244 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK OT . 



Sir John received enough letters to fill a big 

 volume relative to these Pleasures of Life. I have 

 made selection of a very few of them for the 

 present work, in order to give a general idea of 

 their tenor. They came from all parts of the 

 world, from all grades of people — royal personages, 

 men of culture, working men, women, even 

 children. It amused me much to find, when I 

 came to look over some of them, that the first 

 in order was the following from a governor of the 

 Bank of England ! 



Bank of England, 

 SOth June 1887. 



My dear Lubbock — I have just bought, after having 

 read, The Pleasures of Life — I was quite fascinated with 

 it — but you have omitted one pleasure — Tobacco — please 

 to remember it when you publish a second edition. 



It amused me to find this placed in the fore- 

 front, because if there is one amiable human 

 weakness for which he had very little sympathy, 

 it was just this, of smoking. He was a very 

 temperate man in every way, and I do not think 

 that he ever tasted tobacco smoke except vicari- 

 ously, from the pipes of others ; and of this he 

 had ample experience afforded him by his brothers 

 and sons. I believe, however, that Mr. Chamber- 

 lain is the only man who ever was known to light 

 a big cigar after dinner at his table. No one 

 else ventured on more than the mild cigarette. 

 Sir John never, in my hearing, found fault with 

 smoking as a habit, but I am sure that tacitly 

 his face was set against its encouragement. 



The next letter is from a shopman on whom Sir 

 John Lubbock, by his legislation restricting the 

 hours of toil in that profession, had laid other 



