te　block　of　the　required　size？　It　was　true　that　there　was　granite　in　Russian　Finland；　but　the　committee　were　advised　that　it　was　not　adapted　to　resist　exposure　to　the　open　air。　On　the　whole；　therefore；　they　suggested　that　a　Memorial　Hall　should　be　erected；　together　with　a　statue　of　the　Prince。　Her　Majesty　assented；　but　then　another　difficulty　arose。　It　was　found　that　not　more　than　L60；000　had　been　subscribeda　sum　insufficient　to　defray　the　double　expense。　The　Hall；　therefore；　was　abandoned；　a　statue　alone　was　to　be　erected；　and　certain　eminent　architects　were　asked　to　prepare　designs。　Eventually　the　committee　had　at　their　disposal　a　total　sum　of　L120；000；　since　the　public　subscribed　another　L10；000；　while　L50；000　was　voted　by　Parliament。　Some　years　later　a　joint　stock　company　was　formed　and　built；　as　a　private　speculation；　the　Albert　Hall。
  The　architect　whose　design　was　selected；　both　by　the　committee　and　by　the　Queen；　was　Mr。　Gilbert　Scott；　whose　industry；　conscientiousness；　and　genuine　piety　had　brought　him　to　the　head　of　his　profession。　His　lifelong　zeal　for　the　Gothic　style　having　given　him　a　special　prominence；　his　handiwork　was　strikingly　visible；　not　only　in　a　multitude　of　original　buildings；　but　in　most　of　the　cathedrals　of　England。　Protests；　indeed；　were　occasionally　raised　against　his　renovations；　but　Mr。　Scott　replied　with　such　vigour　and　unction　in　articles　and　pamphlets　that　not　a　Dean　was　unconvinced；　and　he　was　permitted　to　continue　his　labours　without　interruption。　On　one　occasion；　however；　his　devotion　to　Gothic　had　placed　him　in　an　unpleasant　situation。　The　Government　offices　in　Whitehall　were　to　be　rebuilt；　Mr。　Scott　competed；　and　his　designs　were　successful。　Naturally；　they　were　in　the　Gothic　style；　combining　〃a　certain　squareness　and　horizontality　of　outline〃　with　pillar…mullions；　gables；　high…pitched　roofs；　and　dormers；　and　the　drawings；　as　Mr。　Scott　himself　observed；　〃were；　perhaps；　the　best　ever　sent　in　to　a　competition；　or　nearly　so。〃　After　the　usual　difficulties　and　delays　the　work　was　at　last　to　be　put　in　hand；　when　there　was　a　change　of　Government　and　Lord　Palmerston　became　Prime　Minister。　Lord　Palmerston　at　once　sent　for　Mr。　Scott。　〃Well；　Mr。　Scott；〃　he　said；　in　his　jaunty　way；　〃I　can't　have　anything　to　do　with　this　Gothic　style。　I　must　insist　on　your　making　a　design　in　the　Italian　manner；　which　I　am　sure　you　can　do　very　cleverly。〃　Mr。　Scott　was　appalled；　the　style　of　the　Italian　renaissance　was　not　only　unsightly；　it　was　positively　immoral；　and　he　sternly　refused　to　have　anything　to　do　with　it。　Thereupon　Lord　Palmerston　assumed　a　fatherly　tone。　〃Quite　true；　a　Gothic　architect　can't　be　expected　to　put　up　a　Classical　building；　I　must　find　someone　else。〃　This　was　intolerable；　and　Mr。　Scott；　on　his　return　home；　addressed　to　the　Prime　Minister　a　strongly…worded　letter；　in　which　he　dwelt　upon　his　position　as　an　architect；　upon　his　having　won　two　European　competitions；　his　being　an　A。R。A。；　a　gold　medallist　of　the　Institute；　and　a　lecturer　on　architecture　at　the　Royal　Academy；　but　it　was　uselessLord　Palmerston　did　not　even　reply。　It　then　occurred　to　Mr。　Scott　that；　by　a　judicious　mixture；　he　might；　while　preserving　the　essential　character　of　the　Gothic；　produce　a　design　which　would　give　a　superficial　impression　of　the　Classical　style。　He　did　so；　but　no　effect　was　produced　upon　Lord　Palmerston。　The　new　design；　he　said；　was　〃neither　one　thing　nor　'tothera　regular　mongrel　affairand　he　would　have　nothing　to　do　with　it　either。〃　After　that　Mr。　Scott　found　it　necessary　to　recruit　for　two　months　at　Scarborough；　〃with　a　course　of　quinine。〃　He　recovered　his　tone　at　last；　but　only　at　the　cost　of　his　convictions。　For　the　sake　of　his　family　he　felt　that　it　was　his　unfortunate　duty　to　obey　the　Prime　Minister；　and；　shuddering　with　horror；　he　constructed　the　Government　offices　in　a　strictly　Renaissance　style。
  Shortly　afterwards　Mr。　Scott　found　some　consolation　in　building　the　St。　Pancras　Hotel　in　a　style　of　his　own。
