FOOTNOTES

“In these far climes it was my lotTo meet the wondrous Michael Scott;A wizard of such dreaded fame,That when, in Salamanca’s cave,Him listed his magic wand to wave,The bells would ring in Notre Dame!Some of his skill he taught to me,And, warrior, I could say to theeThe words that cleft Eildon Hills in three,And bridled the Tweed with a curb of stone:But to speak them were a deadly sin;And for having but thought them my heart within,A treble penance must be done.”

“In these far climes it was my lotTo meet the wondrous Michael Scott;A wizard of such dreaded fame,That when, in Salamanca’s cave,Him listed his magic wand to wave,The bells would ring in Notre Dame!Some of his skill he taught to me,And, warrior, I could say to theeThe words that cleft Eildon Hills in three,And bridled the Tweed with a curb of stone:But to speak them were a deadly sin;And for having but thought them my heart within,A treble penance must be done.”

In the note on this passage Sir Waltersays—

“In the South of Scotland any work of great labour or antiquity is ascribed either to the agency of Auld Michael, of Sir William Wallace, or of the devil.”

“In the South of Scotland any work of great labour or antiquity is ascribed either to the agency of Auld Michael, of Sir William Wallace, or of the devil.”

Gilfillan tells an amusing anecdotethat—

“when Sir Walter was in Italy he happened to remark to Mr. Cheney that it was mortifying to think how Dante thought none worth sending to hell except Italians, onwhich Mr. C. remarked that he of all men had no right to make this complaint, as his ancestor Michael is introduced in the ‘Inferno.’ This seemed to delight Scott.”

“when Sir Walter was in Italy he happened to remark to Mr. Cheney that it was mortifying to think how Dante thought none worth sending to hell except Italians, onwhich Mr. C. remarked that he of all men had no right to make this complaint, as his ancestor Michael is introduced in the ‘Inferno.’ This seemed to delight Scott.”

The passage in the “Inferno” occurs in Canto20—

“Quell’ altro che ne’ fianchi è così poco,Michele Scotto fu, che veramenteDelle magiche frode seppe il giuocho.”

“Quell’ altro che ne’ fianchi è così poco,Michele Scotto fu, che veramenteDelle magiche frode seppe il giuocho.”

translated by Cary thus:—

“That other, round the loinsSo slender of his shape, was Michael Scott,Practised in every slight of magic wile.”

“That other, round the loinsSo slender of his shape, was Michael Scott,Practised in every slight of magic wile.”

Boccaccio also mentions him (Dec. Giorn. VIII., Nov. 9): “It is not long since there was in this city (Florence) a great master in necromancy, who was called Michele Scotto, because he was from Scotland.” Legend has obscured the real fame of Michael Scott. He lived between 1175 and 1234, studied at Oxford, Paris, Palermo, Toledo (where he translated Aristotle from Arabic), and became court physician and astrologer to the Emperor Frederick II. He took Holy Orders, but declined the Pope’s offer of an Irish archbishopric on the ground of not knowing the Irish language. He probably died in Italy, but fable connects his burial with Holme Coltrame in Cumberland, or with Melrose Abbey. It is said that Sir Walter Scott confused him with another Michael Scott, of Balwearie, and that he “more probably belonged to the border country whence all the families of Scot originally came, and where the traditions of his magic power are common” (“Dict. of Nat. Biog.”). The best book on the subject is the “Life and Legend of Michael Scot (1175-1232),” by Rev. J. Wood Brown, M.A., 1897.

[IN PREPARATION]The Life and LettersofRobert Stephen HawkerVicar of MorwenstowA full and authentic biography of the late Rev. R. S. Hawker, by his son-in-law, is in course of preparation, and will be issued next Spring. It was originally intended to prefix this as an introduction to the present volume, but so much new material has come to light that it could not well be compressed within the limits of a short memoir. This new material includes a most interesting account, written by Hawker himself, of Tennyson’s visit to Morwenstow in 1848, and their conversation. Many unpublished letters of Hawker’s have also been collected. The book will contain numerous illustrations, consisting partly of photographic reproductions, and partly of lithographic drawings by Mr. J. Ley Pethybridge. No pains or expense will be spared to produce a picturesque record of the man and his environment, both so picturesque and romantic in themselves.Should this notice meet the eye of any one who knew Hawker, or could in any way supply further material for the biography, in the shape of letters, manuscripts, relics, anecdotes, or reminiscences, such will be gladly received, and may be addressed to the editor of the present volume, care of the publisher.July, 1903.JOHN LANE,Publisher, LONDON & NEW YORK

[IN PREPARATION]The Life and LettersofRobert Stephen HawkerVicar of Morwenstow

A full and authentic biography of the late Rev. R. S. Hawker, by his son-in-law, is in course of preparation, and will be issued next Spring. It was originally intended to prefix this as an introduction to the present volume, but so much new material has come to light that it could not well be compressed within the limits of a short memoir. This new material includes a most interesting account, written by Hawker himself, of Tennyson’s visit to Morwenstow in 1848, and their conversation. Many unpublished letters of Hawker’s have also been collected. The book will contain numerous illustrations, consisting partly of photographic reproductions, and partly of lithographic drawings by Mr. J. Ley Pethybridge. No pains or expense will be spared to produce a picturesque record of the man and his environment, both so picturesque and romantic in themselves.Should this notice meet the eye of any one who knew Hawker, or could in any way supply further material for the biography, in the shape of letters, manuscripts, relics, anecdotes, or reminiscences, such will be gladly received, and may be addressed to the editor of the present volume, care of the publisher.July, 1903.

