[195] "In the distribution of honours the King never forgot his own personal feelings, tho' he sometimes granted to political solicitation what was by no means agreeable to himself. The late Dr. Elliott had never been a favourite, and when Lord George Germaine requested his Majesty to confer a baronetcy on that physician, the King manifested much unwillingness, saying at length, 'But, if I do, he shall not be my physician!' 'No, sir, he shall be your Majesty's baronet and my physician.'"--Galt: _George III, his Court and Family_. An amusing incident has also been related by Colonel Landmann when George III was at Weymouth. "The King had taken off one of his military white gloves, and in dropping the ends of his sash, he also at the same time dropped the glove, upon which, not only General Garth, but several others nearest to the King, scrambled for the glove on the ground, in order to mark their zeal and attention to his Majesty; but the King, desirous of recovering his fallen glove without having to thank any one for it, or perhaps wishing to display his activity, also attempted to seize it, in which he succeeded. On rising, the King's cane slipped from his hold, and again the King was the successful candidate for the prize. Now the sensation which the scrambling for the glove and then for the stick had created amongst the vast concourse of spectators was increased to an uncontrollable degree by the falling off of the King's hat, for the capture of which an increased number of competitors presented themselves, whose ambition to serve his Majesty greatly retarded its restitution. "Colonel Campbell, at length, had the good fortune to rescue this from the hands of two members of the King's household, who were struggling with each other for victory; whilst the King, holding out his hands for his property, his face, in consequence of his stooping, as red as his coat, exclaimed: 'Never mind about the honour of the thing, never mind, never mind; give me my hat, give me my hat; there,' as the King received his hat, 'thank you--thank you all alike--you all picked it up--yes, yes,--all, all, all--you all picked it up.' "The King, during the latter part of this contest, laughed most heartily, in which the whole of the _cortège_ surrounding his Majesty immediately joined, throwing off all restraint."[196] [196] Percy Fitzgerald: _The Family of George III_.