278 LIFE OF SIR JOHN LUBBOCK ch. 



following day : " British Museum meeting. Then 

 to an informal meeting of the Festival of Empire, 

 which wiU probably be postponed." (It was.) 

 " Then to the Privy Council. First signing. 

 Then the King came in and made an admirable 

 speech. Then we took the oath and kissed 

 hands. Then signed some things which required 

 three signatures." On the 17th he says, " To 

 the reception of the King's coffin in Westminster 

 Hall. Very impressive ceremony and beautiful 

 little service." 



So far as his own private and also the national 

 mourning permitted, Lord Avebury maintained 

 his usual active part in public functions, speaking 

 in the House of Lords, attending the Chamber of 

 Commerce, the Anglo-German Friendship Com- 

 mittee, the British Empire League and many 

 more, generally in the chair, besides continuing 

 to give his breakfast parties, but towards the end 

 of May he had started a severe cough and all 

 through June was more or less ailing, though he 

 would not consent to be treated as an invalid. 



On May 25 he writes : " Roosevelt wrote to 

 ask if I woTild come and see him, which I did. 

 He was very pleased and genial. We talked of 

 Big Game protective colouring " (the ex- President 

 had lately come from a big-game shooting tour 

 in Africa), " the importance of which he thought 

 greatly exaggerated — also of the Natural History 

 Museum, of his European tour, in which he 

 seemed to regret the endless ceremonials, of 

 Lecky's Map of Life, and of American millionaires 

 and trusts." 



That same day he went to Kingsgate, and on 



