The Survey of Cornwall Part 14

Neither doe they want some signification, as G.o.dolfin, alias G.o.dolghan, a white Eagle: Chiwarton, the greene Castle on the hill: which Gentlemen giue such Armes; Reskimer, the great Dogges race, who beareth a Wolfe pa.s.sant. Carnsew, alias, Carndew, a black rock: his house Bokelly, which soundeth the lost Goat: and a Goate he beareth for his coate: Carminow, a little Citie: Cosowarth, the high Groue, &c.

And as the Cornish names hold an affinity with the Welsh, so is their language deduced from the same source, and differeth onely in the dialect. But the Cornish is more easie to bee p.r.o.nounced, and not so vnpleasing in sound, with throat letters, as the Welsh.

A friend of mine, one master Thomas Williams, discoursed once with mee, that the Cornish tongue was deriued from, or at least had some acquayntance with the Greeke: and besides diuers reasons which hee produced to proue the same, he vouched many wordes of one sence in both; as for example :

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Greeke Cornish English

Teino Tedna Draw Mamma Mamm Mother Episcopos Escoppe Bishop Klyo Klowo Heere Didaskein Dathisky To teach Kyon Kye Dogge Kentron Kentron Spurre Methyo Methow Drink Scaphe Scapth Boat Ronchos Ronche Snorting, &c.

This language is stored with sufficient plenty to expresse the conceits of a good wit, both in prose and rime: yet they can no more giue a Cornish word for Tye, then the Greekes for Ineptus, the French for Stand, the English for Emulus, or the Irish for Knaue.

Others they have not past two or three naturell, but are fayne to borrow of the English: mary, this want is releeuved with a flood of most bitter curses, and spitefull nick-names.

They place the adiective after the substantive, like the Grecians and Latines, as Father ours, March guiddn, horse white, &c.

1 2 3 4 In numbring they say, Wonnen, Deaw, Tre, Pidder, 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 Pimp, Whey, Zith, Eath, Naw, Deag, Ednack, Dowthack, 13 14 15 16 17 18 Tarnack, Puzwarthack, Punthack, Wheytack, Zitack, Itack, 19 20 40 100. 1000. 10000.

Naunzack, Eygganz, Deaw Egganz, Cans, Mille, Molla.

Durdatha why, is Good morrow to you.

Trenestatha, Good night.

Fatlugan a why: How do you?

Da durdalathawhy: Wel I thanke you.

Betha why Iawanneck: Be you mery.

Benetugana: Farewell.

A sister, they call Whoore: a whoore, whorra: a priest, coggaz: a partridge, grigear: a Mare, cazock.

Relauta: by my troth.

Warrasay: by my fayth.

Molla tuenda laaz, ten thousand mischiefs in thy guts.

Mille vengeance warna thy, a thousand vengeances take thee.

Pedn ioll, deuils head: Pedn brauze, great head: pedn mowzack, stinking head: and so in Infinitum.

Which termes, notwithstanding thogh they witnes their spite on the one side, yet retayne they as great a proofe of their deuotion on the other: for the Lords Prayer, the Apostles Creed, and the ten commaundements, haue beene used in Cornish beyond all remembrance.

But the princ.i.p.all loue and knowledge of this language, liued in Doctor Kennall the Ciuilian, and with him lyeth buryed: for the English speach doth still encroche vpon it, and hath driuen the same into the vttermost skirts of the s.h.i.+re. Most of the Inhabitants can no word of Cornish; but very few are ignorant of the English: and yet some so affect their owne, as to a stranger they will not speake it: for if meeting them by chance, you inquire the way or any such matter, your answere shal be, Meea nauidua cowzasawzneck, I can speake no Saxonage. The English which they speake, is good and pure, as receyuing it from the best hands of their owne Gentry, and the Easterne Marchants: but they disgrace it, in part, with a broad and rude accent, and eclipsing (somewhat like the Somersets.h.i.+re men) specially in p.r.o.nouncing the names: as Thomas they call, Tummas & Tubby: Mathew, Mathaw: Nicholas, Nichlaaz: Reginald, Reinol: David, Daaui: Mary, Maari: Frauncis, [57] Frowncis: Iames, Iammez: Walter, Watty: Robert, Dobby: Rafe, Raw: Clemence, Clemmcowe, &c. holding herein a contrary course of extension to the Italians abridgement, who terme Frauncis, Cecco: Dominick, Beco : Lawrence, Renzo: as also to the Turks, who name Constantinople, Stampoli: Adrianople, Adrina: an Olifant, Fil: and the Sicilians, who curtayle Nicholas, to Cola.

