The Survey of Cornwall Part 16

One point of their former roughnesse, some of the Westerne people do yet still retaine, & therethrough in some measure, verifie that testimonie which Mathew Westm. giueth of them, together with the Welsh, their auncient countrimen: namely, how fostering a fresh memorie of their expulsion long agoe by the English, they second the same with a bitter repining at their fellowship: and this the worst sort expresse, in combining against, and working them all the shrewd turnes which with hope of impunitie they can deuise: howbeit, it shooteth not to a like extremitie in all places and persons, but rather by little and little, weareth out vnto a more milde and conuersable fashion. Amongst themselues they agree well, and companie louingly together: to their gentlemen they carrie a verie dutifull regard, as enured in their obeysance from their ancestors, and holding them as Roytelets, because they know no greater.

Onelie it might be wished, that diuers amongst them had lesse spleene to attempt law-suits, for pettie supposed wrongs, or not so much subtiltie and stiffenesse to prosecute them: so should their purses be heauier, and their consciences lighter: a reporter must auerre no falshood, nor conceale any truth.

We must also spare a roome in this Suruey, to the poore, of whom few Shires can shew more, or owne fewer then Cornwall.

Ireland prescribeth to be the nurserie, which sendeth ouer yeerely, yea and dayly whole Ship-loades of these crooked slips, and the dishabited townes afford them rooting: so vpon the matter, the whole County maketh a contribution, to pay those Lords their rent.

Manie good Statutes haue beene enacted for redresse of these abuses, and vpon the first publishing, heedfully and diligently put in practise: but [68] after the nine dayes wonder expired, the law is forgotten, the care abandoned, and those vermine swarme againe in euerie corner: yet those peeuish charitable cannot be ignorant, that herethrough, to the high offence of G.o.d and good order, they maintaine idlenes, drunkennesse, theft, lecherie, blasphemie, Atheisme, and in a word, all impietie: for a worse kind of people then these vagabonds, the realme is not pestered withal: what they consume in a day, wil suffice to releeue an honest poore parishioner for a week, of whose work you may also make some vse: their staruing is not to be feared, for they may be prouided for at home, if they list: no almes therefore should be cast away upon them, to the robberie of the needy impotent; but money least of all: for in giuing him siluer, you do him wrong, by changing his vocation, while you metamorphize him from a begger to a buyer. Lacks he meat, drinke, or apparrell? (and nothing els he ought to be owner of) he must procure them of the worst by free gift, and not make choice, for a iust price, of the best. Well, though the rogue laugh you to scorne at night, the alewife hath reason the next day to pray for you.

Surely we finde by experience, that this so hainous an enormitie may be both easily and quickly reformed: for let the Constables execute upon the rogues that last most beneficiall Act of Parliament, with due seueritie for one weeke, and the terror thereof will free the parish for a month: vse it a month, and you are acquited for the whole yere. If the Constables persift in their remisnesse, let the Iustices lay the penalty vpon them, and they will no longer hoodwinke themselues at their neighbours faults. Let the neighbour be so pinched by the purse, but once or twise, and he will become a great deale the more sensible to season his charity with discretion for a long time after.

Vpon the first statute, there was a house of correction erected at Bodmin, to the great charge, but little benefit of the Countrey.

Which experience lessoneth them to illude this later, by appoynting certaine cotagers houses in euery parish to serue, nomine tenus, for that purpose.

Lazer-houses, the deuotion of certaine Cornish Gentlemens ancesters erected at Minhinet, by Liskerd, S. Thomas by Launceston, and S. Laurence by Bodmyn: of which, this last is well endowed & gouerned.

Concerning the other, I haue little to say, vnlesse I should eccho some of their complaints, that they are defrauded of their right.

The much eating of fish, especially newly taken, and therein princ.i.p.ally of the liuers, is reckoned a great breeder of those contagious humours, which turne into Leprosie: but whence soeuer the cause proceedeth, dayly euents minister often pittifull spectacles to the Cornishmens eyes, of people visited with this affliction; some being authours of their owne calamity by the forementioned diet, and some others succeeding therein to an haereditarius morbus of their ancestors: whom we will leaue to the poorest comfort in miserie, a helplesse pittie.

