The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-21 00:00:00

A MONUMENT BY MR. J. ED WARDS.

We have had the pleasure of seeing a monument
of great beauty and refinement at the retired studio
of Mr. J. Edwards,. in Robert-street, Hampstead-
road. It is*to be erected, we understand, in a
church at Colchester, by W. Warwick Hawkins,
Esq., M.P., and his brother, in commemoration of
their widely-respected parents and of their youthful
brother and sister. The work altogether will be
not less, we should say, than fifteen feet high by
six feet wide. It is made of three kinds of Italian
marble, so disposed as to give effect to the sculp-
tured part, which is in a fine white piece, and is a
production of so much excellence that we have no
hesitation in saying that, had it been found by Dr.
Layard among the ancient sculptures of Nineveh,
it would be hailed as an acquisition of immense
value, and treasured in the British Museum with
the utmost care.
It represents the " daughter of Faith, unfading,
HOPE,' who, among her other beneficent services
to man, illutues "the dread unknown, the chaos
of the tomb." Robed in sculptorial beauty she
stands, in this admirable work of art, all calm and
erect, not " hid behind the dragon-winged Despair,"
but in " her radient might" is unobstructed to the
view. With one hand she trustingly presses her
bosom, which is covered over with the rich folds of
her ample drapery ; with the other she rests firmly
on the anchor—" the anchor of the soul," as the
sacred volume leaning against it characterises the
heavenly " hope" given to us; while with an ex-
pression the most, pure and deep she looks high
heavenward, as if breathing the words of the in-
spired Psalmist—" Mine eyes are unto thee, 0
God the Lord : in Thee is my trust ;" which words
are given in raised and polished letters on the
monument itself, immediately below the figure.
The solemn connection of this heavenward look
and earnest aspiration with the mournful resting-
place of the departed, and with the humble as-
surance that the "shadow of death" shall indeed
be " turned into the morning," is effectually indi-
cated by the urn on her left side, on which is given
the classic symbol of the soul ascending, while that,
of the body is reposing in the dreamless sleep
below ; and on which is also seen the monogram of
the Redeemer, between the Alpha and Omega
placed above the symbol of Eternity and its cycles
of everlasting change from renovation to decay,
from life to death in continual succession; arid
these are accompanied by the motto, " Mors est
janua tnelioris vite—Death is the gate to a better
life. Nor are these the only accessories in the
design, while each is made so unobtrusive as to be
almost unnoticeable. For inasmuch as the feeling
of hope is deemed to be to the human mind what
the morning star is to the rising sun—the har-
binger of the bright orb yet to arise as a vast sign,
we trust, of the sure dawning in unfading glory of
the great day eternal—so is the morning star of
hope here seen high above her upturned face.
And inasmuch as hope not unfrequeutly imparts
to the mind a blessed light amidst the dank, heavy
clouds that often encompass man's terrestrial exist-
ence, so, in this fine monumental relievo, are the
clouds seen, and the light, too, as of a large halo ;
and in the light, gleaming as it were most myste-
riously from the head of the figure, there is a
lambent flame observable, encircled by a sign evi-
dently denoting it as a flame for ever unquench-
able. This induces us to conclude our slight de-
scription of a true work of abstract art in the words
of the poet Campbell, who says : •
" Eternal HOPE ! when yonder spheres sublime
Peal'd their first note to sound the march of Time,
Thy joyous youth began—but not to fade.
When all the sister planets have decayed ;
When wrapt in fire the realms of ether glow,
And heaven's last thunder shakes the world below;
Thou, nndismay'd, shalt o'er the ruins smile,
And light thy torch at.Natum's funeral pile."

THE ROYAL CRUISE.—It is reported that the first
Royal cruise this season, in the Victoria and Albert,
will be a visit of the Queen to the Channal Islands,
Captain Lefebre, in his steamer Dasher, is ordered to
Portsmouth, to be in attendance on the Royal yacht.
The Marchioness of Hastings and the Baroness Grey
de Ruthyn have issued cards of invitation or a grand
concert, on Wednesday next, the 26th instanft.
The Marquis of Downshire has arrived at Hillsborough
Castle. The marchioness and youthful family, with Sir
George Chetwynd and Lady Charlotte Chetwynd, are at
present residing at Kreuznach, Bingen, Prussia. The
marchioness and family intend returning to Hillsborough
in August.
The celebration of the matrimonial alliance of Mr.
DJuglas
Holford and Miss Lindsey, daughter of General
Lindsey, is fixed for Thursday, the 3d of August.
DELAY. IN THE DEPARTURE OF THE MARCO POLO.—
Owing to the difficulties experienced in completing the
, arrangements, the owners found it impossible' to des-
patch this celebrated ship yesterday ; and as Friday is
: generally looked upon as " an unlucky day," her depar-
ture has been postponed until to-morrow morning, 22d
inst. She has all her passengers (600 in number) on
board, and will positively sail to-morrow.