men of invention and industry-第9节

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night。〃



About　the　27th　of　March；　1616；　Pett　bargained　with　Sir　Waiter

Raleigh　to　build　a　vessel　of　500　tons；＇28＇　and　received　500L。

from　him　on　account。　　The　King；　through　the　interposition　of　the

Lord　Admiral；　allowed　Pett　to　lay　her　keel　on　the　galley　dock　at

Woolwich。　　In　the　same　year　he　was　commissioned　by　the　Lord

Zouche；　now　Lord　Warden　of　the　Cinque　Ports；　to　construct　a

pinnace　of　40　tons；　in　respect　of　which　Pett　remarks；　〃towards

the　whole　of　the　hull　of　the　pinnace；　and　all　her　rigging；　I

received　only　100L。　from　the　Lord　Zouche；　the　rest　Sir　Henry

Mainwaring　（half…brother　to　Raleigh）　cunningly　received　on　my

behalf；　without　my　knowledge；　which　I　never　got　from　him　but　by

piecemeal；　so　that　by　the　bargain　I　was　loser　100L。　at　least。〃



Pett　fared　much　worse　at　the　hands　of　Raleigh　himself。　　His　great

ship；　the　Destiny；　was　finished　and　launched　in　December；　1616。　

〃I　delivered　her　to　him；〃　says　Pett；　〃on　float；　in　good　order　and

fashion；　by　which　business　I　lost　700L。；　and　could　never　get　any

recompense　at　all　for　it；　Sir　Walter　going　to　sea　and　leaving　me

unsatisfied。〃＇29＇　Nor　was　this　the　only　loss　that　Pett　met　with

this　year。　　The　King；　he　states；　〃bestowed　upon　me　for　the　supply

of　my　present　relief　the　making　of　a　knight…baronet；〃　which

authority　Pett　passed　to　a　recusant；　one　Francis　Ratcliffe；　for

700L。；　but　that　worthy　defrauded　him；　so　that　he　lost　30L。　by　the

bargain。



Next　year；　Pett　was　despatched　by　the　Government　to　the　New

Forest　in　Hampshire；　〃where；〃　he　says；　〃one　Sir　Giles

Mompesson＇30＇　had　made　a　vast　waste　in　the　spoil　of　his　Majesty's

timber；　to　redress　which　I　was　employed　thither；　to　make　choice

out　of　the　number　of　trees　he　had　felled　of　all　such　timber　as

was　useful　for　shipping；　in　which　business　I　spent　a　great　deal

of　time；　and　brought　myself　into　a　great　deal　of　trouble。〃　　About

this　period；　poor　Pett's　wife　and　two　of　his　children　lay　for

some　time　at　death's　door。　　Then　more　enquiries　took　place　into

the　abuses　of　the　dockyards；　in　which　it　was　sought　to　implicate

Pett。　　During　the　next　three　years　（1618…20）　he　worked　under　the

immediate　orders　of　the　Commissioners　in　the　New　Dock　at　Chatham。



In　1620；　Pett's　friend　Sir　Robert　Mansell　was　appointed　General

of　the　Fleet　destined　to　chastise　the　Algerine　pirates；　who　still

continued　their　depredations　on　the　shipping　in　the　Channel；　and

the　King　thereupon　commissioned　Pett　to　build　with　all　dispatch

two　pinnaces；　of　120　and　80　tons　respectively。　　〃I　was　myself；〃

he　says；　〃to　serve　as　Captain　in　the　voyage〃being　glad；　no

doubt；　to　escape　from　his　tormentors。　　The　two　pinnaces　were

built　at　Ratcliffe；　and　were　launched　on　the　16th　and　l8th　of

October；　1620。　　On　the　30th；　Pett　sailed　with　the　fleet；　and

after　driving　the　pirates　out　of　the　Channel；　he　returned　to　port

after　an　absence　of　eleven　months。



His　enemies　had　taken　advantage　of　his　absence　from　England　to

get　an　order　for　the　survey　of　the　Prince　Royal；　his　masterpiece；

the　result　of　which　was；　he　says；　that　〃they　maliciously

certified　the　ship　to　be　unserviceable；　and　not　fit　to

continuethat　what　charges　should　be　bestowed　upon　her　would　be

lost。〃　　Nevertheless；　the　Prince　Royal　was　docked；　and　fitted　for

a　voyage　to　Spain。　　She　was　sent　thither　with　Charles　Prince　of

Wales　and　the　Duke　of　Buckingham；　the　former　going　in　search　of　a

Spanish　wife。　　Pett；　the　builder　of　the　ship；　was　commanded　to

accompany　the　young　Prince　and　the　Duke。



The　expedition　sailed　on　the　24th　of　August；　1623；　and　returned

on　the　l4th　of　October。　　Pett　was　entertained　on　board　the　Prince

Royal；　and　rendered　occasional　services　to　the　officers　in

command；　though　nothing　of　importance　occurred　during　the　voyage。



The　Prince　of　Wales　presented　him　with　a　valuable　gold　chain　as　a

reward　for　his　attendance。　　In　1625；　Pett；　after　rendering　many

important　services　to　the　Admiralty；　was　ordered　again　to　prepare

the　Prince　Royal　for　sea。　　She　was　to　bring　over　the　Prince　of

Wales's　bride　from　France。　　While　the　preparations　were　making

for　the　voyage；　news　reached　Chatham　of　the　death　of　King　James。　

Pett　was　afterwards　commanded　to　go　forward　with　the　work　of

preparing　the　Prince　Royal；　as　well　as　the　whole　fleet；　which　was

intended　to　escort　the　French　Princess；　or　rather　the　Queen；　to

England。　　The　expedition　took　place　in　May；　and　the　young　Queen

landed　at　Dover　on　the　12th　of　that　month。



