The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
state, his Lordship's own safety, and the reputation of his Office,
to leave all respect of my particular good and to procure such a view
to be presently made of the work, by judicious and impartial persons,
as his Majesty might receive no loss, the strength of the kingdom no
prejudice, his honour no impeachment, and the Officers of the Navy no
just calumniation nor blame.
It pleased his Lordship, then lying at Whitehall, presently
after the receipt of my letter (wherewith he was not a little
troubled to observe their malicious practices) to send for me to
wait upon him, that by conference with me his Lordship might be
better informed of each particular passage in this so dangerous
information and conspiracy; and after his Lordship had received from
me such satisfaction as he desired, comforting me with many noble
encouragements, as being (as he said) sufficiently persuaded both of
my skill, experience and honesty, wishing me to take a good heart
and never a whit to distrust the goodness of my cause, albeit I had
strong adversaries, for that God in his mercy would never permit
such a malicious practice to prevail against those that relied upon
him, with many other fatherly instructions; and so, being somewhat
late, for that night his Lordship was pleased to dismiss me, giving
me commandment to attend his further pleasure the next morning; and
this was the 20th day of April.
It was no sooner day the next morrow but his Lordship, very careful
of doing something in this weighty business, made himself ready,
and by 4 of clock, taking my letter in his hand, speeds himself to
his Majesty's chamber, lying then also at Whitehall, and sending
in word that his Lordship was there to acquaint his Majesty with
some business of great consequence, was presently admitted to his
Majesty's bedside, and, having in few words given his Majesty a taste
of his errand, delivered him my letter and besought him to be pleased
thoroughly to peruse the same. The letter his Majesty twice read
over, and perceiving how malice was the original of all this stir,
seemed greatly to pity the wrong and injury done unto me, using this
gracious speech in my behalf, that whatsoever my act was he knew not,
but I deserved great commendation for my honest plainness delivered
in my letter, and that it was great reason I should be justly
proceeded withal.
To the end therefore I might not be wrongfully oppressed, and
the works disgraced without just cause, his Majesty took present
order with the Lord High Admiral that he should join unto him the
right honourable lords, the Earls of Worcester, then Master of his
Majesty's horse, and of Suffolk, then Lord High Chamberlain, and
repairing to Woolwich, should there, upon their oaths, honours, and
faithful allegiance to his Majesty, without respect of any particular
person, call before them my accusers, and, as well by examination of
them as trial of the work itself, both in point of sufficiency, as
well of matter as manner, should truly inform themselves whether this
main accusation so much concerning his Majesty's honour were justly
commenced or no; which charge of his Majesty being performed, they
should return the true report thereof with all speed to his Majesty,
as they would answer it upon their allegiance.
Whilst these things were thus ordering, my malicious adversaries
were not idle, but plotting as fast against me, and had so far
prevailed with the Lord Northampton that there should be a private
warrant directed to the chief of them, vide; to Mr. Baker, Bright
and Stevens, and to some other whom they should associate with
them, which warrant should have been signed with the King's own
hand, to authorise them to repair to Woolwich, and there strictly
to make a survey of the work; which being done, upon the return of
the insufficiency of the same under their hands and confirmation by
oath, it was resolved amongst them I should be turned out and for
ever disgraced, the work utterly defaced, and I never to come to any
personal answer; and one of them that could make his party strongest
should undertake the business, about which they were in great
contention amongst themselves who should be preferred to it.
But it pleased my good God, that never leaves his servants destitute
of his help when all other means fail them, so mightily to work for
me by means of my letter sent to my honourable Lord Admiral, and, as
is shewed afore, delivered to his Majesty, so far to prevent their
purposes, that upon that very day wherein they had determined to have
displaced and disgraced me, that they were, unawares to them, warned
by one of his Majesty's messengers to appear before the three Lords
before named, to answer them at that very place and time wherein they
made their account to have triumphed over me. This was the Lord's
doing and it is marvellous in our eyes, and this day was appointed
to be on Tuesday the 25th day of April, which time was accordingly
kept, and the Lords were come to Woolwich by nine of the clock the
same morning. The first thing they did was to take a diligent survey
of the work, first touching the form and manner of the same, and then
concerning the goodness of the materials; which having very carefully
perused, they repaired into the house and sat at a little table
in the middle of my dining room. Their Lordships being set, first
Mr. Baker was called and demanded, for the good of his Majesty's
service, to deliver plainly what he could justly except against the
ship, either in point of art or in sufficiency of the materials, and
leading him from point to point concerning her proportion of length,
breadth, depth, draught of water, height of tuck,[275] rake afore
and abaft, breadth of the floor, scantling of timber, and other
circumstances, after a deal of frivolous arguings to no purpose,
their Lordships found by his examination nothing worthy of observing;
and directly finding him to be led more out of an envious malicious
humour against me than upon any certain ground of error in the
mould, or probability of insufficiency of any of the materials used
in the frame; whereupon he was dismissed.
