Their push a bubble vp doth reare,
The bubble driues the Fly to brinke:
So Fish in vaine deuoure the ayre,
Swallowes in vayne the water drinke,
While Fly escapes, this sport I take.
Where pond doth th' Ocean captiue make.
I carried once a purpose, to build a little woodden banqueting house, on the Iland in my pond, which because some other may (perhaps) elsewhere put in execution, it wil not do much amisse, to deliuer you the plot, as the same was deuised for mee, by that perfectly accomplished gentleman, the late Sir Arthure Champernowne.
The Iland is square, with foure rounds at the corners, like Mount-Edgecumb. This should first have bene planched ouer and rayled about, with ballisters. In themidst, there should haue risen a boorded roome, of the like fashion, but lesser proportion, so to leaue sufficient space betweene that and the rayles for a walke round about: this square roome should within side haue bene sieled roundwise, and in three of the places where [108] the round joyned with the square, as many windowes should haue bene set; the fourth should haue serued for a dore. Of the 4. turrets, shut out by this round, one should haue made a kitchin, the second, a store-house, to keepe the fishing implements, the third, a buttery, & the fourth a stayre, for ascending to the next loft: which next loft should haue risen on the flat roofe of the lower, in a round forme, but of a lesser size againe, so to leaue a second Tarras, like the other: and as the square roome below was sieled round, so should this vpper round roome be sieled square, to the end, that where the side walks and sieling ioyned, three windowes and a doore might likewise find their places. The voyd spaces be- tweene the round and square, hee would haue turned to Cupboards and boxes, for keeping other necessary vtensiles, towards these fishing feasts.
Ouer-against this pond, lyeth beggers Iland, so called (as our neighbours relate) euer since my great grandsire espying 2. of that idle occupation, at a hote combate on the shore, while he was rowing homewards from Saltash, tooke them into his boat, & there set them on land, to try (as in a lists) the vttermost of their quarrell: which place they could not quit, vntil the low water should enfranchise them by wading & the respite, vent out the alye fume of their fury.
About 40. yeres agoe, it chanced, that a boat ouer-fraighted with people, in rowing downe the riuer from Saltash market, was by the extreme weather, sunk, neere to a place called Henpoint, and all the folke drowned, sauing one onely woman, named Agnes, the wife of one Cornish, whom it pleased God so to protect and direct, that in her first popping vp againe (which most liuing things accustome) shee espyed the boat (after it had discharged his burthen) risen likewise, and floting by her, full of water, whereon she got holde, sate astride vpon one of his sides, and by the winde and tyde, was vnusually, and almost miraculously driuen athwart the chanell, to a place called Wilcoue, where shee no sooner stepped ashore, but the boat (as hauing done his enioyned errand) presently recommited it selfe to the stormes disposition.
The woman thus freed from one peril at sea, aduentured another of little lesse consequence at land; for being not yet thoroughly restored to her sense, she clymed vp the cliffe in such a steepe place, as the very consideration thereof, doth euer sithence halfe amaze the beholders. But that ground was fore ordained to her good: for not long after, her husband tooke the same, with the rest of the tenement, in lease; and it now serueth her for a dwelling, and many others, by her charitie, for a reliefe.
Her sayd husband, & their two onely sonnes, at seuerall times, by one kind of misfortune, found their buriall in the waues.
The Oysters dredged in this Lyner, finde a welcomer acceptance, where the taste, & not appetite, is Cater for the stomack, then those of the adioyning Tamer, which groweth (as I coniecture) because Lyners lesser streame leaueth them to bee seasoned, with a more kindely and better relished saltnes.
The next parish vpon this riuer, is called Sheuiock, somtimes the ancient Dannyes inheritance & inhabitance: by whose daughter and heire, the same (together with other faire possessions) descended to the Earles of Deuon. In [109] the church there lie two Knights of that name, and one of their ladies by her husbands side, having their pictures embossed on their tombes in the side walles, and their Armes once painted round about; but now by the malice, not of men, but of time, defaced. They are held to be father and sonne, and that the sonne slayne in our warres with Fraunce, was from thence brought home to be here interred. There runneth also a tale amongst the parishioners, how one of these Dannyes ancestours vndertook to build the Church, and his wife the barne adioyning, and that, casting vp their accounts, vpon finishing of their workes, the barne was found to cost three halfepence more then the Church: and so it might well fall out: for it is a great barne, and a little Church.
In this parish standeth Crasthole, which by the high site, might more fitly be termed Open hill, a poore village but a much frequented thorow-fare, somewhat infamous, not vpon any present desert, but through an inueterate byword, viz. that it is peopled with 12. dwellings, and 13. cuckolds: for as the dwellings are more then doubled, so (I hope) the cuckolds are lesse then singled.