380 
Lord nouGHTOx. 
Lady Houghton had an interesting connection, was another of the 
Peer's intimate literary friends. We believe that it was at Lord 
Houghton's town house that the Prince of Wales, at his own request, 
met at dinner, for the first and only time, the immortal author of 
" The Pickwick Papers." The limits of space dictate caution, or 
an indefinite enlargement of this imperfect sketch of the great 
friendships which Lord Houghton formed during his long and illu|trious 
career might be made, and of the work lie did both as legislator, 
poet,- and philanthropist. Of late years his health had been steadily 
failing. About three years ago he went to Egypt to visit his elder 
daughter, who shortly before had become the wife of Mr., now Sir 
Gerald, Fitzgerald. On his return, whilst staying at Athens, he was 
struck down by paralysis, and for a time was in imminent danger. 
His son and Mrs. Fitzgerald hastened to his bedside. His sister, the 
Dowager Lady Galway, who during his later years was his most con- 
stant companion, also went to Greece. Happily he rallied in a sur- 
prising manner from the attack ; but though his mental faculties 
remained to the last unimpaired, and his interest in life was, as has 
already been told, as keen as it had ever been, his physical infirmities 
visibly increased, and his death, sudden as it was, was not quite un- 
expected by those who have seen him during the last twelve months. 
Few men will be more widely or sincerely mourned, and few men 
more richly deserve the tribute of a genuine regard. We must not 
close this sketch without referring to the important part which Lord 
Houghton took in connection with the Newspaper Press Fund, of 
which he had been chairman from the time of its establishment. It 
was characteristic of his benevolence that no class of literary workers 
were beyond the reach of his sympathy, and that he devoted both 
time and care during many years to the services of the journalists of 
Great Britain, His son, the Hon. Robert Offley Ashburton Milnes, 
who now succeeds to the title, was born in 1858, and is married to 
Miss Sybil Graham, daughter of Sir Frederick Graham, of Netherby, 
and granddaughter of the eminent statesman Sir James Graham. 
No man of his day had made so many distinguished friendships 
as he had done ; no man has figured more constantly or more con- 
spicuously in contemporary memoirs. Let any one take up the 
