The Sun.
London, England, 1859-03-21 00:00:00

place within the city." A resolution to that effect I
was indeed adopted by the subscribers ' • but imme-
diately afterwards it was felt that the form of the
testimonial would be hardly suitable. It was there-
fore held in abeyanee, and when the Town Council,
in the end of 1852, granted a site in the market-
place, the precise form of the memo al was not
put before them. It was not, indeed, until June,
1856, that a conviction which had b n growing in
favour of a statue found expression in a resolution
to rescind the former decision, and to embody the
respect and reverence of the friends of the deceased
in a marble effigy of himself. Application was
made to Mr. Woodington, the well known and able
sculptor, and he, having inspected the site, at once.
expressed his opinion that " the whole kingdom
could not furnish a better." He thought it would
be a yrotection as well as an ornament, and the
commission was given to him. His execution of it
needs no eulogist to any one who has seen the grave
and stately, graceful yet commanding figure which
is now so prominent a feature in Carlisle market-
place. There is a marked likeness in the features,
the squareness of the head, the boldly-projecting
nose, and the strongly-drawn lines of the mouth
being at once recognisable, while over the whole is
spread the pleasing idealism of art. To-day we pre-
sent our readers with an engraving from a photo-
graph of the statue, and it will be seen that the head
is slightly bent, in a somewhat characteristic atti-
tude, that one hand holds a scroll, while the other is
slightly raised as if to arrest attention to his words.
The drapery of the figure is a long coat, secured by
a single button over the breast, while on the rest
of the person modern costume is admirably. har-
monised with those artistic notions that forbid the
representation of ordinary clothing. The figure
measures nine feet, is formed of perfect Sicilian
marble, and stands upon a pedestal of eleven feet.
The pedestal is of grey granite, and consists of a
Doric column upon a massive base, with a low
pillar at each of the four corners. Upon the column
is the inscription—
JAMES STEEL,
MAYOR,
1 84 5-1 8 46.

The site is truly a noble one. From the end of
Eden-bridge, up the winding and irregular ap-
proach formed by Rickergate and Scotch-street, the
gleam of the white marble is caught by any one
entering the city. From each of the four streets
that terminate in the Market-place—English-street,
Castle-street, Fisher-street, and Scotch-street—the
monument naturally attracts the observer, and
among the somewhat plain buildings by which it
is surrounded it forms an object that the eye rests
upon with pleasure. There is nothing but satis-
faction now felt as to the shape which this memo-
rial to a distinguished citizen has taken. It chal-
lenges every one's attention, and forcibiy recalls
the career which it is intended to commemorate.
In this way, if men try to read aright the moral
which the majestic figure in ever-during marble
constantly preaches, it may surely be as useful to
the present and to future generations—as well cal-
culated to incite to honour and virtue—as if the
subscribers had built something that to vulgar eyes
would be a memorial of more material and present
utility.