I am not likely to forget a dinner-party he gave at his home in the Abbey Cloisters in 1916 to a select band of "75's," or "soixante-quinzes," as he called us.
The company included the Bishop of Chichester (Dr. Ridgeway), Field-Marshal Lord Grenfell, Admiral Fisher, Lord Sanderson, Sir Frank Lascelles, Sir Walter Parratt, Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace and myself. The late Lord Cromer was invited, but was prevented by illness from being present. Our host had not only prepared for us a delightful evening, but had composed some appropriate verses for the occasion, of which each guest was presented with a copy. This is how they ran:
"1841-1916
"The Fairies stood and watched the years
'Till forth came Forty-one,
The Fairies smiled and then they gave
Their kiss to Forty-one.
The vintage ripened well and good,
That year must ever famous be,
Because it brought forth you and me,
The men of Forty-one.
"The Fairies watch where kisses go
In hope that they survive;
Lo! great in arms by land[1] and sea[2]
Their sons in valour thrive;
In Russian lore[3], in minstrelsy[4],
In mock[5] and true[6] diplomacy,
Till brave in toil they came to be
The men of Seventy-five.
"Great William said 'Ripeness is all,'
And we are Seventy-five,
Old dogs are more than lions dead,
And we are still alive!
We need not fear age or mischance,
In good we may and will advance,
Like soixante-quinzes in war-tossed France
Our guns are good at Seventy-five."
[1] Lord Grenfell.
[2] Lord Fisher.
[3] Sir Donald Mackenzie Wallace.
[4] Sir Walter Parratt.
[5] Sir Squire Bancroft.
[6] Sir Frank Lascelles.
The good Bishop did not live to see the return of Peace which followed the triumphant victory of the soixante-quinzes and their Allies. In the month before the Armistice was declared, he was laid in his grave. But he had not forgotten the happy gathering of 1916, as is proved by the following treasured letter, which I received from his son, Major Boyd-Carpenter:
"6 LITTLE CLOISTERS,
"WESTMINSTER,
"October 26, 1918.
"DEAR SIR SQUIRE BANCROFT,