A full and authentic biography of the late Rev. R. S. Hawker, by his son-in-law, is in course of preparation, and will be issued next Spring. It was originally intended to prefix this as an introduction to the present volume, but so much new material has come to light that it could not well be compressed within the limits of a short memoir. This new material includes a most interesting account, written by Hawker himself, of Tennyson’s visit to Morwenstow in 1848, and their conversation. Many unpublished letters of Hawker’s have also been collected. The book will contain numerous illustrations, consisting partly of photographic reproductions, and partly of lithographic drawings by Mr. J. Ley Pethybridge. No pains or expense will be spared to produce a picturesque record of the man and his environment, both so picturesque and romantic in themselves.

Should this notice meet the eye of any one who knew Hawker, or could in any way supply further material for the biography, in the shape of letters, manuscripts, relics, anecdotes, or reminiscences, such will be gladly received, and may be addressed to the editor of the present volume, care of the publisher.

July, 1903.

JOHN LANE,Publisher, LONDON & NEW YORK

[IN PREPARATION]Cornish BalladsandOther PoemsbyROBERT STEPHEN HAWKERVicar of MorwenstowIllustrated byJ. LEY PETHYBRIDGEPrice 5s.net.This book will be issued in the Autumn of the present year (1903). It is a revised edition of Hawker’s Complete Poems, published in 1899 at 7s.6d.The chief differences consist of the reduction in price, the inclusion of a number of fresh illustrations and a few additional poems, and a general improvement in the “get-up” of the book. In binding it will be uniform with “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall.” The new illustrations will include some or all of the following:—ILLUSTRATION.To illustratePOEM.Clovelly“Clovelly.”The Black Rock, Widemouth“Featherstone’s Doom.”St. Nectan’s Kieve“The Sisters of Glen Nectan.”Morwenstow Church (Exterior)“Morwennae Statio.”The Well of St. Morwenna“The Well of St. Morwenna.”The Well of St. John“The Well of St. John.”The Source of the Tamar“The Tamar Spring.”Launcells Church“The Ringers of Launcells Tower.”The Figure-head of theCaledonia“The Figure-head of theCaledoniaat her Captain’s Grave.”Boscastle cliffs in a storm“The Silent Tower at Bottreaux.”Hartland Church“The Cell by the Sea.”St. Madron’s Well“The Doom-Well of St. Madron.”Hennacliff“A Croon on Hennacliff.”Tintagel“The Quest of the Sangraal.”Effigy of Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster in Stratton Church“Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster of Bien-Aimé.”Sharpnose Point“The Smuggler’s Song.”Portrait of Sir Bevill Granville“The Gate Song of Stowe.”The Font in Morwenstow Church“The Font.”JOHN LANE,Publisher, LONDON & NEW YORK

[IN PREPARATION]Cornish BalladsandOther PoemsbyROBERT STEPHEN HAWKERVicar of MorwenstowIllustrated byJ. LEY PETHYBRIDGEPrice 5s.net.

This book will be issued in the Autumn of the present year (1903). It is a revised edition of Hawker’s Complete Poems, published in 1899 at 7s.6d.The chief differences consist of the reduction in price, the inclusion of a number of fresh illustrations and a few additional poems, and a general improvement in the “get-up” of the book. In binding it will be uniform with “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall.” The new illustrations will include some or all of the following:—ILLUSTRATION.To illustratePOEM.Clovelly“Clovelly.”The Black Rock, Widemouth“Featherstone’s Doom.”St. Nectan’s Kieve“The Sisters of Glen Nectan.”Morwenstow Church (Exterior)“Morwennae Statio.”The Well of St. Morwenna“The Well of St. Morwenna.”The Well of St. John“The Well of St. John.”The Source of the Tamar“The Tamar Spring.”Launcells Church“The Ringers of Launcells Tower.”The Figure-head of theCaledonia“The Figure-head of theCaledoniaat her Captain’s Grave.”Boscastle cliffs in a storm“The Silent Tower at Bottreaux.”Hartland Church“The Cell by the Sea.”St. Madron’s Well“The Doom-Well of St. Madron.”Hennacliff“A Croon on Hennacliff.”Tintagel“The Quest of the Sangraal.”Effigy of Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster in Stratton Church“Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster of Bien-Aimé.”Sharpnose Point“The Smuggler’s Song.”Portrait of Sir Bevill Granville“The Gate Song of Stowe.”The Font in Morwenstow Church“The Font.”

