82 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



have occupied rather more of his attention than 

 is here proposed. On July 12 he notes : "Recep- 

 tion of the Association of Libraries at the Guild- 

 hall. There are already 600 members." On the 

 following day : " Opening of the Library Confer- 

 ence. The Lord Mayor came and welcomed us, 

 after which I gave the opening address." 



On the 14th and 15th there were again meetings 

 of the Conference, and on the latter he writes : 

 " In the evening Irving and Miss Terry very kindly 

 gave us all a performance of The Merchant of 

 Venice at the Lyceum. It was admirably done. 

 At the close Alice and I went with three or four 

 behind the scenes to thank them. Irving made 

 us a nice little speech." 



Friday, 16th, was " The last day of the Library 

 Conference — a final dinner. Certainly it has been 

 a great success." 



He had been appointed this year President of 

 the Gold Defence Association, and the very day 

 after the termination of the Library Conference 

 he writes that he " Dined with the Chancellor of 

 the Exchequer to meet the American Bimetallist 

 Deputies — Senator Woolcott, General Payne and 

 Mr. Stevenson." The last had been Vice-Presi- 

 dent of the United States. 



The United States Government had sent over 

 these delegates as a Commission to confer with 

 European Governments on the Silver Question. 

 Sir John and Lady Lubbock received them at 

 High Elms. 



Though strongly opposed to Bimetallism, Sir 

 John thought that if France and the United 

 States opened their Mints to silver we might 



