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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. And to make his minde knowne, in this, and all other matters, hee vsed verie effectuall signes, being able therethrough, to receiue, and perform any enioyned errand. Besides, hee was afflicted with so firme a memorie, that he would not onely know any partie, whome hee had once seene, for euer after, but also make him knowne to any other, by some speciall obseruation, and difference. Vpon a brother of his, God laid the like infirmitie, but did not recompence it with the like raritie.