Majesty began to hear the great and general cause of the Navy in
his Presence Chamber at[337] Greenwich, wherein three whole days
was spent in several examinations of the truth and circumstances of
the informations delivered by the Lord Northampton and his agents,
against Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, Captain Button, Sir
Thomas Bludder, Mr. Legatt,[338] myself and many others.
The first day the Lord Northampton made the very entrance into the
business a great complaint of the dishonour he reaped by my hearing
at Woolwich, insisting very maliciously in incensing his Majesty
against me and others, who, as he said, traduced him in every tavern
and ale bench, to his great dishonour; and therefore humbly besought
his Majesty that business might be again called in question, alleging
the confidence of the informers who were ready to maintain the truth
of their former informations with their lives.
His Majesty, taking it ill that my Lord should dare to question his
just proceedings, which he had taken such pains personally to hear
[and] determine, took him short off with a sharp reprehension and
willed him no further to insist upon that whereof his Majesty and the
whole world were so sufficiently satisfied; but if he had aught else
to say he should proceed with that, and he was there ready to hear
and to do him all right. Then his Lordship began to deliver sundry
particular bitter accusations against Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John
Trevor, and the rest, all savouring more of malice than of truth, as
was apparent by every man's answer when they were called to speak for
themselves.
On Saturday, being the 10th of June and the last day of hearing,
to conclude all, I was called the last man to answer a grievous
accusation for my Spanish voyage made in the Resistance, when I
attended the Lord Admiral for the conclusion of the peace. Captain
Norreys being then the principal informer, it was laid to my charge
I had transported and sold to the Spaniards divers tons of brass
ordnance and other provisions of powder and shot, but after it came
to the trial all proved nothing but ridiculus mus;[339] his Majesty
being made privy to all the proceeding in that business by the Lord
Admiral when he was in Spain, so that I was fully cleared of all
those scandalous and false informations by his Majesty's own mouth,
to the shame and disgrace of those that were the principal actors and
prosecutors of it; and thus was that great hearing fully concluded at
Greenwich.
It must not be forgotten how the Lord in his justice did revenge my
injuries and wrongs even upon all those that were sworn against me;
but because in modesty I will spare to nominate some, and in what
particulars they were afterwards in special matters beholding to me,
yet I must not pass over one remarkable accident that happened to one
of them in this manner.
Captain George Waymouth before mentioned, being one of the most
violent and bitterest adversaries that came against me, happened to
have drawn in a knight of Hampshire to be so credulously confident
of his special art in building of ships, that he trusted him to have
the oversight and direction of building a small ship for him, which
was expected to have been so rare a sailer, and every way so well
conditioned, as she should run beyond the moon; but in the end,
when she came to be tried, she proved the veriest bauble and drown
devil[340] that ever went to sea; and so plainly cozened the knight
both of his charge and expectation.
The provisions of cordage, anchors, sails, munition, and other
furniture were to come from London, and Captain Waymouth was trusted
both to ship them and to convey them to the vessel; and for the
better security he resolved to embark himself with them, and falling
down as low as the North Foreland, there mistaking his course (as he
did in the North-west Passage[341]), instead of going to Shoreham
in Sussex, he went for Flushing; and so, pretending some lame excuse
to colour his pretence, passed from thence to Antwerp, where it is
most certain he proffered to sell all his commodities and his service
also, had he not been prevented, albeit he enjoyed a pension[342] of
ten groats per diem here in England from his Majesty under the title
of Master Engineer.
This his juggling was not so privately conveyed but notice and
advertisement was given and sent to the Lords of the Council, and by
their Lordships to the Lord High Admiral; whereupon strict order was
taken that he should be apprehended as a pirate if he at any time
were found in England.
Upon knowledge hereof, he secretly stole over and got to London, and
there very privately, by means of one Mr. Poory,[343] a gentleman
having some near dependence upon the right honourable the Earl of
Salisbury, then the Lord Treasurer of England, his case was made
known to his Lordship to be a means to his Majesty for his pardon.
