheel, fo 

 as to give much greater precifion and neatneis to the work. 

 But fl;ill the French pottery exceeded in beauty that of Staf- 

 fordfliire ; and about the year 1760, a confiderable quantity 

 of it was imported, and purchafed by perfons of opulence 

 to the great detriment of the Englifli manufafture. Mr. 

 Wedgwood directed his attention to this article, and made 

 fereral improvements with regard to the forms, colours, and 

 compofition of his manufafture ; and in the year 1763 in- 

 vented a kind of ware for the table, which gave a turn to 

 the market, and under the name of queen's ware, conferred 

 upon it in confequence of the patronage of her majefty, 

 came into very general ufe. Its materials were the whiteft 

 clays from Devonfliire and Dorfet/hire, mixed with ground 

 flint, and covered with a vitreous glaze. By varying and re- 

 peating his experiments, Mr.Wedgwood difcovered the mode 

 of manufafturing other fpecies of earthenware and porce- 

 lain, excellent and beautiful, and adapted to various pur- 

 pofes both of ufe and ornament. With a view of profe- 

 cuting his improvement in pottery he applied to the ftudy 

 of chemiflry, and for his farther afilltance engaged the in- 

 genious Mr. Chifholme, who had been employed in a fimilar 

 department by the celebrated Dr. Lewis, author of the 

 " Commercium Philofophico-Technicum ;" for whom he not 

 only built a comfortable habitation near the manufaftory, 

 but liberally afforded him an annuity for his fupport under 

 the decays of age, which he continued till his death. Aided 

 alfo by the claffical tafte of his partner, Mr. Bentley, pot- 

 teries were furniflied which ferved as models for various ar- 

 ticles, formed of other materials, that were held in high 

 eflimation. We learn from Dr. Bancroft, that almoft all 

 the finely diverfifiod colours which Mr. Wedgwood applied 

 to his pottery were produced only by the oxyds of iron. 

 In the manufafture of his beautiful jafper ware, which ri- 

 valled the produftions of antiquity, and which found its 

 way into the colleSions of the curious in all parts of Eu- 

 rope, he employed the native fulphate of barytes, and from 

 this ufe of it he derived great profit, until by the infidelity 

 of a fervant the fecret was difclofed and fold, fo that others 

 employed inferior workmen at a reduced falary, and thus 

 prevented Mr. W. from employing his exquifite modellers 

 on that branch of the manufafture. 



Among other curious produftions of this inventive manu- 

 fafturer we may mention his imitation of the Barberini or 

 Portland vafe, which was difcovered in the tomb of Alex- 

 ander Severus, and for which the late duchefs of Portland 

 paid iooo guineas. The fubfcription for Mr. W.'s manu- 

 faAure was at the rate of 50/. each for fifty vafes, but fuch 

 were the expences of its execution, that the partners loft 



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money by the undertaking. Mr. Webber, it is faid, receited 

 500 guineas merely for modelling it. See Vase. 



We cannot forbear in this conneftion noticing two cameos 

 of Mr. Wedgwood's manufafture ; one of a flave in chains, 

 of which he diilributed many hundreds, with a view of ex- 

 citing the humane to aflift in the abolition of the flave-trade ; 

 and the other a cameo of Hope, attended by Peace and 

 Art and Labour, which was made of argillaceous earth 

 from Botany Bay, to which place he fent many of them, in 

 order to (hew what their materials were capable of, and to 

 encourage the induftry of the inhabitants. 



To this brief account of fome of the numerous produc- 

 tions of Mr. Wedgwood, we (hall fubjoin the tribute paid to 

 his indafl;ry and genius by an elegant modern poet : I 



" Gnomes ! as you now dilTeft with hammers fine 

 The granite rock, the noduled flint calcine ; 

 Grind with ftrong arm, the circling chertz betwixt. 

 Your pure kaolins and petuntfes mixt ; 

 O'er each red faggar's burning cave prefide, 

 The keen-eyed fire-nymphs blazing by your fide ; 

 And pleafed on Wedgwood ray your partial fmile, 

 A new Etruria decks Britannia's ifle. 

 To call the pearly drops from Pity's eye ; 

 Or ftay Defpair's difanimating figh. 

 Whether, O Friend of Art ! the gem you mould 

 Rich with new tafte, with ancient virtue bold ; 

 Form the poor fettcr'd flave on bended knee 

 From Britain's fons imploring to be free ; 

 Or with fair Hope the brightening fcenes improve. 

 And cheer the dreary waftes of Sydney-cove ; 

 Or bid Mortality rejoice and mourn 

 O'er the fine forms on Portland's myftic urn. 

 Whether, O Friend of Art ! your gems derive 

 Fine forms from Greece, and fabled gods revive ; 

 Or bid from modern life the portrait breathe, 

 And bind round Honour's brow the laurel wreath ; 

 Buoyant (hall fail, with Fame's hiftoric page, 

 Each fair medallion o'er the wrecks of age ; 

 Nor Time fliall mar, nor Steel, nor Fire, nor Ruft, 

 Touch the hard polifli of the immortal buft." 



The demand for StafFordfliire ware very much increafed, 

 and it became a commercial article of exportation of very 

 confiderable value. 



The diftrift which Mr.Wedgwood inhabited became by 

 his means the feat of population and abundance. The vi- 

 cinity was enriched, and a new canal of importance, called 

 the Grand Trunk canal, and connecting the Trent and the 

 Merfey, was obtained and executed by his influence. The 

 ample fortune which he acquired was liberally enjoyed, and 

 benevolently applied to many purpofes of private charity and 

 public utility. Chemiftry and the arts in their mutual con- 

 neftion were objefts of his attention ; and he contrived an 

 infl:rument for meafiiring high degrees of heat, called a py- 

 rometer, of which he gave an account in the Phil. Traaf. 

 for 1782, 1784, and 1786. See Thermometer. 



The difpofition and manners of Mr.Wedgwood were no 

 lefs eftimable than the powers of his mind ; fo that he was 

 as much the objeft of admiration and efteem for his moral 

 as for his intelleftual qualities. So much was he refpefted, 

 and fo defirable was the continuance of his ufeful life, that 

 he died, univerfally regretted, at his houfe in Stafford/hire, 

 to which he gave the name of Etruria, in January 1795, in 

 the 65th year of his age. Aikin's Chem. Dift. Gent. 

 Mag. Parkes's Chemical Catechifm. Parkes's Eflays. 



WEDINOON, in Geography, a diftrift of Sufe in the 

 fouthern divilion of Morocco, inhabited by a tribe of Arabs. 



This 