This book will be issued in the Autumn of the present year (1903). It is a revised edition of Hawker’s Complete Poems, published in 1899 at 7s.6d.The chief differences consist of the reduction in price, the inclusion of a number of fresh illustrations and a few additional poems, and a general improvement in the “get-up” of the book. In binding it will be uniform with “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall.” The new illustrations will include some or all of the following:—

ILLUSTRATION.To illustratePOEM.Clovelly“Clovelly.”The Black Rock, Widemouth“Featherstone’s Doom.”St. Nectan’s Kieve“The Sisters of Glen Nectan.”Morwenstow Church (Exterior)“Morwennae Statio.”The Well of St. Morwenna“The Well of St. Morwenna.”The Well of St. John“The Well of St. John.”The Source of the Tamar“The Tamar Spring.”Launcells Church“The Ringers of Launcells Tower.”The Figure-head of theCaledonia“The Figure-head of theCaledoniaat her Captain’s Grave.”Boscastle cliffs in a storm“The Silent Tower at Bottreaux.”Hartland Church“The Cell by the Sea.”St. Madron’s Well“The Doom-Well of St. Madron.”Hennacliff“A Croon on Hennacliff.”Tintagel“The Quest of the Sangraal.”Effigy of Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster in Stratton Church“Sir Ralph de Blanc-Minster of Bien-Aimé.”Sharpnose Point“The Smuggler’s Song.”Portrait of Sir Bevill Granville“The Gate Song of Stowe.”The Font in Morwenstow Church“The Font.”

