course for pasture, and combrous for trauellers. Wic, by master
Lambert, signifieth a towne: by master Camden, Stationem, vel Sinum,
ubi exercitus agit. This village was the birth-place of Thomasine
Bonauenture, I know not, whether by descent, or euent, so called:
[120] for-whiles in her girlish age she kept sheepe on the
foreremembred moore, it chanced, that a London merchant passing by,
saw her, heeded her, liked her, begged her of her poore parents,
and carried her to his home. In processe of time, her mistres was
summoned by death to appeare in the other world, and her good thewes,
no lesse then her seemely personage, so much contented her master,
that he aduanced her from a seruant to a wife, and left her a
wealthy widdow. Her second mariage befell with one Henry Gall:
her third and last, with Sir John Perciual, Lord Maior of London,
whom she also ouerliued. And to shew, that vertue as well bare a
part in the desert, as fortune in the meanes of her preferment,
she employed the whole residue of her life and last widdowhood,
to works no lesse bountifull, then charitable: namely, repayring of
high waies, building of bridges, endowing of maydens, relieuing of
prisoners, feeding and apparelling the poor, &c. Amongst the rest,
at this S. Mary Wike, she founded a Chauntery and free-schoole,
together with faire lodgings, for the Schoolemasters, schollers,
and officers, and added twenty pound of yeerely reuennue,
for supporting the incident charges: wherein as the bent of her
desire was holy, so God blessed the same with al wished successe:
for diuers the best Gent. sonnes of Deuon and Cornwall were there
vertuously trained vp, in both kinds of diuine and humane learning,
vnder one Cholwel, an honest and religious teacher, which caused the
neighbours so much the rather, and the more to rewe, that a petty
smacke onely of Popery, opened a gap to the oppression of the whole,
by the statute made in Edw. the 6. raigne, touching the suppression
of Chaunteries.
Such strange accidents of extraordinary aduancements are verified
by the ample testimonie of many histories, and, amongst the rest,
we read in Machiauell (howbeit controuled by the often reproued
Iouius) that Castruccio Caestracani climed from a baser birth, to a
farre higher estate. For being begotten in Lucca, by vnknowne
parents, and cast out, in his swadling clouts, to the wide world,
he was taken vp by a widdowe, placed by her with a Clergy man her
brother, giuen by him to a Gent, called Francesco Guinigi, and by
Guinigi left tutor to his onely sonne. From which step, his courage
and wisedome raysed him by degrees, to the soueraignty of Lucca,
the Senatorship of Rome, the speciall fauour of the Emperour, and a
neere hope (only by death preuented) of subduing Florence.
Lesnewith Hundred.
LEsnewith Hundred taketh his name of a parish therein (as Stratton
doth of a towne) memorable for nothing else. It may he deriued,
either from Les, which in Cornish signifieth broad, and newith,
which is new, as a new breadth, because it enlargeth his limits
farther into Cornwall on both sides, whereas Stratton is straightned
on the one by Deuon: or from Les and gwith, which importeth broad
Ashen trees, g, for Euphonias sake being turned into n.
The first place which heere offreth itselfe to sight, is Bottreaux
Castle, seated on a bad harbour of the North sea, & suburbed with a
poore market town, yet entitling the owner in times past, with the
stile of a Baron, from whom, by match it descended to the L.
Hungerford, & [121] resteth in the Earle of Huntingdon.
The diuersified roomes of a prison, in the Castle, for both sexes,
better preserued by the Inhabitants memorie, then descerneable
by their owne endurance, shew the same, heeretofore to haue exercised
some large iurisdiction.
Not farre from thence, Tintogel, more famous for his antiquite,
then regardable for his present estate, abbutteth likewise on the sea;
yet the ruines argue it, to haue beene once, no vnworthie dwelling
for the Cornish princes. The cyment wherewith the stones were layd,
resisteth the fretting furie of the weather, better then themselues.
Halfe the buildings were raised on the continent, and the other halfe
on an Iland, continued together (within mens remembrance) by a
drawe-bridge, but now diuorced, by the downefalne steepe Cliffes,
on the farther side, which, though it shut out the sea from his
wonted recourse, hath yet more strengthened the late Iland: for,
in passing thither, you must first descend with a dangerous declyning,
and then make a worse ascent, by a path, as euerie where narrow,
so in many places, through his sticklenesse occasioning, and through
his steepnesse threatning, the ruine of your life, with the failing
of your foore. At the top, two, or three terrifying steps, giue you
entrance to the hill, which supplieth pasture for sheepe, and conyes:
Vpon the same, I saw, a decayed Chappell, a faire spring of water,
a Caue, reaching once, by my guides report; some farre way vnder
ground, and (which you will perhaps suspect of vntruth) an Hermites
graue, hewen out in the rocke, and seruing each bodies proportion
for a buriall. But, if that in Wales carrie an equall veritie,
the myracle will soone reape credite: for this is so sloped inwards
at both ends, that any tall stature shal find roome by a little
bending, as the short in the bottome by extending.
