Were they to salute him?
Were they to stand erect and covered while every body else saluted him?
No Englishman zealous for the Bill of Rights and the Protestant religion would willingly do any thing which could be construed into an act of homage to a Popish pretender.

Yet no goodnatured and generous man, however firm in his Whig principles, would willingly offer any thing which could look like an affront to an innocent and a most unfortunate child.
Meanwhile other matters of grave importance claimed Portland's attention.

There was one matter in particular about which the French ministers anxiously expected him to say something, but about which he observed strict silence.

How to interpret that silence they scarcely knew.

They were certain only that it could not be the effect of unconcern.