JOHN LANE,Publisher, LONDON & NEW YORK

FOOTNOTES[1]The foundations of this article first appeared in Mr. Blight’s “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” Penzance, 1850; in an article entitled “A Cornish Churchyard,” inChambers’s Journal, 1852; also, as the “Legend of Morwenstow,” inWillis’s Current Notes, 1856; and in its present extended form, in “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall,” 1870, embodying the author’s latest corrections and impressions.[2]Woolley Moor.[3]“Ah! native Cornwall, throned upon the hills,Thy moorland pathways worn by Angel feet.”Quest of the Sangraal.[4]“If, traveller, thy happy spirit knowThat awful Fount whence living waters flow,Then hither come to draw: thy feet have foundAmidst these rocks a place of holy ground.”The Well of St. Morwenna.[5]Breachan figures as a saint on a window in St. Neot’s church, called “The Young Women’s Window,” erected in 1529 at the cost of the maidens of the village. Mr. Baring-Gould says that “Brychan” lived in the fifth century, and that Morwenna was probably his grand-daughter.[6]According to Mr. Baring-Gould, this story is full of anachronisms, arising from the confusion of three different saints, Morwenna of Cornwall, Modwenna of Burton-on-Trent, and Monynna of Newry.[7]Compare Hawker’s poem “A Croon on Hennacliff.”[8]This prose description of Morwenstow church has its metrical counterpart in “Morwennæ Statio.” The poetry in stone has never been more beautifully expressed than by those strong and simple lines.[9]See AppendixA.[10]A mistake for “Tunnacomb.” See AppendixA.[11]See AppendixAa.[12]The water for baptisms at Morwenstow is always drawn from this well, which Hawker won for the glebe by a law-suit soon after his appointment to the living.[13]See AppendixA.[14]In Blight’s book on “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” etc., there is an engraving of the Morwenstow Piscina and a Hebrew altar, with a note by Hawker.[15]Among some unpublished MSS. of Hawker’s is the following verse, dated 1840:—“Thus said the pious Pelican unto her thirsty Young,‘Drink, drink! my desert children: be beautiful and strong.What tho’ it be the lifeblood from my veins ye drain away;Ye will grow and glide in glory, and for me, O let me die.’”[16]Hawker had a seal engraved with this pentacle. Compare the lines in his poem “Baal-Zephon.”“Oh for the Sigil! or the chanted spell!The pentacle that Demons know and dread.”In a letter to Miss Louisa Twining, Hawker writes: “The pentacle of Solomon, or five-pointed figure, was derived from his seal wherewith he ruled the genii. It was a sapphire, and it contained a handalivewhich grasped a small serpent, also alive. Through the bright gem both were visible, the hand and the ‘worm’ as of old they called it. When invoked by the king, the fingers moved and the serpent writhed and miracles were wrought by spirits which were vassals of the gem.... Because of this mystic Hand the pentacle or five-pointed (fingered) figure became the Sigil of Signomancy in the early ages.”[17]For an instance of its use in exorcism, see the “Botathen Ghost” story, p.158.[18]“And Solomon built ... Baalath, and Tadmor in the Wilderness” (1 Kings ix. 17-18).[19]This screen was constructed by Mr. Hawker from the rescued remnants of an older screen, pieced together with ironwork. It has since been taken down, and the old carving placed in other parts of the church.[20]See AppendixAb.[21]The chancel has been restored by Lord Clinton. The old altar ornaments used by Mr. Hawker are preserved in the vestry.[22]See note on p.6. Two new lancet windows have since been placed in the chancel, one by Mrs. Waddon Martyn, of Tonacombe, in memory of her husband, the other by friends of the Rev. J. Tagert, to commemorate the restoration of the church during his vicariate. A larger memorial window has also been placed by the Martyn family at the east end of the north aisle.[23]This appears to be an error, as the date on the pillar (in Roman figures) is 1564. (See AppendixA.)[24]See AppendixAb.[25]Compare the apportionment of the regions among the four great knights, Lancelot, Perceval, Tristan, and Galahad, in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”“Let us ariseAnd cleave the earth like rivers; like the streamsThat win from Paradise their immortal name:To the four winds of God, casting the lot....”The mystic attributes of the four regions are told in lines of incomparable grandeur.[26]More about this village is to be found in the article “Holacombe.”[27]This dislike is disappearing. When I was at Welcombe recently a grave was being dug on the northern side of the church. The grave-digger said he had been christened and married by Mr. Hawker: “one of the best passons,” he added, “us ever had.”—Ed.[28]See p.62.[29]These initials are still to be seen at Stanbury, now a farmhouse. The scene of Mr. Baring-Gould’s novel “The Gaverocks” is partly laid there.[30]Richard Cann, who died February 15, 1842. Compare Hawker’s head-note to the poem in “Cornish Ballads,” where it is called “The Dirge.”[31]It may be said that the first editions of some of Hawker’s poems are on the grave-stones in Morwenstow churchyard. Other verses of this kind are those “On the Grave of a Child,” and some of the prose inscriptions bear traces of the same authorship.[32]FromNotes & Queries, 1st ser., vol. ii. p. 225. 1850. See Appen.B.[33]Compare “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”“Thank God, thou whining knave! on land,But thank, at sea, the steersman’s hand.”[34]The scene of this legend is pointed out in the garden at Tonacombe Manor.[35]FromHousehold Words, vol. vi. pp. 515-517. 1853.[36]A character in “Guy Mannering.”[37]A cove some six miles S.W. of Bude. Hawker has a poem on the death of a noted smuggler, “Mawgan of Melhuach.”[38]A mistaken spelling: see AppendixA.[39]The allusion is to a passage in Æschylus, “Prom. Vinct.” 90.ποντίων τε κυμάτωνἀνήριθμον γέλασμα.It was a favourite metaphor of Hawker’s, and occurs over and over again in his poetry. The best instance is in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” where he apostrophises Cornwall.“Thy streams that march in music to the sea,’Mid Ocean’s merry noise, his billowy laugh.”[40]FromHousehold Words, vol. viii. pp. 305, 306. 1853.[41]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 153-156. 1865.[42]1834.[43]The Tamar.[44]The Torridge.[45]John Wesley.[46]And like Daniel Gumb. See p.107.[47]Videp.32,et seq.[48]See the essay, “Cruel Coppinger,” and AppendixF.[49]These are still preserved. They are little sand-glasses, shielded with brass, cylindrical in shape. The sand in one takes twenty-eight seconds to run, that in the other fourteen.[50]Hawker is not forgotten in Arbroath. A lecture was delivered there on February 18, 1903, by the Rev. A. E. Crowder, on “Cornwall: its Scenery, People, Antiquities, and Folklore.” The lecturer referred to Hawker and the wreck of theCaledonia.[51]For Hawker’s poem on this occasion, see p.22.