l INTRODUCTION

near his old home at Denmark Hill. The Park was opened on February 2, 1907.

A memorial, made by a private friend, Mr. Willett, took the form of the dedication of a tract of wild woodland; this has already been described.¹

At Oxford, no memorial to Ruskin was set up; but his bust, by Boehm, had already been presented to the University by a body of subscribers in 1880.² At the Encćnia following his death, the Public Orator (Dr. Merry), in his address upon the events of the year, dwelt upon the loss which the University of Oxford had sustained:-

“Quotus quisque nostrum est superstes qui eum in Theatro Sheldoniano carmen Anglicum recitantem audiverit? Meminerint autem plures quanto ardore juventutem nostram ad opera fabrilia incitaverit, vel ad vias in rure suburbano lapidibus muniendas; quantam venustatem prćlectionibus suis instillaverit; quanta benignitate novam pingendi scholam in hac Universitate fundaverit. Quid de singulari ingenio, quid de scriptis immortalibus dicam? Etenim si ad orationis numeros et verborum elegantem delectum respexeris, detulisse eum ‘amśno ex Helicone perenni fronde coronam’ credendum erit; sin ad sententiarum novitatem atque audacem censuram, confitendum est eum Aristarchi vel potius Zoili partes adsumpsisse. Virum insignem si non omnia recte disputantem, si non semper suis ipsius judiciis stantem, si nimium ingenii sui amatorem aliquando improbaveris, illud tamen ad omnibus in laude est ponendum, nihil acque in animo eum habuit quam ut reverentiam, veritatem, justitiam, sanctitatem inculcaret. Quamobrem justo desiderio tenemur Magistri illustris altiora fortasse petentis quam quć cum de generi hominum societate possent congruere, et simpliciorem commendantis vitam quć tum demum esset efficienda, cum universi cives fallacias, iniquitates, pecunić qućstum ultro aspernati ćtatis aureć denuo restituere conarentur.”

Venice took occasion, in connexion with the International Art Congress held there in September 1905, to commemorate the author of The Stones.³ On September 21, a meeting in commemoration of Ruskin was held in the Sala dei Pregadi in the Ducal Palace, at which, in presence of the King and Queen of Italy, M. Robert de

¹ Vol. XXX. p. xxxv.

² Prince Leopold, the Marquis of Salisbury, Sir Henry Acland, Burne-Jones, Leighton, and Dean Liddell were among the committee formed for this purpose.

³ The municipality placed a memorial tablet upon the inn (now rebuilt) on the Zattere where Ruskin had stayed in 1876-1877; and in the English Church of St. George a memorial window is being placed by Mr. Horatio Brown and other subscribers.

[Version 0.04: March 2008]