Besides these, they haue taken vp certayne peculiar phrases, which require a speciall Dictionarie for their interpretation: of which kinde are,

Tis not 'bezibd' (fortuned) to me: Thou hast no 'road' (ayme), he will never 'scrip' (escape) it, he is nothing 'pridy' (handsome), 'b.o.o.bish' (lubberly), 'dule' (comfort), 'lidden' (by-word), 'shune' (strange), 'thew' (threaten), 'skew' (shunne), 'hoase' (forbeare).

To reproue one of lazines, they will say, Doest thou make Idle a coate? that is, a coate for idlenes? In coniecturing what number may effect a thing, they adde, or same: as two, or some: ten, or some: twentie, or some: id est, thereabouts.

The other rude termes, wherewith Deuon and Cornish men are often twyted, may plead in their defence, not onely the prescription of antiquitie, but also the t.i.tle of proprietie, and the benefit of significancy: for most of them take their source from the Saxon, our naturall language, and continue in vse amongst the Dutch: as Nimme commeth of Nimpt: Vang, of Fieng: the one importing a taking by ones selfe: the other by deliuery: both which we now confound. Ich to Ick, Cund to Cundigen, Lading, to Geladen: eruing goods, to Erbnuss. So Thwyting, is properly the cutting of little chippes from a stick. Pilme, the dust which riseth: Brusse, that which lyeth: which termes, as they expresse our meaning more directly, so they want but another Spencer, to make them pa.s.sable.

The number of Cornish Inhabitants, though it cannot directly bee summed, may yet proportionably be gessed at by the musters taken of the able men (hereafter set downe) which wee will value at a third part of the whole, in ensuing Bodins rate.

But another question falleth sometimes into scanning, namely, whether Cornwall haue heretofore beene better stored with people, then it is now. Some holde the affirmatiue, and vouch to prooue it, the generall decay of Inland townes, where whole streets, besides particular houses, pay tribute to Comdowne Castle, as also the ruines yet resting in the wilde Moores, which testifie a former inhabitance. Others incline againe to the negatiue, alleadging the reasons heretofore touched, in the deare price of farmes or bargaines, by which mine a.s.sent is rather swayed: for I suppose that those waste grounds were inhabited, and manured, when the Saxons and Danes continual inuasions draue them to abandon the sea coasts, saue in such townes, as were able to muster, vpon any sodaine occasion, a sufficient number for their owne defence. The residue retired into the heart of the land, where, vpon a longer warning, they might sooner a.s.semble from all sides, to make head, and the enemie in so far a march and retrait, should aduenture a greater hazard to bee distressed by the way. Which policy the French were driuen vnto, in Edward the thirds time, vpon the Englishmens [58] often roades, and the Spaniards make vse of at this day, in their Indies.

Touching the decayed Inland townes, they are counteruayled with a surplusage of increase of those on the coast, and the desolate walks in the Mores, haue begotten a seuen-fold race of cotages neere the sea side. And thus much of Cornwall compared with it selfe: now, if you match it with other champion s.h.i.+res, methinks, I may gather the same to be better inhabited, within a like circuit of miles, because the plenty of hils & valleys, afford a large quant.i.ty of ground thereunto. He that cannot conceiue this, may read Polibius in his 9 booke, where it is written, that for this reason, Lacedemon, being but fourty eight furlongs in compa.s.se, contayneth more dwellings then Megalopolis, which extendeth vnto fiftie.

My last proofe is grounded on this, that where the most part of the s.h.i.+re is seuered into inclosures, you cannot easily make choyce to stand in any one of them, aboue a quarter of a mile distance from some dwelling house.

After the names, language, and number thus perused, the Cornish peoples disposition & quality of mind and body, as well ancient as present, and then their degrees and recreations, succeed to be surueyed. The first Inhabitants, or Aborigenes, as the Paynims held, resembled those whom our stories affirme Brute to haue found here at his landing, huge of body, rough of liuing, & sauage of conditions, whome an old Poet desciphered in certaine verses, which I receiued of my particular kind friend, and generally well-deseruing Countreyman M. Camden, now Clarentieulx, which he since hath published.

--t.i.tanibus ilia, Sed paucis famulosa domus, quibus vda ferarum Terga dabant vestes, cruor haustus, pocula trunci: Antra lares, dumeta thoros, caenacula rupes, Praeda cibos, raptus venerem, spectacula caedes, Imperium vires, animos furor, impetus arma, Mortem pugna, sepulchra rubus, monstrisque gemebat Monticolis tellus, sed eorum plurima tractus, Pars erat Occidui, terror maiorque premebat, Te furor extremum Zephiri Cornubia limen.

