e, more obscure, holding up an hat,
denoting Liberty. Next behind the king is the Duke of York, holding a
garland, ready to crown the rising City, and a sword lifted up in the
other hand to defend her. Behind this a third figure, with an earl's
coronet on his head. A fourth figure behind all, holding a lion with a
bridle in his mouth. Over these figures is represented an house in
building, and a labourer going up a ladder with an hodd upon his back.
Lastly, underneath the stone pavement whereon the king stands is a good
figure of Envy peeping forth, gnawing a heart."

The bas-relief on the pediment of the Monument was carved by a Danish
sculptor, Caius Gabriel Cibber, the father of the celebrated comedian
and comedy writer Colley Cibber; the four dragons at the four angles are
by Edward Pierce. The Latin inscriptions were written by Dr. Gale, Dean
of York, and the whole structure was erected in six years, for the sum
of L13,700. The paragraphs denouncing Popish incendiaries were not
written by Gale, but were added in 1681, during the madness of the
Popish plot. They were obliterated by James II., but cut again deeper
than before in the reign of William III., and finally erased in 1831, to
the great credit of the Common Council.

Wren at first intended to have had flames of gilt brass coming out of
every loophole of the Monument, and on the top a phoenix rising from the
flames, also in brass gilt. He eventually abandoned this idea, partly on
account of the expense, and also because the spread wings of the phoenix
would present too much resistance to the wind. Moreover, the fabulous
bird at that height would not have been understood. Charles II.
preferred a gilt ball, and the present vase of flames was then decided
on. Defoe compares the Monument to a lighted candle.

The Monument is loftier than the pillars of Trajan and Antoninus, at
Rome, or that of Theodosius at Constantinople; and it is not only the
loftiest, but also the finest isolated column in the world.

It was at first used by the members of the Royal Society for
astronomical purposes, but was abandoned on account of its vibration
being too great for the nicety required in their observations. Hence the
report that the Monument is unsafe, which has been revived in our time;
"but," says Elwes, "its scientific construction may bid defiance to the
attacks of all but earthquakes for centuries to come."

A large print of the Monument represents the statue of Char