Chapter VIII: Protest of Trinity House against the Building of the Sovereign

[=S.P. Dom. Chas I. cclxxiii. 25=]

RIGHT HONOURABLE,--Being informed that his Majesty is minded to build a great ship of these dimensions (namely) 124 foot by the keel, in breadth 46 and for draught in water 22 foot, these strange and large dimensions gave us cause to fall into discourse, and in our discourse fell on these particulars following, namely:

That a ship of this proportion cannot be of use, nor fit for service in any part of the King's Dominions; and as unfit for remote service: our reasons--

First, there is no port within this kingdom (the Isle of Wight only) that can in safety harbour this ship, then it followeth, if she be not in port then is she in continual danger, exposed to all tempests, to all storms, that time shall bring. In a desperate estate she rides in every storm: in peril she must ride, when all the rest of her companions (his Majesty's ships) enjoys peace, rides quiet and safe in port: for example, we have the Prince in her voyage to Spain for his Majesty in foul weather, when all the fleet harboured in the Port of Plymouth, the Prince she only might not, for she could not, she too big, her draught too much, the wild sea must be her port; in the Sound of Plymouth must she ride, her anchors and cables her safety. If either of them fail, the ship must perish, 4 or 500 men must die, and the King must lose his Jewel; and this will be the state of this ship.

That she cannot harbour is her great draught in water, and less in draught she will not be, but could she be made to draw less water, yet anchors and cables must hold proportion, and being made, they will not be manageable, the strength of man cannot wield nor work them, but could they do it, yet the ship little bettered in point of safety, for we are doubtful whether cables and anchors 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 5½ 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 the Prince Royal. See E. Edwards, _Life of Sir
Walter Ralegh_, Vol. II, p. 330.]