The witnesses were my brother Peter and brother William Brooke, godfathers, and my wife's mother, Mistress Katherine Nicholls, godmother.
The 22nd of this month, I let out the Resistance for a voyage into the Straits at the rate of 100l. per mensem, with 36 men; Mr. William Gibbons appointed the master.
The 31st day, I rode to Nonsuch,[355] to the Prince, that then was there in hunting, who of his nobleness promised to send me a buck to Woolwich, because he had then given all away that were fallen that day.
The 9th of September, being Sunday, about six of the clock in the evening, divers London maids, coming to see the ship, brought in their company a little boy of 12 years old, the only child of his mother, a widow woman dwelling in Tower Street, who, carelessly going up and down upon the main orlop,[356] fell down into the hold of the ship and was thereby so broken and bruised that he died before midnight, being the first mischance that did happen in the whole time of the ship's building.
About the middle of this month, being ready to have the ship stroken down upon her ways, I caused 12 of the choice master carpenters of his Majesty's Navy to be sent for from Chatham to be assistance in her striking and launching; and upon the 18th day, being Tuesday, she was safely set upon her ways, and this day Sir Robert Mansell came and dined with me in my lodgings.
The 20th of this month, the French Leaguer[357] Ambassador came to Woolwich, to see the ship, whom I entertained in the best manner I could; and in the time of his being within, the Prince, my royal master, sent me a wonderful fat buck which he killed with his own hand.
Now began we on all sides to make preparation for the launching of the ship, and for that purpose there was provided a rich standard of taffety,[358] very fairly gilt with gold, with his Majesty's arms, to be placed upon the poop, and a very large ensign of crimson rich taffety, with a canton of the Prince's crest, to be placed upon the quarter deck, and all other ornaments were carefully provided for, befitting that purpose. There was a standing set up in the most convenient place in the Yard for his Majesty, the Queen, and their royal children, and places fitted for the ladies and Council, all railed in and boarded; all the rooms both in my own lodgings and at Mr. Lydiard's were[359] prepared and very handsomely hanged and furnished with a cloth of state, chairs, stools and other necessaries; nothing was omitted that could be imagined any ways necessary, both for ease and entertainment.
Upon Sunday in the afternoon, being the 23rd day of September, Sir Robert Mansell, Sir John Trevor, and Sir Henry Palmer came to Woolwich to see how everything was ordered, and finding all things prepared and fitted to their likings, about three of the clock they returned all to Deptford, where they lodged that night at Sir Robert Mansell's. This evening, very late, there [came] a messenger to me from them, bringing a letter which was sent to them from Court, at Theobalds, to give me order to be very careful to search the ship's hold for fear some treacherous persons might have bored some holes, privily, in the ship, to sink her after she should be launched; but my care had prevented their fears aforehand, so far as possibly could be searched or discerned.
On Monday morning, assisted by the help of my brother Simonson and sundry other my friends, we opened the dock gates and made all things ready against the tide, but the wind blowing very hard at south-west kept out the flood so as it proved a very bad tide, little better than a neap, which put us afterwards to great trouble and hazard.
The King's Majesty came from Theobalds, though he had been very ill at ease with a scouring taken with surfeiting by eating grapes, and landed here about eleven of the clock. Prince Henry attended him, and most part of the Lords of the Council. The Lord Admiral, attended by the Principal Officers of the Navy together with myself, received him on land out of his barge and conducted him to the place provided for him in Mr. Lydiard's house; his dinner was dressed in our great kitchen. After dinner came the Queen's Majesty, accompanied with the Duke of York, Lady Elizabeth, and divers great lords and ladies in her train. The drums and trumpets [were] placed on poop and forecastle and the wind instruments by them, so that nothing was wanting to so great a royalty that could be desired.