464 



NOTES AND QUERIES. 



[No, 238. 



have, called upon by right to the leadership ; what 

 excuse can she make to herself for remaining behind ? 

 In the Vienna protocol of April 9, Prussia has pledged 

 herself, beyond what we could have dared to hope, 

 towards the Western Powers : in the treaty with 

 Austria of April 20, Prussia has bound herself, in cer- 

 tain eventualities that may occur at any moment, to a 

 warlike support of Austria. Is it not, therefore, high 

 time for Prussia to arouse herself from her lethargy, 

 in order to undertake the support contracted for by 

 treaty ? If history teaches anywhere an evident lesson, 

 Prussia will find it in her own past history. Once 

 before Prussia promised to help Austria, and was not 

 able to perform her engagement. All the misfortune 

 by which we were attacked in 1806 is to be ascribed 

 to Prussia not having completed her preparations in 

 1805, and to her not appearing in the field before the 

 battle of Austerlitz. It was reported lately to be the 

 saying of a brave general, that when he heard the 

 enemies' batteries firing, it always seemed to him that 

 he heard his own name called out. Does not Prussia 

 also hear her own name loudly pronounced, in those 

 cannon-shots fired off in the Baltic and Black Sea for 

 the public law of nations by Europe's brave champions ? 

 By what means did the great Elector establish the 

 honour of the Prussian name, except by bravely taking 

 the field, as a model of German princes, against the 

 superior force of Louis XIV.? The policy, to which 

 the Prussian government has again pledged itself, will 

 be unanimously approved of by the Prussian people. 

 The abuse which Russia has made of the name of 

 Religion can deceive none, but such as are willing to 

 be deceived. Catholic Christendom, with the Pope 

 and the dignitaries of the Catholic Church in England 

 and France at its head, have declared which side in 

 this struggle is right, and which is wrong ; and Righte- 

 ousness is God's earthly name ! Not less have the 

 noblest and most pious Protestants loudly raised their 

 voices as witnesses to the truth, and against the com- 

 mon oppressor of every Christian church, even his own ; 

 Religion, called upon for aid, denies it to Russia ; and 

 political science has long since pronounced her judg- 

 ment, that Russia's superiority must be put an end to 

 by a general opposition. If Prussia would but seize 

 the opportunity, and proceed in the same path with 

 Austria, Russia's ambition might be tamed by united 

 Europe in one successful campaign. Now is the 

 favourable moment for Prussia ; and if it is not taken 

 advantage of, generations unborn may have cause to 

 rue it." 



Alpha. 



THE LAUNCH OF THE " PRINCE KOYAL " IN 1610. 



October 20, 1608, Mr. Phineas Pette commenced 

 the " Prince Royal," which was launched in 1610. 

 The keel of this " most goodly shippe for warre " 

 was 114 feet long, and the cross-beam 44 feet in 

 length, and she carried three score and four pieces 

 of great ordnance, and was of the burden of 1400 

 tons. On the 8 th of May, 1609, the king pre- 

 sided at the trial of Pette at Woolwich for insuf- 



ficiency, during which Pette sat on his knees, 

 " baited by the great lord (Northampton) and his 

 bandogs;" and after the ship had been inspected 

 by the king and his party, Mr. Pette was acquitted 

 of the charges brought against him. The prince 

 visited the ship on the 30th of January, 1609, 

 25th of April, 18th of June, and again the follow- 

 ing day, with the king, and on the 24th of Sep- 

 tember it was launched. It is stated that the 

 garnishing of the ship began between Easter and 

 Michaelmas, and that the number of nobles, 

 gentry, and citizens, resorting continually to 

 Woolwich to see it, was incredible. On the 9th 

 of September, divers London maids, with a little 

 boy with them, visited the ship; the boy fell down 

 into the hold, and died the same night from the 

 effects of his fall, being the first accident during 

 the building. About the middle of the month, the 

 ship being ready to be placed on the ways, twelve 

 choice master carpenters of his Majesty's navy 

 were sent for from Chatham to assist in " her 

 striking and launching;" on the 18th she was 

 safely set upon her ways, and on the 26th was 

 visited by the French ambassador. Preparations 

 were made in the yard for the reception of the 

 king, queen, royal children, ladies, and the 

 council ; and on the evening of the 23rd, a mes- 

 senger was sent from Theobalds, desiring the ship 

 to be searched, lest any disaffected persons might 

 have bored holes privily in her bottom. On 

 Monday 24th, the dock gates were opened ; but the 

 wind blowing hard from the south-west, it proved 

 a very bad tide. The king came from Theobalds, 

 though he had been very little at ease with a 

 scouring, taken with surfeiting by eating grapes, 

 the prince and most of the lords of the council 

 attending him. The queen arrived after dinner, 

 and the lord admiral gave commandment to heave 

 taught the crabs and screws, though Pette says he 

 had little hope to launch by reason the wind over- 

 blew the tide ; " yet the ship started and had 

 launched, but the dock gates pent her in so 

 straight, that she stuck fast between them, by 

 reason the ship was nothing lifted by the tide, as 

 we. expected she would ; and the great lighter, by 

 unadvised counsel, being cut off the stern, the 

 ship settled so hard upon the ground, that there 

 was no possibility of launching that tide ; besides 

 which there was such a multitude of people got 

 into the ship, that one could scarce stir by 

 another." 



" The king was much grieved at the frustrate of 

 his expectation," and returned to Greenwich at 

 five o'clock with the queen and her train ; the 

 prince staid a good while after conferring with 

 the lord admiral and Mr. Pette, and then rode off 

 to Greenwich, with a promise to return shortly 

 after midnight. The night was moonlight, but 

 shortly after midnight became very stormy, which 

 Mr. Pette says made him " doubt that there were 



