purpose, he superintended its erection. On Tuesday afternoon, March 18th,
1884, the monument, which was affixed to the wall of the church where the
gallery containing Pepys's pew formerly stood, was unveiled in the
presence of a large concourse of visitors. The Earl of Northbrook, First
Lord of the Admiralty, consented to unveil the monument, but he was at the
last moment prevented by public business from attending. The late Mr.
Russell Lowell, then the American Minister, took Lord Northbrook's place,
and made a very charming and appreciative speech on the occasion, from
which the following passages are extracted:--

"It was proper," his Excellency said, "that he should read a note he
had received from Lord Northbrook. This was dated that day from the
Admiralty, and was as follows:

"'My dear Mr. Lowell,

"'I am very much annoyed that I am prevented from assisting at the
ceremony to-day. It would be very good if you would say that
nothing but very urgent business would have kept me away. I was
anxious to give my testimony to the merits of Pepys as an Admiralty
official, leaving his literary merits to you. He was concerned with
the administration of the Navy from the Restoration to the
Revolution, and from 1673 as secretary. I believe his merits to be
fairly stated in a contemporary account, which I send.

"'Yours very truly,
"'NORTHBROOK.

"The contemporary account, which Lord Northbrook was good enough to
send him, said: