208 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK «. 



During the session he sat on the House of 

 Commons Committee with reference to West- 

 minster Hall. It appeared that the roof was 

 mainly that of Richard II., the repairs having 

 been few. Many of the stones still bear the 

 original mason's marks. 



He had extraordinary experiences this year 

 in the possible length to which after-dinner 

 speech-making can run. The first occasion was 

 in Edinburgh and the second in Cambridge. 

 On April 16 he had been in Scotland for the 

 Tercentenary of the University of Edinburgh. 

 The University gave him an honorary degree. 

 They considerately sent him a list of the speeches. 

 At the Banquet he proposed " International Com- 

 merce," coupled with the healths of M. de Lesseps 

 and Sir R. Morier, but owing to the length of 

 some of the preceding speeches his turn did not 

 come on till past midnight, and of course, under 

 the circumstances, he only made a very short 

 speech. 



He had travelled down to Edinburgh with 

 Lord Leighton, who apologised for not talking 

 much, as he had an important toast to propose 

 on Art. Sir John said, " Well I have also to 

 speak. Mine will be the forty-second speech, and 

 yours is the forty-fifth, so I should not trouble 

 myself much." 



Before the dinner Sir R. Morier came to him 

 very anxiously and begged him to be careful 

 what he said, as he was negotiating a commercial 

 treaty with Spain and the Spaniards were rather 

 touchy. " Oh," said Sir John, " mine is the 

 forty-second speech of the evening, so I shall not 



