By the Rev. Canon J. E. Jackson, F.S.A. 201 



station, who had in any way brought themselves into public notice 

 by their ability. They were fully as welcome as the highest, for 

 Lord Lansdowne delighted in getting all kinds of information, in 

 learning from others what they knew and what he did not himself 

 happen to know upon any subject. He was in his manners singularly 

 courteous, a most agreeable companion, and so full of anecdotes and 

 memories of important men and things that it were much to be 

 wished he had recorded these himself, or had some Boswell at his 

 elbow to record them for him. 



Among other things (I may, perhaps, on this occasion be excused 

 for saying) he liked very much to hear from myself any thing new 

 that I could tell him about the history of places in the neighbourhood 1 

 and many a delightful day have I had the pleasure of spending there. 

 My last visit has left a curious but sad recollection. The last time 

 he came down from London when the season was nearly over he 

 wrote to me to go and spend a week with him, as he was quite 

 alone. He was very infirm and walked very slowly, hardly lifting 

 his feet from the ground. Our walk one evening ended at the glass 

 door opening into the library from the Italian Garden ; the flag- 

 stone was very greasy from damp, and I was afraid that, in lifting 

 up one foot to step into the room, the other on which his weight 

 rested might slip and there might be an accident. I just cautioned 

 him, lest he should fall. He turned round and said rather gravely, 

 i( A fall now to me would be fatal." I went home and the following 

 week another gentleman succeeded me. They also took their walk : 

 and it finished at the same place. In stepping over the window 

 sill Lord Lansdowne tripped and fell forward into the room. That 

 fall was fatal : he died the following week. 



In conclusion : I must not forget to remind you that the Marquis 

 I am speaking of was the first President of our Archaeological 

 Society : that he attended our Opening Meeting at Devizes, in 1853, 

 and also another at Chippenham, and on both occasions gave us 

 a kind and encouraging address. That is now thirty-five years ago. 

 The same position is now occupied by his grandson, and if I said a 

 little while ago that the name of Lansdowne has been honoured in 

 the past, what shall I say for the present ? It must be a source of 



