in 1603, called in
all the ships of war, as well as the numerous privateers which had been
employed during the previous reign in waging war against the commerce
of Spain, and declared himself to be at peace with all the world.
James was as peaceful as a Quaker. He was not a fighting King;--and,
partly on this account, he was not popular. He encouraged manufactures
in wool, silk, and tapestry. He gave every encouragement to the
mercantile and colonizing adventurers to plant and improve the rising
settlements of Virginia, New England, and Newfoundland. He also
promoted the trade to the East Indies. Attempts continued to be made,
by Hudson, Poole, Button, Hall, Baffin, and other courageous seamen, to
discover the North-West passage, but always without effect.

The shores of England being still much infested by Algerine and other
pirates,[14] King James found it necessary to maintain the ships of war
in order to protect navigation and commerce. He nearly doubled the
ships of the Royal Navy, and increased the number from thirteen to
twenty-four. Their size, however, continued small, both Royal and
merchant ships. Sir William Monson says, that at the accession of
James I. there were not above four merchant ships in England of 400
tons burthen.[15] The East Indian merchants were the first to increase
the size. In 1609, encouraged by their Charter, they built the Trade's
Increase, of 1100 tons burthen, the largest merchant ship that had ever
been built in England. As it was necessary that, the crew of the ship
should be able to beat off the pirates, she was fully armed. The
additional ships of war were also of heavier burthen. In the same
year, the Prince, of 1400 tons burthen, was launched; she carried
sixty-four cannon, and was superior to any ship of the kind hitherto
seen in England.

And now we arrive at the subject of this memoir. The Petts were the
principal ship-builders of the time. They had long been known upon the
Thames, and had held posts in the Royal Dockyards since the reign of
Henry VII. They were gallant sailors, too; one of them, as already
mentioned, having made an adventurous voyage to the Arctic Ocean in his
little bark, the George, of only 40 tons burthen. Phineas Pett was the
first of the great ship-builders. His father, Peter Pett, was one of
the Queen's master shipwrights. Besides being a ship-builder, he was
also a poet, being the author of a poetical piece entitled, "Time's
Journey t