These ceremonies performed, his Majesty willed the Lord Northampton to begin his accusation, and then I was called personally to answer and kneeled right before his Majesty, near the side of the table; the Lord High Admiral standing at my left hand, Sir Robert Mansell and Sir John Trevor standing both right behind me. The accusation against me was exhibited by the Lord Northampton in writing,[323] containing sundry articles in point of my sufficiency, art, and experience, and in point of my care and honesty in discharge of my duty in putting in unserviceable materials to the great detriment of his Majesty's Service. His Majesty perceiving the articles to be many and very intricate to answer each particular, very judiciously contracted all the business to three principal heads: the point of art, the point of sufficiency of materials, and the point of charge; and to these heads I was commanded to frame my answers, and they their accusations. I 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.