The Sun.
London, England, 1854-07-19 00:00:00

; was not easy on those points, and that it would
be a great relief to him to obtain some assistance, if he
could do so by any honourable means, for he was de-
termined to employ no other. I went on that occasion
to Sir Robert Peel, from whom I met with the
most perfect sympathy as regarded the object I had
in view ; and it was to me a most interesting fact
that that great man, governing the destinies of
this mighty nation, and engaged as he was in
the gravest pursuits, could nevertheless be drawn,
by the force of human sympathy, to take a deep in-
terest in this simple man of letters. What was done
on that occasion was sufficient for the purpose I
will ask you, therefore, in looking upon this bust, to
regard it as a memorial not only of the interest of big
friends, but as a memorial of national interest for a na-
tional name. It consists, as you perceive, of a plain
bust upon a pedestal. I have always thought that
a man's bust is the best monument which could be
raised to him ; it is that which is most calculated
to show people who come after him what he really
was, and it is less dumb and less vacant than the
monuments which we see mostly around us. It
is perfectly true that, generally speaking, we find
that busts represent the dead when we could wislis
they represented the living ; it is perfectly true also.
that in our every-day walk among living busts, we
see men of genius whom we do not recognise and
whose services and virtues we do not honour, and after all
this may, perhaps, be but a poor acknowledgment of
the worth of the poet and humourist ; but still here it is
and we have raised it, and I trust all will feel that in so
doing we have not done honour to him, but to our-
selves. I remember that at the time of his fatal illness
I was very much haunted with the recollection of some
lines of his, which, I dare say, some of you remem-
ber. They are contained in a little poem, called " The
Death Bed" :
" We watch'd her breathing thro' the night,
Her breathing soft anelow,
As in her breast the wave of life
Kept heaving to and fro.
" So silently we seemed to speak,
So slowly moved about,
As we had lent her half our powers
To eke her living out.
" Our very hopes belied our fears,
Our fears our hopes belied—
We thought her dying when she slept,
And sleeping when she died.
" For when the morn came dim and sad,
And chill with early showers,
Her quiet eyelids closed—she had
Another morn than ours."
Thomas Hood has now another morn than ours—may'
that morn have brightened into perfect day : May
his spirit look down with gratification upon us who have
raised this modest homage to him—may he look down
with pleasure on those he has left behind him, and who
inherit his honour and his name—and may we all bear
home with us the consoling reflection, that the fame of
which a wise and honest man should be ambitious is not
that of acquiring wealth, power, or even earning clamor•
ous applause, but the attaining of such homage as we
are now paying to one who among us was a brother
and a friend—one who may make us at the
same time thankful to the age in which it has pleased
Providence to cast our lot, and grateful to the race
and cuuntry of which we are common citizens and men.
The address of the hon. gentleman seemed to make a
deep impression upon the large assembly of persons by
whom he was surrounded.
At its conclusion the monument was uncovered, and
the general feeling appeared to be one of admiration of
the simple yet elegant and artistic structure.
On the motion of Mr. MURDO YOUNG, a vote of
thanks was unanimously awarded to Mr. R. M.. Milnes,
M.P., for the eloquent oration he had delivered.
Mr. Mums, in returning thanks, said that in consent-
ing to take so prominent a part in the proceedings, he
was only actuated by the sincerest and warmest admi-
ration of the poet, and by the feeling that it would be
well for any of them to leave behind so good a name.
The ceremony then terminated, and all crowded round
the monument to take a closer glance of the bust, the
bas-reliefs, and the inscriptions.
The Cemetery Company deserve our best thanks for
the excellent accommodation afforded to the public, and
for the marked civility and attention of their servants.
Everything was orderly and respectful.

ORATION OVER THE TOMB OF HOOD.

