The Stourbridge Observer, Cradley Heath, Halesowen & District Chronicle.
Stourbridge, West Midlands, England, 1875-07-24 00:00:00

THE BYRON MEMORIAL.

In London, on Friday afternoon in last week, a large
and influential meeting was held at Willis's Rooms, to
consider and determine what means should be taken to
found a national memorial of Lord Byron, the illus-
trious poet. Mr. Disraeli was called to the chair, and
among others present were the Earl of Malmesbury,
the Earl of Lovelace, the Earl of Bradford, the Earl of
Rosalyn, Earl Stanhope, Lord Houghton, Lord Claud
Hamilton, M.P., Viscount Sidmouth, General Sir
William Codrington, Archdeacon Trollope, Sir Walter
starling, Sir Reginald Graham, Mr. Baillie Cochrane,
M.P., Colonel Gourley, M.P., Mr. EdwardZPrelawney,
Mr. Matthew Arnold, General James Grant Wilson,
of New York, Mr. Frederick Locker, Mr. Alfred
Austin, Dr. William Farr, the Rev. James Fleming,
the Rev. M. S. A. Walrond, Mr. William Fidler, Dr.
Alexander Laing, Mr. Montague Corry, Mr. George
A. Sala, and Mr. Richard Edgcumbe. The large hall
was crowded to excess. Many ladies were present.

•
Mr. Disraeli, on rising to open the proceedings, was
loudly cheered. He said,—Ladies and Gentlemen,—
I am happy to meet for the first time the members of
the Committee who have before consulted on the sub-
ject which will engage our attention to-day. But,
before we do so, I wish to take this opportunity of
attempting to draw your minds to the contemplation
of the real object which we have before us. In the
12th year of this century a poem was published by a
young man who instantly commanded the sympathies
of the nation. There is no instance in literary records
of a success so sudden and so lasting. To use his own
words, he "awoke one morning and found himself
famous." From that time for 12 years he poured out a
series of complete inventions, which are not equalled
for their number and their consistency of purpose in
the literature of any country, ancient or modern.
(Cheers.) Admirable for many qualities, for their
picturesqueness, their wit, their passion,—they are
most distinguished by their power of expression and
by the sublime energy of their imagination. (Cheers.)
And then, after these 12 years, he died. He
died, I say, in the fulness of his fame, having enjoyed
in his lifetime a degree of celebrity which has never
fallen to the lot of any other literary man,—not only
admired in his own country, but reverenced and
adored in Europe. (Cheers.) How is it, then, that,
after half a century has elapsed, we are met here for
the first time in public meeting to devise some means
of a national expression of admiration and gratitude
to qualities so transcendent? It has been said of some
reason for this strange and dark neglect that the private
character of this poet was not as illustrious as his
public one. When half a century has elapsed private
character is scarcely an element in the estimate of
literary genius. (Cheers.) But of his private character
it may be said that it was ambiguous, and that of it
little is clearly known; and there is no man in this
room—aye, I would say even in this country—that
upon that subject can presume to give a definite and
precise opinion. (Loud cheers.) But then it was said,
as another excuse, that his works were deficient in
morality, and that he indulged in too free speculations
on those subjects which the human mind can never
penetrate, but which it is organically formed to re-
verence. And yet it must be remembered that he
was born in an age of contracted sympathies and re-
stricted.thought, and that much which he then ques-
tioned has since been surrendered. (Cheers.) If he
fell, which be undoubtedly did, into many erroneous
conclusions upon Divine subjects, it may be urged for
him that he was very young. I remember once Lord
Lyndhurst discussing the character and career of Mr.
Canning, and then asking some one who was present
what was the precise age at which Mr. Canning died.
He was told that he died at the age of 56. "What,"
said Lord Lyndhurst, then advanced in life, but yet
in the fulness of his complete capacity, "only 56; why
he was a mere boy." (A laugh.) But we must re-
member that when Byron died he was 20 years younger
than Mr. Canning, and in any speculations upon his
character and career this element in that wonderful
character and marvellous career should never be
omitted. It should always be remembered, I say, that
we are speculating on the life of one who, like those
whom the gods love, died young. (Cheers.) During
these 50 years that have elapsed, and during which no
public meeting has ever been called to recognise his
merits, a chorus of poetasters have unceasingly worked
to decry his abilities, and ultimately even to deny his
genius. (Cheers.) No one who has travelled in Grecce
can ever question for a moment the place of Byron as
a poet of the highest class. He has impressed his
mind on that country more than any poet who has
i
existed since Homer. (Cheers.) There s not a cape, a
promontory, or a column that he has not touched with
the fire or suffused with the sweetness of his song. If
you follow him in his Italian residence, you
will find that Italy was to him a source of
scarcely inferior inspiration. But the last and
greatest of his works does not depend upon
local interest. It will remain, as it is now rebog-
nixed, an unexampled picture of human nature ancl
a triumphant effort of the English tongue. (Cheers.)
We are met here, then, to-day at last to do some jus-
tice to one of the greatest of England's sons. (Cheers.)
What form your feelings should take it will be for you
to decide. You know, and you will know more as
these proceedings continue, what has been attempted.
I can unaffectedly apologise for not having taken any
part in the previous proceedings. My life is a busy
and an urgent one, and I could only lend to the Cora-
mittee the depth of my sympathy. (Cheers.) But
when I saw in the movement respecting a tablet that
it was santioned by the presence and the active inter-
position of one who had the nearest and proudest
claim to interpose in such a busioess—l mean the son-
in-law of Lord Byron (cheers), who more than forty
years ago was my companion in that Albania which
Byron celebr'ated—l felt that it was under the in-
fluence of kindly and able counsels. For myself,
though Ipresume not to dictate to this assembly what
form their feelings should assume in this respect, I will
express my individual desire to see in some public