can hold a ship of this bulk in a great storm, for we have more in our seas to add stress to cables and anchors than the wind and foaming sea. We have strong tides which strains both cables and anchors equal to wind and sea, besides the particulars there are many things which must concur; for if either fail, the rest hold not, for example if the cables fail, the anchors are of no use, if the anchors fail, then neither cable nor anchor is serviceable, nay if the ground be not good then is all the rest to no purpose, so that if either of these fail all is lost, the ship lost with all her provisions, the men lost, and it may be some great and noble Peer in her.

Thus far so much as may concern the safety of this ship being built.

Now for the force of this ship; it will not any way hold proportion with her bulk or burden, for the aim must be for three tier of ordnance, the lower tier which must carry the greatest ordnance and be of greatest force must lie of necessity so low that in every gale of wind the ports must be shut in, or else the ship will be in great danger, or sink as did the Mary Rose in King Henry the VIII's time at Portsmouth.

Or if you will lay them at 5 or 5 foot, then must the third tier lie at that height as not to be serviceable, nay this third tier will rather endanger the quality of the ship (as the too high building hath in some of the king's ships lately built, made them unfit for any good service). Therefore three tier of ordnance must not be, neither can the art or wit of man build a ship well conditioned and fit for service with three tier of ordnance.

But if it be force that his Majesty desireth, then shall he do well to forbear the building of this ship, and with the same cost or charge to build two ships of 5 or 600 ton a piece, either ship to have 40 pieces of good ordnance, and these two ships will be of more force and for better service and will beat the great ship back and side.

These particulars, Right Honourable, falling within the compass of our discourse we held it our duty to his Majesty to impart the particulars unto you, and with your wisdom to leave them either to impart them unto

the king, or otherwise as it shall seem best unto your wisdom. And so we rest,

Your honour's ever at command,

T. BEST.
WALTER COKE.

RO. SALMON.

From Ratcliff,

9th of August 1634.

To the Right Honourable Sir John Coke, principal Secretary to His Majesty.

[Note. This protest should be compared with the memorandum, attributed to Ralegh, in which Prince Henry is advised against the building of he Prince Royal. See E. Edwards, Life of Sir Waller Ralegh, Vol. II, p. 330.]

X

The Arms of Pett

The arms granted to Peter Pett in 1583 were :Or, on a fesse gules between three roundels sable, a lion passant of the field.

And for a crest: Out of a ducal coronet, or, a demipelican wings expanded argent.

Several impressions of Phineas Pett's seal displaying these arms, without the crest, are preserved on his letters in the State Papers.

INDEX