he
concluded, "was in the men and not in the timber." After all the
measurements had been made and found correct, "his Majesty," says Pett,
"with a loud voice commanded the measurers to declare publicly the very
truth; which when they had delivered clearly on our side, all the whole
multitude heaved up their hats, and gave a great and loud shout and
acclamation. And then the Prince, his Highness, called with a high
voice in these words: 'Where be now these perjured fellows that dare
thus abuse his Majesty with these false accusations? Do they not
worthily deserve hanging?"'

Thus Pett triumphed over all his enemies, and was allowed to finish the
great ship in his own way. By the middle of September 1610, the vessel
was ready to be "strucken down upon her ways"; and a dozen of the
choice master carpenters of his Majesty's navy came from Chatham to
assist in launching her. The ship was decorated, gilded, draped, and
garlanded; and on the 24th the King, the Queen, and the Royal family
came from the palace at Theobald's to witness the great sight.
Unfortunately, the day proved very rough; and it was little better than
a neap tide. The ship started very well, but the wind "overblew the
tide"; she caught in the dock-gates, and settled hard upon the ground,
so that there was no possibility of launching her that day.

This was a great disappointment. The King retired to the palace at
Greenwich, though the Prince lingered behind. When he left, he
promised to return by midnight, after which it was proposed to make
another effort to set the ship afloat. When the time arrived, the
Prince again made his appearance, and joined the Lord High Admiral, and
the principal naval officials. It was bright moonshine. After
midnight the rain began to fall, and the wind to blow from the
southwest. But about two o'clock, an hour before high water, the word
was given to set all taut, and the ship went away without any straining
of screws and tackles, till she came clear afloat into the midst of the
Thames. The Prince was aboard, and amidst the blast of trumpets and
expressions of joy, he performed the ceremony of drinking from the
great standing cup, and throwing the rest of the wine towards the
half-deck, and christening the ship by the name of the Prince Royal.[27]

The dimensions of the ship may be briefly described. Her keel was 114
feet long, and her cross-beam 44 feet. She was of 1400 tons burthen,
and carried 64 pieces of