His Lordship, very well remembering what part he played at my hearing
at Woolwich, and what particular notice his Majesty and the Prince's
Highness took of his dishonest and base carriage, utterly disclaimed
him so much as to hear him named; but being very much importuned by
Mr. Poory and one, old Keymer,[344] he advised his safest course to
be to make his way to the Lord Admiral, in whose power he was now
fallen by piracy, and that he had no better or readier way to effect
this but to repair to me and to confess his former injuries and truly
to deliver by what means and working he was drawn into that business,
and so to offer me as public satisfaction as he had done me public
injury, that I might be a mean both to the Prince's Highness and to
the Lord Admiral he might, upon this submission, be both pardoned
and received into favour. This counsel was presently followed, and a
great supper bespoken at the Three Cranes in the Vintry by Mr. Poory
and Mr. Keymer, to which I was trained by a solemn invitation by them
both, by a letter sent to me to Woolwich that very morning before the
supper intended.
We met according to appointment, and, after some compliments passed,
Poory and Keymer, drawing me aside into a private room, there
discovered unto me the cause of their meeting and sending for me,
which when I throughly understood I refused either to stay or see
Waymouth; but at length won by their importunities, and the rather
for that they confidently assured me this was done by the advice of
my most honourable good Lord, the Lord Treasurer, I was contented to
stay supper with them, and Waymouth came in and sat at the same table
without any speech concerning the business. Supper ended, Mr. Poory
began to break the matter to this effect: that Captain Waymouth there
present, acknowledging his error in doing me so great an injury, was
purposely come in their company to offer me what satisfaction I would
desire, confessing it now lay in my power either to undo him or to
recover his lost reputation, and to perform what I should enjoin him,
in what public manner I would require.
To this I answered that, first, I never had any conversation with
Waymouth, nor did ever give him any cause to be my enemy in so great
a height as to accuse me before a king in the presence of such an
audience, wherein no less than my life was questioned, aggra[va]ting
each circumstance of his malicious carriage towards me as well as I
could then remember.
To be short, Captain Waymouth, there rising from the table, in the
presence of all that were there, fell on his knee and desired me as
I was a gentleman to pardon what he had inadvisedly done against me;
all the circumstances he would truly discover, if I would give him
leave to speak; and then, rising from the ground, laid down his sword
at my feet, there vowing in the presence of God and that company,
both himself, his life, and sword, should be ever at my command and
service.
He then freely delivered by whom he was first solicited to join in
that business against me, which was Mr. Baker, Bright, and the rest,
for the space of two months together; to whom he made flat denial to
join in such a malicious practice, and did never condescend till they
procured him to be sent for by a letter from the Lord Northampton to
come to speak with him, by whose flatteries and fair promises he was
enticed to be a party with them; and this he offered to make good
upon his oath whensoever he should be called.
Upon this his submission, I was contented to forgive the injury
done to me in my own particular, but I could not promise to mediate
betwixt him and the Prince my master, nor the Lord Admiral. This was
accepted upon my promise I would not aggravate anything against him,
and thus spending almost the whole night I took my leave, and so took
boat and returned that morning to Woolwich; and this was about the
18th of November.
This meeting was not so private but that his Highness and the Lord
Admiral had notice of it, whereupon the Prince sent for me and
commanded me to deliver the truth, which I accordingly did in each
particular. His Highness disliked that I did not acquaint him with
it, but when I assured him of the manner of my training thither,
with some little check[345] he was satisfied; and the Lord Treasurer
did so mediate for him to the good Lord Admiral that his pardon was
granted, but himself from that time after (till his dying day which
shortly followed) was never received to favour, nor good opinion.
In the beginning of January following, there were two new ships,
builded at Deptford[346] for the East India Merchants, to be
launched; whereat his Majesty with the Prince and divers lords were
present, and feasted with a banquet of sweetmeats on board the great
ship in the dock, which was called the Trade's Increase[347]; the
other was called the Peppercorn,[348] the names being given by his
Majesty. I did there attend, and received gracious public usage from
his Majesty, the Prince, and the Lords; but the tide was so bad
that the great ship could not be launched out of the dock, and the
smaller, which was built upon the wharf, was so ill stroken[349] upon
the launching ways that she could by no means be put off, which did
somewhat discontent his Majesty.[350]
The last day of January, the Prince's Highness came to Woolwich, to
see in what forwardness the ship was in, where I gave him and his
followers entertainment.
