From this Iland, a range of rocks reacheth ouer to the Southwest shore, discouered at the low water of Spring tides, and leauing onely a narrow entrance in the midst, called the Yate, for ships to passe thorow, whereto they are directed by certaine markes at land.
Vpon this South shore, somewhat within the Iland, standeth mount Edgecumb, a house builded and named by Sir Ric. Edgecumb, father to the now possessioner: and if comparisons were as lawfull in the making, as they prooue odious in the matching, I would presume to ranke it, for health, pleasure, and commodities, with any subiects house of his degree in England. It is seated against the North, on the declining of a hill, in the midst of a Deere park, neere a narrow entrance, thorow which the salt water breaketh vp into the country, to shape the greatest part of the hauen. The house is builded square, with a round turret at eche end, garretted on the top, & the hall rising in the mids aboue the rest, which yeeldeth a stately sound, as you enter the same. In Summer, the opened casements admit a refreshing coolenes: in Winter, the two closed doores exclude all offensiue coldnesse: the parlour and dining chamber giue you a large & diuersified prospect of land & sea; to which vnderly S. Nicholas Iland, Plymmouth fort, & the townes of Plymmouth, Stonehouse, Milbrook, & Saltajh. It is supplyed with a neuer-fayling spring of water, and the dwelling stored with wood, timber, fruit, Deere, and Conies. The ground abundantly answereth a housekeepers necessities, for pasture, arable and meadow, and is replenished with a kinde of stone, seruing both for building, lyme, and marle. On the seaclifs groweth great plenty of the best Ore-wood, to satisfie the owners want, and accommodate his neighbours. A little below the house, in the Summer euenings, Sayne-boates come and draw with their nets for fish; whither the gentry of the house walking downe, take the pleasure of the sight, and sometimes at all aduentures, buy the profit of the draughts. Both sides of the forementioned narrowe entrance, together with the passage betweene, (much haunted as the high way to PIymmouth) the whole towne of Stonehouse, and a great circuit of the land adioyning, appertaine to M. Edgecumbs inheritance: these sides are fenced with blockhouses, and that next to Mount Edgecumb, was wont to be planted with ordinance, which at coming & parting, with their base voices greeted such ghests as visited the house, neither hath the opportunity of the harbour wanted occasions to bring them, or the owners a franke mind to inuite them. For proofe whereof, the earst remembred Sir Ric. (a gentleman in whom mildnes & stoutnes, diffidence & wisdome, deliberatenes of vndertaking, & sufficieney of effecting, made a more commendable, then blazing mixture of vertue) during Q. Ma. raigne, entertained at one time, for some good space, the Admirals of the English, Spanish, & Netherland fleets, with many noble men besides. But not too much of this, least a partiall affection steale, at vnwares, into my commendation, as one, by my mother, descended from his loynes, and by my birth, a member of the house.
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Certaine olde ruines, yet remaining, confirme the neighbours report, that neere the waters side, there stood once a towne, called West stone house, vntill the French by fire and sword ouerthrew it.
In the yeere one thousand, fiue hundred, ninetie nine, the Spaniards vaunts caused the Cornish forces to aduance there a kind of fortification, and to plot the making of a Bridge on barges ouer that strait, for inhibiting the enemies accesse by boates and Gallies, into the more inward parts of the hauen. But it may be doubted, whether the bridge would haue proued as impossible, as the Sconce fell out vnnecessarie.
Master Peter Edgecumbe (commonly called Peers) married Margaret the daughter of Sir Andrew Lutterel, his father Sir Richard married [blank] the daughter of Tregian: his father Sir Peers married [blank] the daughter, and heire of Stephan Durnford: and his father Sir Richard, married [blank] the daughter of Tremayn. These names of Peers and Richard, they haue successiuely varied for sixe or seuen descents. Hee beareth for his Armes, Gules on a Bend ermine, betweene two Cotises, Or. 3. Bores heades coped, arg. armed as the third; Langued as the field.
A little inward from Mountedgecumb, lieth a safe and commodious Road for shipping, called Hamose, and compounded of the words Ose, and Ham, according to the nature of the place. Here those vessels cast anchor, which are bound to the Eastwards, as those doe in Catwater, who would fare to the West; because euerie wind that can erue them at Sea, will from thence carrie them out: which commoditie other roads doe not so conueniently affoord. It is reported, that in times past, there was an ordinary passage ouer this water, to a place on Deuon side, called Horsecoue, but long since discontinued.
At the higher end of a creek, passing vp from hence, Milbrook lurketh between two hilles, a village of some 80. houses, and borrowing his name from a mill and little brook, running therethrough. In my remembrance (which extendeth not to aboue 40. yeeres) this village tooke great encrease of wealth and buildings, through the iust and industrious trade of fishing, and had welneere forty ships and barks at one time belonging therevnto. But our late broyles with Spayne haue let vp a more compendious, though not so honest way of gayning, and begin by little and little, to reduce these plaine dealers, to their former vndeserued plight. Yet do they prescribe, in a suburbiall market (as I may terme it) to Plymmouth, for their reliefe, by intercepting, if not forestalling, such corne and victuals, as passing thorow their streights, cannot for want of time or weather, get ouer Crymell passage, to the other: and surely they are not unworthy of fauour: for this towne furnisheth more able Mariners at euery prest for her Highnesse seruice, then many others of far greater blaze.
It chanced about twenty yeeres sithence, that one Richaurd, wife to Richard Adams of this towne, was deliuered of two male children, the one ten weekes after the other, who liued vntil baptisme, & the later hitherto: Which might happen, in that the woman bearing twinnes, by some blow, slide, or other extraordinary accident, brought forth the first before his time, and the later in his due season. Now, that a childe borne in the seuenth moneth may liue, both Astrologers and Phisicions [102] doe affirme, but in the 8. they deny it; and these are their reasons: The Astrologers hold, that the child in the mothers wombe, is successiuely gouerned euery moneth, by the seuen Planets, beginning at Saturne: after which reckoning, he returning to his rule the 8, month, by his dreery influence, infortunateth any birth that shal then casually befall: whereas his succeeder Iupiter, by a better disposition worketh a more beneficiall effect. The Phisicions deliuer, that in the seuenth moneth, the childe, by course of nature, turneth it self in the mothers belly; wherefore, at that time, it is readier (as halfe loosed) to take issue by any outward chance. Mary, in the eighth, when it beginneth to settle againe, and as yet retayneth some weakenes of the former sturring, it requireth a more forcible occasion, & that induceth a slaughtering violence. Or if these coniecturall reasons suffice not to warrant a probability of the truth, Plynies authority in a stranger case, shall presse them farther: for hee writeth, that a woman brought a bed of one childe in the seuenth moneth, in the moneths following, was also deliuered of twinnes.
A part of Mount-Edgecumb, and of this Milbrook, though seuered from Deuon, by the generall bound, yet, vpon some of the foreremembred considerations, haue bene annexed thereunto.