16 The Twenty-Fifth Annual Meeting. 



began to refer to Bank Holidays he really was a little afraid that 

 he was going to express an unfavourable opinion of them^ but as he 

 went on he warmed with the subject, and he appealed to them 

 whether Lord Ailesbury did not make out a very good case for them 

 after all. If the worst that could be said against them was that 

 they caused some little inconvenience to ladies desirous of buying 

 dresses and ribbons, he was quite satisfied they would find some 

 mode of overcoming the difficulty. As regarded the Society he 

 confessed that looking forward to the future he did see that con- 

 siderable difficulty might arise, because the country was gradually 

 becoming so scientific, and those societies were becoming so popular, 

 that he thought the Mr. Smiths of the future would find great 

 difficulty in conducting their operations some one hundred years 

 hence, though they might be as energetic secretaries as their Society 

 now possessed. He must say again that he thought he was rather 

 out of place in returning thanks for the toast, for, though he was 

 very grateful to Lord Ailesbury for the kind way he had spoken of 

 him, and especially for his gracious reference to Lady Lubbock, he 

 felt that it was Mr. Smith to whose exertions its success was mainly 

 owing and their thanks were due. 



The company then adjourned to the terraces, where the band of 

 the 17th Wilts R.V. was stationed, and strolled for a short time 

 through the delightful pleasure-grounds and gardens. They also 

 examined a curious fragment of Roman tesselated pavement, which 

 was discovered near the house about twenty years ago, and was 

 again uncovered for the inspection of visitors. Then they were 

 summoned to the dining hall, where Mr. Tucker, "Rouge Croix ^' 

 of the Herald's College, made a few remarks on the splendid pedigree 

 of the Seymours there spread out. Mr. Tucker said it was an ex- 

 ceedingly interesting one, and though it had not the imprimatur of 

 the Herald's College, it was no doubt perfectly authentic, it showed 

 several royal descents, through the Seymours to their noble host, 

 and went down to the time of William, Duke of Somerset. The 

 other pedigree showed the descent of the Bruees and Brudenells, 

 but that of the Seymours was most interesting. He had often 

 heard of it, and it was the largest he had ever seen with one 



