Excursion on Wednesday, August Vdth. 



15 



exactly the sort of man who understood how to manage the business 

 of such a Society as theirs, and he must say that he certainly pre- 

 ferred his work in connection with archaeology to his institution of 

 four Bank Holidays in the year. No one wished the people to 

 enjoy a holiday more than he did. Yet sometimes they felt it was a 

 great inconvenience. He might want to cash a cheque, or his wife 

 might want to buy a bit of ribbon — ladies were fond of buying bits 

 of ribbon — and she might find some little difficulty in the way owing 

 to its being- Bank Holiday. But everyone would give Sir John the 

 greatest possible credit for his philanthropy, his kindness of heart, 

 and his generous disposition, in having brought about the establish- 

 ment of those four holidays called " St. Lubbock's Days/' He hoped 

 St. Lubbock would always ensure them fine weather on those oc- 

 casions. Much good had no doubt been done by their institution ; 

 the middle and the lower classes were able to enjoy themselves on 

 those days, and the upper ten must submit to any little inconvenience 

 which their observance might involve. The country at large was 

 deeply indebted to Sir John for the great boon he had conferred 

 upon it. Therefore, whether they recognised him as President of 

 their Society or as a distinguished Member of Parliament, he had 

 a right to have his health drunk by all the inhabitants of this county. 

 He was sure they would cordially join with him in doing so, not 

 forgetting Lady Lubbock and their daughters. 



Sir John Lubbock, who was greeted with hearty applause, said 

 they all knew that their excellent friend, Mr. Smith, was not in the 

 habit of shirking work, but he certainly did think on that occasion 

 that it would have been more appropriate if he had returned thanks 

 for the toast of the Wiltshire Archseological Society. However, in 

 order to contribute to the successful working of meetings of that 

 kind it was absolutely necessary that they should do all that the 

 Secretary told them, and he felt, therefore, that he should be setting 

 a good example and smoothing the way of his successors by showing 

 no reluctance to obey his commands. He was very grateful to Lord 

 Ailesbury for the exceedingly kind manner in which he had been 

 good enough to propose the toast and in giving it as he did a personal 

 character which he did not the least anticipate. When His Lordship 



