Part 16 (1/2)
One point of their former roughnesse, some of the Westerne people do yet still retaine, & therethrough in some measure, verifie that testimonie which Mathew Westm. giueth of them, together with the Welsh, their auncient countrimen: namely, how fostering a fresh memorie of their expulsion long agoe by the English, they second the same with a bitter repining at their fellows.h.i.+p: and this the worst sort expresse, in combining against, and working them all the shrewd turnes which with hope of impunitie they can deuise: howbeit, it shooteth not to a like extremitie in all places and persons, but rather by little and little, weareth out vnto a more milde and conuersable fas.h.i.+on. Amongst themselues they agree well, and companie louingly together: to their gentlemen they carrie a verie dutifull regard, as enured in their obeysance from their ancestors, and holding them as Roytelets, because they know no greater.
Onelie it might be wished, that diuers amongst them had lesse spleene to attempt law-suits, for pettie supposed wrongs, or not so much subtiltie and stiffenesse to prosecute them: so should their purses be heauier, and their consciences lighter: a reporter must auerre no falshood, nor conceale any truth.
We must also spare a roome in this Suruey, to the poore, of whom few s.h.i.+res can shew more, or owne fewer then Cornwall.
Ireland prescribeth to be the nurserie, which sendeth ouer yeerely, yea and dayly whole s.h.i.+p-loades of these crooked slips, and the dishabited townes afford them rooting: so vpon the matter, the whole County maketh a contribution, to pay those Lords their rent.
Manie good Statutes haue beene enacted for redresse of these abuses, and vpon the first publis.h.i.+ng, heedfully and diligently put in practise: but [68] after the nine dayes wonder expired, the law is forgotten, the care abandoned, and those vermine swarme againe in euerie corner: yet those peeuish charitable cannot be ignorant, that herethrough, to the high offence of G.o.d and good order, they maintaine idlenes, drunkennesse, theft, lecherie, blasphemie, Atheisme, and in a word, all impietie: for a worse kind of people then these vagabonds, the realme is not pestered withal: what they consume in a day, wil suffice to releeue an honest poore paris.h.i.+oner for a week, of whose work you may also make some vse: their staruing is not to be feared, for they may be prouided for at home, if they list: no almes therefore should be cast away upon them, to the robberie of the needy impotent; but money least of all: for in giuing him siluer, you do him wrong, by changing his vocation, while you metamorphize him from a begger to a buyer. Lacks he meat, drinke, or apparrell? (and nothing els he ought to be owner of) he must procure them of the worst by free gift, and not make choice, for a iust price, of the best. Well, though the rogue laugh you to scorne at night, the alewife hath reason the next day to pray for you.
Surely we finde by experience, that this so hainous an enormitie may be both easily and quickly reformed: for let the Constables execute upon the rogues that last most beneficiall Act of Parliament, with due seueritie for one weeke, and the terror thereof will free the parish for a month: vse it a month, and you are acquited for the whole yere. If the Constables persift in their remisnesse, let the Iustices lay the penalty vpon them, and they will no longer hoodwinke themselues at their neighbours faults. Let the neighbour be so pinched by the purse, but once or twise, and he will become a great deale the more sensible to season his charity with discretion for a long time after.
Vpon the first statute, there was a house of correction erected at Bodmin, to the great charge, but little benefit of the Countrey.
Which experience lessoneth them to illude this later, by appoynting certaine cotagers houses in euery parish to serue, nomine tenus, for that purpose.
Lazer-houses, the deuotion of certaine Cornish Gentlemens ancesters erected at Minhinet, by Liskerd, S. Thomas by Launceston, and S. Laurence by Bodmyn: of which, this last is well endowed & gouerned.
Concerning the other, I haue little to say, vnlesse I should eccho some of their complaints, that they are defrauded of their right.
The much eating of fish, especially newly taken, and therein princ.i.p.ally of the liuers, is reckoned a great breeder of those contagious humours, which turne into Leprosie: but whence soeuer the cause proceedeth, dayly euents minister often pittifull spectacles to the Cornishmens eyes, of people visited with this affliction; some being authours of their owne calamity by the forementioned diet, and some others succeeding therein to an haereditarius morbus of their ancestors: whom we will leaue to the poorest comfort in miserie, a helplesse pittie.
But let me lead you from these vnpleasing matters, to refresh yourselues with taking view of the Cornishmens recreations, which consist princ.i.p.ally in feastes and pastimes.
Their feasts are commonly haruest dinners, Church-ales, and the solemnizing of their parish Churches dedication, which they terme their Saints feast.
[69]
The haruest dinners are held by euery wealthy man, or as wee terme it, euery good liuer, betweene Michaelmas and Candlemas, whereto he inuiteth his next neighbours and kinred, and though it beare onely the name of a dinner, yet the ghests take their supper also with them, and consume a great part of the night after in Christmas rule: neither doth the good cheere wholly expire (though it somewhat decrease) but with the end of the weeke.