The 7th day of January, by commandment from the Prince's Highness, I
attended at the great feast made by him at St. James's to the King,
Queen, Duke of York, Lady Elizabeth, the Lords of the Council, and
all the Knights that were actors at the barriers.[351] The supper was
not ended till after ten at night, from whence they went to the Play,
and, that ended, returned again to a set banquet in the gallery where
the supper was, the table being above 120 foot long, and it was 3 of
the clock in the morning before all was finished.
The 9th of February, my wife's brother, John Nicholls, being a linen
draper dwelling in Friday Street, died of the sickness.
The 25th April the Prince's Highness came to Woolwich and dined
there, with all his train, in my dining room.
The 27th April, my sister Lydia, whom I was glad to maintain a
long time before, with a poor man that was her husband, died at
Plumstead, and was there buried at my charge.
The 30th of this month, the Resistance was launched out of my brother
Simonson's Dock at Ratcliff, where she was newly repaired.
The second of May, the Lady Elizabeth with her train came to see the
great ship at Woolwich, and was entertained by my wife, I being then
at London.
About the 10th of May, this present year, I bought Sir John Trevor's
third part of the Resistance, so that I had two third parts of her to
myself.
The 18th of June the Prince's Highness came to Woolwich, to see the
ship, who was now in great forwardness and almost ready; and the next
day after he came thither again in company of the King his father,
and a great train attending on them, in the afternoon. His Majesty
spent almost two hours in great content in surveying the ship, both
within and without, protesting it did not repent him to have taken
such great pains in examination of the business of that work, since
the fruit thereof yielded him such contentation.[352] His Majesty
then did me the honour to come into the house, where my wife had
prepared a banquet of sweetmeats and such fruits as were then to
be had, whereof he was pleased to taste plentifully and did very
graciously accept of his homely entertainment, giving me especial
commandment not to launch the ship till his progress was ended.
Between Easter and Michaelmas that the ship began to be
garnished,[353] it is not credible what numbers of people continually
resorted to Woolwich of all sorts, both nobles, gentry, citizens,
and from all parts of the country round about; which was no small
charge to me, in giving daily entertainment to all comers, which
could not be possibly avoided in that place at such a time.
In the beginning of August I was summoned to Chatham with my fellow
Master Shipwrights, there to take a survey of the Navy according to
the yearly custom. Sir John Trevor, then Surveyor, attended that
service personally; where we spent four days in performing that
business, and so returned to Woolwich.
The 6th of this month of August, my wife was delivered of her fifth
son, at Woolwich in my own lodgings, between the hours of 6 and 7
of the clock in the morning, being Thursday.[354] And the 16th day
of the same month he was baptized in the church at Woolwich, upon a
Thursday in the forenoon.
The witnesses were my brother Peter and brother William Brooke,
godfathers, and my wife's mother, Mistress Katherine Nicholls,
godmother.
The 22nd of this month, I let out the Resistance for a voyage into
the Straits at the rate of 100_l._ per mensem, with 36 men; Mr.
William Gibbons appointed the master.
The 31st day, I rode to Nonsuch,[355] to the Prince, that then was
there in hunting, who of his nobleness promised to send me a buck to
Woolwich, because he had then given all away that were fallen that
day.
The 9th of September, being Sunday, about six of the clock in the
evening, divers London maids, coming to see the ship, brought in
their company a little boy of 12 years old, the only child of his
mother, a widow woman dwelling in Tower Street, who, carelessly going
up and down upon the main orlop,[356] fell down into the hold of
the ship and was thereby so broken and bruised that he died before
midnight, being the first mischance that did happen in the whole time
of the ship's building.
