Lesnewith Hundred.
LEsnewith Hundred taketh his name of a parish therein (as Stratton doth of a towne) memorable for nothing else. It may he deriued, either from Les, which in Cornish signifieth broad, and newith, which is new, as a new breadth, because it enlargeth his limits farther into Cornwall on both sides, whereas Stratton is straightned on the one by Deuon: or from Les and gwith, which importeth broad Ashen trees, g, for Euphonias sake being turned into n.
The first place which heere offreth itselfe to sight, is Bottreaux Castle, seated on a bad harbour of the North sea, & suburbed with a poore market town, yet entitling the owner in times past, with the stile of a Baron, from whom, by match it descended to the L. Hungerford, & [121] resteth in the Earle of Huntingdon. The diuersified roomes of a prison, in the Castle, for both sexes, better preserued by the Inhabitants memorie, then descerneable by their owne endurance, shew the same, heeretofore to haue exercised some large iurisdiction.
Not farre from thence, Tintogel, more famous for his antiquite, then regardable for his present estate, abbutteth likewise on the sea; yet the ruines argue it, to haue beene once, no vnworthie dwelling for the Cornish princes. The cyment wherewith the stones were layd, resisteth the fretting furie of the weather, better then themselues. Halfe the buildings were raised on the continent, and the other halfe on an Iland, continued together (within mens remembrance) by a drawe-bridge, but now diuorced, by the downefalne steepe Cliffes, on the farther side, which, though it shut out the sea from his wonted recourse, hath yet more strengthened the late Iland: for, in passing thither, you must first descend with a dangerous declyning, and then make a worse ascent, by a path, as euerie where narrow, so in many places, through his sticklenesse occasioning, and through his steepnesse threatning, the ruine of your life, with the failing of your foore. At the top, two, or three terrifying steps, giue you entrance to the hill, which supplieth pasture for sheepe, and conyes: Vpon the same, I saw, a decayed Chappell, a faire spring of water, a Caue, reaching once, by my guides report; some farre way vnder ground, and (which you will perhaps suspect of vntruth) an Hermites graue, hewen out in the rocke, and seruing each bodies proportion for a buriall. But, if that in Wales carrie an equall veritie, the myracle will soone reape credite: for this is so sloped inwards at both ends, that any tall stature shal find roome by a little bending, as the short in the bottome by extending.
The fardest poynt of this hill, is called Black head, well knowne to the coasting Mariners. The high cliffs are by sea vnaccessible round abouts, sauing in one only place, towards the East, where they proffer an vneasie landing place for boats, which being fenced with a garretted wall, admitteth entrance thorow a gate, sometimes of yron, as the name yet continuing, expresseth, and is within presently commaunded by a hardly clymed hill. Vnder the Iland runnes a caue, thorow which you may rowe at ful sea, but not without a kinde of horrour, at the uncouthnesse of the place. M. Camden deliuereth vs these verses out of an olde Poet, touching Tintogel.
Est locus Abrini sinuoso littore ponti,
Rupe situs media, refluus quern circuit aestus.
Fulminat hic late, turrito vertice Castrum,
Nomine Tindagium, veteres dixere Corini.
Which import in English:
There is a place within the wind-
ing shore of Seuerne sea,
On mids of rock, about whose foote,
The tydes turne-keeping play:
A towry-topped Castle heere,
wide blazeth ouer all,
Which Corineus auncient broode,
Tindagel Castle call.
It is not layd vp amongst the least vaunts of this Castle, that our victorious Arthur was here begotten by the valiant Vter Pendragon, vpon the fayre Igerna, and [122] that without taynt of bastardy, sayth Merlyn, because her husband dyed some houres before.
Of later times, Tintogel hath kept long silence in our stories, vntill H. the 3. raigne, at which time (by Mat. Paris report) his brother, Earle Ri grew into obloquy for priuy receyuing there, & abbetting, his nephew Dauid, against the King. After which, being turned from a Palace [8 .R. 2.] to a prison, it restrained one Iohn Northamptons libertie, who for abusing the same, in his vnruly Maioralty of London, was condemned hither, as a perpetuall Penitenciary. A see of ancienty belonging to this Castle, was cancelled as vnnecessary, by the late L. Treasurer Burleigh.