2i8 SIR WILLIAM FLOWER chap, xvi 



Lady Flower says : — 



One beautiful summer day was greatly enjoyed by my husband, 

 when H.R.H. Princess Louise (then Marchioness of Lome) was 

 so kind as to show Windsor Castle to us. The art treasures 

 were thus seen under peculiar advantages, the Princess herself 

 having such artistic tastes and powers, and describing pictures, 

 sculpture, miniatures, historic rooms with intimate knowledge 

 of all, both artistic and historical. The views from the windows 

 were as lovely as anything, and H.R.H. even led us out of a 

 window on to a roof, whence there was a magnificent view — 

 Windsor Park in all the freshness of its foliage, with blue distances 

 beyond, as well as the interest near at hand of Eton College. 



In 1894 Flower was elected a member of " The 

 Club," a social institution of an interesting kind. 

 It was founded in 1764 by Sir Joshua Reynolds 

 and Dr. Samuel Johnson, and among its original 

 members were Charles James Fox, David Garrick, 

 Richard Brinsley Sheridan, and Edward Gibbon, 

 and Adam Smith. Flower was elected at the same 

 time as Lord Lansdowne and Lord Davey. Among 

 a long list of distinguished members at the time 

 were Lords Rosebery, Kelvin, Coleridge, Acton, 

 the Marquis of Salisbury, the Marquis of Dufferin, 

 the Due d'Aumale, Mr. Gladstone, Professor 

 Huxley, Lord Leighton, Lord Wolseley, the 

 Bishop of Oxford, Mr. W. H. Lecky, Viscount 

 Goschen, Sir Robert Herbert, Sir Alfred Lyall, 

 Sir Donald M. Wallace. The Right Hon. Sir 

 Mountstuart E. Grant Duff was Treasurer. 