But let me lead you from these vnpleasing matters, to refresh yourselues with taking view of the Cornishmens recreations, which consist princ.i.p.ally in feastes and pastimes.

Their feasts are commonly haruest dinners, Church-ales, and the solemnizing of their parish Churches dedication, which they terme their Saints feast.

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The haruest dinners are held by euery wealthy man, or as wee terme it, euery good liuer, betweene Michaelmas and Candlemas, whereto he inuiteth his next neighbours and kinred, and though it beare onely the name of a dinner, yet the ghests take their supper also with them, and consume a great part of the night after in Christmas rule: neither doth the good cheere wholly expire (though it somewhat decrease) but with the end of the weeke.

For the Church-ale, two young men of the parish are yerely chosen by their last foregoers, to be Wardens, who deuiding the task, make collection among the parishioners, of whatsoeuer prouision it pleaseth them voluntarily to bestow. This they imploy in brewing, baking, & other acates, against Whitsontide; vpon which Holydayes, the neighbours meet at the Church-house, and there merily feed on their owne victuals, contributing some petty portion to the stock, which by many smalls, groweth to a meetly greatnes: for there is entertayned a kinde of emulation betweene these Wardens, who by his graciousnes in gathering, and good husbandry in expending, can best aduauce the Churches profit. Besides, the neighbour parishes, at those times louingly visit one another, and this way frankely spend their money together. The afternoones are consumed in such exercises, as olde and yong folke (hauing leysure) doe accustomably weare out the time withall.

When the feast is ended, the Wardens yeeld in their account to the Parishioners, and such money as exceedeth the disbursments, is layd vp in store, to defray any extraordinary charges arising in the parish, or imposed on them for the good of the Countrey, or the Princes seruice. Neither of which commonly gripe so much, but that somewhat stil remayneth to couer the purses bottome.

The Saints feast is kept vpon the dedication day, by euery housholder of the parish, within his owne dores, each entertayning such forrayne acquaintance, as will not fayle when their like turne cometh about, to requite him with the like kindnes.

Of late times, many Ministers haue by their ernest inuectiues, both condemned these Saints feasts as superst.i.tious, and suppressed the Church-ales, as licencious: concerning which, let it breed none offence, for me to report a conference that I had not long since, with a neere friend, who (as I conceiue) looked hereinto with an indifferent and vnpreiudicating eye. I do reuerence (sayd he) the calling and iudgement of the Ministers, especially when most of them concurre in one opinion, and that the matter controuersed, holdeth some affinity with their profession. Howbeit, I doubt, least in their exclayming or declayming against Church-ales and Saints feasts, their ringleaders did onely regard the rinde, and not perce into the pith, and that the rest were chiefly swayed by their example: euen as the vulgar, rather stouped to the wayght of their authoritie, then became perswaded by the force of their reasons. And first touching Church-ales, these be mine a.s.sertions, if not my proofes: Of things induced by our forefathers, some were inst.i.tuted to a good vse, and peruerted to a bad: againe, some were both naught in the inuention, and so continued in the practise. Now that Church-ales ought to bee sorted in the better ranke of these twaine, maybe gathered from their causes and [70] effects, which I thus ra.s.se vp together: entertaining of Christian loue, conforming of mens behauiour to a ciuill conuersation, compounding of controuersies, appealing of quarrels, raising a store, which might be concerted partly to good and G.o.dly vses, as releeuing all sorts of poore people, repairing of Churches, building of bridges, amending of high wayes; and partly for the Princes seruice, by defraying at an instant, such rates and taxes as the magistrate imposeth for the Countries defence.

Briefly, they tende to an instructing of the minde by amiable conference, and an enabling of the body by commendable exercises.

