More Muddle.

After this nothing much happened until the Stuarts who were famous for making history brighter. They were bad kings but good copy. Charles II was known as the Merry Monarch because he had the laugh on Cromwell. He adopted an orange girl named Nell Grin who had a peeling laugh and comforted him when he had the pip. She was known as Sweet Nell of the Old Brewery and was probably of Maltese extraction. She had a good appetite which got Charles II worried at times, and his last words were “Don't let poor Nellie starve.” The orange diet was not valued in those days.

Other characters whom I cherish are Richard the Racer who offered to sell his kingdom for a horse, and Ethelred the Unready, who was always a great comfort and inspiration at examination time. I also admired Drinking Drake, who, when the Spaniards were arriving in gallons, had a few more bowls on Plymouth Hoe and said “Ho, Ho! There's time to finish our bowls before we blow the froth off the Spanish gallons.” The Henrys too were interesting contrasts. One lost a son and “never smiled again.” Another lost wife after wife but kept his sense of humour. I have always felt sorry for the poor Spanish Armada boys who were wrecked on the coast of Scotland and naturally lost everything.

I know a lot more history which isn't in the books, but I am reserving it for a “Children's Cheerful History.” There will be no dates and very little History.

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