the humble place of carpenter's mate on board
the galleon Constance, of London. Pett's younger brother, Peter, then
living at Wapping, gave him lodging, meat, and drink, until the ship
was ready to sail. But he had no money to buy clothes. Fortunately one
William King, a yoeman in Essex, taking pity upon the unfortunate young
man, lent him 3L. for that purpose; which Pett afterwards repaid.

The Constance was of only 200 tons burden. She set sail for the South
a few days before Christmas, 1592. There is no doubt that she was
bound upon a piratical adventure. Piracy was not thought dishonourable
in those days. Four years had elapsed since the Armada had approached
the English coast; and now the English and Dutch ships were scouring
the seas in search of Spanish galleons.

Whoever had the means of furnishing a ship, and could find a plucky
captain to command her, sent her out as a privateer. Even the
Companies of the City of London clubbed their means together for the
purpose of sending out Sir Waiter Raleigh to capture Spanish ships, and
afterwards to divide the plunder; as any one may see on referring to
the documents of the London Corporation.[18]

The adventure in which Pett was concerned did not prove very fortunate.
He was absent for about twenty months on the coasts of Spain and
Barbary, and in the Levant, enduring much misery for want of victuals
and apparel, and "without taking any purchase of any value." The
Constance returned to the Irish coast, "extreme poorly." The vessel
entered Cork harbour, and then Pett, thoroughly disgusted with
privateering life, took leave of both ship and voyage. With much
difficulty, he made his way across the country to Waterford, from
whence he took ship for London. He arrived there three days before
Christmas, 1594, in a beggarly condition, and made his way to his
brother Peter's house at Wapping, who again kindly entertained him.
The elder brother Joseph received him more coldly, though he lent him
forty shillings to find himself in clothes. At that time, the fleet
was ordered to be got ready for the last expedition of Drake and
Hawkins to the West Indies. The Defiance was sent into Woolwich dock
to be sheathed; and as Joseph Pett was in charge of the job, he allowed
his brother to be employed as a carpenter.

In the following year, Phineas succeeded in attracting the notice of
Matthew Baker, who was commissioned to rebuild Her Majesty's Triumph.
Baker employed P