About the middle of this month, being ready to have the ship stroken
down upon her ways, I caused 12 of the choice master carpenters of
his Majesty's Navy to be sent for from Chatham to be assistance in
her striking and launching; and upon the 18th day, being Tuesday, she
was safely set upon her ways, and this day Sir Robert Mansell came
and dined with me in my lodgings.
The 20th of this month, the French Leaguer[357] Ambassador came to
Woolwich, to see the ship, whom I entertained in the best manner I
could; and in the time of his being within, the Prince, my royal
master, sent me a wonderful fat buck which he killed with his own
hand.
Now began we on all sides to make preparation for the launching of
the ship, and for that purpose there was provided a rich standard of
taffety,[358] very fairly gilt with gold, with his Majesty's arms,
to be placed upon the poop, and a very large ensign of crimson rich
taffety, with a canton of the Prince's crest, to be placed upon
the quarter deck, and all other ornaments were carefully provided
for, befitting that purpose. There was a standing set up in the
most convenient place in the Yard for his Majesty, the Queen, and
their royal children, and places fitted for the ladies and Council,
all railed in and boarded; all the rooms both in my own lodgings
and at Mr. Lydiard's were[359] prepared and very handsomely hanged
and furnished with a cloth of state, chairs, stools and other
necessaries; nothing was omitted that could be imagined any ways
necessary, both for ease and entertainment.
Upon Sunday in the afternoon, being the 23rd day of September,
Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and Sir Henry Palmer came to
Woolwich to see how everything was ordered, and finding all things
prepared and fitted to their likings, about three of the clock they
returned all to Deptford, where they lodged that night at Sir Robert
Mansell's. This evening, very late, there [came] a messenger to me
from them, bringing a letter which was sent to them from Court, at
Theobalds, to give me order to be very careful to search the ship's
hold for fear some treacherous persons might have bored some holes,
privily, in the ship, to sink her after she should be launched; but
my care had prevented their fears aforehand, so far as possibly could
be searched or discerned.
On Monday morning, assisted by the help of my brother Simonson and
sundry other my friends, we opened the dock gates and made all things
ready against the tide, but the wind blowing very hard at south-west
kept out the flood so as it proved a very bad tide, little better
than a neap, which put us afterwards to great trouble and hazard.
The King's Majesty came from Theobalds, though he had been very ill
at ease with a scouring taken with surfeiting by eating grapes,
and landed here about eleven of the clock. Prince Henry attended
him, and most part of the Lords of the Council. The Lord Admiral,
attended by the Principal Officers of the Navy together with myself,
received him on land out of his barge and conducted him to the place
provided for him in Mr. Lydiard's house; his dinner was dressed in
our great kitchen. After dinner came the Queen's Majesty, accompanied
with the Duke of York, Lady Elizabeth, and divers great lords and
ladies in her train. The drums and trumpets [were] placed on poop
and forecastle and the wind instruments by them, so that nothing was
wanting to so great a royalty that could be desired.
When it grew towards high water and all things ready, and a great
close lighter made fast at the ship's stern, and the Queen's Majesty
with her train placed, the Lord Admiral gave me commandment to heave
taut the crabs[360] and screws,[361] though I had little hope to
launch by reason the wind over-blew the tide; yet the ship started
and had launched, but that the dock gates pent her in so strait that
she stuck fast between them, by reason the ship was nothing lifted
with the tide as we expected she should, and the great lighter by
unadvised counsel being cut off the stern, the ship settled so hard
upon the ground that there was no possibility of launching that tide,
besides that there was such a multitude of people got into the ship
that one could scarcely stir by another. The noble Prince himself,
accompanied with the Lord Admiral and other great Lords, were upon
the poop, where the great standing gilt cup was ready filled with
wine to name the ship, so soon as she had been on float, according
to ancient custom and ceremony performed at such times, by drinking
part of the wine, giving the ship her name, and heaving the standing
cup overboard.
The King's Majesty was much grieved to be frustrate of his
expectation, coming on purpose, though very ill at ease, to have done
me honour, but God saw it not so good for me and therefore sent this
cross upon me both to humble me and to make me know that howsoever we
purposed, he would dispose all things as he pleased; so that about
five of the clock his Majesty with the Queen and all their train
departed away to Greenwich, where then the household were removed.