For the Church-ale, two young men of the parish are yerely chosen by their last foregoers, to be Wardens, who deuiding the task, make collection among the paris.h.i.+oners, of whatsoeuer prouision it pleaseth them voluntarily to bestow. This they imploy in brewing, baking, & other acates, against Whitsontide; vpon which Holydayes, the neighbours meet at the Church-house, and there merily feed on their owne victuals, contributing some petty portion to the stock, which by many smalls, groweth to a meetly greatnes: for there is entertayned a kinde of emulation betweene these Wardens, who by his graciousnes in gathering, and good husbandry in expending, can best aduauce the Churches profit. Besides, the neighbour parishes, at those times louingly visit one another, and this way frankely spend their money together. The afternoones are consumed in such exercises, as olde and yong folke (hauing leysure) doe accustomably weare out the time withall.
When the feast is ended, the Wardens yeeld in their account to the Paris.h.i.+oners, and such money as exceedeth the disbursments, is layd vp in store, to defray any extraordinary charges arising in the parish, or imposed on them for the good of the Countrey, or the Princes seruice. Neither of which commonly gripe so much, but that somewhat stil remayneth to couer the purses bottome.
The Saints feast is kept vpon the dedication day, by euery housholder of the parish, within his owne dores, each entertayning such forrayne acquaintance, as will not fayle when their like turne cometh about, to requite him with the like kindnes.
Of late times, many Ministers haue by their ernest inuectiues, both condemned these Saints feasts as superst.i.tious, and suppressed the Church-ales, as licencious: concerning which, let it breed none offence, for me to report a conference that I had not long since, with a neere friend, who (as I conceiue) looked hereinto with an indifferent and vnpreiudicating eye. I do reuerence (sayd he) the calling and iudgement of the Ministers, especially when most of them concurre in one opinion, and that the matter controuersed, holdeth some affinity with their profession. Howbeit, I doubt, least in their exclayming or declayming against Church-ales and Saints feasts, their ringleaders did onely regard the rinde, and not perce into the pith, and that the rest were chiefly swayed by their example: euen as the vulgar, rather stouped to the wayght of their authoritie, then became perswaded by the force of their reasons. And first touching Church-ales, these be mine a.s.sertions, if not my proofes: Of things induced by our forefathers, some were inst.i.tuted to a good vse, and peruerted to a bad: againe, some were both naught in the inuention, and so continued in the practise. Now that Church-ales ought to bee sorted in the better ranke of these twaine, maybe gathered from their causes and [70] effects, which I thus ra.s.se vp together: entertaining of Christian loue, conforming of mens behauiour to a ciuill conuersation, compounding of controuersies, appealing of quarrels, raising a store, which might be concerted partly to good and G.o.dly vses, as releeuing all sorts of poore people, repairing of Churches, building of bridges, amending of high wayes; and partly for the Princes seruice, by defraying at an instant, such rates and taxes as the magistrate imposeth for the Countries defence.
Briefly, they tende to an instructing of the minde by amiable conference, and an enabling of the body by commendable exercises.
But I fearing lest my friend would runne himselfe out of breath, in this volubilitie of praising, stept athwart him with these obiections: That hee must pardon my dissenting from his opinion, touching the goodnesse of the inst.i.tution: for taken at best, it could not be martialled with the sacred matters, but rather with the ciuill, if not with the profane; that the very t.i.tle of ale was somewhat nasty, and the thing it selfe had beene corrupted with such a mult.i.tude of abuses, to wit, idlenes, drunkennesse, lasciuiousnes, vaine disports of ministrelsie, dauncing, and disorderly night-watchings, that the best curing was to cut it cleane away.
As for his fore-remembred good causes and effects, I sawe not, but that if the peoples mindes were guided by the true leuell of christian charity & duetie, such necessary and profitable contributions might stil be continued gratis, & the country eased of that charge to their purse and conscience, which ensueth this gourmandise. His reply was, that if this ordinance could not reach vnto that sanct.i.ty which dependeth on the first table, yet it succeeded the same in the next degree, as appertayning to the second.
Mine exception against the t.i.tle, he mockingly matched with their scrupulous precisenes, who (forsooth) would not say Christmas, nor Michaelmas, as other folk did; but Christs tide, and Michaels tide: who (quoth he) by like consequence must also bind themselues to say, Toms tide, Lams tide, and Candles tide. But if the name of ale relish so ill, whereas the licour itselfe is the English mans ancientest and wholesomest drinke, and serueth many for meate and cloth too; he was contented I should call it Church beere, or Church wine, or what else I listed: mary, for his part hee would loqui c.u.m vulgo, though hee studied sentire c.u.m sapientibus. Where I affirmed, that the people might by other meanes be trayned with an equall largesse to semblable workes of charitie, he suspected lest I did not enter into a through consideration of their nature and qualitie, which he had obserued to be this: that they would sooner depart with 12. pennyworth of ware, then sixepence in coyne, and this s.h.i.+lling they would willingly double, so they might share but some pittance thereof againe. Now in such indifferent matters, to serue their humours, for working them to a good purpose, could breed no maner of scandall. As for the argument of abuse, which I so largely dilated, that should rather conclude a reformation of the fault, then an abrogation of the fact.
