310 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK OT . 



Playfair's — sate between Lady Cook and Lady 

 Winifred Gardner. After the ladies left I was 

 next Mr. Gladstone and had some talk about £1 

 notes. He is rather in favour of them, but 

 thinks there ought to be an enquiry." 



Visits to the British Museum are of frequent 

 notice in the diaries, and he had constant delight 

 in taking his children to the Natural History 

 Museum, the Zoo, and so on. After one of his 

 British Museum visits he notes : " Lunched with 

 Conny (Mrs. Buxton). She was telling Phyllis 

 about the creation and Phyllis asked, ' Was I 

 there ? ' ' Oh no,' said Kenneth solemnly, ' only 

 grandpapa.' " Grandpapa, of course, was Sir 

 John. 



If it were possible, which I cannot imagine, 

 to suppose Sir John in any circumstances in which 

 he would not have worn all the aspect of being 

 serenely at home, we might think that we should 

 have so found him on March 9 when, as he records, 

 he " lunched at the Garrick with Irving, Beerbohm 

 Tree, Hare, Bancroft, and some other actors to 

 discuss the Theatres Bill. It was interesting to 

 meet them, but the conversation was mainly on 

 the Bill." A few days later there is a note which 

 bears witness to the interest which King Edward 

 VII. always took in theatrical matters. " Sat. 

 14th, British Museum meeting. The Prince of 

 Wales was very gracious, but attacked me about 

 the Theatres Bill. I told him that the theatre 

 people ought not to complain, as we were doing 

 everything we could to meet their views." 



In course of the same month, he concluded his 

 sittings to Mr. Ward for the portrait which that 



