Part 31 (1/2)
Vpon the left hand from hence, at the top of a creek, Perin towne hath taken vp his seat, rather pa.s.sable, then noteable, for wealth, buildings, and Inhabitants; in all which, though neere the hauens mouth, it giueth Truro the preeminence: the like whereof I obserue, touching diuers other townes, of the same situation, in Deuon, as Salcomb, and Kings bridge, Dartmouth, and Totnes, Topsham, and Excester: amongst which, those that stand highest vp in the Countrey, affoord therethrough, a fitter oportunity of accesse, from all quarters, and so a speedyer and larger vent of their commodities.
In Perin was Glasney Colledge, founded [1256.] by Walter Brouns...o...b.. & benefited by Iohn Graundson, Bishops of Excester [1327.], which See possesseth faire reuenues thereabouts.
Vpon another creeke on the same side, Carclew hath (after the Cornish maner) welneere metamorphosed the name of Master Bonithon, his owner, into his owne. He maried the daughter of Viuian, his father of Killigrew, his graundfather of Erisy, and beareth A. a Cheuron betweene 3, Floures de luce. S.
With any memorable act or accident, concerning this hauen, I cannot acquaint you, before my parting therefrom, saue onely, that Philip, Arch-duke of Austriche, during his voyage from Netherland towards Spayne (his wiues Kingdome) was weather-driuen into Weymouth, and, with a kinde constraint, receyued a more royall, then welcome entertainment, at the hands of King Henrie the 7. from which hee could not free himself, but by redeeming his libertie, with De la Pooles captiuity. This accomplished, he made choyce to take s.h.i.+p again at Falmouth, that so by the shortest cut, hee might leaue least power in fortune, to thwart him any second inc.u.mbrance.
Hailford, so called, of the fordible riuer Haill, if elsewhere placed, would carry the reputation of a good harbour; but as it now standeth, Falmouths ouer-neere neighbourhood lesseneth his vse, and darkeneth his reputation, as quitting it onely to the worst sort of Seafarers, I meane, Pirats, whose guilty brests, with an eye in their backs, looke warily how they may goe out, ere they will aduenture to enter; and this at vnfortifyed Hailford, cannot be controlled: in which regard, it not vnproperly brooketh his more common terme of Helford, and the nick-name of Stealfoord.
His sh.o.r.es affoord commodious seates, to the dwellings of Reskimer, who maried S. Abin, and beareth B. 3. barres A. in cheife a Wolfe pa.s.sant of the first: and Tregose, who matched with Kendal: his sonne with Erisy, and beareth B. two barres Gemewes in cheife a Lyon pa.s.sant O. armed and langued G.
And if your eares be not already cloyed with relation of wonders, I will let you vnderstand, how I was once carried to see one hereabouts. It is (forsooth) a [152] great rock, lying vpon the ground, his top deepned to a hollownesse, not much vnlike in fas.h.i.+on, but far exceeding in proportion the long halfe of an egge.
This (they say) holdeth water, which ebbeth and floweth as the sea, and, indeed, when I came thither, the tyde was halfe out, and the pit halfe empty. By it there stands a Chappell, & to it there belonged a couer, so as the same seemed, in former times, to cary some regard.
But I haue heard credible persons so discredit this woonder, that I dare not offer it you, as probable, much lesse thrust it vpon you, as approoued. The name thereof is, Hanterdauis, which (turning d to t) signifieth halfe a tongue.
More certaine, though lesse wonderfull, and yet, for the strangenesse, wel worth the viewing, is Mainamber: Mayne, is a rocke, amber, as some say, signifieth Ambrose. And a great rocke the same is, aduaunced vpon some others of a meaner size, with so equall a counterpeyze, that the push of a finger, will sensibly moue it too and fro: but farther to remooue it, the vnited forces of many shoulders are ouer-weake. Wherefore the Cornish wonder-gatherer, thus descrybeth the same,
BE thou thy mother natures worke, Or proofe of Giants might: Worthlesse and ragged though thou shew, Yet art thou worth the sight.
This hugy rock, one fingers force Apparently will moue; But to remooue it, many strengths Shall all like feeble prooue.
Helston, in Cornish, h.e.l.laz, in English, the greene hall, is a well seated and peopled towne, priuiledged, secundum vsum, with the rest, and one of the 4. Coynage places.
Vnder it runneth the riuer Lo, whose pa.s.sage into the sea, is thwarted by a sandy banke, which forceth the same to quurt back a great way, and so to make a poole of some miles in compa.s.se. It breedeth a peculiar kind of b.a.s.t.a.r.d Trought, in bignesse and goodnes exceeding such as liue in the fresh water, but comming short of those that frequent the salt.