Prince Henry stayed behind a good while after his Majesty was gone,
conferring with the Lord Admiral, Principal Officers, and myself what
was to be done; and, leaving the Lord Admiral to stay here to see all
things performed that was resolved on, he took horse and rode after
the King to Greenwich, with promise to return back presently after
midnight.
So soon as the multitudes were gone and things quiet, we went
presently in hand to make way with the sides of the dock gates, and
having great store of scavelmen[362] and other labourers, we made
all things ready before any flood came; which performed, every man
applied himself to get victuals and to take rest. The Lord Admiral
sat up all the night in a chair in his chamber, till the tide was
come about the ship; and Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and Sir
Henry Palmer made shift in my lodgings to rest themselves.
The beginning of the night was very fair and bright moonshine, the
moon being a little past full, but after midnight the weather was
sore overcast, and a very sore gust of rain, thunder and lightning,
which made me doubt that there was some indirect working amongst our
enemies to dash our launching; this gust lasted about half an hour
with great extremity, the wind being at south-west.
In the midst of this great gust, Prince Henry and all his [train]
were taken upon the top of Blackheath in their coming to Woolwich,
but his invincible spirit, daunted with nothing, made little account
of it but came through, and was no sooner alighted in the yard but,
calling for the Lord Admiral and myself and Sir Robert Mansell, went
all presently on board the ship, being about two of the clock, almost
one hour before high water; and was no sooner entered but, the word
being given to set all taut, the ship went away without any straining
of screws or tackles, till she came clear afloat into the midst of
the channel, to the great joy and comfort of the Prince's Highness,
the Lord Admiral, and all the rest of my noble loving friends, which
mercy of God to me I pray I may never forget.
His Highness then, standing upon the poop with a selected company
only, besides the trumpets, with a great deal of expression of
princely joy, and with the ceremony[363] of drinking in the great
standing cup, threw all the wine forward towards the half deck, and
solemnly calling her by the name of the Prince Royal, the trumpets
sounding all the while, with many gracious words to me, gave the
standing cup into mine own hands, and would not go from the ship till
he saw her fast at her moorings. In heaving down to the moorings we
found that all the hawsers that were laid on shore for land-fasts
were treacherously cut, to put the ship to hazard of running on
shore, if God had not blessed us better.
In the interim of warping to the moorings, his Highness went down
to the platform of the cook-room where the ship's beer stood for
the ordinary company, and there finding an old can without a lid,
went and drew it full of beer himself, and drank it off to the Lord
Admiral, and caused him with the rest of his attendants to do the
like.
About nine the same morning, being very rainy, he took his barge,
accompanied with the Lord Admiral and the rest of his train, and,
giving us a princely gracious farewell, rowed against the tide
to Greenwich, where he made relation of all the business and the
circumstances thereof to the King his father.
We then came on shore to refresh ourselves with victuals, and to take
some rest, having toiled all the night before; and, amongst the rest
of the company, Sir Henry Palmer was pleased to stay dinner, where we
drank Prince Henry's health round, to hansel[364] the standing cup
given at the launching.
The 8th day of October I began to kill beef at Woolwich for the
victualling of the Resistance, for a voyage into the Straits.
The 20th of October were discharged most part of all the workmen
which wrought upon the Prince, and were paid at Deptford [the] same
day.
The 22nd day of this month, the Resistance fell down to the
wall,[365] and the 27th day she came down to Woolwich, and there
anchored by the Prince.
This day also I shipped away my household stuff from Woolwich to
Chatham.
The 29th day, being Monday, I removed from Woolwich to Chatham, with
my wife, children, and my whole family, and the next day I returned
again to Woolwich, and the next day divers Straits ships fell down to
Woolwich, and we caused them to anchor by the Prince, and to help us
with all their men to set the Prince's masts.
The first of November, being Thursday, was set the Prince's foremast,
and on Saturday, being the 3rd day, her boltsprit was set also, all
the merchantmen's companies helping us.