xxxiit LORD AVEBURY 125 



" Assassin," and a most courteous and cultured 

 gentleman, was often a guest at Lord Avebury's 

 breakfast parties. 



One of the letters shows a very just apprecia- 

 tion, as we shall think, both of the value of 

 the distinction and of Lord Avebury's merits : 

 " You have touched life at many many points, 

 done good service in many good causes and made 

 wonderful use of your life and opportunities. 

 Nor is it a light thing to have made no enemies. 

 I would rather be made a Privy Councillor, 

 which you already are, than a Peer, because it 

 is an honour more strictly reserved for merit. 

 Still a Peerage, where it is deserved, is an envi- 

 able distinction, and I hope you may live long to 

 enjoy it." 



On his accession to the peerage Lord Avebury 

 sent the following letter to the University of 

 London, which he had represented in the 

 Commons : 



High Elms, 1s< January 1900. 



My dear Foster — You will have seen that Her 

 Majesty has been graciously pleased to confer a Peerage 

 on me, and deeply sensible as I am of this mark of her 

 approbation, it brings with it one source of regret, viz. 

 that I can no longer remain the representative of the 

 University of London in the House of Commons. 



I shall feel obliged if you will convey to my constitu- 

 ents my grateful sense of the generous support which 

 I have received during the many years in which it has 

 been my privilege to represent them in Parliament, and 

 which I shall always look back on with a warm feeling 

 of gratitude. 



I take the opportunity of tendering my thanks 

 especially to you as Chairman, to the Vice-Chairman, 

 the Secretary, and other members of the Committee. — I 

 am, my dear Foster, yours sincerely, 



John Lubbock. 



