UNVEILING OF THE STATUE TO THE POET CAMPBELL AT GLASGOW.

New Zealand Times, Volume XXXIII, Issue 5278, 23 February 1878, Page 1 (Supplement)

UNVEILING OF THE STATUE TO THE POET CAMPBELL AT GLASGOW.

(From the Glasgow Herald, Deo. 29.) | Towards The close pf 1572, ,pr in theibe-., ginning of the following,year, a movement !was, originated for' the erection of a statue .inmemory of Thomas i Campbell, whose fame as a poet sheds lustre, on this his native city. The scheme having sb far progressed that the com-; i mittee saw their way to its being' successfully, carried through,' several well-known sculptors were invited to send in competitive models, In the end the model of our townsman, Mr., Mpssman, >vas selected, and, in. due time'the artistic ininature was followed by the life-sized figure in clay, and. this again by the bronze statue now erected in George-square, to brave ■the eccentricities of our climate and the’maroh, of the centuries. The soulpter shows us Campbell in middle life, 1 in' alb the pride of bis genius; and wearing the literary and academic honors i which were so freely bestowed on him. 'His costume is that of the Prince Regent’s time—\ a tightly-buttoned boat) long vest, close-fitting trousers, and Hessian .boots:;. Hanging grace-, fullyiover all is the ample cloak of the period. ■ / In the right baud The poet holds a pencil and in'thb left a scroll, as if he were thinking .out> his flowing numbers, rounding and' polishingthem in his mind, and then bringing them into imperishable life, on .paper.. This seems to bo Mr.'Mossmah’s intention—to show ns Cam p-, bell .as he may be supposed to h'ave'lboked under the inspiration of on.e'bfTbose-vyar-squgs iof his!which will last while, the .English lan-. guage endures.:.: For the; poet’s features (the sculptor has been. largely indebted to .Mr. O. H. Baily’a bust in'white marble, which is re;; cognised as one of the finest portraits of Campbell in existence. ■ The statue, which Svith the plinth measures nine jeet in height, and stands oh a granite pedestal 12 feet high, will cost; between £I4OO 'and £ISOO. !l It has. been placed on, the east, side , of, the Scott Monu- 1 ment, and/forms a companion to the Burns .statue bn the west aide of the column erected . to the great noyelist,/ It/was hoped/that’the ; inaugural ceretnqny might have taken place on the hundredth anniversary of the birth l ,pf Campbell, namely, on/the ! 27th July last, hut, unfortunately'this could not bo 'managed. The unveiling, took place yesterday, this .duty fall-ing-to be discharged by James .Ar l Campbell, L.L.D., whose father,. Sir James,.Tqok.a'fereat ' interest in the 'mpvement.now so nearly scarried, to completion. , The Lord Provost and magistrates were present on the occasion. , In the evening a number of the subscribers ,dined; together in the Merchants’ Hall, tinder the pre-; uidency of the Lord Provost.