The fardest poynt of this hill, is called Black head, well knowne
to the coasting Mariners. The high cliffs are by sea vnaccessible
round abouts, sauing in one only place, towards the East, where they
proffer an vneasie landing place for boats, which being fenced with a
garretted wall, admitteth entrance thorow a gate, sometimes of yron,
as the name yet continuing, expresseth, and is within presently
commaunded by a hardly clymed hill. Vnder the Iland runnes a caue,
thorow which you may rowe at ful sea, but not without a kinde of
horrour, at the uncouthnesse of the place. M. Camden deliuereth vs
these verses out of an olde Poet, touching Tintogel.
Est locus Abrini sinuoso littore ponti,
Rupe situs media, refluus quern circuit aestus.
Fulminat hic late, turrito vertice Castrum,
Nomine Tindagium, veteres dixere Corini.
Which import in English:
There is a place within the wind-
ing shore of Seuerne sea,
On mids of rock, about whose foote,
The tydes turne-keeping play:
A towry-topped Castle heere,
wide blazeth ouer all,
Which Corineus auncient broode,
Tindagel Castle call.
It is not layd vp amongst the least vaunts of this Castle, that our
victorious Arthur was here begotten by the valiant Vter Pendragon,
vpon the fayre Igerna, and [122] that without taynt of bastardy,
sayth Merlyn, because her husband dyed some houres before.
Of later times, Tintogel hath kept long silence in our stories, vntill
H. the 3. raigne, at which time (by Mat. Paris report) his brother,
Earle Ri grew into obloquy for priuy receyuing there, & abbetting,
his nephew Dauid, against the King. After which, being turned from
a Palace [8 .R. 2.] to a prison, it restrained one Iohn Northamptons
libertie, who for abusing the same, in his vnruly Maioralty of London,
was condemned hither, as a perpetuall Penitenciary. A see of ancienty
belonging to this Castle, was cancelled as vnnecessary, by the late L.
Treasurer Burleigh.
One collecting the wonders of Cornwall, rimed touching this, as
followeth:
Tintogel in his ruines vauntes,
Sometimes the seate of Kings,
And place which worthy Arthur bred,
Whose prayse the Breton sings,
A bridge these buildings ioynd, whom now
The fallen clifs diuorce,
Yet strength'ned so, the more it scornes,
Foes vayne attempting force.
There, caue aboue, entrie admits,
But thorowfare denies;
Where that beneath alloweth both,
In safe, but ghastly wise.
A Spring there wets his head, his foote
A gate of Iron gardes:
There measure due to eche ones length,
The Hermits graue awards.
IN the mids of the wilde moores of this Hundred, far [122] from
any dwelling or riuer, there lyeth a great standing water,
called Dosmery poole, about a mile or better in compasse, fed by no
perceyued spring, neither hauing any auoydance, vntill (of late)
certaine Tynners brought an Audit therefrom. The countrey people
held many strange conceits of this poole; as, that it did ebbe &
flow, that it had a whirle-poole in the midst thereof, and,
that a fagot once throwne thereinto, was taken vp at Foy hauen,
6. miles distant. Wherefore, to try what truth rested in these
reports, some Gent, dwelling not farre off, caused a boate and nets
to be carried thither ouer land. Fish, they caught none, saue a
fewe Eeles vpon hookes: the poole prooued no where past a fathome
and halfe deepe, and for a great way very shallow. Touching the
opinion of ebbing and flowing, it should seeme to bee grounded,
partly vpon the increase, which the raine floods brought thereinto
from the bordering hils (which perhaps gaue also the name; for Doz,
is, come, and maur, great) and the decrease, occasioned by the
next drowth, and partly, for that the windes doe driue the waues to
and fro, vpon those sandie bankes: and thus the miracle of Dosmery
poole deceased. Of this other wonder hee sayd,
Dosmery poole amid the moores,
On top stands of a hill,
More then a mile about, no streames
It empt, nor any fill.
Camelford, a market and Fayre (but not faire) towne fetcheth his
deriuation from the riuer Camel, which runneth thorow it, and that,
from the Cornish word Cam, in English, crooked, as Cam, from the
often winding stream. The same is incorporated with a Maioralty,
& nameth Burgesses to the Parliament, yet steppeth little before the
[123] meanest sort of Boroughs, for store of Inhabitants, or the
Inhabitants store.