But I fearing lest my friend would runne himselfe out of breath, in this volubilitie of praising, stept athwart him with these obiections: That hee must pardon my dissenting from his opinion, touching the goodnesse of the inst.i.tution: for taken at best, it could not be martialled with the sacred matters, but rather with the ciuill, if not with the profane; that the very t.i.tle of ale was somewhat nasty, and the thing it selfe had beene corrupted with such a mult.i.tude of abuses, to wit, idlenes, drunkennesse, lasciuiousnes, vaine disports of ministrelsie, dauncing, and disorderly night-watchings, that the best curing was to cut it cleane away.

As for his fore-remembred good causes and effects, I sawe not, but that if the peoples mindes were guided by the true leuell of christian charity & duetie, such necessary and profitable contributions might stil be continued gratis, & the country eased of that charge to their purse and conscience, which ensueth this gourmandise. His reply was, that if this ordinance could not reach vnto that sanct.i.ty which dependeth on the first table, yet it succeeded the same in the next degree, as appertayning to the second.

Mine exception against the t.i.tle, he mockingly matched with their scrupulous precisenes, who (forsooth) would not say Christmas, nor Michaelmas, as other folk did; but Christs tide, and Michaels tide: who (quoth he) by like consequence must also bind themselues to say, Toms tide, Lams tide, and Candles tide. But if the name of ale relish so ill, whereas the licour itselfe is the English mans ancientest and wholesomest drinke, and serueth many for meate and cloth too; he was contented I should call it Church beere, or Church wine, or what else I listed: mary, for his part hee would loqui c.u.m vulgo, though hee studied sentire c.u.m sapientibus. Where I affirmed, that the people might by other meanes be trayned with an equall largesse to semblable workes of charitie, he suspected lest I did not enter into a through consideration of their nature and qualitie, which he had obserued to be this: that they would sooner depart with 12. pennyworth of ware, then sixepence in coyne, and this shilling they would willingly double, so they might share but some pittance thereof againe. Now in such indifferent matters, to serue their humours, for working them to a good purpose, could breed no maner of scandall. As for the argument of abuse, which I so largely dilated, that should rather conclude a reformation of the fault, then an abrogation of the fact.

For to prosecute your owne Metaph.o.r.e (quoth hee) surely I holde him for a sory Surgeon, that cannot skill to salue a sore, but by taking away the lymme, and little better then the Phisicion, who, to helpe the disease, will reaue the life of his Patient from him. Abuses, doubtlesse, great and many [71] haue, by successe of time, crept hereinto, as into what other almost, diuine, or ciuill, doe they not?

and yet in these publike meetings, they are so presented to euery mans sight, as shame somewhat restrayneth the excesse, and they may much the sooner bee both espied and redressed. If you thinke I goe about to defend Church-ales, with all their faults, you wrong your iudgement, & your iudgement wrongeth mee. I would rather (as a Burgesse of this ale-parliament) enact certaine lawes, by which such a.s.semblies should be gouerned: namely, that the drinke should neither be too strong in taste, nor too often tasted: that the ghests should be enterlarded, after the Persian custome, by ages, yong and old, distinguished by degrees of the better and meaner: and seuered into s.e.xes, the men from the women: that the meats should be sawced with pleasant, but honest talke: that their songs should be of their auncestours honourable actions: the princ.i.p.all time of the morning, I would haue hallowed to G.o.ds seruice: the after-noones applied to manlike actiuities: and yet I would not altogether barre sober and open dauncing, vntill it were first thoroughly banished from mariages, Christmas reuels, and (our Countries patterne) the court: all which should be concluded, with a reasonable and seasonable portion of the night: and so (sayd hee) will I conclude this part of my speech, with adding onely one word more for my better iustification: that in defending feasts, I maintayne neither Paradox, nor conceite in nubibus, but a matter practised amongst vs from our eldest auncestours, with profitable and well pleasing fruit, and not onely by our nation, but, both in former ages, by the best and strictest disciplined common wealth of the Lacedemonians, who had their ordinary Sissitia, and now in our dayes, as well by the reformed, as Catholike Switzers, who place therein a princ.i.p.al Arcanum imperij.

