Killigarth, being interpreted in English, signifieth, He hath lost his griping, or reaching: and by his present fortune, (in some sort) iustifieth that name: for the same hath lately forgone Sir William Beuill, whome it embraced as owner & Inhabitant, by his sudden death, and is passed into the possession of the faire Lady his widdow, by her husbands conueyance.
It yeeldeth a large viewe of the South coast, and was it selfe, in Sir Williams life time, much visited, [131] through his franke inuitings. The mention of this Knight, calleth to my rememberance, a sometimes vncouth seruaunt of his, whose monstrous conditions, partly resembled that Polyphemus, described by Homer and Virgil, and liuely imitated by Ariosto, in his Orco: or rather, that Egyptian Polyphagus, in whome (by Suetonius report) the Emperour Nero tooke such pleasure. This fellow was taken vp by Sir William, vnder a hedge, in the deepest of Winter, welneere starued with cold, and hunger: hee was of stature meane, of constitution leane, of face freckled, of composition, well proportioned, of diet, naturally, spare, and cleanely inough; yet, at his masters bidding, he would deuoure nettles, thistles, the pith of Artichokes, raw, and liuing birds, and fishies, with their scales, and feathers, burning coles and candles, and whatsoeuer else, howsoeuer vnsauorie, if it might be swallowed: neither this a little, but in such quantitie, as it often bred a second wonder, how his belly, should containe so much: yet could no man, at any time, discouer him doing of that, which necessitie of nature requireth. Moreouer, he would take a hot yron out of the fire, with his bare hand; neuer changed his apparell, but by constraint, and vsed to lie in strawe, with his head downe, and his heeles vpwards. Spare he was of speech, and, instead of halfe his words, vsed this terme Size, as I will Size him, for strike him, hee is a good Size, for man, &c. Ouer-sleeping, or some other accident, made him to lose a day, in his account of the weeke, so as he would not beleeue, but that Svnday was Saterday, Saterday Friday, &c. To Sir William he bare such faithfulnesse, that hee would follow his horse, like a spanyell, without regard of way or wearinesse, waite at his chamber doore, the night time, suffering none to come neere him, and performe whatsoeuer hee commanded, were it neuer so unlawfull, or dangerous. On a time, his master, expecting strangers, sent him, with a panier, to his cater at the sea side, to fetch fome fish. In his way, he passed by a riuer, whereinto the tide then flowed, and certaine fishermen were drawing their nets: which after Iohn Size had a while beheld, hee casts to haue a share amongst them, for his master. So into the water he leaps, and there, for the space of a flight shoot, wadeth and walloweth (for swimme hee could not) sometimes up, and sometimes downe, carrying his panier still before him, to his owne extreame hazard of drowning, and the beholders great pittying; vntill at last, all wet, and wearied, out he scrambleth, and home he hieth, with a bitter complaint to his master, of his ill fortune, that he could not catch some fish, as well as the rest, where so much was going. In this sort he continued for diuers yeeres, vntill (vpon I wot not what veake, or vnkindnesse) away he gets, and abroad he rogues: which remitter brought him the end, to his foredeferred, and not auoyded destiny: for as vnder a hedge hee was found pyning, so under a hedge he found his miserable death, through penury.
Sir Williams father maried the daughter of Militon: his graundfather, the daughter and heire of Bear, whose liuelyhood repayred what the elder brothers daughters had impaired. The Beuils Armes are A. a Bull passant G. armed and tripped O.
In the same parish where Killigarth is seated, Master Murth inheriteth a house and demaynes. Hee maried Treffry; his father, Tregose. One of their auncestours, [132] within the memorie of a next neighbour to the house, called Prake, (burdened with 110. yeeres age) entertained a British miller, as that people, for such idle occupations, proue more handie, then our owne. But this fellowes seruice befell commodious in the worst sense. For when, not long after his acceptance, warres grewe betweene vs & France, he stealeth ouer into his countrey, returneth priuily backe againe, with a French crew, surprizeth suddenly his master, and his ghests, at a Christmas supper, carrieth them speedily vnto Lantreghey, and forceth the Gent, to redeemme his enlargement, with the sale of a great part of his reuenewes.
A little to the Westwards from Killigarth, the poore harbour and village of Polpera coucheth betweene 2. steepe hils, where plenty of fish is vented to the fish driuers, whom we call Iowters.
The warmth of this Hundred, siding the South, hath enticed many Gent. here to make choyce of their dwellings, as M. Buller now Sherife at Tregarrick, sometimes the Wideslades inheritance, vntill the fathers rebellion forfeited it to the Prince; and the Princes largesse rewarded therewith his subiects.
Wideslades sonne led a walking life with his harpe, to Gentlemens houses, wherethrough, and by his other actiue qualities, he was entitled, Sir Tristram; neither wanted he (as some say) a bele Isound, the more aptly to resemble his patterne.
Master Buller married the daughter of one Williams, a Counsellour at lawe in Deuon: his father, a younger branch of the ancient stocke, planted in Somerset shire, tooke to wife the widdowe of Courtney, and daughter and heire to Trethurffe; by whose dower, and his owne indeuour, he purchased and left to his sonne, faire possessions, but not vnencumbred with titles, which draue this Gentleman to salue them all by new compositions with the pretenders: and for compassing the same, to get an extraordinary experience in husbandry. His ancestours bare S. on a playne Crosse A. quarter pierced 4. Eagles of the field.
At S. Winowe inhabiteth M. Thomas Lower, commendable through his double prouision, against the warres, as hauing both furnished himself with great ordinance, for priuate defence of the County, and thrust forth his sonnes to be trayned in martiall knowledge and exercises, for the publike seruice of the Countrey.
His wife was one of Reskimers daughters and heires: his mother, the daughter of Treffrey: his house descended to his auncestour, by match with Vpton. Hee beareth B. a Cheuron engrayled O. betweene three Roses A.