  And　now　another　and　yet　more　satisfactory　task　was　his。　〃My　idea　in　designing　the　Memorial；〃　he　wrote；　〃was　to　erect　a　kind　of　ciborium　to　protect　a　statue　of　the　Prince；　and　its　special　characteristic　was　that　the　ciborium　was　designed　in　some　degree　on　the　principles　of　the　ancient　shrines。　These　shrines　were　models　of　imaginary　buildings；　such　as　had　never　in　reality　been　erected；　and　my　idea　was　to　realise　one　of　these　imaginary　structures　with　its　precious　materials；　its　inlaying；　its　enamels；　etc。　etc。〃　His　idea　was　particularly　appropriate　since　it　chanced　that　a　similar　conception；　though　in　the　reverse　order　of　magnitude；　had　occurred　to　the　Prince　himself；　who　had　designed　and　executed　several　silver　cruet…stands　upon　the　same　model。　At　the　Queen's　request　a　site　was　chosen　in　Kensington　Gardens　as　near　as　possible　to　that　of　the　Great　Exhibition；　and　in　May；　1864；　the　first　sod　was　turned。　The　work　was　long；　complicated；　and　difficult；　a　great　number　of　workmen　were　employed；　besides　several　subsidiary　sculptors　and　metalworkers　under　Mr。　Scott's　direction；　while　at　every　stage　sketches　and　models　were　submitted　to　Her　Majesty；　who　criticised　all　the　details　with　minute　care；　and　constantly　suggested　improvements。　The　frieze；　which　encircled　the　base　of　the　monument；　was　in　itself　a　very　serious　piece　of　work。　〃This；〃　said　Mr。　Scott；　〃taken　as　a　whole；　is　perhaps　one　of　the　most　laborious　works　of　sculpture　ever　undertaken；　consisting；　as　it　does；　of　a　continuous　range　of　figure…sculpture　of　the　most　elaborate　description；　in　the　highest　alto…relievo　of　life…size；　of　more　than　200　feet　in　length；　containing　about　170　figures；　and　executed　in　the　hardest　marble　which　could　be　procured。〃　After　three　years　of　toil　the　memorial　was　still　far　from　completion；　and　Mr。　Scott　thought　it　advisable　to　give　a　dinner　to　the　workmen；　〃as　a　substantial　recognition　of　his　appreciation　of　their　skill　and　energy。〃　〃Two　long　tables；〃　we　are　told；　〃constructed　of　scaffold　planks；　were　arranged　in　the　workshops；　and　covered　with　newspapers；　for　want　of　table…cloths。　Upwards　of　eighty　men　sat　down。　Beef　and　mutton；　plum　pudding　and　cheese　were　supplied　in　abundance；　and　each　man　who　desired　it　had　three　pints　of　beer；　gingerbeer　and　lemonade　being　provided　for　the　teetotalers；　who　formed　a　very　considerable　proportion。。。　Several　toasts　were　given　and　many　of　the　workmen　spoke；　almost　all　of　them　commencing　by　〃Thanking　God　that　they　enjoyed　good　health；〃　some　alluded　to　the　temperance　that　prevailed　amongst　them；　others　observed　how　little　swearing　was　ever　heard；　whilst　all　said　how　pleased　and　proud　they　were　to　be　engaged　on　so　great　a　work。〃
  Gradually　the　edifice　approached　completion。　The　one　hundred　and　seventieth　life…size　figure　in　the　frieze　was　chiselled；　the　granite　pillars　arose；　the　mosaics　were　inserted　in　the　allegorical　pediments；　the　four　colossal　statues　representing　the　greater　Christian　virtues；　the　four　other　colossal　statues　representing　the　greater　moral　virtues；　were　hoisted　into　their　positions；　the　eight　bronzes　representing　the　greater　sciencesAstronomy；　Chemistry；　Geology；　Geometry；　Rhetoric；　Medicine；　Philosophy；　and　Physiologywere　fixed　on　their　glittering　pinnacles；　high　in　air。　The　statue　of　Physiology　was　particularly　admired。　〃On　her　left　arm；〃　the　official　description　informs　us；　〃she　bears　a　new…born　infant；　as　a　representation　of　the　development　of　the　highest　and　most　perfect　of　physiological　forms；　her　hand　points　towards　a　microscope；　the　instrument　which　lends　its　assistance　for　the　investigation　of　the　minuter　forms　of　animal　and　vegetable　organisms。〃　At　last　the　gilded　cross　crowned　the　dwindling　galaxies　of　superimposed　angels；　the　four　continents　in　white　marble　stood　at　the　four　corners　of　the　base；　and；　seven　years　after　its　inception；　in　July；　1872；　the　monument　was　thrown　open　to　the　public。
  But　four　more　years　were　to　elapse　before　the　central　figure　was　ready　to　be　placed　under　its　starry　canopy。　It　was　designed　by　Mr。　Foley；　though　in　one　particular　the　sculptor's　freedom　was　restricted　by　Mr。　Scott。　〃I　have　chosen　the　sitting　posture；〃　Mr。　Scott　said；　〃as　best　conveying　the　idea　of　dignity　befitting　a　royal　personage。〃　Mr。　Foley　ably　carried　out　the　conception　of　his　principal。　〃In　the　attitude　and　expression；〃　he　said；　〃the　aim　has　been；　with　the　individuality　of　portraiture；　to　embody　rank；　character；　and　enlightenment；　and　to　convey　a　sense　of　that　responsive　intelligence　indicating　an　active；　rather　than　a　passive；　interest　in　those　pursuits　of　civilisation　illustrated　in　the　surrounding　figures；　groups；　and　relievos。。。　To　identify　the　figure　with　one　of　the　most　memorable　undertakings　of　the　public　life　of　the　Princethe　International　Exhibition　of　1851a　catalogue　of　the　works　collected　in　that　first　gathering　of　the　industry　of　all　nations；　is　placed　in　the　right　hand。〃　The　statue　was　of　bronze　gilt　and　weighed　nearly　ten　tons。　It　was　rightly　supposed　that　the　simple　word　〃Albert；〃　cast　on　the　base；　would　be　a　sufficient　means　of　identification。
  CHAPTER　VIII。　GLADSTONE　AND　LORD　BEACONSFIELD
  I
  Lord　Palmerston's　laugha　queer　metallic　〃Ha！　ha！　ha！〃　with　reverberations　in　it　from　the　days　of　Pitt　and　the　Congress　of　Viennawas　heard　no　more　in　Piccadi