WILLIAM AND HAHX.

115

CHATTER XVH.

On the eighteenth of January 1691, the King, haying been chap.detained some days by adverse winds, wenton board at Graves- - -- 69|end. Four yachts had been fitted up for him and for his re- william'stinue. Among his attendants Were Norfolk, Ormond, Devon-mfiiaud. 0shire, Dorset, Portland, Monmouth, Zulestein, and the Bishopof London. Two distinguished admirals, Cloudesley Shoveland George Rooke, commanded the men of war which formedthe convoy. The passage was tedious and disagreeable. Duringmany hours the fleet was becalmed off the Godwin Sands; andit was not till the fifth day that the soundings proved the coastof Holland to be near. The sea fog was so thick that no landcould be seen; and it was not thought safe for the ships to pro-ceed further in the darkness. "William, tired out by the voyage,and impatient to be once more in his beloved country, deter-mined to land in an open boat. The noblemen who were in histrain tried to dissuade him from risking so valuable a life; but,when they found that his mind was made up, they insisted.onsharing the danger. That danger proved more serious thanthey had expected. It had been supposed that in an hour theparty would be on shore. But great masses of floating ice im-peded the progress of the skiff: the night came on: the fog grewthicker: the waves broke over the King and the courtiers. Oncethe keel struck on a sand bank, and was with great difficultygot off. The hardiest mariners showed some signs of uneasiness.

But William, through the whole night, was as composed as if hehad been in the drawingroom at Kensington. “For shame,”he said to one of the dismayed sailors: "are you afraid to die in

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