Vpon the riuer of Camel, neere to Camelford [525.], was that last
dismal battel strooken betweene the noble king Arthur, and his
treacherous nephew Mordred, wherein the one took his death, and the
other his deaths wound. For testimony whereof, the olde folke
thereabouts will shew you a stone, bearing Arthurs name, though now
depraued to Atry.
Master Camden letteth vs vnderstand, that this towne is sometimes
termed Gaffelford: wherethrough we may marke it for the lists of a
great fight betweene the Bretons & Deuonshire men [812.], which
Houeden assigneth to haue bene darrayned at Gauelford, and perhaps
the same, which the said Master Camden voucheth out of Marianus Scotus
[820.], and describeth by these verses of an elder Poet:
------------ Naturam Cambala fontis,
Mutatam stupet esse sui, transcendit inundans
Sanguineus torrens ripas, & ducit in aequor
Corpora caesorum, plures natare videres,
Et petere auxilium, quos vndis vita reliquit.
The riuer Camel wonders, that
His fountaines nature showes
So strange a change, the bloody streame
Vpswelling ouerflowes
His both side banks, and to the sea
The slaughtered bodies beares:
Full many swimme, and sue for ayde,
While waue their life outweares.
In our forefathers daies, when deuotion as much exceeded knowledge,
as knowledge now commeth short of devotion, there were many
bowssening places, for curing of mad men, and amongst the rest,
one at Alternunne in this Hundred, called S. Nunnes poole, which
Saints Altar (it may be) by pars pro toto, gaue name to the Church:
and because the maner of this bowssening is not so vnpleasing
to heare, as it was vneasie to feele, I wil (if you please) deliuer
you the practise, as I receyued it from the beholders.
The water running from S. Nunnes well, fell into a square and close
walled plot, which might bee filled at what depth they listed.
Vpon this wall was the franticke person set to stand, his backe
towards the poole, and from thence with a sudden blow in the brest,
tumbled headlong into the pond: where a strong fellowe, provided for
the nonce, tooke him, and tossed him vp and downe, alongst and
athwart the water, vntill the patient, by forgoing his strength,
had somewhat forgot his fury. Then was hee conueyed to the Church,
and certaine Masses sung ouer him; vpon which handling, if his right
wits returned, S. Nunne had the thanks: but if there appeared small
amendment, he was bowssened againe, and againe, while there remayned
in him any hope of life, for recouery.
It may be, this deuice tooke original from that master of Bedlem,
who (the fable saith) vsed to cure his patients of that impatience,
by keeping them bound in pooles, vp to the middle, and so more or
lesse, after the fit of their fury.
[124]
Trigge Hundred.
THe name of Trig, in Cornish, signifieth an Inhabitant; howbeit,
this Hundred cannot vaunt any ouer-large scope, or extraordinary
plenty of dwellings: his chiefe towne is Bodmyn; in Cornish,
Bos venna, commonly termed Bodman, which (by illusion, if not
Etimology) a man might, not vnaptly, turne into Badham: for of
all the townes in Cornwall, I holde none more healthfully seated,
then Saltash, or more contagiously, then this. It consisteth wholly
(in a maner) of one street, leading East and West, welneere the space
of an Easterne mile, whose South side is hidden from the Sunne, by an
high hill, so neerely coasting it in most places, as neither can light
haue entrance to their staires, nor open ayre to their other roomes.
Their back houses, of more necessary, then cleanly seruice, as
kitchins, stables, &c. are clymed vp vnto by steps, and their
filth by euery great showre, washed downe thorow their houses into
the streetes.
The other side is also ouerlooked by a great hill, though somewhat
farther distant: and for a Corollarium, their Conduit water runneth
thorow the Churchyard, the ordinary place of buriall, for towne and
parish. It breedeth therefore little cause of maruaile, that euery
generall infection is here first admitted, & last excluded: yet the
many decayed houses, proue the towne to haue bene once very populous;
and, in that respect, it may stil retaine the precedence, as supported
by a weekly market, the greatest of Cornwall, the quarter Sessions for
the East diuision, and halfe yeerely faires. The iurisdiction
thereof is administred by a Maior and his brethren, and vpon warrant
of their Charter, they claime authoritie, to take acknowledgment of
statute bonds.
In former times, the Bishop of Cornwall (as I haue elsewhere related)
held his See at S. Petroos, in this towne, vntill the Danish pirats,
firing their Palace, [981.] forced them to remoue the same, with
their residence, vnto S. Germans. They were succeeded by a Priory,
and Friery; which later, serued a while as a house of correction,
for the shire, but with greater charge, then benefit, or continuance.
