Connoisseurs-Richard Lovell Edgeworth-Proposes to make his Son Godwin and his Necessities-Opens a shop for the sale of Children's Books-A Subscription raised-Failure of his Scheme-His work on 'Political Justice '-Mrs. Darwin's Letters-Beautiful Pottery from Etruria-Death of Mrs. Darwin-Dr. Darwin and his Daughters- His Medical Contemporaries-Dr. Beddoes-His Merits as an Experi- mentalist-Peter Holland-His Son Henry-The Report on the Agriculture of Cheshire-Highly commended-His Medical Studies— Cobalt and its Mysteries-Poole's Letters-Spanish Sheep-Govern- ment Enquiry as to Wool-Planting Apple Trees-The Malt Tax- Poole's enlightened Views-His Admiration of the Scenery and Soil of Cornwall-Events in Spain-His Labours in relation to a new Poor Law-His Character and Scientific Tastes-Willmott's Return to Etruria-Death of Chisholm-George Coleridge-His difference with his Brother, S. T. Coleridge-Basil Montague-His Friendly Offers — Mrs. Drewe-Death of Francis Horner-The Misses Allen of Cresselly -Mr. Byerley-Proposed Removal of his Family to York Street- Probably not carried out-His Anxieties and Death-Hospitality at Show-room, York Street, St. James's Square, from 1796 to 1829 to face page 63 A GROUP OF ENGLISHMEN. CHAPTER I. Manufacturing Industry-Prospective Views of the chief industrial Leaders-The Future of Soho and Etruria -The Heirs of eminent and wealthy Men-Disadvantages of their Position-The Sons of Wedgwood-Ability of the Youngest-Literary and social Condition of the Time-Rise of young and eminent Men-Their Friendship with the Wedgwoods-Character of the three Brothers-Little known of their Childhood-The Schools of Lancashire—The elder Wedgwood's Journeys to and fro-Intimacy of his Children with those of Dr. DarwinChemical Lectures-Journey to Bolton-Graphic Pictures of Machinebreaking Mobs-An Etruscan School-Debates as to Instruction in Classics-Bentley a stout Classicist-Darwin and Wedgwood lose sight of the Main Point-The French Tutor-School Programme-John Wedgwood sent to Warrington Academy-The Collapse of that Iustitution — Scholarship in Edinburgh -A Genevan Professor - Wedgwood's Letter to M. Pictet-Proposes to send Thomas Wedgwood to Rome-Webber's Arguments against it-John Leslie Tutor at Etruria -The young Wedgwoods dislike Edinburgh-Lord Dundonald-Dr. Black-Leslie's Memoir of Wedgwood-The Contest upon Leslie's Election to the Chair of Mathematics vacated by Playfair. THE rapid and steady growth of English manufacturing industry during the last half of the eighteenth century produced many results of a character new and unforeseen by its chief promoters. Apart from their varied and high capacity in adapting means to ends, the result of which was proved by the creation of many colossal private fortunes, and a great increase of individual prosperity and national wealth, the majority of these were simple, homely men, whose chief ambition, without B 2 THE FUTURE OF GREAT MANUFACTORIES. doubt, rested on the hope that the great industrial centres they had created would be carried on, in efficiency, after their decease, by their immediate descendants and heirs. In all probability there was a period when Boulton and Watt contemplated as great, if not a greater, future for Soho, under the guidance of their respective sons, as that which they themselves had created and witnessed. But death struck down young Gregory Watt, the most hopeful of the great engineer's children; and thus the future of Soho was, so long as it lasted, a sleepy decline; being upheld rather by the traditions of the past than by any genius or business capacity of those who had succeeded. Arkwright left inheritors of his name, but none of his ability; and the first Sir Robert Peel lived to see his intellect reproduced in the new and higher direction of politics and legislation. Wedgwood, who was too prudent, too well acquainted with commercial risks, and who saw as clearly as any man of his time that, till some measure of Parliamentary Reform had secured a better representation of the people, misgovernment and its effects must continue and increase, seems never to have indulged in any unwise and sanguine dreams of the future greatness of Etruria. He took for granted that it would be carried on by his sons, and he rather favoured than not their initiation in the arts of the scientific and artistic potter. And so long as he lived two at least of them, guided by his influence and example, were in every sense partners and able assistants. But when the master-hand dropped, the bow, too long under tension, rebounded. The one son, already stricken with the hypochondriacism and restlessness of incurable disease, sought relief in a constant change of scene and varied companionship; and the other, led in a degree by his example, purchased a great estate in Dorsetshire, and for a few years appeared in the new character of a landlord and country squire. As was natural, the Staffordshire interests suffered from this absenteeism; and it was not till their head had returned to his native soil that these interests revived. Nothing, perhaps, short of national ruin could have irretrievably injured the vast commercial business which Josiah Wedgwood the elder had founded, or deprived the wares manufactured at Etruria of their universal fame; but for many years the prosperity of Etruria declined, and it was left to another age and generation to revive and give progress to the varied branches of that noble handicraft which beauty and utility combined had rendered famous. Judged of from a philosophic point of view, there is nothing surprising in the fact that the immediate heirs of great men should possess less energy, or display far less ability in the direction which led their fathers to success. The latter were representative men, endowed with the forces which are essentially creative. Ideas stood foremost with them, and to realise these in effects for enthusiasm shuts out personality—was a passion that overruled every difficulty. But the process is an exhaustive one. Body and mind alike suffer. A man cannot give that which he has bountifully spent. Hence it is that genius so rarely reproduces itself; or, if it does, it is in a direction divergent and wholly new. The process is analogous to that which we find in the culture of the soil; rest, change of products, and the supply of those materials which productive energy has exhausted, are necessary to renewed fertility. It is also to be observed, that such ceaseless labours of body and mind as representative leaders find it necessary to 4 RICHES RARELY AN ADVANTAGE TO THE YOUNG. 2 bestow, if conceptions, alike beneficial to the individual and to communities, are to be effectively realised, produce diseases, which, transmitted to their offspring, counterbalance, and often far more, their inheritance of honour and riches. Indeed, as thoughtful and cultivated men begin to perceive,1 the possession of large fortunes at that period of youth when energy, selfdenial, and industry should build up character, is, in too many instances, an evil rather than a good. Deprived of those stimulative motives which led their fathers to success, young men fritter away existence in a manner purposeless, if not evil. There are necessarily exceptions to this rule as to all others. Some men stand better for a firm foundation, and make it the vantage ground to still higher purposes and results. Such was the use made of splendid opportunity by the second Sir Robert Peel. He became one of the most illustrious statesmen of his time; and his courage in avowing more liberal opinions, and in aiding their advance at a critical period of social change and national progress, was significant of the moral force which had built up the physical and social inheritance he used so well. In countless other directions wealth and ability combined are great utilities. The pursuits 1 This opinion is admirably stated in an able little work, The Organisation of Charity, by W. Rathbone, Esq., M.P. for Liverpool. 2 Bentley seems to have entertained this opinion in relation to Wedgwood's sons, and to have spoken frankly on the subject. In reply, the latter wrote: You may be a true prophet with respect to my boys being spoil'd for the exertion of their own facultys, if they are enabled to purchase the fruits of other men. But, if I continue long enough amongst them, I will endeavour-and I am sure you will assist me to give them so much pride and unquietness of spirit that they shall not be content with anything other people can do for them, if they have not a hand in it themselves. They promise well in these respects at present, and I hope the good dispositions will continue and increase.'-Wedgwood to Bentley, December 29, 1777. |