Now touching the Saints feasts, if you taynt them with suspect: of superst.i.tion, because they are held vpon those Saints daies, by whose names the parish Churches are stiled, I will ward that blow with the shield of Arch-Saint Austines authoritie, who in his 8. booke of G.o.ds Citie, and 27. Chap. in the like case, iustifieth a lesse allowable practise of the primitiue Christians. Summa, he closed his discourse with this protection, that hee appealed not from, but to the honourably respected censure of the reuerend Ministery, desiring his speach might receiue, not the allowance of a position, but the licence of a proposition: which my friends modest submission, I could not but embrace my selfe, and recommend it ouer to your fauourable acceptation.

My last note touching these feasts, tendeth to a commendation of the ghests, who (though rude in their other fashions) may for their discreete Judgement in precedence, and preseance, read a lesson to our ciuilest gentry. Amongst them, at such publike meetings, not wealth but age is most regarded: so as (saue in a verie notorious disproportion of estates) the younger rich reckoneth it a shame sooner then a grace, to step or sit before the elder honest, and rather expecteth his turne for the best roome, by succession, then intrudeth thereto by antic.i.p.ation.

Pastimes to delight the minde, the Cornish men haue Guary miracles, and three mens songs: and for exercise of the body, Hunting, Hawking, Shooting, Wrastling, [72] Hurling, and such other games.

The Guary miracle, in English, a miracle-play, is a kinde of Enterlude, compiled in Cornish out of some scripture history, with that grossenes, which accompanied the Romanes vetus Comedia.

For representing it, they raise an earthen Amphitheatre, in some open field, hauing the Diameter of his enclosed playne some 40. or 50.

foot. The Country people flock from all sides, many miles off, to hear and see it: for they haue therein, deuils and deuices, to delight as well the eye as the eare: the players conne not their parts without booke, but are prompted by one called the Ordinary, who followeth at their back with the booke in his hand, and telleth them softly what they must p.r.o.nounce aloud. Which maner once gaue occasion to a pleasant conceyted gentleman, of practising a mery pranke: for he vndertaking (perhaps of set purpose) an Actors roome, was accordingly lessoned (before-hand) by the Ordinary, that he must say after him. His turne came: quoth the Ordinary, Go forth man and shew thy selfe. The gentleman steps out vpon the stage, and like a bad Clarke in scripture matters, cleauing more to the letter then the sense, p.r.o.nounced those words aloud. Oh (sayes the fellowe softly in his eare) you marre all the play. And with this his pa.s.sion, the Actor makes the audience in like sort acquainted. Hereon the prompter falles to flat rayling & cursing in the bitterest termes he could deuise: which the Gentleman with a set gesture and countenance still soberly related, vntill the Ordinary, driuen at last into a madde rage, was faine to giue ouer all. Which trousse though it brake off the Enterlude, yet defrauded not the beholders, but dismissed them with a great deale more sport and laughter, then 20. such Guaries could haue affoorded.

They haue also Cornish three mens songs, cunningly contriued for the ditty, and pleasantly for the note.

Amongst bodily pastimes, shooting carrieth the preeminence; to which in mine yonger yeeres I caried such affection, as I induced Archery, perswading others to the like liking, by this ensuing Prosopopeia:

My deare friends, I come to complaine vpon you, but to your selues: to blame you, but for your good: to expostulate with you, but in the way of reconciliation. Alas, what my desert can justify your adandoning my fellowship, & hanging me thus vp, to be smoke-starued ouer your chimnies? I am no stranger vnto you, but by birth, your countrywoman: by dwelling your neighbour: by education, your familiar: neither is my company shamefull; for I hant the light and open fieldes: nor my conuersation dangerous: nay, it shields you from dangers, and those not the least, but of greatest consequence, the dangers of warre. And as in fight I giue you protection, so in peace I supplie you pastime; and both in warre and peace, to your lymmes I yeelde actiue plyantnesse, and to your bodyes healthfull exercise: yea I prouide you food when you are hungrie, and helpe digestion when you are full. Whence then proceedeth this vnkinde and vnusuall strangenesse? Am I heavy for burden? Forsooth, a fewe light stickes of wood. Am I combrous for carriage? I couch a part of my selfe close vnder your girdle, and the other part serueth for a walking-staffe in your hand. Am I vnhandsome in your sight?

