THE MONUMENT MANIA.
A aroenuarmae to the Duke of Cambridge ?—what for ? What was there in the Duke of Cambridge to call for a public monument ? The proposal runs counter to the very rationale of such memorials.
A monument is useful as the memento of some quality or nature singular in its rarity or its greatness : now there was nothing in the Duke of Cambridge that was singular or great, unless you ascribe singularity or greatness by acircuitous process damnatory of his class. The Duke was a hearty good fellow—an honest, a well-meaning, genial, kindhearted man; above the exclusiveness and affectations of his class, as all finehearted natures are above that which is false and unkind. But those are not singular qualities : we will match such a nature, any day, from the very obscurest and most despised races in society. There is not a class whom you may meet in the streets, excepting those lowly-organized beings who are born ori- rainals, among whom yen may not find the noblest qualities of na- ture undestroyed. To make sat therefore that the Duke. of Cam-
bridge deserves a special monument, you must say that he was very kindly and rmaffected for a royal person : but will anybody engrave such a description on his monument?
If he derived any peculiar merit from giving to noble qualities the advantages of his prominent station, that station supplies his monument. Queen -Victoria's uncle will not be forgotten in a hur- ry; nor will historians fail to draw the due contrast between him and some of his brothers.
Indeed, the very qualities that we desire to commemorate be- longed essentially to the man living. He has left no works be- longing to all time. He lived well, and was a shining example of healthy comfort; but you cannot sculpture that on stone without immortalizing a platitude. He was a pleasure to look upon and hear, as the actor or singer is : but it is the fate of such to pass away, and to be succeeded by more of their type.
The Duke of Cambridge's best monument would be his children, if they could live after his pattern : not a very difficult pattern— perhaps only too easy to royal energies cloyed with ease. We can imagine, however, one sort of monument to the good old Duke which might be not unsuitable, if there is heartiness enough of feeling excited by the memory of his good-nature. His most signal work was to be an example of corporate charity: let that example be substantiated and perpetuated in the shape of something that he would have done : let a perpetual presentation to some charity be endowed, and vested in the Duke's descendants, with a proper form of memento to make them keep up the credit of their race by choosing proper objects.
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