126 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK oh. 



From Sir Lyon Playfair he received a very 

 appreciative letter, of which the following extract 

 sufficiently explains itself : 



I had an enthusiastic deputation to-day (Sunday) 

 of Bankers' Clerks, wishing me to take part in a move- 

 ment to get up a testimonial to you of " A Million 

 Shillings for your Holiday Act. 



I told them of my friendly feeling to you, and coun- 

 selled them in the first place to show the grateful feelings 

 of Bankers' Employes, before they put you in a position 

 of taking a National Testimonial which might not be 

 agreeable to your feelings, and might be misunderstood. 



I was assured by the deputation that the Act " will 

 alter the National Character of England and of English 

 Society," so you have thorough appreciation of your 

 good work. 



The testimonial was presented to him at a 

 crowded meeting held in the National Provincial 

 Bank, and presided over by Mr. M'Kewan of the 

 London and County Bank. 



It is not given to many men in the world's 

 history to receive blessings so unmixed for an 

 act of legislature. Moreover, he was but thirty- 

 seven years of age and had just entered Parlia- 

 ment. 



In the same year he introduced a Bill to pro- 

 vide for the better preservation of Ancient 

 Monuments, and received a moderately encourag- 

 ing letter from Mr. Lowe, saying that he had 

 consulted the Cabinet and found that there was 

 much sympathy with the objects of the Bill, 

 but that they hardly deemed them to justify 

 assistance from public money. The opinion 

 seemed to be that the strong feeling in favour of 

 the proposal, which exists in the country, would 

 make it easy to form a society (which might be 



