Messrs. Rogers and Sone, of Soho Square, wood-carvers to the
Queen, have been intrusted with the wood carving for the redecoration of St. Mi- chael's Church, Cornhill. The general design for the restoration' is the work of Messrs. Scott and Williams, architects ; the designs, however, for the carving emanate from the Messrs. Rogers themselves. To give some idea of the extensive character of the work, we may mention that there are ninety-four bench heads besides pulpit, screen, &c., all carved in the most elaborate and intricate manner. The subjects of the decorations arc chiefly derived from the more prominent historical or personal episodes of Scrip- ture. For instance, among the subjects on the bench heads we have " Moses in the bulrushes,' " The tablets of the Law, with the sword of Justice," "The brazen serpent in the wilderness," "Emblems of the Sa- crament, wheat and grapes," "Emblems of the Passion, the passion-
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flower ' the Resurrection, emblemized by a butterfly issuing from a chry- salis. The scapegoat wandering in the and wilderness, with the mark of the high priest on his forehead is another subject, beautifully worked out, the goat being carved from the portrait of a Syrian goatin the p.ossession of D. Gobat Bishop of Jerusalem. The rector and the various city guilds have their arms, monograms, mottoes, and emblems all boldly and artistically carved on their separate pews. The yew appropriated far the use of her Majesty has carved on the outside of the bench head an enriched double shield surmounted by a crown, with the V. It. and motto " Dieu et mon Droit." On the inside is carved, in bold letters, her Majesty's monogram Victoria, in the form of a Greek cross, enclosed in foliage and flowers, the emblems of England, Ireland, and Scotland. The pulpit is hexagon in form, and is intended to stand on a dwarf column of Portland Stone, with handrail supported by ornamental brass work ; on the angles are twisted pillars in the manner of Cavalini, well known as the author of the magnificent shrine placed in the chapel at Strawberry Hill, built by Horace Walpole. The whole of the interior decoration is of oak. The historical research, novelty of design, painstaking nicety of execution, and artistic finish of the execution, are carried to perfection by a certain freshness and originality that keep up a living interest throughout. Those to whom wood-carving is a luxury, will find Messrs. Rogers most willing to show what we have attempted to describe ; and they will also see some magnificent specimens of the greatest master in wood-carving, Grindling Gibbons.
In a letter to the ?Imes the Baron Marochetti explains that he would have exhibited a full-sized model of his design for the Wellington monu- ment, if the competition had been thrown open by Lord John Manners. He has been a candidate for the work from the day when it was first decided that such a monument should be erected. He did not take part in the limited competition proposed by Sir William Molesworth, or in the general competition proposed by Sir Benjamin Hall, mainly, because in both cases the model was to be small ; and the effect of the real monument cannot be an- ticipated from such models. Lord John Manners has neither visited the Baron's design nor sent for his plans; he has selected other artists. Mean- while his statue is at present exhibited in Apsley House Garden : " It was say intention to represent Victory sitting on the steps of the door of the tomb, bidding adieu to her favourite son, and taking back the sword which she had lent him,-this is the statue now exhibited, and, though prepared for a peculiar site, a change of position in the figure will adapt it to any other."
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