For other accidents, I find, that Perkyn Warbecke, [11.H.7.] after
his landing in the West parts of Cornwall, made this towne the Rendez
vous of his assembling forces, for atchieuing his, alike deseruing,
and speeding enterprise against King Henry the seuenth.
Hither, also, in the last commotion, flocked the Rebels, [3.Ed.6.]
from all quarters of the shire, pitching their campe at the townes
end; and here they imprisoned such Gentlemen, as they had plucked
out of their holes, and houses, vntill the fortune of warre gaue
verdit with the right of iustice, for their well deserued euill
speeding.
Sir Anthony Kingston, then Prouost-marshall of the Kings armie,
hath left his name more memorable, then commendable amongst the
townsemen, for causing their Maior to erect a gallowes before his
owne doore, vpon which, (after hauing feasted Sir Anthony) himselfe
was hanged.
In like sort (say they) he trussed vp a millers man, thereby, for that
he presented himselfe in the others stead, saying he could neuer do
his master better seruice.
[125]
But mens tongues, readily inclined to the worst reports, haue left
out a part of the truth, in this tale, that the rest might carrie
the better grace. For Sir Anthony did nothing herein, as a Iudge
by discretion, but as an officer by direction; and besides, hee gaue
the Maior sufficient watchwordes of timely warning, & large space
of respite (more then which, in regard of his owne perill, he could
not afford) to shift for safety, if an vneschewable destiny, had not
haltered him to that aduancement. As for the millers man, he equalled
his master, in their common offence of rebellion, and therefore it
deserued the praise of mercy, to spare one of the two, and not the
blame of crueltie, to hang one for another.
I should perhaps haue forgotten the free schoole here, maintayned by
her Maiesties liberalitie, were I not put in mind thereof through a
fore-halfening of this rebellion, by an action of the schollers,
which I will report from some of their owne mouthes. About a yeere
before this sturre was raysed, the schollers, who accustomably diuide
themselues, for better exploiting their pastimes, grew therethrough
into two factions; the one whereof, they called the olde religion;
the other, the new. This once begunne, was prosecuted amongst them
in all exercises, and, now and then, handled with some egernesse
and roughnes, each partie knowing, and still keeping the same
companions, and Captaine. At last one of the boyes, conuerted the
spill of an old candlesticke to a gunne, charged it with powder and
a stone, and (through mischance, or vngraciousnesse) therewith
killed a calfe: whereupon, the owner complayned, the master whipped,
and the diuision ended.
By such tokens, sometimes wonderfull, sometimes ridiculous, doth God
at his pleasure, foreshewe future accidents: as in the Planets,
before the battell at Thrasimenus, betweene Hannibal and the Romanes,
by the fighting together of the Sunne and Moone. In birds, what time
Brute brought forth the remnant of his army at Philippi, against
Caesar and Anthony, by the furious bickering betweene two Eagles.
In men, against the destruction of Hierusalem, by the encountring of
Chariots and armies in the ayre. And before Alexanders battel
with Darius; first, by a casual skirmish of the camp-straglers,
vnder two Captaines, borrowing the names of those Princes; and then
by Alexanders voluntary setting those Captaines to a single combat.
Yea (to bring these examples neerer home) the like hath hapned both
before and sithence, amongst boyes in other places.
When Caesar was departed from Rome, to try the title of the worlds
Empire with Pompey, the towns boyes (without any mans commaund)
parted in twayne: the one side calling themselues Pompeyans,
the other Caesarians; and then darrayning a kinde of battell (but
without Armes) the Caesarians got the ouerhand.
A like prank vnder the like assumed names, and with like successe
and boding, they plaied, when Octauius and Anthony were, with like
meanes, to decide the like Soueraignty.
And to the same purpose, Procopius affirmeth, that the Samnite boyes,
when they draue their cattel to feeding, after their vsual maner
of pastime, chose out amongst themselues, two of the best actiuity
and seemelinesse; the one, they named Bellisarius, Generall for
Iustinian the Emperour in Italy, the other Vitiges king of the Gothes,
[126] against whome hee warred. In the buckling of these counterfeite
Commaunders, it fell out, that Vitiges had the worst, whome the
aduerse party with a iesting and craking maner, hanged vp at the next
tree, in earnest, but yet with no intent to kill him.
This while it happens, that a Woolfe is descryed: away runne
the boyes: fast abides the imaginary Felon, and so fast, that for
want of timely rescouse, the breath poasted out of his body, and left
the same a liuelesse carkase. The which notifyed to the Samnites,
quitted the striplings (or slipstrings) of their punishment, but
encreased the dismay of the elder people.