[52]“Gebir,” Book I., lines 216, 217. The usual version has “hardwet sand.” Hawker and Landor (it may be remarked by the way) were in many respects kindred spirits.[53]Bude.[54]Probably Mr. George Casebourne, Civil Engineer, who married a sister of Mr. Hawker’s, and was for some years superintendent of the Bude Canal.[55]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 454-456. 1865.[56]See AppendixC.[57]Compare Hawker’s fine description of the feast at Dundagel in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—“Strong men for meat, and warriors at the wine,They wreak the wrath of hunger on the beeves,They rend rich morsels from the savoury deer,And quench the flagon like Brun-guillie dew!”[58]Another version of the story says that he was a shoemaker come on business, and that he never made boots for Mr. Arscott again. For the fate of the other toad, see end of AppendixC.[59]The Rev. Robert Martyn, then Vicar of Stratton.[60]On another occasion Black John awoke from a less serious trance. The parson in his sermon was speaking of “that blessedness which on earth it is impossible to find,” when a well-known voice from the gallery shouted, “Not find! Us be sartain to find un to-morrow in Swannacott Wood!”[61]In another version of the tale, Black John said to the preacher, “Only just take your hat off and say two words of gospel to ’im, and her won’t touch ’ee.”[62]This is one stanza from Hawker’s own poem, “Tetcott, 1831; in which year Sir William Molesworth caused the old house to be taken down, and a new one built.” (See AppendixC.)[63]These lines are from Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”[64]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xv. pp. 206-210. 1866. See AppendixD.[65]Spelt “Routorr” in the linesquotedon p.234. It seems more natural to take the word as meaning “rough, or rugged, tor.” Hawker spells it “Roughtor” on p.124.[66]Now called “Brown Willy.” See the linesquotedon p.80.[67]Compare the lines on Sir Lancelot in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” and Hawker’s note—“Ah me! that logan of the rocky hills,Pillar’d in storm, calm in the rush of war,Shook at the light touch of his lady’s hand!”The ballad on “The Doom Well of St. Madron” records a similar test of innocence. For Carew’s description of a logan-rock, see end of AppendixD.[68]See AppendixDa.[69]“On one side lay the Ocean, and on oneLay a great water, and the moon was full.”[70]William Cookworthy (1705-1780) started life as a small druggist in Nut Street, Plymouth. He had been educated by the Society of Friends, and at thirty-one he retired from trade, became a Quaker minister, and continued so for twenty-five years. About 1758, having discovered a new process of making porcelain, he set up a manufactory at Plymouth, which was after his death transferred to Bristol, and thence to the Potteries. “Cookworthy is said to have been a believer in thedowsingor divining-rod for discovering mineral veins, and we learn that he became a disciple of Swedenborg.... As a lover of science he was much appreciated, as is proved by the fact that Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and Captain Cook, dined with him at Plymouth before their voyage round the world” (“Dictionary of National Biography”). His duties led him to travel about the mining districts of Cornwall, and he was a great friend of Nancarrow of Godolphin, a superintendent of mines. It would be on these journeys, no doubt, that he came across Daniel Gumb. Cookworthy died on October 16, 1780, aged 76.[71]“On many a cairn’s grey pyramid,Where urns of mighty chiefs lie hid.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.[72]It was not Agag, but Og, the king of Bashan, who had the bedstead of iron. See Deuteronomy iii. 11.[73]This is probably a slip of the pen for “Virgilian.” The line occurs in Virgil’s “Eclogues,” 8, 43. There is no stop at “illum.” The sentence is carried on to the next lines—“Aut Tmaros aut Rhodope aut extremi GaramantesNec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis edunt.”Conington translates the passage thus: “Now know I what love is; it is among savage rocks that he is produced by Tmarus or Rhodope or the Garamantes at earth’s end; no child of lineage or blood like ours.” Hawker’s translation, it must be owned, is preferable as far as it goes.[74]Evidences of thought and style make it almost certain that these ingenious “fragments” are Hawker’s “own invention.” See note on p.104.[75]It was a trick of Hawker’s style to end a sentence with this or similar adverbs. Instances occur on pp.17and172. Elsewhere he writes: “As the lightning leaps from the dark cloud suddenly.” Little points like this suggest the real authorship of Daniel Gumb’s diary.[76]Numbers xxiv. 21, “And he (Balaam) looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.”[77]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 247-249. 1866. See AppendixE.[78]See AppendixB.[79]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Sir Beville—the Gate Song of Stowe.” See also AppendixEa.[80]It is said locally that Antony’s stocking would hold a peck of wheat.[81]C. S. Gilbert in his “History of Cornwall.”[82]“Ride! ride! with red spur, there is death in delay,’Tis a race for dear life with the devil;If dark Cromwell prevail, and the king must give way,This earth is no place for Sir Beville.”The Gate Song of Stowe.[83]There is a description of this battle in Q’s novel, “The Splendid Spur,” one of the most vivid and stirring battle pictures in modern fiction.[84]In a letter dated September 21, 1866, to his brother-in-law, the late Mr. John Sommers James, Hawker says, “He (Antony Payne) was an Ancestor of Captain Parsons and Sam. He was going to bury your Great Grandfather at Stamford Hill alive, wounded among the other Rebels, but he spared him, and, as I have stated, his ‘descendants are among the most conspicuous of the Inhabitants of Stratton to this day.’”[85]The authenticity of this letter is doubtful. If spurious, however, it is interesting as an example of Hawker’s Chattertonian propensities and his skill in catching the antique style. (See AppendixE.)[86]Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723), a German by birth, was Court painter to five English sovereigns, Charles II., James II., William III., Anne, and George I. He came to England in 1675, and if Charles II., who died in 1685, commanded him to paint the portrait of Antony Payne, it must have been between those years that the picture was executed. According to the dedication under Gilbert’s engraving, however, it was done at the expense of the Earl of Bath. The Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, has published a pamphlet (price 2d.) entitled “A Short Account of Anthony Payne, the Cornish Giant, and the History of his Portrait.” This states that the picture was painted in 1680. “Ten reigning sovereigns in all sat to Kneller for their portraits. His sitters included almost all persons of rank, wealth, or eminence, in his day, and examples of his brush may be found in nearly every historic mansion or palace in the kingdom.... Kneller can best be studied at Hampton Court” (“Dictionary of National Biography”).