The beginning of December, I had warning to attend at St. James upon the preparation for the funeral of our master, and had black cloth delivered to me according to the place I was ranked in above stairs, which was a gentleman of the Privy Chamber extraordinary; and the 6th day after, being Sunday, all his Highness' servants waited at St. James upon his hearse, then standing in the Chapel, to whom Doctor Price, then one of his Highness' chaplains, directed an excellent sermon, his text being taken out of the 3rd chapter of the second book of Samuel, the 31st verse, in these words:—'Rend your clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourn before Abner.' There were very few present at the sermon that did not bitterly mourn and shed tears in abundance.
The next day, being Monday the 7th December, we did attend his Highness' corpse to the funeral in the Abbey at Westminster, which was the most lamentable march that ever I went. It was three of the clock in the afternoon before his body was placed under the hearse. The Lord of Canterbury's Grace preached the funeral sermon: there, with his body, I burying all my hopes of my future preferments. I came with an exceeding heavy heart that night to Ratcliff, where that time I lodged.
After the ceremonies of the funeral were performed, I returned to my house at Chatham, where I stayed till the 27th day of this month, and then, being sent for by the Lord High Admiral's messenger to attend his pleasure, I rode to London by land, where I stayed till the end of December, and then returned again to my house at Chatham.
The 6th day of January I received a letter from the Lord High Admiral, together with the list of those ships that were appointed to be made ready for the transportation of the Lady Elizabeth,[400] with warrant to put them presently in hand to be graved and fitted accordingly.
The 11th day I was sent for from Chatham by a messenger, to attend the Lord Admiral, lying then at Chelsea; which accordingly I presently performed and rode to London, where I stayed full three days, the Lord Admiral sitting every of those in council, attended by the Principal Officers of the Navy, the Masters and Master Shipwrights, to resolve not only for the preparation of the fleet to attend the transportation, but also for preparing many vessels, to be built upon long boats and barges, for ships and galleys for a sea-fight to be presented before Whitehall against the marriage of the Lady Elizabeth; the manner whereof concluded and ordered in writing, I was licensed to go to Chatham, to take order for the Disdain and sending up of as many long boats and sea barges as could be spared from the Navy; which having ordered, I returned again presently to London, and did there attend daily in overseeing these businesses, which were put out by the great[401] to divers yardkeepers,[402] by reason of the shortness of time limited for making them ready against the marriage. By reason of this my continual attendance, not only upon that service but also upon the Admiral and Sir Robert Mansell (principally entrusted for the ordering of the whole service), I first took a lodging at Westminster, near Sir Robert's house, in St. Stephen's Alley,[403] which I continued many years after. Amongst other vessels fitted for this piece of service was an old pinnace of the King's called the Spy, of the burden of 60 tons, having 9 pieces of brass ordnance, appointed to serve as an Argosy, whereof I was (somewhat against my will, by the Lord Admiral's persuasion) made to serve as a Captain, in which jesting business I ran more danger than if it had been a sea service in good earnest.
After the sea fight was performed, I was entreated by divers gentlemen of the Inns of Court, whereof Sir Francis Bacon was chief, to attend the bringing of a mask by water in the night from St. Mary Overy's[404] to Whitehall in some of the galleys, but, the tide falling out very contrary, and the company attending the maskers very unruly, the project could not be performed so exactly as was purposed and expected, but yet they were safely landed at the Privy Stairs at Whitehall; for which my pains the gentlemen gave me a fair recompense.
The marriage consummate and these royalties ended, the Lord Admiral gave me a present despatch to post to Chatham, to make all possible haste for to make ready the fleet, the Prince being appointed to go Admiral,[405] and to transport the Lady and the Palsgrave's[406] person and the Lord Admiral to command her. So that upon the 21st day of February I took my journey from London to Chatham, and about the middle of the week ensuing I caused the Anne Royal and the Lion to be brought on the ground and graved.
On the 27th of this month I launched the small ship I had begun to build the summer before, which the Lord Admiral was pleased to call by the name of the Phœnix, and was also appointed to be one of [the] Fleet for the transportation, being commanded by Sir Allen Apsley, then Victualler of the Navy.
The 5th and 6th days of March I careened the Prince, and might with much ease have brought her keel above the water but that I received a strict commandment from the Lord High Admiral that I should not careen her but within six strakes[407] of the keel, to which purpose Mr. Thomas Aylesbury,[408] then his Lordship's secretary, was sent down to see me perform it.
About the 14th of this month the Lord Admiral, very careful to have all things ordered as befitted the royalty of such a service, came down to Chatham in person, where he stayed two days to direct all things according to his liking; wherein I gave his Lordship much satisfaction, and by the end of this month I had by my care and diligence fitted the whole Fleet to set sail to Gillingham.