After him was Bright called, and then Stevens, who were so tripped
in their several examinations as their Lordships found them in their
answers clean contrary one to another almost in every question, by
which their Lordships concluded, as they did of Mr. Baker, that all
this question and infamous report of the business was plotted by
them out of some malicious respects to disgrace me and my works, and
not of any care or conscionable regard of the good of his Majesty's
service; and so they were dismissed.
Then was great killcow[276] Waymouth called, who being examined
as the others before him were, was able to say nothing to any
purpose, but held their Lordships with a long tedious discourse
of proportions, measures, lines, and an infinite rabble of idle
and unprofitable speeches clean from the matter, wherewith their
Lordships were so tired as he was commanded silence. Then every man
being dismissed the room, they consulted in private about some half
hour, and then we were all called in again; where their Lordships,
addressing their speech to me, delivered that, by all this enquiry,
they in their judgments could find no just cause of exception
against the business, and this accusation grew for aught they could
perceive out of envy and malice, and therefore I had no cause to
be discouraged in my service but to go on both comfortably and
cheerfully, assuring me they would so effectually return the account
of the particulars of this their day's work to his Majesty as should
not only give his Majesty satisfaction, but also secure and defend
me from all the opposition any of my adversaries could practise
against me, with many other noble speeches of encouragement. And so
about 4 of the clock in the evening, taking their caroches,[277] they
returned to the Court to Whitehall.
The same night, after their coming to the Court, their Lordships
repairing to his Majesty, they there delivered the account of their
journey, together with all the particular passages in the same; there
offering to prove upon their honours, allegiances, and their lives,
the ground of that conspiracy to spring from no other reason than
inveterate malice to me, and that they found the business in every
part and point so excellent, as befitted the service of so royal a
king; with which his Majesty rested marvellous well satisfied.
My adversaries, whose malicious practices nothing could daunt,
hunting after nothing so much as my ruin and utter disgrace, were so
fired with this prevention that, redoubling their fury, [they] went
all together the next morning to their great patron and abettor,
the Lord Northampton, who being vehemently incensed before, to have
such an affront to the proceeding of his commission, as he termed
our courses to have wrought, was willing to entertain anything that
carried but likelihood to give him means to be revenged on me for it.
After therefore these caterpillars had discovered to his Lordship
all the circumstances of the hearing before the Lords, complaining
very grievously as they termed it, of their partiality towards me
and bitterness to them, and that they were not suffered to speak,
nor could be heard in any[thing] they could inform against me, they
offering upon their lives to make good all their informations against
me to be true, so that they might but gain an equal hearing, his
Lordship promised to move his Majesty in the granting of a second
hearing; wherein he doubted not, as he said unto them, but they
should have amends made to them for the former injuries and obtain
their purpose against me in despite of all my friends and upholders.
His Lordship immediately upon this repaired to his Majesty, and
there made a grievous complaint against the partiality of the three
Lords, which they shewed in the examination of the business; there
in the behalf of the plaintiffs--tendering to his Majesty that they
did offer upon their lives to prove all their informations true,
and besought his Majesty very earnestly there might be a second
examination committed to his Lordships care, whereby all partiality
should be prevented and his Majesty receive better confirmations
of their good service than what the Lords had before, upon their
superficial survey and partial examination, exhibited to his Majesty.
His Majesty made answer that upon his Lordship's first complaint
he had made especial choice of three principal peers of the realm,
of whose faithful fidelity he was so confidently assured that he
could not but give credit to that account their Lordships had
returned upon the serious examination of that so weighty a business.
Notwithstanding, seeing his Lordship urged so earnestly a review and
second examination, since it was a business of such main consequence,
for his better satisfaction and clearing all doubts and scruple, his
Majesty resolved to take the pains in his own person to have the
hearing of the cause indifferently between all parties; appointing
Monday the 8th of May following to be the time for the same hearing
at Woolwich in the yard where the ship was then in building; giving
order to the Lord High Admiral of England to provide for the same,
and to command all such persons as were any ways interested in that
business to give their personal attendance upon his Majesty at the
same time and place.
This resolution of his Majesty made known, there was preparation on
both sides, to be provided both of information and defence, to give
his Majesty satisfaction; but the contrary parties doubting their
malicious practices would now be plainly discovered, never dreaming
of such a course, they still laboured to bring disgraces upon me;