[87]In the letter to Mr. J. Sommers James quoted above Hawker refers to Antony Payne as “owner of the spear your brother Henry gave me years ago.”[88]This flagon was given by Mr. Hawker to Mr. Thomas Shephard, of Stratton, whose daughter, Mrs. William Shephard, of Barnstaple, has presented it to Truro Museum. (Seeillustrationfacing p. 14.) The Shephards are descendants of Antony Payne, and Mr. William Shephard has in his possession a pewter shaving cup that belonged to Antony’s father.[89]Gilbert says “in the north aisle.” Possibly Hawker altered this in accordance with the superstition mentioned on p.21. See end of AppendixE.[90]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 537-540. 1866. For the historical basis of this article, see AppendixF.[91]In the original form of this article, a second verse was added, and the first was slightly different.“Will you hear of the bold, brave Coppinger?How he came of a foreign kind?He was brought to us by the salt water;He’ll be carried away by the wind.For thus the old wives croon and sing,And so the proverbs say,That whatsoever the wild waves bringThe winds will bear away.”[92]See p.38.[93]Hawker himself used a seal engraved with the one word, “Thorough,” the motto, as he said, of Archbishop Laud.[94]Mr. Baring-Gould, in his “Vicar of Morwenstow” (Edition 1899, p. 110), gives another reason for Coppinger’s wrath:—“The Kilkhampton parson hated rook-pie. Coppinger knew it. He invited him to dine with him one day. A large rook-pie was served at one end of the table, and roast rooks at the other, and the parson, who was very hungry, was forced to eat of them. When he departed he invited Coppinger to dine with him on the following Thursday. The smuggler arrived, and was regaled on pie, whether rabbit or hare he could not decide. When he came home he found a cat’s skin and head stuffed into his coat pocket, and thereby discovered what he had been eating.”[95]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 276-280. 1867. For the origins of this story, see AppendixG.[96]“Straight, but as lissome as a hazel wand;Her eyes a bashful azure, and her hairIn gloss and hue the chestnut, when the shellDivides threefold to show the fruit within.”Tennyson,The Brook.[97]One of Mr. Hawker’s sisters was the wife of John Dineham, surgeon, of Stratton.[98]Hawker has a pretty poem for children with this title—“Teach me, Father John, to sayVesper-verse and matin-lay:So when I to God shall plead,Christ His Cross shall be my speed.”[99]The love of the Lady Katherine Gordon for Perkin Warbeck is the subject of Hawker’s poem, “The Lady of the Mount.”[100]The remains of this old building have been embodied in some cottages. The doorway shown in the illustration forms the front door of one of these. The other is occupied by the Cornwall County Police, and the unsuspecting pilgrim who rambles round without permission is liable to be startled by the gruff remark, “You’m trespassing!” Thus are we recalled from “the baseless fabric” of the past to the stern realities of the living present.[101]Hawker gives a romantic turn of his own to this part of the story.[102]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 501-504. 1867. The story occurs in C. S. Gilbert’s “Historical Survey of Cornwall,” in Mrs. Bray’s “Trelawny of Trelawn,” and in “Histories of Launceston,” by R. and O. B. Peter.[103]All this is singularly applicable to Hawker himself.[104]See p.45.[105]John Ruddle, or Rudall, A.M., was instituted Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, Launceston, on Christmas Day, 1663, on which day he began his ministry. He is entered in the Visitation Book of 1665 as vicar, and in that of 1692 as curate. He became a prebendary of Exeter. On July 15, 1671, he married Mary Bolitho, a widow. He was buried on January 22, 1698. (See AppendixH.)[106]It is a question whether these documents ever existed outside Hawker’s brain. See note on p.101.[107]See Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 148.[108]For the pedigree of the family of Bligh, of Botathen, see Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 38. William Bligh, baptized May 18, 1657, was the son of William, who was baptized June 9, 1633, and was, therefore, only thirty-two in 1665. According to ancestries given by Carew and Gilbert, it is probable that the Earls of Darnley are descended from the Blighs of Botathen. (See App.H.)[109]This is no doubt a mis-spelling for “Dingley.” A James Dingley was vicar of the parish of South Petherwin, where the ghost appeared, in the same reign, and assisted Parson Rudall in his ministrations at Launceston. The name Dingley exists in that town and district at the present day.[110]See p.15.[111]The pentacle of Solomon. See p.14.[112]Compare the lines on Merlin in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—“He raised his prophet-staff: that runic rod,The stem of Igdrasil—the crutch of Raun,”to which Hawker appends the following note: “Igdrasil, the mystic tree, the ash of the Keltic ritual. The Raun, or Rowan, is also the ash of the mountain, another magic wood of the northern nations.”[113]See AppendixAb.[114]See note on p.104.[115]Hawker was quite capable of submitting a poser of this kind to his own bishop, Dr. Phillpotts. It is on record that he once exorcised a rebellious vestry, but whether he obtained the bishop’s licence in this case is not stated.[116]FromBelgravia, vol. iii. pp. 328-337. 1867.[117]The author and Rev. Dr. Jeune, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, father of Sir Francis Jeune.[118]“O type of a far scene! the lovely land,Where youth wins many a friend, and I had one;Still do thy bulwarks, dear old Oxford, stand?Yet, Isis, do thy thoughtful waters run?”The Token Stream of ‘Tidna’ Combe.(See AppendixA.)[119]Compare Tennyson, “In Memoriam”—“For, ‘ground in yonder social millWe rub each other’s angles down,‘And merge,’ he said, ‘in form and gloss,The picturesque of man and man.’”[120]Such things have been known to occur even in these degenerate days.[121]A variant of a line in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”[122]The Oxford crone speaks with a Cornish accent, and some think that she hailed from Stratton.[123]Hawker came in contact, however, with some of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, as we learn from a letter where he says: “How I recollect their faces and words—Newman, Pusey, Ward, Marriott; they used to be all in the common-room every evening, discussing, talking, reading.” Hawker went up to Oxford in 1822, and won the Newdigate in 1827, when Newman was a Tutor of Oriel and Keble was publishing “The Christian Year.”[124]One of the kind so often used by Wesley for his open-air sermons in Cornwall. See p.160.[125]Compare Hawker’s poem,“Trebarrow,” and his footnote thereto.