SCOTT'S MONUMENT. 



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the esteem of his people not more by his simple, 

 unaffected style of preaching, than by his modest, 

 unassuming manners. About 1832 an opportunity 

 offered for resuming those literary pursuits con- 

 nected with oriental languages, to which he was 

 ardently addicted, in the vacancy that had then 

 taken place in the Hebrew chair of St Mary's col- 

 lege, at St Andrew's. Of the various candidates 

 for the situation, Dr Scot was selected, as possess- 

 ing the highest and most undisputed qualifications. 

 His appointment infused a considerable degree of 

 enthusiasm among the young men of that univer- 

 sity for the study of oriental literature ; but un- 

 fortunately his career was short, as he was spared 

 to discharge the duties of his office only for two 

 sessions. Ever fond of learning in all its branches, 

 he visited Edinburgh to be present at the meet- 

 ing of the British association ; but was immedi- 

 ately seized with a dropsical complaint, and, after 

 two or three days' illness, died September 18th, 

 1834. Dr Scot was well known to the literary 

 world by his various publications. Among others 

 he edited Dr Murray's History of the European 

 Languages ; and published Essays on Belles Lettres, 

 Lives of some of the Scottish Poets ; a Key to 

 the Hebrew Pentateuch; another to the Psalms, 

 Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. He 

 also published a Hebrew Grammar for the use of 

 his own class, and a volume of sermons, " Dis- 

 courses on 'some important Subjects of Natural 

 and Revealed Religion, introduced by a short view 

 of the best Specimens of Pulpit Eloquence given 

 to the World in Ancient and Modern Times." 



SCOTT'S MONUMENT. The first monu- 

 ment erected to the memory of Sir Walter Scott 

 was in George Square, Glasgow. It consists of an 

 elegant stone pillar 80 feet in height, surmounted, 

 by a statue, the latter from the chisel of Mr 

 Ritchie of Musselburgh, and admitted on all hands 

 to convey an excellent likeness of the great novel- 

 ist. In Edinburgh, the native city of Sir Walter, 

 it has been resolved to erect a monument to his 

 memory on a very magnificent scale, from a design 

 by Mr George Kemp,* a self-taught artist. As this 

 monument may be truly considered a national one, 

 collections for it having been made in all quarters 

 of the country, and as some time may elapse be fore 

 its erection is completed, we make no apology for 

 presenting the reader with the annexed cut of its 

 geometrical elevation. 



It may be remarked, that the design which has 

 been adopted, was submitted in public competition 

 with the most distinguished architects of the coun- 

 try, all of whom, it may be supposed, were emu- 

 lous of the honour of being employed in the erec- 

 tion of what may be called a national undertaking. 

 And the patient investigation as well as the judg- 

 ment and fine taste displayed by the gentlemen of 

 the committee in making the selection, afford an 

 example well worthy of being imitated. To use 

 the words of the sub-committee, " The monument 

 of Sir Walter Scott will be dear to his countrymen 

 without the adventitious aid which is derived 

 from the mere celebrity of the sculptor, or of the 

 architect by whom it is executed ; and it is a grati- 



* We understand, that Mr Kemp, animated by a fine enthu- 

 siasm for his art, has, at pfreat personal sacrifice, prepared a 

 model of his design for the restoration of our Glasgow Cathe- 

 dral ; and were the same disinterested zeal displayed in this 

 case as in that of Scott's monument, we might hope to see the 

 metropolis of the west ornamented by one of his productions 

 unrivalled for beauty, combining all the elegance of the Scott 

 monument, with all the grandeur of the most magnificent ca- 

 thedral. 



fying reflection, that the designs now proposed (for 

 the statue and the monument), while they are 

 characterised by great excellence in their respec- 

 tive styles, are the production of native artists, 

 who owe their present success solely to their own 

 genius and personal merits." 



The architectural department of the monument 

 is in the form of a gothic cross, the square of the 

 basement of which is fifty-five feet, and the entire 

 height is 180 feet. The groined arch of the base- 

 ment for the reception of the statue, is 40 feet 

 high from the platform of pedestal to the crown 

 of arch. There is an octagonal room over the 

 groined arch, 15 feet diameter, which it is proposed 

 to fit up as a library to contain the works of Scott. 

 The abutment towers at the angles of the cross 

 are each 91 feet high, in one of which is placed the 

 stair to the first gallery. There are four galleries 

 at different stages, with small winding stairs to 

 each; the highest is 168 feet above the level of the 

 ground. 



In any architectural composition, the first requi- 

 site is expression, and an erection in honour of 

 departed genius should be of such a character as 

 to point out at once to what department of archi- 

 tecture it belongs. The architect, Mr Kemp, has 

 in this respect been singularly felicitous in select- 

 ing the form of the gothic cross for his composi- 

 tion. All are acquainted with the fine specimens 

 of gothic crosses, erected by Henry of England, in 

 memory of his beloved Eleanor, and the form has 

 beea sanctioned for such uses by the custom of 

 ages. In addition to this, such a form affords an 

 admirable arrangement for the disposition of the 

 statue of the immortal bard. Placed under the 

 great arch of the basement, on a slightly elevated 

 platform, surrounded by a broad flight of steps, it 

 is at such a height from the eye of the spectator, 

 that its excellence as a work of art, and its resem- 

 blance to the original may be fully appreciated. 



What adds to the interest of the design is its 

 being a composition from Melrose abbey, the finest 

 gothic structure in Scotland, and which is, besides, 

 peculiarly appropriate in this instance, being the 

 favourite haunt of the bard himself, who has 

 identified it with his own immortal verse. The 

 groining of the great arch over the statue is the 

 same as one of the compartments of the choir 

 which is still entire. Many of the turrets, capitals, 

 flowered enrichments, and pinnacles, are composed 

 entirely from this finest specimen of the gothic. 



Nothing can be more beautiful than such a plan 

 the sitting statue reposing under the lofty vault 

 open on every side, will unite admirably with the 

 architecture. In bright and sunny weather, some 

 portion of the figure will always be in strong il- 

 lumination, beautifully relieved by the dark masses 

 of shadow behind; and a thousand reflected lights 

 from the roof, the buttresses, the pedestal, and the 

 floor, will play around the head and general 

 figure. 



After a great deal of discussion, it was at length 

 resolved to place the monument in the eastern 

 division of Prince street. It will thus be seen 

 along the whole extent of that magnificent terrace, 

 and will compose well with the picturesque but 

 subdued masses of the old town in the distance, 

 which will form the back ground. Being placed 

 in the finest part of the city, the stranger from dis- 

 tant lands will not require to ask where is Scott's 

 monument; it will form a conspicuous and beloved 

 feature in "mine own romantic town," from the 



