100 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



copper-smelting firms. They both pronounced 

 against Professor Wibel's theory. 



Mr. Percy wrote that he had paid considerable 

 attention to the subject of ancient bronze, and 

 that all the information he had gathered respect- 

 ing it was directly opposed to Mr. Wibel's view. 

 He considered that the remarkable uniformity 

 in the composition of ancient bronze was of 

 itself sufficient to refute that view. There was 

 some variation in the composition, according to 

 the uses for which the bronze implements were 

 intended — thus, where greater hardness was 

 needed, more tin was added — but it was impos- 

 sible to conceive that anything approximating a 

 uniformity to the composition of ancient bronze 

 could have been produced from the smelting 

 of accidental mixtures of copper and tin ores. 

 Moreover, in remains of ancient bronze foundries 

 blocks of copper were found, which were, no 

 doubt, used in making the alloy by the direct 

 fusion of the two metals together. 



In the same year was started the Metaphysical 

 Society, and the following letter from Mr. Hutton, 

 for many years the able editor of the Spectator, 

 describes its genesis. Sir John was elected its 

 first President. 



The " Spectator " Office, 



1 Wellington Street, London, W.C, 



1 July 1869. 



My dear Sir John — I am pledged to a visit to 

 Brighton on the day you name, and it is one we could 

 not put off. 



It would have been a very great pleasure to me to 

 have met personally Huxley and Tyndall, whom I have 

 so long known only by their writings. 



With regard to to-day's leader and letter in the 

 Times on Primogeniture, do you know anything of the 



