Page:The history of yachting.djvu/187

 Rh House now stands, the Duke of York, who had been hunting that morning on Hounslow Heath, was seen returning in his coach, escorted by a party of the guards. As soon as they recognized the King, they suddenly halted and stopped the coach; the Duke of York saluted his brother, and said, he was greatly surprised to find his Majesty in that place with so small an attendance, and he thought his Majesty exposed himself to much danger. "No kind of danger, James," replied Charles; "for I am sure no man in England will take away my life to make you King." In his old age, Lord Cromarty was fond of relating this anecdote to his friends.

At another time, alluding to the amours of the Duke of York and to the plain looks of his favorites, Charles remarked that "he believed his brother had his mistresses given him by his priests for penance."

Still, these brothers managed to get on fairly well, the one bond of sympathy between them seeming to have been their fondness for the sea and for maritime affairs. The new yachts gave them an opportunity for fraternal rivalry also, and excitement no doubt ran high in Court-circles and along the banks of the Thames when it became known that the royal brothers had made a match to sail their yachts for a wager of £100. This classic event in yachting history is thus described by Evelyn:

"October 1, 1661. I had sailed this morning with his Majesty in one of the yachts, or pleasure-