[126]From the description of Carradon in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”[127]“Kings of the main their leaders brave,Their barks the dragons of the wave.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.[128]Compare Hawker’s well-known ballad, “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”[129]There were no “earls” of Bottreaux. Knights, or barons, would be more correct.[130]Wizard.[131]See AppendixJ.[132]Compare Tennyson—“that gray king, whose name, a ghost,Streams like a cloud, man-shaped, from mountain peak,And cleaves to cairn and cromlech still.”[133]“One breed may rise, another fall;The Berkshire hog survives them all.”It was, perhaps, in commemoration of this episode that Hawker when afterwards curate of North Tamerton, kept a tame Berkshire pig. Another parson-poet, Robert Herrick, is also said to have had a pet porker.[134]Compare p.204.[135]Compare p.202.[136]An escapade with pigs occurs in Tennyson’s poem, “Walking to the Mail.”[137]Pembroke.[138]Welcombe, to which Mr. Hawker became curate in 1850, and which he continued to serve until his death. There is an allusion to Welcombe church on p.21.[139]Hawker writes in one of his letters: “And now enough of myself. Solitude makes men self-praisers, and a Bemööster Herr—as the Germans call lonely readers—a mossy vicar likes to talk about his own importance.”[140]Compare p.196.[141]A similar sacrilege occurs in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”[142]See AppendixAb.[143]An echo from Shakespeare—“... the toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”[144]Compare p.194.[145]Horace, “Ars Poetica,” 185—“Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet.”[146]Charityis the full name.[147]There is a chapter on charms in Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”[148]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Modryb Marya”—“Now the holly with her drops of blood for me:For that is our dear Aunt Mary’s tree.”[149]Compare the poem, “A Croon on Hennacliff.”[150]Hawker was no doubt reminded of his own impersonation of a mermaid at Bude. For many quaint legends about mermaids and mermen, see Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”[151]Compare Browning’s lines—“Italy, my Italy!Queen Mary’s saying serves for me—(When fortune’s maliceLost her—Calais)—Open my heart and you will seeGraved inside of it, ‘Italy.’”[152]The same conceit, humorously applied, occurs in Calverley—“And the lean and hungry raven,As he picks my bones, will startTo observe ‘M.N.’ engravenNeatly on my blighted heart.”[153]See pp.196,202.[154]Perceval was Prime Minister from 1809 to 1812, in the time of the Regency and the Peninsular War.[155]The “Dictionary of National Biography” gives the following account of this event: “There was a certain bankrupt named John Bellingham, a man of disordered brain, who had a grievance against the Government originating in the refusal of the English Ambassador at St. Petersburg to interfere with the regular process of Russian law under which he had been arrested. He had applied to Perceval for redress, and the inevitable refusal inflamed his crazy resentment. On Monday, May 11 (1812), the House of Commons went into Committee on the orders in Council, and began to examine witnesses. Brougham complained of Perceval’s absence, and he was sent for. As he passed through the lobby to reach the house, Bellingham placed a pistol to his breast and fired. Perceval was dead before a doctor could be found.... Bellingham was tried at the Old Bailey on May 15, and the plea of insanity being set aside by the court, he was hanged on May 18.”[156]Robert Hunt has a delightful chapter on “The Elfin Creed of Cornwall,” in his “Popular Romances of the West of England.”[157]Compare “The Doom-Well of St. Madron”—“‘Now horse and hattock, both but and ben,’Was the cry at Lauds, with Dundagel men,And forth they pricked upon Routorr side,As goodly a raid as a king could ride.”[158]A reference to a custom, still followed to some extent in Devon and Cornwall, of paring the turf of grass-fields and burning the sods. It is called “bait-burning,” or “burning bait.”[159]“Full of wise saws and modern instances.”—As You Like It.[160]Hawker’s account (on p.11) of the discovery of the piscina in the chancel wall at Morwenstow is, however, very circumstantial. If “the jumbled carved work and a crushed drain,” which, he says came to light when the mortar was removed, proceeded from his imagination, it is a touch of genius in fabrication. In a letter to Mr. Richard Twining dated October 25th, 1855, Hawker writes: “Will you have the kindness to present the inclosed drawing to Miss L. Twining in my name and with my best regards. It is of a piscina discovered by me in the south wall of my chancel, where it has been hidden by mortar full 300 years, and existed there before that date full 500 years more.”The whole passage from Mr. Baring-Gould is as follows: “The ancient piscina in the wall is of early English date. Mr. Hawker discovered under the pavement in the church, when reseating it, the base of a small pillar, Norman in style, with a hole in it for a rivet which attached to it the slender column it supported. This he supposed was a piscina drain, and accordingly set it up in the recess beside his altar.” Mr. Baring-Gould evidently uses the word “piscina” as meaning the whole “recess” beside the altar. Mr. Chope appears to use it for the pillared structure within the recess. Hawker’s own words seem to show that he found the whole piscina,i.e.the recess with the drain inside it, “in the chancel wall.” He says nothing of any discovery “under the pavement,” and Mr. Baring-Gould does not give his authority for this statement.At any rate, if the piscina, or piscina drain, or pillar-base, whichever it be, was abstracted from the ruined chapel at Longfurlong, it presumably was not discovered under the pavement of Morwenstow Church, unless by another stroke of genius.It may be of interest to add that, on thrusting a piece of grass down the hole which Hawker took for a piscina drain, and which Mr. Baring-Gould says is a rivet-hole, I found that it went right through to the floor of the recess, a depth of about 13 inches. It is quite possible, therefore, that, if connected with another hole through the wall, it might at one time have served the purpose of a drain.—Editor.[161]The inscription runs as follows: “THIS · WAS · MADE · IN · THE · YERE · OF · OURE · LORDE · GOD · 1575.” The pew bearing it now stands (1903) at the east end of the north aisle, facing south.—Editor.[162]The foumart is now extinct in England, though, I believe, to be met with in parts of Scotland.[163]See note on p.118.[164]The cedar wainscot which lined the chapel is said to have been bought out of a Spanish prize, and the carving is mentioned by Defoe, in his “Western Tour,” as the work of Michael Chuke, and not inferior to Gibbon’s. (C. S. Gilbert, “Survey of Cornwall,” vol. ii. p. 554.)