Euery piece of mee is comely, and the whole keepeth [73] an harmonicall proportion. Lastly, am I costly to bee prouided?

or hard to bee maintayned? No, cheapnesse is my purueyour, easinesse my preseruer, neither doe I make you blow away your charges with my breath, or taynt your nose with my sent, nor defile your face and fingers with my colour, like that h.e.l.lborne murderer, whom you accept before me. I appeale then to your valiant Princes, Edwards, and Henries, to the battayles of Cresey, Poyters, Agincourt, and Floddon, to the regions of Scotland, Fraunce, Spaine, Italy, Cyprus, yea and Iury, to be vmpires of this controuersie: all which (I doubt not) will with their euidence playnely prooue, that when mine aduerse party was yet scarcely borne, or lay in her swathling clouts, through mee onely your auncestours defended their Countrey, vanquished their enemies, succoured their friends, enlarged their Dominions, aduanced their religion, and made their names fearfull to the present age, and their fame euerlasting to those that ensue.

Wherefore, my deare friends, seeing I have so substantially euicted the rightof my cause conforme your wils to reason, conforme your reason by practise, and conuert your practise to the good of your selues and your Country. If I be praise-worthy, esteeme me: if necessary, admit me: if profitable, employ me: so shall you reuoke my death to life, and shew your selues no degenerate issue of such honourable Progenitours. And thus much for Archery, whose tale, if it be disordered, you must beare withall, for she is a woman, & her mind is pa.s.sionate.

And to giue you some taste of the Cornish mens former sufficiency that way: for long shooting, their shaft was a cloth yard, their p.r.i.c.ks 24. score: for strength, they would pierce any ordinary armour: and one master Robert Arundell (whom I well knew) could shoot 12. score, with his right hand, with his left, and from behinde his head.

Lastly, for neere and well aimed shooting, Buts made them perfect in the one, and rouing in the othe: for p.r.i.c.kes, the first corrupter of Archery, through too much precisenesse, were then scarcely knowne, and little practised. And in particular, I haue heard by credible report of those, who professed and protested themselues to haue bene eye-witnesses, that one Robert Bone of Antony shot at a little bird, sitting upon his cowes back, and killed it, the bird (I meane) not the cowe; which was either very cunning in the performance, or very foolish in the attempt. The first of these somewhat resembled one Menelaus, mentioned by Zosimus, lib. 2. who nocking three arrowes, & shooting them all at once, would strike three seuerall persons, and might haue deserued a double stipend in the graund Signiors gard, where the one halfe of his archers are left-handed, that they may not turne their taile to their Sultan while they draw. The other may in some sort compare with that Auo, reported by Saxo Gramaticus, for so good a markman, as with one arrow he claue the firing of his aduersaries bowe, the second he fixed betweene his fingers, and with the third strooke his shaft which he was nocking: or with that exploit of the fathers piercing an apple on his sonnes head, attributed by the same Saxo, to one Toko a Dane: and by the Switzers histories, to Guillaum Tell, the chiefe occasioner, and part-author of their libertie.

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Hurling taketh his denomination from throwing of the ball, and is of two sorts, in the East parts of Cornwall, to goales, and in the West, to the countrey.

For hurling to goales, there are 15. 20. or 30. players more or lesse, chosen out on each side, who strip them- selues into their slightest apparell, and then ioyne hands in ranke one against another. Out of these ranks they match themselues by payres, one embracing another, & so pa.s.se away: euery of which couple, are specially to watch one another during the play.

After this, they pitch two bushes in the ground, some eight or ten foote asunder; and directly against them, ten or twelue score off, other twayne in like distance, which they terme their Goales. One of these is appoynted by lots, to the one side, and the other to his aduerse party. There is a.s.signed for their gard, a couple of their best stopping Hurlers; the residue draw into the midst betweene both goales, where some indifferent person throweth vp a ball, the which whosoeuer can catch, and cary through his aduersaries goale, hath wonne the game. But therein consisteth one of Hercules his labours: for he that is once possessed of the ball, hath his contrary mate waiting at inches, and a.s.saying to lay hold vpon him. The other thrusteth him in the breast, with his closed fist, to keepe him off; which they call b.u.t.ting, and place in weldoing the same, no small poynt of manhood.

