The Survey of Cornwall Part 26

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 sh.o.r.e 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 b.a.s.t.a.r.dy, 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 compa.s.se, 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 f.a.got 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 n.o.ble 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 a.s.signeth to haue bene darrayned at Gauelford, and perhaps the same, which the said Master Camden voucheth out of Maria.n.u.s 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 b.l.o.o.d.y 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 Ma.s.ses 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 s.p.a.ce 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 a.s.sembling 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 towns.e.m.e.n, 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 s.p.a.ce 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 G.o.d 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 t.i.tle 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 a.s.sumed 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, a.s.sembled, and (of their owne accord) chose two Commaunders, one they ent.i.tled the Prince of Condy, the other Mounsieur, who then lay in the field against him. For three dayes s.p.a.ce, they violently a.s.saulted 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 Roch.e.l.l 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 G.o.d woud not spare some watchword out of his prescience, to the Constantinopolitanes, what time Baldwyn Earle of Flaunders and others, first a.s.sisted, 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 circ.u.mstances, 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 s.p.a.ce 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.