Within some few days after, I wrote something to this purpose to my very good friends Sir Robert Mansell and Sir John Trevor, being then Treasurer and Surveyor of the Navy, desiring them, for that it was a business highly concerning the honour of our honourable lord the Lord High Admiral and their own particular reputations, they would be pleased to take the pains to make a sudden journey to Woolwich, there truly to inform themselves not only concerning the state of the work but of divers other material business wherewith I was to acquaint them at their coming thither. According to my request, they both came the next day; where being throughly possessed of all the passages and occurrences concerning the project of our adversaries, after they had carefully also surveyed the work, with all other things necessary to be advised of, leaving with me, with good deliberation, instructions how to proceed in my defence, they departed again to Westminster the same afternoon.
Presently after the departure of these gentlemen, desiring first the Lord to guide and direct my pen so as might best tend to his glory and the discharge of my duty, I betook myself to my study and in the briefest manner I could I certified the Lord Admiral of the truth of all the whole project plotted against me, with the names of the principalest actors therein, and the reasons inducing them unto it; withal earnestly beseeching his Lordship to be pleased, since the matter so nearly concerned his Majesty's profit, the honour of the 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.