For to prosecute your owne Metaph.o.r.e (quoth hee) surely I holde him for a sory Surgeon, that cannot skill to salue a sore, but by taking away the lymme, and little better then the Phisicion, who, to helpe the disease, will reaue the life of his Patient from him. Abuses, doubtlesse, great and many [71] haue, by successe of time, crept hereinto, as into what other almost, diuine, or ciuill, doe they not?
and yet in these publike meetings, they are so presented to euery mans sight, as shame somewhat restrayneth the excesse, and they may much the sooner bee both espied and redressed. If you thinke I goe about to defend Church-ales, with all their faults, you wrong your iudgement, & your iudgement wrongeth mee. I would rather (as a Burgesse of this ale-parliament) enact certaine lawes, by which such a.s.semblies should be gouerned: namely, that the drinke should neither be too strong in taste, nor too often tasted: that the ghests should be enterlarded, after the Persian custome, by ages, yong and old, distinguished by degrees of the better and meaner: and seuered into s.e.xes, the men from the women: that the meats should be sawced with pleasant, but honest talke: that their songs should be of their auncestours honourable actions: the princ.i.p.all time of the morning, I would haue hallowed to G.o.ds seruice: the after-noones applied to manlike actiuities: and yet I would not altogether barre sober and open dauncing, vntill it were first thoroughly banished from mariages, Christmas reuels, and (our Countries patterne) the court: all which should be concluded, with a reasonable and seasonable portion of the night: and so (sayd hee) will I conclude this part of my speech, with adding onely one word more for my better iustification: that in defending feasts, I maintayne neither Paradox, nor conceite in nubibus, but a matter practised amongst vs from our eldest auncestours, with profitable and well pleasing fruit, and not onely by our nation, but, both in former ages, by the best and strictest disciplined common wealth of the Lacedemonians, who had their ordinary Sissitia, and now in our dayes, as well by the reformed, as Catholike Switzers, who place therein a princ.i.p.al Arcanum imperij.
Now touching the Saints feasts, if you taynt them with suspect: of superst.i.tion, because they are held vpon those Saints daies, by whose names the parish Churches are stiled, I will ward that blow with the s.h.i.+eld of Arch-Saint Austines authoritie, who in his 8. booke of G.o.ds Citie, and 27. Chap. in the like case, iustifieth a lesse allowable practise of the primitiue Christians. Summa, he closed his discourse with this protection, that hee appealed not from, but to the honourably respected censure of the reuerend Ministery, desiring his speach might receiue, not the allowance of a position, but the licence of a proposition: which my friends modest submission, I could not but embrace my selfe, and recommend it ouer to your fauourable acceptation.
My last note touching these feasts, tendeth to a commendation of the ghests, who (though rude in their other fas.h.i.+ons) may for their discreete Judgement in precedence, and preseance, read a lesson to our ciuilest gentry. Amongst them, at such publike meetings, not wealth but age is most regarded: so as (saue in a verie notorious disproportion of estates) the younger rich reckoneth it a shame sooner then a grace, to step or sit before the elder honest, and rather expecteth his turne for the best roome, by succession, then intrudeth thereto by antic.i.p.ation.
Pastimes to delight the minde, the Cornish men haue Guary miracles, and three mens songs: and for exercise of the body, Hunting, Hawking, Shooting, Wrastling, [72] Hurling, and such other games.
The Guary miracle, in English, a miracle-play, is a kinde of Enterlude, compiled in Cornish out of some scripture history, with that grossenes, which accompanied the Romanes vetus Comedia.
For representing it, they raise an earthen Amphitheatre, in some open field, hauing the Diameter of his enclosed playne some 40. or 50.
foot. The Country people flock from all sides, many miles off, to hear and see it: for they haue therein, deuils and deuices, to delight as well the eye as the eare: the players conne not their parts without booke, but are prompted by one called the Ordinary, who followeth at their back with the booke in his hand, and telleth them softly what they must p.r.o.nounce aloud. Which maner once gaue occasion to a pleasant conceyted gentleman, of practising a mery pranke: for he vndertaking (perhaps of set purpose) an Actors roome, was accordingly lessoned (before-hand) by the Ordinary, that he must say after him. His turne came: quoth the Ordinary, Go forth man and shew thy selfe. The gentleman steps out vpon the stage, and like a bad Clarke in scripture matters, cleauing more to the letter then the sense, p.r.o.nounced those words aloud. Oh (sayes the fellowe softly in his eare) you marre all the play. And with this his pa.s.sion, the Actor makes the audience in like sort acquainted. Hereon the prompter falles to flat rayling & cursing in the bitterest termes he could deuise: which the Gentleman with a set gesture and countenance still soberly related, vntill the Ordinary, driuen at last into a madde rage, was faine to giue ouer all. Which trousse though it brake off the Enterlude, yet defrauded not the beholders, but dismissed them with a great deale more sport and laughter, then 20. such Guaries could haue affoorded.
They haue also Cornish three mens songs, cunningly contriued for the ditty, and pleasantly for the note.