The same authour vouched a semblable chaunce, somewhat before the siege of Rochell 1572. where, some of the boyes banded themselues, as for the Maior and others for the King; who after 6. dayes skirmishing, at last made a composition, and departed: even as that siege endured sixe moneths, and finally brake vp in a peace.
So doth Mercurius Gallobelgicus giue vs to wit, that in the yeere 1594. a Turkish Beglerbey of Greece, either seeking by a fore-coniecture, to be ascertained himselfe, or desirous to nusle the yonger sort in martiall exployts, led out of Alba Regalis, about 600. Turkish boyes, aged betweene 11. and 14. yeeres, and seuered them into two troups, terming the one, The Christian, the other, The Turkish batalion. Those, he directed to call vpon Iesus, these, vpon Hala: both parts he enioyned to bicker coragiously, and egged them onward with the enticement of rewards. The token is giuen, the forces encounter, the fight is hote. In the end, the Turks betake themselues to their heeles, and Iesus party carryeth away the victory. But such occurrents do not alwayes either foregoe, or foresignifie; for sometimes they fall out idle, and sometimes not at all. Howbeit, Nicetaes Choniates taketh it very vnkindly, that God woud not spare some watchword out of his prescience, to the Constantinopolitanes, what time Baldwyn Earle of Flaunders and others, first assisted, and then conquered their Citie.
Touching Veall the Mercurialist, I haue spoken in my former booke.
The youthlyer sort of Bodmyn townsmen vse sometimes to sport themselues, by playing the box with strangers, whome they summon to Halgauer. The name signifieth the Goats moore, and such a place it is, lying a little without the towne, and very full of quauemires. When these mates meet with any rawe seruingman, or other young master, who may serue and deserue to make pastime, they cause him to be solemnely arrested, [127] for his appearance before the Maior of Halgauer, where he is charged with wearing one spurre, or going vntrussed, or wanting a girdle, or some such like felony: and after he hath beene arraygned and tryed, with all requisite circumstances, iudgement is giuen in formal termes, and executed in some one vngracious pranke or other, more to the skorne, then hurt of the party condemned.
Hence is sprung the prouerb, when we see one slouenly appareled, to say, He shall be presented in Halgauer Court.
But now and then, they extend this merriment with the largest, to the preiudice of ouer-credulous people, perswading them to fight with a Dragon lurking in Halgauer, or to see some strange matter there: which concludeth at least, with a trayning them into the mire.
Within short space after the great fame dispersed, touching the rare effects of Warwickshire wels, some idle enuious head raysed a brute, that there rested no lesse vertue (forsooth) for healing all diseases, in a plentifull spring, neere vnto Bodmyn, called Scarlets well: which report grew so farre, and so fast, that folke ranne flocking thither in huge numbers, from all quarters. But the neighbour Iustices, finding the abuse, and looking into, the consequence, forbad the resort, sequestred the spring, and suppressed the miracle. Howbeit, the water should seeme to be healthfull, if not helpfull: for it retaineth this extraordinary quality, that the same is waightier, then the ordinary of his kinde, and will continue the best part of a yeere, without alteration of sent or taste; onely you shall see it represent many colours, like the Raine-bowe, which (in my conceite) argueth a running thorow some minerall veine, and therewithall a possessing of some vertue.
Aside from this towne, towards the North sea, extendeth a fruitfull veine of land, comprizing certayne parishes, which serueth better then any other place in Cornwall for Winter feeding, and suitably enricheth the Farmours. Herethrough, sundry Gentlemen haue there planted their seates, as, in S. Kew, master Carnsew, at Bokelly: in S. Endelion, master Roscarrock, at his House of the same denomination: besides, master Penkeuel, Nichols, Barret, Flammock, Cauel, and diuers more.
Carnsew, rightly Carndeaw, purporteth in Cornish, a black rock: and such a one the heire owneth which gaue name to his ancient possessed mannour, as the mannour to his ancestours. His house Bokelly may be deriued from Both, in Cornish, a Goate and kelly which is lost: and the Goate he giueth for his Armes. This Gent. father married the daughter of Fits in Deuon and left behinde him three sonnes, Richard, Mathew and William, with two daughters: those, brought vp in learning and experience abroade: these, in vertue and modesty at home: the fruites whereof, they taste and expresse, in a no lesse praise-worthy, then rare-continuing concord, hauing (not through any constrayning necessitie, or constraintiue vowe) but on a voluntary choyce, made their elder brothers mansion a Colledge of single liuing, & kinde entertaining. Amongst whom, I may not omit the yongest brother, whose well qualified and sweete pleasing sufficiency draweth him out from this cloyster, to conuerse with and assist his friends, and to whose sounder iudgement, I owe the thankful acknowledgement of [128] many corrected slippings in these my notes. The armes of this family are thus blasoned, S. a Goat passant. A. attired and trippled 0.
Roscarrock, in Cornish, meaneth a flower, and a rock, in English. Roses are his armes, and the North rocky clifs, which bound his demaines, perhaps added the rest. The heire hath issue by the daughter of Treuanion. His father maried the sole Inheritrix to Pentire, whose dwelling, Pentuan, is seated on the South sea, so as he might make vse of either climate for his residence. The family is populous; but of them two brothers, Hugh, for his ciuill carriage, and kinde hospitality, and Nicholas for his industrious delight in matters of history and antiquity, doe merit a commending remembrance. They beare A. a Cheuron betweene 2. Roses, G. and a sea-tenche nayante proper.