4-1? Records of the Rising in the West, A.D. 1655. 



that event happened is uncertain, but certainly not till after the 

 birth of the Archbishop in 1658. In course of time he died and 

 a monument was erected to his memory at Blandford, bearing the 

 following 1 inscription : — «- 



To the memory of 

 The Truly Loyal and "Worthy 

 WILLIAM WAKE, 

 Late of Shapwiok in this 



County, Gent ; 

 And of AMY, Ms wife, 

 The former of whom died May the xxix., * 

 1705, in the 78 th year of his age ; 

 The latter May the xvi., A.D., 1671, 

 About the 32 nd year, of her age . 



Nearly seven years after his death, the well-known story connected 

 with his name, appeared in the pages of the Spectator 1 newspaper, 

 from the pen of Mr. Eustace Budgell. 



" Every one who is acquainted with Westminster School knows, that there is 

 a curtain which used to be drawn across the room, to separate the Upper School 

 from the Lower. A youth happened by some mischance to tear the above- 

 mentioned curtain ; the severity of the Master was too well-known for the 

 criminal to expect any pardon for such a fault ; so that the boy, who was of a 

 meek temper, was terrified to death at the thoughts of his appearance ; when 

 his friend who sat next to him, bade him be of good cheer, for that he would 

 take the fault on himself. He kept his word accordingly. As soon as they were 

 grown up to be men, the civil war broke out, in which our two friends took the 

 opposite sides, one of them followed the Parliament, the other the royal party. 

 As their tempers were different, the youth who had torn the curtain endeavoured 

 to raise himself on the civil list ; and the other who bore the blame of it on the 

 military ; the first succeeded so well, that he was in a short time made a judge 

 under the Protector. The other was engaged in the unhappy enterprise of 

 Penruddock and Grove in the West. I suppose Sir, I need not acquaint you 

 with the event of that undertaking. Every one knows that the royal party 

 was routed, and all the heads of them, among whom was the curtain champion 



* So this staunch old Koyalist died on the anniversary of the restoration of King Charles II. 



1 No. 313. Feb. 28th, 1712. There is no evidence so far as I know that this 

 Eustace Budgell was ever at Westminster School. Dean Stanley (Memorials of 

 Westminster, 2nd edition, p. 490, note) speaks of him as a Westminster scholar. 

 If the Alumni West Monesterienses be correct this is a mistake. The Eustace 

 Budgell whose name is there given was scholar in 1664, whereas the contributor 

 to the Spectator was not born till 1685. Possibly the " Eustace Budgell " of 

 Westminster School was his uncle, (he certainly was not his father) and hence 

 the story. 



