Page:The Story of Nell Gwyn.djvu/114

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THE STORY OF NELL GWYN.

only one person should be covered at a time."[1] The well-known English schoolmaster, Busby, excused himself to the King for wearing his hat in his Majesty's presence in his own school at Westminster—"If I were seen without my hat, even in the presence of your Majesty, the boys' respect for me would certainly be lessened." The excuse, such is the tradition at Westminster, was at once admitted, and Busby wore his hat before the King as he still is seen to wear it in his portrait in the Bodleian.

When reprimanded by one of his courtiers for leading or interlarding his discourse with unnecessary oaths, he defended himself by saying, "Your martyr swore twice more than ever I did."[2] And, in allusion again to his father's character, he observed to Lord Keeper Guildford, who was musing somewhat pensively on the woolsack, "My Lord, be of good comfort, I will not forsake my friends as my father did."[3] To Reresby he remarked, "Do not trouble yourself; I will stick by you and my old friends, for if I do not I shall have nobody stick to me;" and on another occasion he said to the same memorialist, "Let them do what they will, I will never part with any officer at the request of either

  1. Grey's Hudibras, i. 376.
  2. Rev. Mr. Watson's Apology for his conduct on Jan. 30, 8vo. 1756, p. 34, and Malone's Shakespeare, by Boswell, iii. 235.
  3. North, i. 387.