Pett　continued　to　be　employed　in　building　and　repairing　ships；　as

well　as　in　preparing　new　designs；　which　he　submitted　to　the　King

and　the　Commissioners　of　the　Navy。　　In　1626；　he　was　appointed　a

joint　commissioner；　with　the　Lord　High　Admiral；　the　Lord

Treasurer　Marlborough；　and　others；　〃to　enquire　into　certain

alleged　abuses　of　the　Navy；　and　to　view　the　state　thereof；　and

also　the　stores　thereof；〃　clearly　showing　that　he　was　regaining

his　old　position。　　He　was　also　engaged　in　determining　the　best

mode　of　measuring　the　tonnage　of　ships。＇31＇　Four　years　later　he

was　again　appointed　a　commissioner　for　making　〃a　general　survey

of　the　whole　navy　at　Chatham。〃　　For　this　and　his　other　services

the　King　promoted　Pett　to　be　a　principal　officer　of　the　Navy；

with　a　fee　of　200L。　per　annum。　　His　patent　was　sealed　on　the　16th

of　January；　1631。　　In　the　same　year　the　King　visited　Woolwich　to

witness　the　launching　of　the　Vanguard；　which　Pett　had　built；　and

his　Majesty　honoured　the　shipwright　by　participating　in　a　banquet

at　his　lodgings。



From　this　period　to　the　year　1637；　Pett　records　nothing　of

particular　importance　in　his　autobiography。　　He　was　chiefly

occupied　in　aiding　his　son　Peterwho　was　rapidly　increasing　his

fame　as　a　shipwrightin　repairing　and　building　first…class　ships

of　war。　　As　Pett　had；　on　an　early　occasion　in　his　life；　prepared

a　miniature　ship　for　Prince　Henry；　eldest　son　of　James　I。；　he　now

proceeded　to　prepare　a　similar　model　for　the　Prince　of　Wales；　the

King's　eldest　son；　afterwards　Charles　II。　　This　model　was

presented　to　the　Prince　at　St。　James's；　〃who　entertained　it　with

great　joy；　being　purposely　made　to　disport　himself　withal。〃　　On

the　next　visit　of　his　Majesty　to　Woolwich；　he　inspected　the

progress　made　with　the　Leopard；　a　sloop…of…war　built　by　Peter

Pett。　　While　in　the　hold　of　the　vessel；　the　King　called　Phineas

to　one　side；　and　told　him　of　his　resolution　to　have　a　great　new

ship　built；　and　that　Phineas　must　be　the　builder。　　This　great　new

ship　was　The　Sovereign　of　the　Seas；　afterwards　built　by　Phineas

and　Peter　Pett。　　Some　say　that　the　model　was　prepared　by　the

latter；　but　Phineas　says　that　it　was　prepared　by　himself；　and

finished　by　the　29th　of　October；　1634。　　As　a　compensation　for　his

services；　his　Majesty　renewed　his　pension　of　40L。　（which　had　been

previously　stopped）；　with　orders　for　all　the　arrears　due　upon　it

to　be　paid。



To　provide　the　necessary　timber　for　the　new　ship；　Phineas　and　his

son　went　down　into　the　North　to　survey　the　forests。　　They　went

first　by　water　to　Whitby；　from　thence　they　proceeded　on　horseback

to　Gisborough　and　baited；　then　to　Stockton；　where　they　found　but

poor　entertainment；　though　they　lodged　with　the　Mayor；　whose

house　〃was　only　a　mean　thatched　cottage！〃　　Middlesborough　and　the

great　iron　district　of　the　North　had　not　yet　come　into　existence。



Newcastle；　already　of　some　importance；　was　the　principal　scene　of

their　labours。　　The　timber　for　the　new　ship　was　found　in　Chapley

Wood　and　Bracepeth　Park。　　The　gentry　did　all　they　could　to

facilitate　the　object　of　Pett。　　On　his　journey　homewards　（July；

1635）；　he　took　Cambridge　on　his　way；　where；　says　he；　〃I　lodged　at

the　Falcon；　and　visited　Emmanuel　College；　where　I　had　been　a

scholar　in　my　youth。〃



The　Sovereign　of　the　Seas　was　launched　on　the　l2th　of　October；

1637；　having　been　about　two　years　in　building。　　Evelyn　in　his

diary　says　of　the　ship　（l9th　July；　1641）：…　〃We　rode　to　Rochester

and　Chatham　to　see　the　Soveraigne；　a　monstrous　vessel　so　called；

being　for　burthen；　defence；　and　ornament；　the　richest　that　ever

spread　cloth　before　the　wind。　　She　carried　100　brass　cannon；　and

was　1600　tons；　a　rare　sailer；　the　work　of　the　famous　Phineas

Pett。〃　　Rear…Admiral　Sir　William　Symonds　says　that　she　was

afterwards　cut　down；　and　was　a　safe　and　fast　ship。＇32＇



The　Sovereign　continued　for　nearly　sixty　years　to　be　the　finest

ship　in　the　English　service。　　Though　frequently　engaged　in　the

most　injurious　occupations；　she　continued　fit　for　any　services

which　the　exigencies　of　the　State　might　require。　　She　fought　all

through　the　wars　of　the　Commonwealth；　she　was　the　leading　ship　of

Admiral　Blake；　and　was　in　all　the　great　naval　engagements　with

France　and　Holland。　　The　Dutch　gave　her　the　name　of　The　Golden

Devil。　　In　the　last　fight　between　the　English　and　French；　she

encountered　the　Wonder　of　the　World；　and　so　warmly　plied　the

French　Admiral；　that　she　forced　him　out　of　his　three…decked

wooden　castle；　and　chasin