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; informing, in this interim of ten days, if I might be suffered to continue the workmen upon the frames, I would so handle the matter that all things should be reformed that had by them been formerly found defective, both in point of materials and proportions; and therefore were earnest suitors to have all the workmen presently discharged, and the work to stand. His Majesty, upon the advice of some of the Lords, whereof the then Lord Treasurer, Sir Robert Cecil and Earl of Salisbury[278] being chief, would not consent on any condition to have the workmen absolutely discharged, but that order should be taken the work should cease, and the men continued at his Majesty's charge till the hearing should be past, and his Majesty determine what was after to be done. Whereupon his Majesty commanded a letter to be written to me to the same effect, charging me upon my allegiance to follow the directions therein contained, which I accordingly very carefully observed. In the mean time no day almost passed wherein Mr. Baker, Bright, Stevens, Clay, Graves, Captain Waymouth, with their malicious associates, did not meet at Woolwich to take all the dimensions of the ship, to deface the work by striking aside the shores, and condemning the materials, aggravating continual disgraces upon me, and railing despitefully to my face; which I was forced to endure with patience and put up with silence, flying to God, on whose mercy I wholly depended in these extremities.
The good Lord Admiral was not idle in this interim to provide for to give his Majesty full satisfaction in all things could be objected by the informers, and to that purpose carefully advising with Sir Robert Mansell and Sir John Trevor, principal Officers of his Majesty's Navy, together with myself, whom it did most concern, what course was to be held to meet all objections could be any ways produced against me; and for that the adverse part had made choice of a certain number of masters and builders in the river of Thames to strengthen their proceedings, it was held fit and resolved the like course should be taken by us for our better defence; whereupon sundry experienced men known to be honest and impartial of both kinds were nominated and appointed by warrant from the Lord Admiral to attend this service, some inhabiting about the river of Thames and others of remote places, with whom divers consultations were held, as well to inform them of the truth of every particular as also to satisfy their doubts in anything wherein it was fit they should be throughly resolved. I, for my own part, confident of mine own integrity, commending my cause to God, provided myself to be able to answer all objections whatsoever could be alleged against me, either in point of art, experience, or care, in this so weighty service of trust and consequence.
I must not here forget the princely favour of my royal, then master, Prince Henry, of ever famous memory, who in his noble care of me in the interim of the time appointed by his Majesty for my hearing did almost every day send me a comfortable encouragement by some one of his principal gentlemen to heart me on and put life into me, lest I should any ways be disheartened with the apprehension of the power of my great and potent adversary; and when the time grew near for my trial sent me a commandment to wait upon his Grace, the Sunday preceding the day, at St. James, which I accordingly performed; where his Highness vouchsafing to lead me in his hand through the park to Whitehall, in the public view and hearing of many people there attending to see him pass to the King, his father, did in such loving manner counsel me with such comfortable, wise, and grave advice touching my carriage and resolution in my trial, as was no little testimony of his principal care of me, to my great comfort, and joy of all those that were both eye and ear witnesses of it; besides casting[279] the worst that might be, if I had been overthrown by the censure of his Majesty, his Highness had graciously determined to have received me into a place in his house, and resolved to have provided for me whilst I had lived.
The time drawing now near, there was sent from London at the appointment of the Lord Admiral, hangings to furnish the room where his Majesty was to sit, and the next room to it where he was to withdraw, the one being the common dining room of the workmen, and the other my own dining room, both which I caused to be hanged and trimmed up with such furniture as was befitting such a presence, with all convenience the place could any ways afford.
On Monday morning, being the eighth day of May, the Lord Admiral came betimes to Woolwich, attended by Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and others, where his Lordship was met by all those persons which were formerly[280] warned to be there on our part, and his Lordship took those rooms which were fitted for his Majesty. Presently after came the Lord Northampton attended with all the spiteful crew of his informers, and he took Hugh Lydiard's house, being Clerk of the Check, which was fitted for him, and was there attended with all his rabble.
Before his Majesty's coming, Waymouth and his associates pryed up and down the yard, belching out nothing but disgraces, despiteful speeches, and base opprobrious terms, being so confident of their wished ends as they before had given out that I should be hanged and the work defaced at the least; which was likely enough to have proved so, had not God put a hook into their nostrils and by the justice of the King caused themselves to fall into the pit they digged for another.
The noble Admiral spent the time till his Majesty's coming very quietly and privately, consulting advisedly with those appointed for the business, never so much as taking notice of the base usage of them on their side.
All things being in a readiness, about eight of the clock his Majesty came in his caroche attended with Prince Henry and the principal Lords of his Majesty's Council. The Lord Northampton met him before he came to the ordinary gate of the yard, and used all the means he could to have led his Majesty through Lydiard's garden by a back way into his house; but his Majesty told his Lordship that the Lord Admiral, whom he espied waiting with his train at the ordinary gate of the yard, would justly take exception at his so doing, for that it belonged properly there to his Lordship to receive and entertain him. So alighting, the Lord Admiral, after his duty performed, guided his Majesty in the rooms provided purposely for the business, whom I ushered as belonged to my place.