_From which he first was call’d the Hoar-rock in the wood._
That the ocean (as in many other places of other countries) hath eaten
up much of what was here once shore, is a common report, approved in
the Cornish name of St. Michael’s mount; which is Careg Cowz in Clowz,
i. e. the Hoar-rock in the wood.[71]
_And our Main-amber here, and Burien trophy_――――
Main-amber, i. e. Ambrose’s stone (not far from Pensans) so great,
that many men’s united strength cannot remove it, yet with one finger
you may wag it. The Burien trophy is 19 stones, circularly disposed,
and, in the middle, one much exceeding the rest in greatness: by
conjecture of most learned Camden, erected either under the Romans, or
else by King Athelstan in his conquest of these parts.
_Were worthy of his end, but where he had his birth._
Near Camel about Camblan, was[72] Arthur slain by Mordred, and on the
same shore, east from the river’s mouth, born in Tintagel castle.
Gorlois Prince of Cornwal, at Uther-Pendragon’s coronation, solemnized
in London, upon divers too kind passages and lascivious regards twixt
the King and his wife Igerne, grew very jealous, in a rage left the
court, committed his wife’s chastity to this castle’s safeguard; and
to prevent the wasting of his country, (which upon this discontent was
threatned) betook himself in other forts to martial preparation. Uther
(his blood boiling in lust) upon advice of Ulfin Rhicaradoch, one of
his Knights, by Ambrose Merlin’s magic personated like Gorlois, and
Ulfin like one Jordan, servant to Gorlois, made such successful use of
their imposture, that (the Prince in the mean time slain) Arthur was
the same night begotten, and verified that[73] Νόθοι τε πολλοὶ γνησίων
ἀμείνονες. altho’ Merlin by the rule of Hermes, or astrological
direction, justified that he was conceived three hours after Gorlois’
death; by this shift answering the dangerous imputation of bastardy to
the heir of a crown. For Uther taking Igern to wife, left Arthur his
successor in the Kingdom. Here have you a Jupiter, an Alcmena, an
Amphitryo, a Sosias, and a Mercury; nor wants there scarce any thing,
but that truth-passing reports of Poetical bards have made the birth
an Hercules.
_Known by one general name upon this point that dwell._
The name of Dumnonii, Damnonii, or Danmonii, in Solinus and Ptolemy,
comprehended the people of Devonshire and Cornwal; whence the Lizard
promontory is called Damnium in[74] Marcian Heracleotes; and William
of Malmesbury, Florence of Worcester, Roger of Hoveden and others,
stile Devonshire by name of Domnonia, perhaps all from Duff neint, i.
e. low valleys in British; wherein are most habitations of the
countrey, as judicious Camden teaches me.
_Or that this foreland lies furth’st out into his sight,
Which spreads his vigorous flames_――――
Fuller report of the excellence in wrestling and nimbleness of body,
wherewith this western people have been and are famous, you may find
in Carew’s description of his country. But to give reason of the
climate’s nature for this prerogative in them, I think as difficult as
to shew why about the Magellanic streights they are so white, about
the Cape de Buon Speranza so black,[75] yet both under the same
tropic; why the Abyssins are but tawny moors, when as in the
East-Indian isles, Zeilan and Malabar, they are very black, both in
the same parallel; or why we that live in this Northern latitude,
compared with the Southern, should not be like affected from like
cause. I refer it no more to the Sun, than the special horsemanship in
our Northern men, the nimble ability of the Irish, the fiery motions
of the French, Italian jealousy, German liberty, Spanish puft-up
vanity, or those different and perpetual carriages of state-government,
Haste and Delay, which, as[76] inbred qualities, were remarkable in
the two most martial people of Greece. The cause of Æthiopian
blackness and curled hair was long since judiciously[77] fetcht from
the disposition of soil, air, water, and singular operations of the
heavens; with confutation of those which attribute it to the Sun’s
distance. And I am resolved that every land hath its so singular
self-nature, and individual habitude with celestial influence, that
human knowledge, consisting most of all in universality, is not yet
furnish’d with what is requisite to so particular discovery. But for
the learning of this point in a special treatise Hippocrates, Ptolemy,
Bodin, and others have copious disputes.
_Of Corin Cornwal call’d, to his immortal fame._
So, if you believe the tale of Corin and Gogmagog: but rather imagine
the name of Cornwall from this promontory of the Land’s End, extending
itself like a[78] horn, which in most tongues is Corn, or very near.
Thus was a[79] promontory in Cyprus called Cerastes, and in the now
Candy or Crete, and Gazaria (the old Taurica Chersonesus) another
titled[80] Κρίου μέτωπον: and Brundusium in Italy had name from
Brendon or[81] Brention, i. e. _a Hart’s-head_, in the Messapian
tongue, for similitude of horns. But[82] Malmesbury thus: “They are
called Cornwalshmen, because being seated in the western part of
Britain, they lie overagainst a horn (a promontory) of Gaul.” The
whole name is as if you should say Corn-wales; for hither in the Saxon
conquest the British called Welsh (signifying the people rather than
strangers, as the vulgar opinion wills) made transmigration: whereof
an old[83] rhimer:
The vewe that wer of hom bileved, as in Cornwaile and Wailes,
Brutons ner namore ycluped, ac Waleys ywis.
Such was the language of your fathers between three and four hundred
years since.
[51] The western or Spanish ocean.
[52] Bretagny coasts.
[53] The farthest isle in the British ocean.
[54] The sea upon the north of Scotland.
[55] The old British poets.
[56] Priests among the ancient Britons.
[57] The French seas.
[58] A small island upon the very point of Cornwall.
[59] A hill lying out as an elbow of land into the sea.
[60] A place almost surrounded by the sea.
[61] A place almost surrounded by the sea.
[62] The bravery of Falmouth haven.
[63] This is also called Alan.
[64] A worthy gentleman who wrote the Description of
Cornwall.
[65] The praise of Plymouth.
[66] Terms of art in wrestling.
[67] Our first great wrestler, arriving here with Brute.
[68] Assaracus.
[69] One of the titles of Diana.
[70] Description of the wrestling betwixt Corineus and
Gogmagog.
[71] Carew de Scrip. Corn. lib. 2.
[72] Dictus hinc in Merlini vaticinio, Aper Cornubiæ.
[73] _Euripid. Andromach._ Bastards are often times better
than legitimates.
[74] Τὸ δάμνιον ἅκρον.
[75] Ortelius theatro.
[76] Thucydid. α et passim de Athen. et Lacedæm. et de
Thæbis, et Chalcide. Vide Columell. i. de re rustic, cap. 4.
[77] Onesicrit. ap. Strabon. lib. ιε.
[78] Cornugallia dicta est H. Huntingdonio, aliis.
[79] Strabo lib. ζ. and ι. Stephan. Melan. Plin. Georg.
passim.
[80] Ram’s-head.
[81] Seleucus apud Stephan. Βρεντησ. and Suidas in Βρενδ.
[82] De gest. reg. 2. c. 6.
[83] Robertus Glocestrens.