Jx

PREFACE.

hereby each might be answerable for the defects in his particular duty;yet two commissioners, Sir Kenelmne Digby, and capt. Ph. Pett, weresoone after added as assistants to them, without particular charge, butonly to joyne with them in consultation, and (as may be presumed) in-spect how faithfilly each of them did perform his particular duty. Butby the ten years discontinuance of the ancient method, during the con-fusion and disorder in the navy, which then prevailed in the business ofthat office, it ctuld not easily or suddenly be reduced into the ancientehannell till the office of high admirall was conferred on the earle of Nor-thumberland, Avho takeing much pains in the regulation of it, and inquiringinto the ancient duty of each office, published by way of instruction to theprincipall officers in generall, and to every office in particular, their jointand severall dutyes, which tho’ as to this discourse is most pertinent to behere incerted, yet least it might make this too prolix, I choose rather torefer to it as a tract by itselfe. Whether these instructions were exactlyperformed by the particular officers, I think not fit (soe long after) toexamine ; but i: was very probable, that that exactness, which by theseinstructions were required, was not afterwards punctually observed, thereasons whereof were—

There was then an house called the office, but of soe small receipt, thatthere was seldone more than one, and never but two officers residing in it,which occasioned that each officer kept his booke att his own residence,where not being allways ready for inspection of the rest, they "were moresuperficially keot, nor indeed w r as it possible they could be, exactly, bysoe few clarkes, and that with soe small salleryes as they then kept, orwere allowed : as for instance, it was required of the comptroller to keepexact counter bookes, which the treasurer with the victualler, and likewisesuch nccount of reyceipts, issues, and expences of stores, as to be able tocharge the severall storekeepers to take frequent musters, thereby to cliecqthe clarke of the checqs. How they could possibly be performed, exactlyperformed, by two clarkes, when every one of these other officers with

whome