Which sound thus in English.

This was the t.i.tans haunt, but with No plenty did abound, Whom beasts raw hides for clothing seru'd; For drinke, the bleeding wound ; Cups, hollow trees; their lodging, dennrs ; Their beds, brakes; parlour, rocks; Prey, for their food; rauine, for l.u.s.t; Their games, life-reauing knocks.

Their Empire, force; their courage, rage ; A headlong brunt, their armes ; Combate, their death; brambles, their graue.

The earth groan'd at the harmes Of these mount-harbour'd monsters : but The coast extending West, Chiefe foyson had, and dire dismay, And forest fury prest Thee, Cornwall, that with utmost bound Of Zephire art possest.

But afterwards, the Cornishmen, through the conuersation of forraine Marchants trading into their countrey for Tyn, by the testimony of Diodorus Siculus; grew to a larger measure of ciuility, then others their fellow, but more remoted Ilanders. From which ciuility, in the fruitful age of Canonization, they stepped a degree farder to holines, & helped to stuffe the church kalender with diuers Saints, either made or borne Cornish. Such was Keby son to Solomon prince of Cor. such Peran, who if my author

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the Legend lye not) after that (like another Iohannes de temporibus) he had liued two hundred yeres with perfect health, tooke his last rest in a Cornish parish, which therethrough he endowed with his name.

And such were Dubslane, Machecu, & Manslunum, who (I speake vpon Math.

of Westm. credit) forsooke Ireland, thrust themselues to sea, in a Boat made of three Oxe skinnes and a halfe, with seuen daies victuall, and miraculously arriued in Cornwall.

Of Cornishmen, whose industrie in learned knowledges hath recommended their fame to their posterity, these few as yet are onely come to my notice: [1170] Iohn of Cornwall, a student at Rome, and other places in Italy, wrote of the Incarnation of Christ, against Peter Lumbard, and dedicated the same to Pope Alexander the third, by whom he was highly fauoured.

[1201] Simon Thurnay, after he had out-gone all the Oxford schollers in prophane learning (sayth the commendably paynefull Antiquarie, and my kind friend, Master Hooker) pa.s.sed from thence to Paris, and there so profited in the study of diuinitie, that he attayned the chiefest place amongst the profound Sorbonists. But it was a windy knowledge that thus filled his sayles of glory, which grew at last so to tempest his wittes, as he held Aristotle superior to Moses and Christ, and yet but equall to himselfe. But this extreame surquedry, forfeyted his wittes, so as at last they could not serue him to know any letter in the booke, or to remember ought that he had done.

In King Henry the thirds time, liued Michael of Cornwall, admirable (as those dayes gaue) for his variety of Latine rimes, who maintayned the reputation of his Countrey, against Henry de Abrincis, the Kings Arch-Poet, but somewhat angerly, as it seemeth by these verses against the said de Abrincis:

Est tibi gamba capri, crus Pa.s.seris, & latus Apri, Os leporis, catuli nasus, dens & gena muli, Frons vetulae, tauri caput, & color vndique Mauri His argumentis, quibus est argutia mentis, Quod non a Monstro differs, satis hic tibi monstro.

[1292] Walter of Exon, a Franciscane Frier of Carocus in Cornwall, at the request of Baldwin of Exon (de-) formed the Historie of Guy of Warwick.

G.o.dfrey, surnamed of Cornwall, was about that time a cunning Schoole-man, and Diuinitie Reader in Paris.

[1342] William de Grenefild, from the Deanry of Chichester, stepped to the Chauncellors.h.i.+p of England, and Archbishop.r.i.c.k of York, under K. E. the first.

In Ed, the seconds daies, one Geffrey of Cornwall, is remembred for a writer.

Iohn Treuisa, a Cornishman, liued in R. the 2. raigne, & translated diuers books into English.

King Henry the fift not vnmindfull of the ciuiller Arts amongst his Martiall exployts, founded an Vniversitie at Caen in Normandie, & appointed Michael Tregury of Cornwall, for his rare gifts in learning, to bee Gouernour thereof.

In Henry the sixts time, Iohn Skewish compiled certaine abbridgements of Chronicles, and the warres of Troy.

King Henry the 7. promoted Iohn Arundel for his learning, to the sea of Excester.

Neither is Thomas Triuet to be forgotten, as a writer, [60]

though he haue grauen his memory in a fairer letter, by building the costly bridge at Bridge-water, of which sometimes he was Lord.