- Excerpts -Page 1 : Transcribers notes: i) This transcript retains the original spelling, except for the obsolete "long ess" character which has been replaced by 's' throughout. Spellings of proper names tend to be phonetic and haphazard. Eg Pensanz, Pensans, Pensants, Pensance, and Penzance are all the same place. ii) The Latin is worse than the English. I am 99.9% certain that I have transcribed it correctly, the doubt being where the printer has randomly mixed the "long ess" and "f" characters & neither form is in my Collin's Little Gem Latin Dictionary. iii) This transcript omits the original page numbering from the introduction and appendix, but retains it in the main text to support cross-referencing and the index. Each double-page spread was given a single page number. I have given these in []s at the beginning of the left- hand page. Page 16 : 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. Page 31 : After hauing thus laid open euerie particular of the land, naturall order leadeth my next labour, to bee imployed about the water, and the things incident thereunto: the water I seuer into fresh and salt. Touching fresh Water, euerie hill wel-neere sendeth forth plentifull, fresh, cleare and pleasant springs, profitable for moystning the ground, and wholesome for mans vse, & diuers by running through veines of Mettals, supposed also medicinable for sundrie diseases; of which more in their particular places. These springs, (as seuerall persons assembling, make a multitude) take aduantage of the falling grounds, to vnite in a greater strength, and beget Ryuers, which yet are more in number, and swifter in course, then deepe in bottome, or extended in largenesse. For they worke out their bed through an earth, full of Rockes and stones, suting therethrough, the nature onely of some speciall fishes, of which kind are, Minowes, Shoats, Eeles, and Lampreys. Page 46 : Kenel 1. di. Trebrabo. 24. Arwothel. 9. S. Mawgan. 9. Restrongas. 21. Helston. 30. Penryn. 21. Methele. 15. Treros. 6. Trenhale. 6. Minster. 12. Godolghan 13. als. Epo. 9. Trewotheck. 6. Pengirsick, 6. Trenaweth. 9. Rogearon. 9. Trelan. 9. Wenna. 9. Rosewike. 30. Trelew. 9. als. 1. Ac. Exo. Lysard. 12. Presprinick. 6. Tredaneck. 6. Trelybey. 9. Tucays. 6. Luceas 31. als. 31. Ac. Ex. Clehar. 6. Sum. 397. Acr. & dimid. Hundred de Pider. Deci. de naushike pro. 6. Trewenneck. 3. Kalestek. 4. Trewoleck. 9. Elineas. 24. Bodwenek. 9. Dygimbris. 39. Rialton parua. 57. Treloy. 9. Trenowith. 3. Page 61 : Suteable hereunto was their dwelling, & to that their implements of houshold: walles of earth, low thatched roofes, few partitions, no planchings or glasse windows, and scarcely any chimnies, other then a hole in the wall to let out the smoke: their bed, straw and a blanket: as for sheets, so much linen cloth had not yet stepped ouer the narrow channell, betweene them and Brittaine. Page 76 : Forts and Castles there are; some, olde and worne out of date; and some in present vse, with allowance of garrison. Amongst the first sort, I reckon these, appertayningto the Duchy, as also Tintogel, and diuers round holds on the tops of hils; some single, some double, and treble trenched, which are termed, Castellan Denis, or Danis, as raysed by the Danes, when they were destyned to become our scourge. Moreouer, in this ranke wee may muster the earthen Bulwarks, cast vp in diuers places on the South coast, where any commodity of landing seemeth to inuite the enemie, which (I gesse) tooke their originall from the statute 4. H. 8. and are euer sithence duely repayred, as need requireth, by order to the Captaynes of those limits. Page 91 : There lyeth a creeke of Ose, betweene two hilles, which deliuering a little fresh rillet into the sea, receyueth for recompence, a large ouerflowing of the salt water tides. This place is deepened to a pond, by casting vp part of the Ose to the heades, part to the middle, and part to the sides: the vpper head stoppeth out the fresh water, the lower keepeth in the salt: the middle rayseth an Iland for the Workmens [105] ease, the owners pleasure, and the fishes succour. The Ose thus aduaunced, within short space, through the sunne and winde, changeth his former softnes, to a firmer hardnesse. Round about the pond, there is pitched a frith of three foote heighth, sloped inwards, to barre any Otter from issuing, if hee there aduenture his naturall theft, as it would foreclose his entrance, but lose the pastime of his hunting, if the same declined outwards. Page 106 : 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 assigneth to haue bene darrayned at Gauelford, and perhaps the same, which the said Master Camden voucheth out of Marianus 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 bloody 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. Page 121 : Dudman, a wel-knowne foreland to most Saylers, here shouldreth out the Ocean, to shape the same a large bosome betweene it selfe, and Rame head, which are wel-neere twentie myles in distance. Amongst sundrie prouerbs, allotting an impossible time of performance, the Cornish men haue this one, When Rame-head and Dudman meet. Whose possession, yet, though not themselues, met in Sir Peers Edgecumb, as inioyning that, in right of his wife, and this, by descent from his Father. Bodrugan, a large demaines adioyning thereunto (which I will not deriue from Sir Bars du Ganis, though the neighbours so say) was the dwelling of Sir Henrie Trenowith, a man of great liuely-hood, who chaunged his name with the house, and lost house and holding, through attainder for rebellion, against king Henrie the seuenth. The king bestowed it, by an intailed gift, vpon Sir Richard Edgecumb. Page 136 : Deo gloria: mihi gratia. 1602. April. 23. The Table of the first Booke. | Accidents. | generall, in the first | Elements. The Suruey of | booke, reporting her | Inhabitants. Cornwal contai- | neth a description | Special,in the 2.book, | Topographical, | containing matters | Historicall. Accidents, wherein are deliuered the name & shape. Fol. 1. Climat. 2. The quantitie, length and breadth. ibid. Borders. ibid. Commodities of the situation. 3. Discommodities. 4. Temperature. 5. Elements. Earth aboue, forme, qualitie. 5. Things of life, growing, and feeling. |
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