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Gentleman's Magazine 1849 part 1 p.378
own affecting expression, under the soul-touching truth
"that they who are wise unto salvation know feelingly when
they have done best that their best works are worth
nothing." With a reverence therefore for intellectual
greatness, especially when devoted, as its mighty powers
ever were, to the advantage and instruction of mankind, Mr.
Stanger was further desirous that an appropriate memorial
should be placed inside the church, to perpetuate the
resemblance of one who, as characterized in the heartfelt
panegyric of one of his noble admirers, was so "splendid an
instance of a poet, a philosopher, an historian, and even a
statesman, chastened and yet elevated by the spirit of the
gospel." This, it was especially felt, would be a dignified
tribute of regard in the place where his genius, by giving
to the things and objects around an interest beyond their
own, had sanctified the locality in the associations of his
sympathetic and admirimng fellow-countrymen. With this
object a subscription was opened for the purpose of
defraying the cost at the estimated expense of 400l.
in Caen stone of a tomb and effigy. Subsequently, however,
it was decided upon that the figure should be sculptured in
the beautiful though more costly material of Carrara marble,
at the increased charge of 1,100l. A numerous list of
subscribers, (whose subscriptions, however, being far from
sufficient to cover the entire expense of the monument, have
left a considerable deficit, which, it is understood, will
fall upon the munificent restorer of the church,) anxious to
mark their sense of the genius and virtues of the man,
having been obtained, the execution of the memorial was
confided to the celebrated sculptor Mr. Lough, whose
liberality of feeling, under the circumstances, has entitled
him to no little applause, and from his hand has thus
proceeded the monument of one who occupies so prominent a
place in the history of the literature of his country.
The situation selected for it is in the south aisle of the
chancel, opposite the door, and close to the oaken screen
which separates the chancel from its southern aisle. The
altar tomb is of Caen stone, the sides of which are divided
into five square compartments or panels. Four of these have
their centres enriched with carved leaves of different
kinds, surrounded by double foliated circles, and the
corners of each panel are likewise decorated with ornaments
of the same description on a smaller scale. The centre of
the middle panel alone displays a vacant shield, intended
for the armorial escutcheon of the deceased, and the ends of
the tomb, devoid of other embellishment, are filled only
with the inscription and lines hereafter recorded. On the
top reclines upon a couch, the head and shoulders supported
on double tasseled cushions, the full-length effigy, clad in
academic robes, of the late laureate. The left hand rests
upon the bosom, and the face, turned towards the spectator,
wears an expression of meditation, as if musing on the
contents of the open volume, which, in the intensity of
mental abstraction, has, together with the hand that held
it, dropped listlessly by the side. The position best
adapted for viewing the figure is in the first seat next the
wall, on the left-hand side after passing the chancel door.
From thence, in the judgment of those relatives and friends
by whom he was most intimately known, the features and
character of expression are beheld with the most truthful
effect, and this is especially the case when the low-arched
door that leads into the aisle is opened, and a ray from the
sun, streaming in upon the gloom, casts a brilliancy across
the chancel and its aisles, and, bringing into bold
distinctness and relief the prominent lineaments of the face
and figure, a picture is displayed, which for concentrated
beauty and effect is eminently affecting. The west end of
the tomb bears this inscription:
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