If hee escape the first, another taketh him in hand, and so a third, neyther is hee left, vntill hauing met (as the Frenchman sayes) Chausseura son pied, hee eyther touch the ground with some part of his bodie, in wrastling, or cry, Hold; which is the word of yeelding.

Then must he cast the ball (named Dealing) to some one of his fellowes, who catching the same in his hand, maketh away withall as before; and if his hap or agility bee so good, as to shake off or outrunne his counter-wayters, at the goale, hee findeth one or two fresh men, readie to receiue and keepe him off. It is therefore a very disaduantageable match, or extraordinary accident, that leeseth many goales: howbeit, that side carryeth away best reputation, which giueth most falles in the hurling, keepeth the ball longest, and presseth his contrary neerest to their owne goale. Sometimes one chosen person on eche party dealeth the ball.

The Hurlers are bound to the obseruation of many lawes, as, that they must hurle man to man, and not two set vpon one man at once: that the Hurler against the ball, must not but, nor hand-fast vnder girdle: that hee who hath the ball, must but onely in the others brest: that he must deale no Fore-ball, viz. he may not throw it to any of his mates, standing neerer the goale, then himselfe. Lastly, in dealing the ball, if any of the other part can catch it flying between, or e're the other haue it fast, he thereby winneth the same to his side, which straightway of defendant becommeth a.s.sailant, as the other, of a.s.sailant falls to be defendant. The least breach of these lawes, the Hurlers take for a iust cause of going together by the eares, but with their fists onely; neither doth any among them seek reuenge for such wrongs or hurts, but at the like play againe. These hurling matches are mostly vsed at weddings, where commonly the ghests vndertake to encounter all commers.

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The hurling to the Countrey, is more diffuse and confuse, as bound to few of these orders: Some two or more Gentlemen doe commonly make this match, appointing that on such a holyday, they will bring to such an indifferent place, two, three, or more parishes of the East or South quarter, to hurle against so many other, of the West or North.

Their goales are either those Gentlemens houses, or some townes or villages, three or foure miles asunder, of which either side maketh choice after the neernesse to their dwellings. When they meet, there is neyther comparing of numbers, nor matching of men: but a siluer ball is cast vp, and that company, which can catch, and cary it by force, or sleight, to their place a.s.signed, gaineth the ball and victory. Whosoeuer getteth seizure of this ball, findeth himselfe generally pursued by the aduerse party; neither will they leaue, till (without all respects) he be layd flat on G.o.ds dear earth: which fall once receiued, disableth him from any longer detayning the ball: hee therefore throwet the same (with like hazard of intercepting, as in the other hurling) to some one of his fellowes, fardest before him, who maketh away withall in like maner. Such as see where the ball is played, giue notice thereof to their mates, crying, Ware East, Ware West, &c. as the same is carried.

The Hurlers take their next way ouer hilles, dales, hedges, ditches; yea, and thorow bushes, briers, mires, plashes and riuers whatsoeuer; so as you shall sometimes see 20. or 30. lie tugging together in the water, scrambling and scratching for the ball. A play (verily) both rude & rough, and yet such, as is not dest.i.tute of policies, in some sort resembling the feats of warre: for you shall haue companies layd out before, on the one side, to encounter them that come with the ball, and of the other party to succor them, in maner of a fore-ward.

Againe, other troups lye houering on the sides, like wings, to helpe or stop their escape: and where the ball it selfe goeth, it resembleth the ioyning of the two mayne battels: the slowest footed who come lagge, supply the showe of a rere-ward: yea, there are hors.e.m.e.n placed also on either party (as it were in ambush) and ready to ride away with the ball, if they can catch it at aduantage. But they may not so steale the palme: for gallop any one of them neuer so fast, yet he shall be surely met at some hedge corner, crosse-lane, bridge, or deep water, which (by casting the Countrie) they know he must needs touch at: and if his good fortune gard him not the better, hee is like to pay the price of his theft, with his owne and his horses ouerthrowe to the ground. Sometimes, the whole company runneth with the ball, seuen or eight miles out of the direct way, which they should keepe.