The foreremembred bank serueth as a bridge, to deliuer wayfarers, with a compendious pa.s.sage, to the other side; howbeit, sometimes with more haste then good speed: for now and then, it is so pressed on the inside, with the increasing riuers waight, and a portion of the vtter sand, so washed downe by the waues; that at a sudden, out breaketh the vpper part of the poole, and away goeth a great deale of the sand, water, and fish: which instant, if it take any pa.s.senger tardy, shrewdly endangereth him, to flit for company: and some haue so miscarried.
To this poole adioyneth M. Penrose his house, whose kind entertainment hath giuen mee, and many others experience of these matters.
He maried the daughter of Rashleigh: he beareth A. 3. Bendes S.
charged with 9. restes.of the field.
Those 2. riuers of Haill and Lo, rising not farre asunder, doe enclose betweene them, as they runne into the sea, a neck of land, particularized with the name of Meneag: and in regard of his fruitfulnesse, not vnworthy of a seuerance.
[153]
Within this circuit, lie Trelawarren M. Viuians house, and Erisy, seated in 2. parishes, and descended, by a long ranke of ancestours, to the Gent, of that name, now in ward. His father married Carew: his graundsire, one of Militons coheires, who ouerliuing her husband, ended the course of her long and well commended widdowhood, in becomming Lady to Sir Nicholas Parker. The Enzies beare S.
a Cheuron, betweene 3. Griffons Sergreant O.
Clowance (deriued from Cloow, which signifieth, to heare) is the possession and dwelling of M. Saintabin, whose very name (besides the conquest roll) deduceth his first auncestours out of Fraunce.
His graundfather married Greinuile: his father, one of Whittingtons coheires: which later couple, in a long and peaceable date of yeeres, exercised a kinde, liberall, and neuer discontinued hospitality.
Himselfe tooke to wife the daughter of Mallet, and with ripe knowledge and sound iudgement, dischargeth the place which he beareth in his Countrey. Hee beareth O. on a crosse G. fiue Bezaunts.
Pengueraz, in Cornish importeth a head to help; from which, some deduce the Etymon of Pengersick, a fayre house, in an vnfruitfull soyle, sometimes the inhabitance of M. Militon, Captaine of the Mount, and husband to G.o.dolphin, whose sonne being lost in his trauaile beyond the seas, enriched 6. distafs with his inheritance. They were bestowed in mariage (but by me not orderly marshalled) as followeth: 1. to Erisy, and Sir Nicholas Parker. 2. to Lanine, 3. to Trefuses, and TreG.o.deck, 4. to Trenwith, Arundel, and Hearle, 5. to Bonithon. 6. to Abbot.
Not farre from thence, riseth G.o.dolghan-ball, or hill, at whose foote standeth a house of the same name, and so int.i.tling his owner, though lately declined (with a milder accent) to G.o.dolphin: in Cornish, it signifieth, a white Eagle: and such armes they carry in this sort: G. an Eagle displayed with two heads, betweene three Floures de luce A.
This hill hath, for diuers descents, supplyed those Gent.
bountifull mindes, with large meanes accruing from their Tynne-works, and is now possessed by Sir Frauncis G.o.dolphin Knight, whose zeale in religion, vprightnesse in iustice, prouidence in gouernment, and plentifull housekeeping, haue wonne him a very great and reuerent reputation in his Countrey: and these vertues, together with his seruices to her Maiestie, are so sufficiently knowne to those of highest place, as my testimony can adde little light thereunto: but by his labours and inuentions in Tynne matters, not onely the whole Countrey hath felt a generall benefit, so as the seuerall owners haue thereby gotten very great profit out of such refuse works, as they before had giuen ouer for vnprofitable; but her Maiesty hath also receyued encrease of her customes by the same, at least to the value of 10. thousand pound. Moreouer, in those works which are of his owne particular inheritance, hee continually keepeth at work, three hundred persons or thereabouts, & the yerely benefit, that out of those his works accrueth to her Maiestie, amounteth, communibus annis, to one thousand pound at the least, and sometimes to much more. A matter very remorceable, and perchaunce not to be matched againe by any of his sort and condition in the whole Realme. He succeeded to the inheritance [154] of his vnkle Sir William G.o.dolphin, who, as hath bene said before, demeaned himselfe verie valiantly in a charge which hee bare at Boloigne, towards the latter end of the reigne of King Henry the 8. & is like to leaue the same to another Sir William his sonne, who giueth hope, not onely of the sustaining, but increasing of the reputation of his family. Hee matched with Killigrew, his father with Bonython, his Graund-father with Glynne,
Diuers other Gentlemen there dwell in this Hundred, as Lanyne, the husband of Kekewitch, his father married Militon, and beareth S. a Castle, A. standing in waues B. ouer the same a Faulcon houerin with bels O. Pernwarne, that matched with the coheire of Tencreek, who beareth S. a Cheuron betweene three Flowers de luce A.