lluminated, and the
people of Reading had good reason to be pleased with the proceedings of
the day.

ALBERT GOLD MEDAL TO M. DE LESSEPS.

_July 7th, 1870._

At a meeting of the Council of the Society of Arts, on the 7th of July,
1870, the Prince of Wales, as President of the Society, presented the
Albert Gold Medal to M. de Lesseps. This medal is awarded for services
rendered to arts, manufactures, and commerce; and no services, to
commerce at least, could have been better rendered than by the
realization of the Suez Canal.

The Prince addressed M. de Lesseps in a French speech, of which the
following is a translation:--

"It is with sincere gratification that, as President of the
Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and
Commerce, I have the honour of presenting to you to-day the gold
medal which was founded after the death of my beloved father,
and which bears his name. This medal is presented every year to
the person who has distinguished himself most remarkably in
advancing the interests of the objects for which the Society was
founded, and I am fully convinced that no recipient has ever
been more worthy than yourself of this honourable distinction.
In presenting it, I need scarcely say that the award was
unanimous, and I may perhaps be permitted to add that I
stipulated for the pleasure of placing the medal myself in your
hands. England will never forget that it was to you the success
of that great enterprise which is so much calculated to develope
the commercial interests subsisting between herself and her
Eastern Empire was due; and I trust that since your sojourn
among us the English people have evinced to you their
appreciation of the benefits which your great work has conferred
upon this country. Allow me once more to congratulate you upon
your grand achievement, and to express my sincere hope, as it is
my belief, that it will fully realise the brilliant
anticipations which you have from the first entertained
respecting it. In conclusion, I must assure you of the pleasure
I feel in presenting this medal to you, not only as President of
this Society, but as a personal friend, who has, moreover,
enjoyed the inestimable advantage of an inspection of the Canal
under your guidance."

M. de Lesseps replied as follows:--

"Monseigneur,--I am happy in receiving from the hands of