Sometimes a foote-man getting it by stealth, the better to scape vnespied, will carry the same quite backwards, and so, at last, get to the goale by a windlace: which once knowne to be wonne, all that side flocke thither with great iolity: and if the same bee a Gentlemans house, they giue him the ball for a Trophee, and the drinking out of his Beere to boote.

The ball in this play may bee compared to an infernall spirit: for whosoeuer catcheth it, fareth straightwayes like a madde man, strugling and fighting with those that goe about to holde him: and no sooner is the ball gone from him, but hee resigneth this fury to the [76] next recyuer, and himselfe becommeth peaceable as before.

I cannot well resolue, whether I should more commend this game for the manhood and exercise, or condemne it for the boysterousnes and harmes which it begetteth: for as on the one side it makes their bodies strong, hard, and nimble, and puts a courage into their hearts, to meet an enemie in the face: so on the other part, it is accompanied with many dangers, some of which do euer fall to the players share.

For proofe whereof, when the hurling is ended, you shall see them retyring home, as from a pitched battaile, with b.l.o.o.d.y pates, bones broken, and out of ioynt, and such bruses as serue to shorten their daies; yet al is good play, & neuer Attourney nor Crowner troubled for the matter.

Wrastling is as full of manlinesse; more delightfull, and lesse dangerous: which pastime, either Cornish men deriued from Corineus, their first pretended founder, or (at least) it ministred some stuffe to the farcing of that fable. But to let that pa.s.se, their continual exercise in this play, hath bred them so skilfull an habit, as they presume, that neither the ancient Greek Palestritae, nor the Turks so much delighted Peluianders,not their, once countrymen, and stil neighbours, the Bretons, can bereaue them of this Laurell: and matchlesse, certes, should they be, if their cunning were answerable to their practise: for you shall hardly find an a.s.sembly of boyes, in Deuon or Cornwall, where the most vntowardly amongst them, will not as readily giue you a muster of this exercise, as you are p.r.o.ne to require it. For performing this play, the beholders cast themselues in a ring, which they call, Making a place: into the middle s.p.a.ce whereof, the two champion wrastlers step forth, stripped into their dublets and hosen, and vntrussed, that they may so the better commaund the vse of their lymmes, and first shaking hands in token of friendship, they fall presently to the effects of anger: for each, striueth how to take hold of other, with his best aduantage, and to beare his aduerse party downe: wherein, whosoeuer ouerthroweth his mate in such sort, as that either his backe, or the one shoulder, and contrary heele do touch the ground, is accounted to giue the fall.

If he be endangered, and make a narrow escape, it is called a foyle.

This hath also his lawes, of taking hold onely aboue girdle, wearing a girdle to take hold by, playing three pulles, for tryall of the mastery, the fall-giuer to be exempted from playing again with the taker, and bound to answere his successour, &c.

Many sleights and tricks appertaine hereunto, in which, a skilfull weake man wil soone get the ouerhand of one that is strong and ignorant. Such are the Trip, fore-hip, Inturne, the Faulx, forward and backward, the Mare, and diuers other like.

Amongst Cornish wrastlers, now liuing, my friend Iohn Goit may iustly challenge the first place, not by prerogatiue of his seruice in her Maiesties gard; but through hauing answered all challenges in that pastime without blemish. Neither is his commendation bounded within these limits, but his cleane made body and actiue strength, extend (with great agility) to whatsoeuer other exercise, of the arme or legge: besides his abilitie (vpon often tryall) to take charge at Sea, eyther as Master, or Captayne. All which good parts hee graceth with a good fellowlike, kinde, and respectfull carriage.

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Siluer prizes for this and other actiuities, were wont to be carried about by certaine Circ.u.mforanei, or set vp for Bidales: but time or their abuse hath now worne them out of date and vse.