ive the writer some information.

The Marquis of Lansdowne, who was a Trinity man and whose son was of
Trinity, intimated to the authorities of the College that he was
desirous of placing in the antechapel a statue of _Milton_. This,
regard being had to the customs and the college-feelings of Cambridge,
was totally impossible. The antechapel of every college is sacredly
reserved for memorials of the men of that college only; and Milton was
of Christ's College. The Marquis of Lansdowne, on hearing this
objection, left the choice of the person to be commemorated, to
certain persons of the college, one of whom (a literary character of
the highest eminence and a profound admirer of Milton) has not resided
in Cambridge for many years. Several names were carefully considered,
and particularly one (not mentioned by your correspondent) of very
great literary celebrity, but in whose writings there is ingrained so
much of ribaldry and licentiousness that he was at length given
up. Finally the choice rested on Barrow, not as comparable to Milton,
but as a person of reputation in his day and as the best who could be
found under all the circumstances.

Cromwell never was mentioned; he was a member of Sidney College:
moreover it would have been very wrong to select the exponent of an
extreme political party. But Cromwell has I believe many admirers in
Cambridge, to which list I attach myself.

I had no part in the negociations above mentioned, but I saw the
original letters, and I answer for the perfect correctness of what I
have stated. But as I am not a principal, I decline to appear in
public.

It is much to be desired, both for the Athenaeum and for the public,
that such an erroneous statement should not remain uncorrected. And I
would suggest that a correction by the Editor would be just and
graceful, and would tend to support the Athenaeum in that high
position which it has usually maintained.

I am, dear Sir,
Yours very faithfully,
G.B. AIRY.

_Hepworth Dixon, Esq._

1859

"The Report to the Visitors states that 'The Lunar Reductions with
amended elements (especially parallax) for correction of Observations
from 1831 to 1851 are now completed. It is, I think, matter of
congratulation to the Observatory and to Astronomy, that there are now
exhibited the results of uninterrupted Lunar Observations extending
through more than a century, made at the same