The Survey of Cornwall Part 32

The three & twentieth of July, 1595. soone after the Sun was risen, and had chased a fogge, which before kept the sea out of sight, 4. Gallies of the enemy presented themselues vpon the coast, ouer-against Mousehole, [157] and there In a faire Bay, landed about two hundred men, pikes and shot, who foorthwith sent their forlorne hope, consisting of their basest people, vnto the stragled houses of the countrie, about halfe a mile compa.s.se or more, by whome were burned, not onely the houses they went by, but also the Parish Church of Paul, the force of the fire being such, as it vtterly ruined all the great stonie pillers thereof: others of them in that time, burned that fisher towne Mowsehole, the rest marched as a gard for defence of these firers. The Inhabitants being feared with the Spaniards landing and burning, fled from their dwellings, and verie meanely weaponed, met with Sir Francis G.o.dolphin on a greene, on the West side of Pensance, who that forenoone comming from his house, for pacifying some controuersies in those Western parts, and from the hils espying the fires in that towne, Church, and houses, hastened thither: Who foorthwith sent to all the Captaines of those parts, for their speedie repaire with their companies, and also sent by Poast to Sir Francis Drake, and Sir Iohn Hawkins (then at Plymmouth with a fleete bound for the Indies) aduertis.e.m.e.nt of the arriuall of these foure Gallies, and of their burnings, aduising them to looke to themselues, if there were any greater fleete of the enemies at Sea, and to send West with all haste, what succours by sea or land they could spare. Then Sir Francis G.o.dolphin aduised that weake a.s.sembly, to retire into Pensance, and to prepare it for defence, vntill the comming of the Countrie forces that hee had sent for. But they finding themselues in number something aboue a hundred, wherein were about thirtie or fortie shot, though scarce one third of them were seruiceable, insisted to march against the enemies, to repell them from farther spoyles of their houses.

But while they were marching towards them, the Spaniards returned aboord their Gallyes, and presently remooued them farther into the Bay, where they anch.o.r.ed againe, before and neere a lesser fisher towne, called Newlyn.

There againe with all speede they landed, and imbattelled in the slope of a hill, about foure hundred pikes and shot, sending about two rankes of soldiers, three in a ranke, vp to the top of the hill, to discouer what forces or ambushes of the Countrey might lye in view: who espying none but those that were returned with Sir Frauncis G.o.dolphin, from their forementioned fruitlesse march, gaue notice thereof to their imbatteled company. Wherevpon they forthwith marched towards Penzance.

Vpon their moouing, Sir Frauncis G.o.dolphin moued also, to enter Penzance before them: and a.s.soone as that weake number were entred into the open greene being of three quarters of a mile length, the Gallyes ceased not to ply them all that way with their ordinance from their prowes, as busily as they could. Of which shot, though none were hurt, but onely a Constable vnhorsed without any harme, sauing the shew on his doublet of the bullets sliding by his back, yet many in fearefull manner, some fell flat to the ground, and others ranne away.

Sir Frauncis sent after those that were entred Penzance before him, that they should make their stand at the market place, himselfe [158]

staying hindmost, to obserue the enemies order, and which way they would make their approach. Which done, he found at the said market place but onely two resolute shot, who stood at his commaund, and some ten or twelue others that followed him, most of them his owne seruants; the rest, surprised with feare, fled, whom, neither with his perswasions, nor threatning with his rapier drawne, hee could recall.

Finding himselfe thus abandoned, and the enemies entred the towne in three parts, he was then forced to depart, the enemies beginning their fire some houses behinde him. The towne thus fired, as also the forementioned little fisher towne Newlyn, they returned againe to their Gallies.

By this time, towards the euening, the Cornish forces encreased in nomber, and amended in heart, encamped themselues on the greene, neere to the towne of Markesew and S. Michaels Mount, for defence thereof, and there spent out the night. The next day the enemy made showe to land againe on the West side of the bay; but seeing the people, though few in number, yet resolute to resist, they desisted from their enterprize: and besides, finding themselues annoyed by the shooting of bullets and arrowes into their Gallies where they roade at anchor, they were forced to remoue them farther off.

Soone after, viz. on the 25. of July in the morning, came thither Sir Nic. Clifford, Sir H. Power, and certaine other Captaines, who were sent by the Generals from Plymmouth to the campe: As some of her Maiesties ships were also sent, who being come as farre as the Lizard head, & those Captaines to the camp, matters there goe on in prouident and orderly sort, a plot is layd for intercepting the enemy by ambush, if he thrust on sh.o.r.e againe, whereto necessity must soone haue pressed him, for renuing his consumed store of fresh water: but within one houre after the arriuall of these Captaines, the winde, which was vntill then strong at Southeast, with mist and rayne, to haue impeached the Gallies returne, suddenly changed into the Northwest, with very fayre and cleare weather, as if G.o.d had a purpose to preserue these his rods for a longer time. The winde no sooner came good, but away pack the Gallies with all the hast they could.

