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[139]

After wee haue quitted Restormel, Roche becomes our next place
of soiourne, though hardly inuiting, with promise of any better
entertainement, then the name carieth written in his forehead,
to wit, a huge, high and steepe rock, seated in a playne, girded on
either side, with (as it were) two substitutes, and meritorious
(no doubt) for the Hermite, who dwelt on the top thereof, were it
but in regard of such an vneasie climing to his cell and Chappell,
a part of whose naturall wals is wrought out of the rock itselfe.

Neere the foote of Roche, there lyeth a rock, leuell with the ground
aboue, and hollow downwards, with a winding depth, which contayneth
water, reported  by some of the neighbours, to ebbe and flowe as
the sea.  Of these, as another Cornish wonder.

    You neighbour-scorners, holy-prowd,
      Goe people Roche's cell,
    Farre from the world, neere to the heau'ns,
      There, Hermits, may you dwell.
    Is't true that Spring in rock hereby,
      Doth tide-wise ebbe and flow?
    Or haue wee fooles with lyers met?
      Fame saies it: be it so.

From hence ascending easily the space of a mile, you shall haue wonne
the top of the Cornish Archbeacon Hainborough, which (as little
to great) may for prospect compare with Rama in Palestina,
Henius in Medica, Collalto in Italy, and Sceafel in the Ile of Man:
for if the weathers darkenesse bounde not your eye-sight, within his
ordynarie extent, you shall thence plainely discerne, to the Eastwards,
a great part of Deuon, to the West, very neere the lands end, to the
North and South, the Ocean, and sundrie Ilands scattered therein,
wherethrough it passeth also for a wonder.

    Haynboroughs wide prospect, at once,
      Both feedes, and gluts your eye,
    With Cornwals whole extent, as it
      In length and breadth doth lie.

At Ladocke, in this Hundred, dwelleth master Peter Courtney,
who doubly fetcheth his pedigree, from that honourable flocke,
and embraceth the contentment of a quiet priuate life, before the
publike charge in his Countrie, due to his calling, and to which
long sithence, he hath bene called.  His father maried (as I haue
shewed) the daughter & coheir of Trethurffe, himselfe Reskimers,
his sonne the daughter of Saintabyn: he beareth O. three Torteaux,
and a File with as many Lambeaux, B.

Leo Aser, in the delightfull, and approued description of his
Countrie, telleth vs of a blind guide, who would readily and safely
conduct straunger trauailers, ouer the huge Deserts, with which that
region aboundeth, and that the meanes he vsed, was, in certaine
distances, to smell at the sand, which gaue him perfect notice of
the places.

Likewise, Lewes Guicciardin, in his booke of Netherland, maketh report
of one Martyn Catelyn, borne at Weruicke in Flaunders, who falling
blind before he attained two yeeres age, grew, notwithstanding,
by his owne industrie, without any teacher, to such a perfection in
Timber handy-craft, as he could, not only turne, [140] and make
Virginals, Organes, Vyolons, and such like Instruments, with great
facilitie, order, and proportion, but also tune, and handsomely play
vpon them, and besides, deuised many seruiceable tooles for
his science.

These examples I thrust out before me, to make way, for a not much
lesse straunge relation, touching one Edward Bone, sometimes seruant
to the said master Courtney: which fellow (as by the assertion of
diuers credible persons, I haue beene informed) deafe from his cradle,
and consequently dumbe, would yet bee one of the first, to learne,
and expresse to his master, any newes that was sturring in the
Countrie: especially, if there went speech of a Sermon, within some
myles distance, hee would repaire to the place, with the soonest,
and setting himselfe directly against the Preacher, looke him
stedfastly in the face, while his Sermon lasted: to which religious
zeale, his honest life was also answerable.  For, as hee shunned all
lewd parts himselfe, so, if hee espied any in his fellow seruants,
(which hee could and would quickely doe) his master should
straightwayes know it, and not rest free from importuning, vntill,
either the fellow had put away his fault, or their master his fellow.

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