, 1879-03-01
BYRON'S MONUMENT.
The Work. In Marble Completed.
fHnd0u YitHss I'm H.


Il wilt be remembered tl,at In July, 1875,
meeting was held at Willis Rooms, at which
tho Earl Ut Beacons'lc1d, then Mr.. DIsraeli, pre-
sided, when It WAS determined to erect t1onu-
nlcnt to byron by public subscription. There
had l,ecn come movement respecting tablet, 10
which Lord l}caconeicld alluded In his spcceh
as being "sanrtionctl by tic presence mil tho
uctive iuterpositon OF one who had the nearest
anll proulcst caim to intcrposc III such d bust-
ncss-I mean the son-iu.law Of Lord Byron,
WHO moro than forty years ago was my conpan-
ion In TINT Abanla which Byron celebrated. /
felt that It. Was under kindly and nble eounscls.
For myself, will express my individual desIsu
to scc In sorlo public place seublanec of this
great spirit, 40 tint the English pcoplo when
they pass shall rccognlxu QUO OF tho
greatest masters Of tic English language"
Tile elni!uontia, Committee thcn formed under tho
Presidency OF Lord Beaconatleld was soon Gu
1bled to invite the scuptors Of Europe to COM
pete for the monument, wticn WINS decided
should be statue In brouzr. In the spring OF
the following ycur the various models wcro sent
ill., null these were exhibited In one Of tho Eal-
lerlcs of EOuth kenslnEtou. coming from sculp-
tors of foreign schools III well as from England:
but, unfortunately. tho result did not provo At
oil satisfactory to thu 0uu,mIttee OF gufcctton
aDpu!uted TO Judge, as there wcre none that Gu
tircly met the requirements Of the Committee.
1t was accordingly decided to Inrttc ato,hcr
so,npett.ton Of designs, Eying tl'c seu,ptofs =
ttu,e this competition began, when tbsty.rlnn
deoisus were sent IN, out Of which thnt OF Mr.
1ieit waa chosen. Theso inudcls wero shown ~
the puhl!c in QUO Of tho large rooma at tho
Albert Hall. At the sasHe time there was cx-
hluted for tic hcnett Of tie fund M exceeding
ly interesting collection Of Byron relics and nil
The important portraits OF thu poet, including
frfy,t tim If,1 i r.. 1fnhEnnsJt nj
I.urd HrnughtNn. when Byron was ut komu In
lsl7., The stalue by Ihorwaldsen In tho library
Of Trinity College, Cambridge, Which was thu
j. q. HaDho,su aoout tvo years after the death
at thu puet Ia q seated figure In marble. Vhls
Is the u.stude cll0seu by Mr. Belt tu the monn-
Inent Which !c has now completed Of tlsu full
sizr, AlId wtlch Is about to DO cnst In bronze.
The IDEA was suggested by tho Inns ut d can,o ln
+tChili9 liurulah:
10 sit on rocks, 10 muse DER flood and fell.
And tho poet, wearing hls salor-liko looao ahrs,
witt! open collar, and sash round tic wMEst. sits
Oh u rugk With hts faYpritc Newfoundland dog
ut his side, whose cpitaph he wrote At New
stead:
~ rnarka friends romalua thcsn stones arlss;
never knew but one-and here. he lies.
III. on thu right hund, With the elbow on ttlu
l;slee, pencil being he'll In tho other hAAd
upon II note-haok open on the knee. 4 rtoaas
iall!ng over tue upper part OF tic rock gives
fA{leky ~ LlS luEElH u lHe C0lfp0Sltluut Atluy
with tho nca OF the dog, asssts ttia plcturesquo
character Ut tho group.
Tbs statue Is niue fcet l,tCt unl will ba placid
oil q murb!0 pedestal ten feet high, the block
fur which, Ilas beu presente1 % trbut0 to lilo.
memory Of Hyron by llls lre0k iatIon, ul.d Of
tle llneat pcntelic tlarblc. 1t Is expected that
this casting OF the ntatur Will hu accomplished
III few months, WHEN 1t Will ba necessary to
ltecue upun site for tho monument. It has
bccn suggested tllat Y suitable spot would DO ut
thu top Vi st. Jalnes' street, opposite to Wlitus
Club, unl within sight ot MIR. Murray, wlloso
nnlne is 80 associated with tho publication OF
ByEou's works.
AS Mr.. Dels, being very young sculptor, Is
comparatively lltt0 known, 1t tnay be stateI
tllat he trbt begun his study 10 an asststaut In
the studio Of the late Mr. Foley, lLA. lis has.
however, afre4dy executed soma monumental
works vi Importance In tho stutuo OF lz4ak WAL
ton, III st. Atnry's Church, btal1osd; Of Cauon
Conway, ~ st. Murgarut's, Westminster; aud
Of Charles ktnIsleY. ln chester Cathedral, which
lhu Queen hAs commissioned Mr. Belt to repeat
for lor Ma1csty's priyate collection.