The bust of Thomas Hood was uncovered yesterday
at Kensal-green Cemetery. The ceremony was inats-
gurated by an oration from Mr. Monckton Milnes, The,
custom of pronouncing eulcgiums over the graves of dead
celebrities has not yet become English, and we are not
sorry for it. It would be very sad to have to listen to
eulogistic tirades from professional orators on the death
of every pretended or real great man. A true emotion
cannot be got up at the dictation of every spokesman.
We cannot be expected to have strong symp ithies with
every form of literary and poli'ical excellence. Our
neighbours—the French—by making funeral orations
over dead men the rule, and not the exception, detract
fearfully from the value and the interest of such dis-
course . But there are occasions when a departure
from the ordinary silence which we maintain over the
tomb of a great man may be advantageously permitted.
And such an occasion presented itself yesterday.
Hood was not a merely ephemeral writer. He did
not address himself to the feelings which mere passing
events generated in the minds of his readers. He smote
deep down into the hearts of his admirers. Had he been
nothing more than a literary man, the ceremony of yes-
terday would have been an impertinence. The nation
cannot afford to have its time taken up by eulogiams
on every citizen who does his work well in his own par-
ticular line. Nevertheless, when a man not only does
his own work well, but acts powerfully on the national
mind, then his fame is a national possession, and may
i,e with all propriety made the subject of public
commensuration. A great author is distinguished
from the merely professional scribe by the fact of
adding something to the stock of national ideas.
Who can tell how much of the national character is
due to the operation of the works of Sbakespere
t'he flood of ideas with which the great dramatist
inundated the national mind has enriched it and fer-
tilised it. We are most of us wiser and better by
the fact of Shakspere having lived and written. It
would not be difficult to find in most modern works
traces of the influence which Shakspere has exercised
ever the writers. A great author, such as Shakspere,
is then a great public educator. The national mind is
enlarged and enriched by the treasures which he pours
into it. There is therefore a great propriety in making
such a writer the subject of public eulogium.
Hood was one of those who not only enriched the na-
tional literature, but instructed the national mind. His
conceptions, it is true, were not vast. His labours were
not like" those of Shakspere, colossal. But he has pro-
duced as permanent an effect on the nation as many of
its legislators. If he had not done this, the ceremony of
yesterday would have been an inane display. English-
men are the wiser and the better because Hood has lived,
and therefore Englishmen can listen reverentially to a pub-
lic eulogium on his memory. Mr. Milnes performed the task
Allotted to him modestly, if not over• brilliantly. His oration
would appear tame to those accustomed to hear similar
discourses on all occasions on the other side of the
Channel. But there was sound sense and feeling in all
that he said ; and this was enough. He spoke with
great delicacy and kindness of Hood's personal charac-
teristics, and with much taste upon the artistic value o f
the dead humorist's works. He touched with great fe-
licity and subtlety upon the value of humour. He de-
fined its province, and showed how closely it was con-
nected with the highest forms in which genius
manifests itself. Mr. Milnes spoke, however, more
as a friend than as a critic, and his genial utter-
ances excited emotions in the hearts of his hearers
which told how deep was their sympathy both
with the orator and the subject of his eulogium.
There were not many dry eyes amongst his hear-
ers when he quoted one or two exquisite por-
tions of Hood's poems. It was evident that the
greater part of the audience were well acquainted with
the works of the poet, and were delighted to hear the
quotations from poems which had afforded them exqui-
site gratification in the perusal.
The ceremony of yesterday is very significant as
showing the disposition that exists amongst English-
' men to recognise the value of their great authors. It
tells us that the nation has arrived at the conclusion
that there are other influences than legislation and war
which operate upon our happiness or shape our destiny.
The oration pronounced over Hood is a fact which
proves an advance in the public estimation of what
true greatness is. The rarity of such exhibitions adds
to their value ; and although we should be sorry to see
funeral orations become common, it is creditable to the
nation that we should have recognised the justice of
pronouncing a discourse over Thomas Hood.—Daily
News.

CRYSTAL PALACE.—The directors of this company
have just issued their report, to be submitted to the
shareholders at the half-yearly general meeting, on
Thursday next. The amount expended on capital ac-
count up to the 10th of June, 1854, the day of opening,
is 910,329/. The further amount expended, up to the
present time, bas been 91,0001. ; and the remaining lia-
bilities, so far as they can be possibly ascertained, amount
to about 209,000/. additional, for completing works now
in progress. In addition to the aboue, a sum of 90,0001.
will be required to erect the water towers, and to carry
out the whole scheme of the palace and park, compris-
ing the fountains, gardens, terraces, and interior fittings
and decoration', to final completion. The total cost of
the undertaking will thus be 1,300,0001., of which it is
right to observe that about 100,000/, arises from objects
such as the refreshment department, stabling approaches,
purchase of additional land, and improvements of the
Dulwich-wood property, which are either productive of
a large separate return in themselves or are available as
assets to be realised at some future period, with every
probability of a profit. The receipts on revenue ac-
count from all sources down to the Bth of July, com-
prising four weeks from the opening, have been as fol-
lows :—Season tickets, 35,3881. ; admission, 13,0321. ;
rental for space (on account of first half-year's rent),
12,2891. ; refreshments, 11,500/. ; miscellaneous (include,
jug stabling, cloak rooms, atc.), 701(. Total, MOW.