His documented emotional involvements with boys to the exclusion of relationships with women I noticed that the text appended below posted on August 5th of this year has been largely deleted in favor of a homily on the lack of perceptivity of modern observers when faced with our quaint forefathers Unless specific objections are raised to the sources on which this material is based I do not see how it can be blocked from the article nor do I see it as within our rights to preach here against modern gender studies work Throughout his life Brooke s principal emotional bonds were with adolescent boys while he exhibited a total lack of interest in women Among his more notable relationships with boys was the one with Badruddin a Sarawak prince of whom he wrote my love for him was deeper than anyone I knew Later in 1848 Brooke fell in love with Charles Grant grandson of the seventh Earl of Elgin who had just been recruited being sixteen at the time His love was reciprocated by the boy Empire and Sexuality The British Experience Ronald Hyam pp 44 45WALKER J H This peculiar acuteness of feeling James Brooke and the enactment of desire Borneo Research Bulletin vol 29 1998 pp 148 189