A like accident befell sithence, hy testimony of the ceremonious
Texera, as a presage of Lewes the prince of Condyes death, 1569.
Foure daies before which, at Xaintes, the youth of all sorts, from
9. to 22. yeres age, assembled, and (of their owne accord) chose
two Commaunders, one they entitled the Prince of Condy, the other
Mounsieur, who then lay in the field against him. For three dayes
space, they violently assaulted each other, with stones, clubs, and
other weapons, vntill at last it grewe to Pistoles: by one of which,
the imaginary Prince receiued a quelling wound in his head, about 10.
a clock in the morning: the very howre (saith this Portugall
confessour) that the Prince himselfe, by a like shot was slaughtered.
The same authour vouched a semblable chaunce, somewhat before the
siege of Rochell 1572. where, some of the boyes banded themselues,
as for the Maior and others for the King; who after 6. dayes
skirmishing, at last made a composition, and departed: even as that
siege endured sixe moneths, and finally brake vp in a peace.
So doth Mercurius Gallobelgicus giue vs to wit, that in the
yeere 1594. a Turkish Beglerbey of Greece, either seeking by a
fore-coniecture, to be ascertained himselfe, or desirous to nusle
the yonger sort in martiall exployts, led out of Alba Regalis,
about 600. Turkish boyes, aged betweene 11. and 14. yeeres, and
seuered them into two troups, terming the one, The Christian,
the other, The Turkish batalion. Those, he directed to call
vpon Iesus, these, vpon Hala: both parts he enioyned to bicker
coragiously, and egged them onward with the enticement of rewards.
The token is giuen, the forces encounter, the fight is hote. In the
end, the Turks betake themselues to their heeles, and Iesus party
carryeth away the victory. But such occurrents do not alwayes either
foregoe, or foresignifie; for sometimes they fall out idle,
and sometimes not at all. Howbeit, Nicetaes Choniates taketh
it very vnkindly, that God woud not spare some watchword out of
his prescience, to the Constantinopolitanes, what time Baldwyn Earle
of Flaunders and others, first assisted, and then conquered their
Citie.
Touching Veall the Mercurialist, I haue spoken in my former booke.
The youthlyer sort of Bodmyn townsmen vse sometimes to sport
themselues, by playing the box with strangers, whome they summon
to Halgauer. The name signifieth the Goats moore, and such a place
it is, lying a little without the towne, and very full of quauemires.
When these mates meet with any rawe seruingman, or other young master,
who may serue and deserue to make pastime, they cause him to be
solemnely arrested, [127] for his appearance before the Maior of
Halgauer, where he is charged with wearing one spurre, or going
vntrussed, or wanting a girdle, or some such like felony: and after
he hath beene arraygned and tryed, with all requisite circumstances,
iudgement is giuen in formal termes, and executed in some one
vngracious pranke or other, more to the skorne, then hurt of the
party condemned.
Hence is sprung the prouerb, when we see one slouenly appareled,
to say, He shall be presented in Halgauer Court.
But now and then, they extend this merriment with the largest,
to the preiudice of ouer-credulous people, perswading them to fight
with a Dragon lurking in Halgauer, or to see some strange matter
there: which concludeth at least, with a trayning them into the mire.
Within short space after the great fame dispersed, touching the rare
effects of Warwickshire wels, some idle enuious head raysed a brute,
that there rested no lesse vertue (forsooth) for healing all diseases,
in a plentifull spring, neere vnto Bodmyn, called Scarlets well:
which report grew so farre, and so fast, that folke ranne flocking
thither in huge numbers, from all quarters. But the neighbour
Iustices, finding the abuse, and looking into, the consequence,
forbad the resort, sequestred the spring, and suppressed the miracle.
Howbeit, the water should seeme to be healthfull, if not helpfull:
for it retaineth this extraordinary quality, that the same is
waightier, then the ordinary of his kinde, and will continue
the best part of a yeere, without alteration of sent or taste; onely
you shall see it represent many colours, like the Raine-bowe,
which (in my conceite) argueth a running thorow some minerall veine,
and therewithall a possessing of some vertue.
Aside from this towne, towards the North sea, extendeth a fruitfull
veine of land, comprizing certayne parishes, which serueth better
then any other place in Cornwall for Winter feeding, and suitably
enricheth the Farmours. Herethrough, sundry Gentlemen haue there
planted their seates, as, in S. Kew, master Carnsew, at Bokelly:
in S. Endelion, master Roscarrock, at his House of the same
denomination: besides, master Penkeuel, Nichols, Barret, Flammock,
Cauel, and diuers more.