The Liverpool Standard and General Commercial Advertiser.
Liverpool, Merseyside, England, 1853-03-01 00:00:00

THE ROSCOE CENTENARY.

THE arrangements for the celebration of the coming
festival are proceeding with spirit. The event gives
promise of being one of the most memorable in the annals
of the town. May it amply realise all the expectations
which are being formed-

The proceedings of theday will commence with a public
breakfast in the Philharmonic-hall, presided over by the
Earl of Sefton, lord-lieutenant of the county. An ad-
dress, detailing the most interesting events in connexion
with the literary labours of the man whose centenary is
there being celebrated, will be delivered by a distin-
guished guest ; and topics having a relation to literature
and art generally will also form the subjects of discussion.
The elegant ticket of admission, designed by 'Mr.
Mayer, of Lord-street, is nearly ready for issue, and, on
the removal of a portion at the side, will form an elegant
memorial of the event. Within an elegant archway -two
of the nine Muses—viz., those who presided over poetry
and history—are seen crowning the bust of Roscoe ; and
at the opposite side, the genius of Commerce, surrounded
by the Graces, is looking on with gratification. During
the morning meeting, Lord Sefton will occupy the Roscoe
chair, at present in Mr. Mayer's Egyptian Museum, ma-
nufactured from the timber of the house in which Mr.
Roscoe was born. At the back of the chair are two ele-
gantly-carved statuettes, representing the historian's-two
heroes—Leo X. and Lorenzo de Medicis. It is calculated
that the breakfast and the speeches will occupy about
three hours.

At two o'clock the grand inauguration of the Derby
Museum will take place, his Worship the Mayor, the
Corporation, and some of the principal literary gentle-
men, walking in procession from the Town-ball. The
Bth of March is a becoming day for the opening of the
Town Museum, as the 18th of October was for the open-
ing of the Free Public Library. We have no doubt that
both together will be a blessing to the community.
In the evening the Mayor and Mrs. Holme will receive
about 800 guests at the Town-hall, including the guests
of the morning, the principal promoters of literature,
science, and art, in town ; and the most prominent
gentlemen of the town and neighbourhood. An equal

proportion of the sexes will give interest and variety to
the scene. The rooms will be laid out in such a manner
as to afford a " feast of reason " to those who delight in
it. and a programme will be issued, showing each guest
the arrangements for the evening. Dr. Dickinson and
Mr. T. C. Archer will prepare an elegant case of exotic
botany, and be at hand to explain it ; Dr. Hume and Mr.
Mayer will exhibit and explain antiquities, especially
those connected with the neighbourhood ; Mr. New-
lands will provi.:e a variety of interesting models ;
and Mr. Jos. B. Yates will exhibit some interesting MSS.
and illuminated works from his own library. In
the large ball-room there will be a select performance of
music ; and the ladies are unanimously of opinion that
there should also be quadrilles. It is understood, too,
that the entrance to the Town-hall will be decorated by
plants forwarded by the Gardens' Committe of the
Council, so that some of the attractions of summer will
be given even to this inclement season.

The great feature of the day will be the public breakfast
at the Philharmonic, at which the crack men may be ex-
pected to deliver themselves. It is just possible, as 1000
tickets have been issued by the Library and Museum Corn.
mittee,—not a fifth part of which number can find accom-
modation in the building itself,—that an adjournment
will be moved in the course of the afternoon to the Town-
ball, the ball-room of which would afford more spaca to
hear the speakers. Messrs. Harris will place in the Royal
Institution, the identical press from which Mr.:M'Creery
printed Roscoe's lives of Leo and Lorenzo. At the meet-
ing of the Historic Society, on Thursday, Mr. Mayer will
read a paper on " Roscoe and his connexion with art," a
portion of his biography of which little or nothing is
known.

It is hoped that amongst the illustrious persons present
will be the Right Hon. B. Disraeli. The namo of Mr.
Charles Dickens is also mentioned. The members for the
borough will be in attendance. Amongst those who
have been invited, and who, it is hoped, will be likewise
present, are the Earl cf Harrowby, who was formerly our
representative; Lords Rosse and Mahon,the presidents re-
spectively of the Royal and Antiquarian Societies ; Lords
Granville, Combermere, and John Manners ; and Baron
Parke, and Justice Crompton, who are Liverpool men.
The invitations to members of the episcopal bench include
the Archbishop of Dublin and the Bishop of St. David's,
both widely and favourably known in the literary world ;
and the Bishops of Chester and Manchester, from the
local influence. his Excellency the Hon. J. R. Ingerso
rnd Chevalier Bunsen have been invited, to re

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brethren across the Atlantic and men of learning on the
continent of Europe. The invitations include, also, the
President of the Royal Academy, the Poet Laureate,
the President of the Botenical Society, and several pro-
fessors and official persons of high standing. Mr. Gibson,
the sculptor, in a letter from Rome regrets his inability to
be present at the centenary, to pay his affectionate homage
to the memory of Roscoe. being at present occupied in
modelling a large statue for the new Houses of Parliament.