What was it, then, I may ask at this point, which made Josiah Wedgwood, this unschooled boy, the most able and successful potter of England, and perhaps of all the world? I attempt to answer it by stating my belief _that he was not living for riches, but for excellence_. He worked all his life to combine the useful with the beautiful more and more perfectly; and in a surprising degree he succeeded. This was not because of his intellectual ability, but because of his sense of _honor_.
The world has gone into a craze for intellect--not at all for _honesty_. I mean by honesty not a sickly sort of conscientiousness, which often hinders; but honesty of intention, showing itself in work. To illustrate my meaning, I may say that my own experience has been that the larger part of mankind are quite willing to "shab" a thing--to do it poorly--provided it will sell, and give them their wages.
This, it seems to me, was just what made Wedgwood what he was; he could not do that. All the work of his I have seen was done as well as it could be done. I do not mean that all his designs were good or his decorations faultless; but, as it was, it _was as well done as he could do it_.
[Illustration: FIG. 91.--_Portrait of Wedgwood._]
It seems to me that in his portrait (Fig. 91) a good deal of this robust, manly, honorable character is to be traced. I like to think that the face here, as in many cases, is a sort of promise of the man.
I cannot do better than to quote, from one of Wedgwood's catalogues, his own words, which are better than any sermon, better than much "burnt-offering and sacrifice;" which phrase of the prophet shows that there were shabby fellows then, even in the days of God's Jews. I quote:
"A competition for cheapness, and not for excellence of workmanship, is the most frequent and certain cause of the rapid decay and entire destruction of arts and manufactures.
"The desire of selling much in a little time, without respect to the taste or quality of the goods, leads manufacturers and merchants to ruin the reputation of the articles which they make and deal in; and while those who buy, for the sake of a fallacious saving, prefer mediocrity to excellence, it will be impossible for them either to improve or keep up the quality of their works.