The Autobiography of Phineas Pett
must confess that at the first I was so daunted with the majesty of
the King, the power of my adversary, and the confused urging of the
objections, that I was confounded in myself till it pleased God, by
the helps of the Lord Treasurer and his discreet directions,[324] I
was recollected and recovered my spirits, and so orderly answered to
each objection; his Majesty still holding us on both sides to the
proposition.
Much time was spent in dispute of proportions, comparing my present
frame with former precedents and dimensions of the best ships, for
length, breadth, depth, floor, and other circumstances; in all
which they could not fasten anything upon me but reflected to their
disgrace and apparent breach of oath, and plain demonstration and
expression of combined practice.
One point of proportion was mainly insisted upon and with much
violence and eagerness urged on both sides, which was the square of
the ship's flat in the midships,[325] they affirming constantly upon
their oath it was full thirteen foot, we as constantly insisting that
it was but eleven foot and eight inches; but because this difference
was long and could not be tried upon the small plates his Majesty
referred the trial to be made upon the great platform, which was
purposely framed of planks, to the full scale of the ship, where all
the lines of the midship bend[326] were drawn, and the square of the
flat truly described, with their centres, perpendiculars, and sweeps;
which trial, because it much concerned the truth or falsity of all
the rest, his Majesty would not give trust to any of those that were
by oath interested in the same, but made choice of the noble and
worthy knight, Sir Thomas Chaloner, then Governor of the Prince's
Highness' household, and of the learned reverend gentleman Mr.
Briggs,[327] reader of geometry lecture in Gresham College in London,
and Master of Art and student in St. John's in Cambridge, who were to
decide this controversy.
This thus concluded, we came to the point of charge; to which was
answered that the charge of the building of this ship should not
exceed other ships that had been built in her Majesty's times, I
mean Queen Elizabeth of famous and happy memory, allowing proportion
for proportion, the garnishing not exceeding theirs. This gave
full satisfaction to this point of charge, being the second head
propounded. It then being almost one of the clock, his Majesty called
for his dinner, referring the other points to be handled in the
ship, after dinner. All this time I sat upon my knees, baited by the
great Lord and his bandogs; sometimes by Baker, sometimes by Bright,
Stevens, Clay, gaping Waymouth, and sometimes confusedly by all; and,
which was worst, his Majesty's angry countenance still bent upon
me, so that I was almost disheartened and out of breath, albeit the
Prince's Highness, standing near me, from time to time encouraged me
as far as he might without offence to his father, labouring to have
me eased by standing up, but his Majesty would not permit it.
So soon as his Majesty and the Lords had dined, the King rose and
went into the body of the frame of the ship, to make trial of the
goodness of the materials. All the lower futtocks[328] were placed,
and many upper futtocks also. The adverse part had chalked with a
mark almost half the lower futtocks for red[329] wood, cross-grained,
and merely[330] unserviceable, all which timbers his Majesty caused
to be dubbed[331] by the workmen ready with their tools for that
purpose, and being tried they were all approved very sound and
serviceable; and touching the cross-grained timber his Majesty
protested very earnestly the cross grain was in the men and not
in the timber. His Majesty spent much time in the survey of these
things, still giving way to what objections the adverse part could
allege, and what answer I could make in my defence.
This business performed within board and his Majesty well satisfied
in every particular, he openly delivered that the ship would be too
strong if one third of the timber[332] were left out; and then began
to give me a princely countenance and encouragement, protesting
oftentimes that all this grievous accusation proceeded of nothing
but malice. Then his Majesty came without board and curiously[333]
surveyed the planks, trenails, and workmanship, all which gave him
such good satisfaction as still confirmed his opinion of their
malicious proceedings.
All the while his Majesty was intentive upon this search, the
gentlemen forenamed, that were appointed for the trial of the point
of the true flat of the floor, they were busied in taking off the
measures from the ship and bringing them to the platform; and when
they found by due trial all the lines to be truly set off, they
acquainted his Majesty that all things was in readiness. His Majesty
then, having received satisfaction of all things about the frame,
repaired to the platform, attended with the Prince, the Lords, and
many thousand spectators besides. His Majesty then caused those
gentlemen to measure each dimension of breadth and depth for his
own satisfaction, and then coming to the point of the square of
the floor, whether it were answering their assertion of 13 foot,
or agreeable to ours of eleven foot eight inches, the square of 13
foot was tried from the true centre and perpendicular, which being
applied to the sweeps of the mould did differ above 16 inches at the
runghead, the like trial made by our true centre and perpendicular
fell as just in our lines as could be possibly; which done, his
Majesty with a loud voice commanded the measurers to declare
publicly the very truth, which when they had delivered clearly on
our sides, all the whole multitude heaved up their hats, and gave
a great and a loud shout and acclamation, and then the Prince's
Highness called with a high voice in these words: 'Where be now these
perjured fellows that dare thus abuse his Majesty with these false
informations, do they not worthily deserve hanging?'
