Page:The history of yachting.djvu/242

 114 Portsmouth, one of his favorites, and well-known in history. It was a contraction of the old English word Fubby, signifying plump, fair, chubby. In those days it had become a slang word among artists. John Gostling, a subdean of the Royal Chapel, St. Paul's, was requested to make one of the sailing party. Possessing an exceptionally fine voice, it was to him that the King, who loved music, once presented a silver egg filled with golden guineas, remarking that "eggs were good for the voice." The King himself had a fair tenor voice, and was fond of joining his clerical friend in an easy song; while, at times, the Duke of York would accompany them on the guitar.

The Fubbs had proceeded on her cruise as far as the North Foreland, and everyone appeared to be happy, when suddenly the sea-breeze began to pipe, and, in the words of the narrative, "the King and the Duke of York was necessitated, in order to preserve the vessel, to hand the sails like common seamen; but by good providence, however, they escaped to land; and the distress they were in made such an impression on the mind of Mr. Gostling that it was never effaced. Struck with a just sense of the deliverance, and—the horror of the scene he had lately viewed, he selected, upon his return to London, some passages from the Psalms, which declare the terrors of the deep, and gave them to the famous organist, Mr. Henry Purcell, with which to compose an anthem. This he did, and adapted it to the compass of Mr. Gostling's voice, which was a deep bass."