The idea of erecting a monument to Burns in Edinburgh, originated with the late Mr. John Forbes Mitchell, of Bombay; and the object at first contemplated was a colossal statue of the poet, to be raised in the open air in some conspicuous part of the Scottish capital. A considerable sum was collected in India, chiefly through the exertions of Mr. Mitchell, who, after his return to England, continued these exertions, and did not rest till he had placed the business in the hands of a respectable committee. At a meeting of this body, held in the Freemasons' Tavern, in London, May 26, 1821, it was found that funds to the amount of £1500 might be calculated upon, and a resolution was formed immediately to proceed with the monument-" Viscount Keith, Charles Forbes, Esq., M.P. (now Sir Charles Forbes, of Newe and Edinglasslie, Bart.,) George Thomson, Esq., of Edinburgh, John Deas Thomson, Esq., and John Forbes Mitchell, Esq.," being named a sub-committee to direct the work. In July, 1824, these gentlemen made an agreement with the first British sculptor of his day, John Flaxman, Esq., P.S.R.A. not for a colossal bronze statue, as originally intended, but for a marble statue of the size of life, for which they were to pay fourteen hundred pounds. It is to be remarked, to the honour of the artist, that, at an earlier stage of the proceedings, when the issue of the subscriptions was less assured, he had proposed, from his admiration of the Scottish bard, to undertake the execution of the statue, either in bronze or marble, without any view to remuneration. Amongst the gentlemen who took an interest in the promotion of the subscriptions in Scotland, the most conspicuous and indefatigable was Mr. George Thomson, who performed the duties of secretary to the sub-committee. From a report (unprinted), made by Mr. Thomson in this capacity in 1837, we have permission to make the following extract, relative to the execution of the statue:-

"For enabling him (Flaxman) to transmit the features of the poet to posterity as faithfully as possible, I obtained from Mrs. Burns, and sent him the portrait in oil painted from life very successfully by Mr. Alexander Naismyth, Edinburgh, being the only portrait for which he ever sat to any reputable artist, as far as I know: and, along with it, I sent the small engraving done from it by Beugo for the first Edinburgh edition of his poems; for Mr Beugo told me that he was frequently visited by Burns while at work on the plate, and thus had opportunities of examining his manly expressive countenance when lighted up by conversation: and though I recommended the painting to Mr Flaxman as his safest guide to likeness, I did not think it right to withhold the engraving, nor to omit telling him that Gilbert Burns, the poets brother, had expressed to me his marked approbation both of the painting and engraving. "For the figure, or general appearance of the poet, the sculptor was necessarily guided by description, for which purpose, when he came to Edinburgh, to be informed as to this and other matters, I introduced him to several friends who had seen Burns much oftener than I saw him, and whose account of him could be more relied on than mine: and I think the statue, upon the whole, will be considered by all who remember Burns, a fair characteristic representation of his general appearance, as well as a capital work of art." It is to be added, that at the death of Mr. Flaxman, December 3, 1826, the statue of Burns was one of those which he left unfinished: the work was completed by his brother-in-law and pupil, Mr. Denman.

When the statue was ready to be put up, the committee, finding a surplus of about £1300 in their hands, resolved, instead of placing it in one of the public halls of Edinburgh, to erect a monumental temple for its especial reception; and the site chosen for this structure was one of the southern shoulders of the Calton Hill, a little to the east of the new High School. A design being furnished gratuitously by Mr. Thomas Hamilton of Edinburgh, the building was commenced in 1831, and soon completed, but not until a further call upon the public had been honoured to the extent of £537. It is not unworthy of notice that the decoration of the interior of the structure, and the planning of the surrounding plot with laurels, hollies, and Ayrshire roses, were respectively done, gratuitously, by Mr. Robert Buchan, house-painter, and Mr. Eagle Henderson, nursery-man, both of Edinburgh. The total expense of the statue and its temple appears to have exceeded 3300. The statue has now been shown for several seasons to the public, in the building erected for it; but it is to be regretted that the situation proves to be somewhat confined, so that the figure is not seen to full advantage, and also that, from the neighbourhood of several factories of various kinds) the marble is liable to be somewhat contaminated in the course of time by smoke. It is to be hoped that some step may be taken to avert a result which the public could not fail greatly to deplore, both on account of the beauty of the object as a work of art, and the homage due to the illustrious person whom it represents.