By that time all these things were thus performed and his Majesty
wonderfully satisfied, and it growing somewhat late, his Majesty
returned again into the hall where he formerly sat; and being placed,
and the room filled as full as it could be packed, his Majesty began
a most worthy and learned speech for conclusion of the business,
the scope of his words tending first to a full declaration of the
satisfaction he had received touching this great business, wherein he
expressed with many effectual speeches what content he received in
bestowing his pains that day to so good a purpose; next his Majesty
addressed himself to give thanks to the Lord Northampton for his
great care and diligence to search out such errors in the Office of
the Admiralty, wherein his Majesty and the State were abused, with
encouragement for him to go forward with prosecuting his commission,
notwithstanding his Lordship had been misinformed by being drawn to
question this present business; next, his Majesty directed his speech
to Mr. Baker, Bright, Stevens and the rest of the informers, very
bitterly reprehending their malicious practices, more to bring to
effect their own private ends than out of any conscionable care of
the good of his Majesty's Service or benefit of the State, repining
at the preferment I had and the countenance of the Prince, his son,
and therefore combining together to disgrace and ruin me, though
otherwise they envied one another and were at controversy who should
be preferred to my business; with many good exhortations to will
them to beware how they did abuse the Majesty of God and himself,
his substitute, with malicious informations in which he could do no
less than think them perjured, as in the prosecuting of this whole
business was too apparent to himself and all the world, whereby they
deserved to be severely punished, if he should censure them as they
worthily merited.
His Majesty then began to shew me a very pleasing countenance and
turned his speech to me, willing me not to be discountenanced
with these proceedings against me, since he was now sufficiently
persuaded of my honesty, integrity and abilities to perform what
I had undertaken, advising me not to refuse counsel of my fellow
servants since it was his service, wherein we ought to join together
for his good and the honour of the State; with many other princely
expressions of his good opinion of me and readiness, not only to
give me countenance, but assurance of future favour towards me;
and lastly he cleared all imputations and aspersions unjustly cast
upon the Lord High Admiral, with recital of all his honourable
services performed to the honour of the State and his perpetual fame,
commending his great wisdom and impartial carriage of himself in this
day's trial, wherein he was never observed to give any impediment to
his Majesty's judicial proceedings but all furtherance possible, as
was both evidently manifest to his Majesty by the great pains he had
endured that day and the noble patience he had given public testimony
of to all present which were eye witnesses of it; with many other
gracious speeches to put new life and power into him to go on as he
had begun to the perpetual eternizing his name and honour: then,
giving general thanks to those that had taken pains in that day's
business, with protestation of his princely care in all matters of
such consequence for the safety and honour of the State and Kingdom,
he concluded his speech.
Then the noble Admiral, as his Majesty was rising, humbly besought
his Majesty to license him to speak a few words, as well to declare
his own innocency concerning these unjust accusations, as to clear
me in the point both of my sufficiency and my care and honesty
to perform the service entrusted to me, to which his honourable
request (though it grew now to be late) his Majesty most willingly
condescended.
The sum of his Lordship's speech tended to admire[334] and extol his
Majesty's justice, great wisdom, and princely care of the good of the
commonwealth, in that he had refused no pains (as this day's work
and honourable assembly could justly witness) to provide to rectify
and set straight, to the wonder and admiration of them all, a work
of so great a consequence, and of such a kind of intricacy as his
Majesty had never been accustomed to before, and yet so clearly to
examine and try in so short a space, as if he had only [been] bred
and accustomed to such elements, with many other honourable speeches
tending to that purpose. His Lordship then laying his hand upon my
head, standing next unto him upon his right hand, did there freely
offer to pawn all his lands, his honour, and his life, in my behalf
for the performance and finishing of this royal work; which being
once perfected, if his Majesty (by the advice of the best experienced
artist and seamen of the Kingdom) should dislike, he would willingly,
with help of his, take off from his Majesty's hands at his and their
proper charge with[out] any damage or loss to his Majesty; and
this did his Lordship deliver with such bold, assured, confident
earnestness as gave much content to his Majesty and satisfaction to
the Prince, the Lords, and most part of the rest of the standers by.
To this speech his Majesty replied briefly with gracious
acknowledgments of his princely acceptance of his Lordship's true,
faithful service and zeal expressed in that his worthy speech, of
which he had so great assurance as he confidently protested never
king could be more happy than himself in the service of such an
honourable subject; and therefore there was no need why he should any
ways engage neither himself nor his honour in that which his Majesty
had, by the course of upright justice, before the face of God and the