Burlington weekly free press. [volume] (Burlington, Vt.) 1866-1928, 1882-10-13
Hats on.


A grandee of Spain is privileged to
wear his hat in his soyereigns presence
for certain time carefully graduated ac-
corling to his rank. John de Courcy,
the conquerer of Ulster, won the same
boon from King John by frightening the
knights sent by Philip of France to call
John to account for the murder of Arthur,
out of the field and then giving taste
of his quality by placing his helmet on n
post, and cleaving it through with his
sword, the weapon dcfying anyone but
its owner to draw it ont of the post again,
This stalwart champions descendants
were wont to assert their privilege by
keeping their heads covered for moment
or so i'll the royal presence; but at one OF
George the Thirds drawing the
then Lord of Kinsale chose To wear the
head-gear so long that the old Kings at
tenton was drawn to his unmnnnerly
bravado. 1.-The gentleman said he,
"has right to be covered before me, but
even King John could give him no right
before ladies'.
At the trial of Mrs. Turner MS an ac
cessory to the murder of Sir Thomas
Overbury, Sir Edward Coke ordered the
prisoner to remove her hat saying "a
woman may be covered in church, but
not when arranged i'll Il court of justice.
The accused tartly commenting on the
singulurity that she might wear her hat
in the presence of God, but not i'll the
presence of man. Coke replied, For the
reason that man with weak intcllccts can
not discover the secrets which are known
to God and, therefore, in investigating
truth, where human life is i'll peril, and
one is charged with taking life from AN
other the court should see all the obsta-
cles removed. Besides, the countenance
is often an index to TIE mind, and accord
ingly it is fitting that the hat should be
removed, and herewith the shadow which
it casts upon your face Mrs. Turner'S
hat was taken off, but she was allowed
for modesty's sake, to cover her hair with
kerchief.
Chief Justice Glynn did not find the
Quakers SO amenablc to the order of the
court, when at Launceston AssiZes, Ill
1856, they made their first public protest
against uncovering the head, Upon Fox
and his companions i'll misfortune being
brought into court, the Judge bade them
put off their hats. Instead of obcying
Fox asked for scriptural instance OF n
magistrate commanding prisoners to put
off their hats. The Chief Justice ill.,
| Quirel in return if hats We're mentioned
at ull i'll the Bible ? "Yes, answered
Fox, Sin the third Of Danniel, where
thou ma, est read that tue three children
were cast into the fiery furnace by Ne
buchadnezzar's command, with then
coats, their hose, and their hats on.
Here was proof that even II heathen
King allowed men to wear hats III his
presence" Not condescending to argue
the matter further, Glynn cried, Take
them away, jailer," and they were taken
away, and thrust among thieves "a great
while" When Penn and other puakers
appeared at the Old Bailey to answer
their delidquencies, they entered the
court covered, somebody removing then
hats for them. Upon fairly getting in
side, the court directed them to put then
hats on, and no sooner had they done Sc
than the Recorder demanded if they did
not know they were in Kings court
Penn replied that he knew it was n court
and supposed it to be the Kings, but hC
did not think putting oil a hat showed
any respect; whereupon he was hheo
forty marks, and remarked that he an'
hisdriends had come into court uncover
ed, and in putting on their hats agail
they had only obeyed orders, therefore i
any one was to be fined, it ought to b,
the Bench. We suppose the Min'
Court of the Forest of Dean WAS not ;
Kings court, since witnesses before /
were permitted to keep their caps ol
while giving their evidence, that is. i
| they claimed to be free miners