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The Pearle (though here not aptly raunged) breed in bigge Oysters, and
Muscles, greater in quantitie, then acceptable for goodnesse, as
neither round nor Orient.  Perhaps Caesar spoyled the best beds, when
he made that gay Coate of them, to present his graundame Venus.

Cornwall is also not altogether destitute of Agates [8] and white
Corall, as by credible relation I haue learned.

But why seeke wee in corners for pettie commodities, when as the onely
mynerall of Cornish Tynne, openeth so large a field to the Countries
benefit? this is in working so pliant, for sight so faire, and in vse
so necessarie, as thereby the Inhabitants gaine wealth, the Merchants
trafficke, and the whole Realme a reputation: and with such plentie
thereof hath God stuffed the bowels of this little Angle, that (as
Astiages dreamed of his daughter) it ouerfloweth England, watereth
Christendome, and is deriued to a great part of the world besides.
In trauailing abroad, in tarrying at home, in eating and drinking,
in doing ought of pleasure or necessitie, Tynne, either in his owne
shape, or transformed into other fashions, is alwayes requisite,
alwayes readie for our seruice: but I shall rather disgrace, then
endeere it by mine ouer-weake commendation, and sooner tire myselfe,
then draw the fountaine of his praises drie.  Let this therefore
suffice, that it cannot bee of meane price, which hath found, with
it, Dyamonds, amongst it Gold, and in it Siluer.

The Cornish Tynners hold a strong imagination, that in the withdrawing
of Noahs floud to the Sea, the same tooke his course from East to West,
violently breaking vp, and forcibly carrying with it, the earth, trees,
and Rocks, which lay any thing loosely, neere the vpper face of the
ground.  To confirme the likelihood of which supposed truth, they doe
many times digge vp whole and huge Timber trees, which they conceiue
at that deluge to haue beene ouerturned and whelmed: but whether then,
or sithence, probable it is, that some such cause produced this effect.
Hence it commeth, that albeit the Tynne lay couched at first in
certaine strakes amongst the Rockes, like a tree, or the veines in a
mans bodie, from the depth whereof the maine Load spreadeth out his
branches, vntill they approach  the open ayre: yet they haue now two
kinds of Tynne workes, Stream, and Load: for (say they) the
foremencioned floud, carried  together with the moued Rockes and
earth, so much of the Load as was inclosed therein, and at the
asswaging, left the same scattered here and there in the vallies and
ryuers, where it passed; which being sought and digged, is called
Streamworke: under this title, they comprise also the Moore workes,
growing from the like occasion.  They maintaine these workes, to haue
beene verie auncient, and first wrought by the Iewes with Pickaxes of
Holme, Boxe, and Harts horne: they prooue this by the name of those
places yet enduring, to wit, Attall Sarazin, in English, the Iewes
offcast, and by those tooles daily found  amongst the rubble of such
workes.  And it may well be, that as Akornes made good bread, before
Ceres taught the vse of Corne; and sharpe Stones serued the Indians
for Kniues, vntill the Spaniards brought them Iron: so in the infancie
of knowledge, these poore instruments for want of better did supplie
a turne.  There are also taken vp in such works, certaine little
tooles heads of Brasse, which some terme Thunder-axes, but they make
small shew of any profitable vse.  Neither were the Romanes ignorant
of this trade, as may appeare by a brasse Coyne of Domitian's, found
in one of these workes, and fallen into my hands: and perhaps vnder
one of those Flauians, the Iewish workmen made here their first
arriuall.

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