Thus haue you a summary report of the Spaniards glorious enterprise, and the Cornish mens infamous cowardise, which (were there any cause) I could qualify by many reasons, as, the suddennesse of the attempt, the narrownesse of the country, the opennesse of the towne, the aduantage of the Gallies ordinance on a people vnprepared against such accidents, through our long continued peace, & at that very time, for the most part, eyther in their Tynne-workes, or at sea, who e're the next day made resistance, euen with a handfull, and entred a vowed resolution, to reuenge their losse at the next encounter, if the enemy had landed againe.

So might I likewise say, that all these circ.u.mstances meeting in any other quarter of the Realme, would hardly haue produced much better effects. But I will not seeke to thrust my Countrymen into any other folkes company, for shifting them out of sight.

Verily such sudden surprizes worke more indignity [159] then dammage, and more dammage then disgrace, and haue so beene euer construed.

Moscho, a head Citie in a populous dominion, was burned by the roguing Tartars, anno domini 1572 [Liu. lib. 3.]. The Capitoll, a head fortresse, in a populous Citie, was taken by slaues and outlawes, anno vrbis, 292. and yet, who therefore exalteth the Tartars valiancy, aboue the Moschouite, or the Romanes slaues & outlawes, aboue their masters? Besides, such nap-taking a.s.saults, spoylings, and firings, haue in our forefathers daies, betweene vs and Fraunce, beene very common; and yet, who is so witlesse, as to twite eyther of both, for the same?

But least hold can the author, and actor of this Tra-gedy take, to build any vaunt hereon: for oftentimes small troups of ours, against farre greater forces of theirs, yea (sometimes) after forewarning, and preparance, haue wonne, possessed, ransacked, synged, captiued, and carried away the townes, wealth, and Inhabitants, not onely of their Indies, but of Portugall and Spaine it selfe. Which Nombre de dios, S. Domingo, Cartagena, the lower towne of the Groigne, Penecha, the suburbs of Lisbone, and Cales wil testify, beyond all exception. But our Countrymen leauing reason & example, excuse themselues by destiny. In fatis they say (& not in fatuis) it was, that the Cornish people should vndergo this misfortune: for an ancient prophecy, in their owne language, hath long run amongst them, how there should land vpon the rock of Merlin, those that would burn Pauls Church, Pensants, and Newlyn. And indeed, so is the rocke called, where the enemy first stept on sh.o.r.e. The prophesy is this:

Ewra teyre a war meane Merlyn Ara Lesky Pawle Pensanz ha Newlyn.

Not farre from the lands ende, there is a little village, called Trebegean, in English, The towne of the Giants graue: neere whereunto, and within memory (as I haue beene informed) certayne workemen searching for Tynne, discouered a long square vault, which contayned the bones of an excessiue bigge carkas, and verified this Etimology of the name.

At Saint Buriens, a parish of great circuit, and like benefit to the Inc.u.mbent, King Athelstane accomplished his vowe, in founding a Colledge of Priests, what time he had conquered the Sillane Ilands.

Chiwarton signifyeth, a house on the greene lay, and a Castle on a greene hill is giuen by the Gent. of that name, who, in a quiet single life, maketh no farther vse of his knowledge gotten in the lawes, during his younger age, or that experience, wherewith a long course of yeeres hath sithence enriched him, then may tend, sine lucro, to the aduauncement of publike iustice, or, sine strepitu, to the aduis.e.m.e.nt of his priuate acquaintance. Hee beareth A.

a Castle S. standing on a hill. V.

Sundry other Gentlemen people that remote quarter as Lauelis, &c.

touching whom I must plead, non sum informatus.

Diogenes, after he had tired his Scholers with a long Lecture, finding at last the voyde paper, Bee glad, my friends (quoth hee) wee are come to harbour. With the like comfort, in an vnlike resemblance, I will refresh

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you who haue vouchsafed to trauaile in the rugged and wearyfome path of mine ill-pleasing stile, that now your iourney endeth with the land; to whose Promontory (by Pomp. Mela, called Bolerium: by Diodorus, Velerium: by Volaterane, Hele- nium: by the Cornish, Pedn an laaz: and by the English, The lands end) be- cause we are arriued, I will heere sit mee downe and rest.

Deo gloria: mihi gratia. 1602. April. 23.