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gradually assumed' tlicir present form. The minute care Aviiich 

 he bestowed on every detail was almost Leyond Lelief. NoLliiug 

 in any part relating to art was done "without his personal inspec- 

 tion and approval, and the Fellows "who frequent the garden must 

 he familiar with the various trials and models of objects to bo 

 erected which were always in operation or under examination. 

 These emanated from the Prince, and if anything on being 

 tried did not satisfy his critical eye, even although executed, it 

 must be. altered. The veiy last order which he gave was 

 for such a change. He w^as dissatisfied with the border which 

 had been put round the red tile panels on the low revetement 

 walls at the canal? — and ordered it to be altered at his own cost. 

 On SOtli Nov., the very day before he was laid up, he returned 

 the design he had approved of, with instructions for its execution. 

 It was his wise caution which by first erecting full size models of 

 all the works before deciding upon them, by trying the heights 

 and proportions of pedestals and positions of statues before erecting 

 thorn, by executing small portions of painting or carving before 

 executing the whole, that has secured to the Gardens the beauty 

 which charms' every eye. His actual donations were numerous 

 and costly, and constantly increasing. But all these sink into 

 insignificance before the value of his eiilarged views and clear- 

 sighted judgment. On ever^^ point of importance he was 

 consulted, and his advice was always distinguished by an 

 acumen and judgment which compelled conviction. No later 

 than Friday, the 6th December, in the week before his death, he 

 had purposed to attend a meeting of the Council. It was an 

 important meeting, involving the adjustment of the rates of 

 ^ charge to be paid by the public during the period of the Exhi- 



bitiouj, the settlement of q^uestions as to the places of entrance 



during that period, the final adjustment of the Schedule of 



Exhibitions for next year, and various other important matters 



He had spoken more than once of attending that Council : his 



presence Avas anxiously expected at it, to give a decision to 



which all would defer on certain doubtful points, and to settl 



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