[1]The foundations of this article first appeared in Mr. Blight’s “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” Penzance, 1850; in an article entitled “A Cornish Churchyard,” inChambers’s Journal, 1852; also, as the “Legend of Morwenstow,” inWillis’s Current Notes, 1856; and in its present extended form, in “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall,” 1870, embodying the author’s latest corrections and impressions.

[1]The foundations of this article first appeared in Mr. Blight’s “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” Penzance, 1850; in an article entitled “A Cornish Churchyard,” inChambers’s Journal, 1852; also, as the “Legend of Morwenstow,” inWillis’s Current Notes, 1856; and in its present extended form, in “Footprints of Former Men in Far Cornwall,” 1870, embodying the author’s latest corrections and impressions.

[2]Woolley Moor.

[2]Woolley Moor.

[3]“Ah! native Cornwall, throned upon the hills,Thy moorland pathways worn by Angel feet.”Quest of the Sangraal.

[3]

“Ah! native Cornwall, throned upon the hills,Thy moorland pathways worn by Angel feet.”Quest of the Sangraal.

“Ah! native Cornwall, throned upon the hills,Thy moorland pathways worn by Angel feet.”

Quest of the Sangraal.

[4]“If, traveller, thy happy spirit knowThat awful Fount whence living waters flow,Then hither come to draw: thy feet have foundAmidst these rocks a place of holy ground.”The Well of St. Morwenna.

[4]

“If, traveller, thy happy spirit knowThat awful Fount whence living waters flow,Then hither come to draw: thy feet have foundAmidst these rocks a place of holy ground.”The Well of St. Morwenna.

“If, traveller, thy happy spirit knowThat awful Fount whence living waters flow,Then hither come to draw: thy feet have foundAmidst these rocks a place of holy ground.”

The Well of St. Morwenna.

[5]Breachan figures as a saint on a window in St. Neot’s church, called “The Young Women’s Window,” erected in 1529 at the cost of the maidens of the village. Mr. Baring-Gould says that “Brychan” lived in the fifth century, and that Morwenna was probably his grand-daughter.

[5]Breachan figures as a saint on a window in St. Neot’s church, called “The Young Women’s Window,” erected in 1529 at the cost of the maidens of the village. Mr. Baring-Gould says that “Brychan” lived in the fifth century, and that Morwenna was probably his grand-daughter.

[6]According to Mr. Baring-Gould, this story is full of anachronisms, arising from the confusion of three different saints, Morwenna of Cornwall, Modwenna of Burton-on-Trent, and Monynna of Newry.

[6]According to Mr. Baring-Gould, this story is full of anachronisms, arising from the confusion of three different saints, Morwenna of Cornwall, Modwenna of Burton-on-Trent, and Monynna of Newry.

[7]Compare Hawker’s poem “A Croon on Hennacliff.”

[7]Compare Hawker’s poem “A Croon on Hennacliff.”

[8]This prose description of Morwenstow church has its metrical counterpart in “Morwennæ Statio.” The poetry in stone has never been more beautifully expressed than by those strong and simple lines.

[8]This prose description of Morwenstow church has its metrical counterpart in “Morwennæ Statio.” The poetry in stone has never been more beautifully expressed than by those strong and simple lines.

[9]See AppendixA.

[9]See AppendixA.

[10]A mistake for “Tunnacomb.” See AppendixA.

[10]A mistake for “Tunnacomb.” See AppendixA.

[11]See AppendixAa.

[11]See AppendixAa.

[12]The water for baptisms at Morwenstow is always drawn from this well, which Hawker won for the glebe by a law-suit soon after his appointment to the living.

[12]The water for baptisms at Morwenstow is always drawn from this well, which Hawker won for the glebe by a law-suit soon after his appointment to the living.

[13]See AppendixA.

[13]See AppendixA.

[14]In Blight’s book on “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” etc., there is an engraving of the Morwenstow Piscina and a Hebrew altar, with a note by Hawker.

[14]In Blight’s book on “Ancient Cornish Crosses,” etc., there is an engraving of the Morwenstow Piscina and a Hebrew altar, with a note by Hawker.

[15]Among some unpublished MSS. of Hawker’s is the following verse, dated 1840:—“Thus said the pious Pelican unto her thirsty Young,‘Drink, drink! my desert children: be beautiful and strong.What tho’ it be the lifeblood from my veins ye drain away;Ye will grow and glide in glory, and for me, O let me die.’”

[15]Among some unpublished MSS. of Hawker’s is the following verse, dated 1840:—

“Thus said the pious Pelican unto her thirsty Young,‘Drink, drink! my desert children: be beautiful and strong.What tho’ it be the lifeblood from my veins ye drain away;Ye will grow and glide in glory, and for me, O let me die.’”

“Thus said the pious Pelican unto her thirsty Young,‘Drink, drink! my desert children: be beautiful and strong.What tho’ it be the lifeblood from my veins ye drain away;Ye will grow and glide in glory, and for me, O let me die.’”

[16]Hawker had a seal engraved with this pentacle. Compare the lines in his poem “Baal-Zephon.”“Oh for the Sigil! or the chanted spell!The pentacle that Demons know and dread.”In a letter to Miss Louisa Twining, Hawker writes: “The pentacle of Solomon, or five-pointed figure, was derived from his seal wherewith he ruled the genii. It was a sapphire, and it contained a handalivewhich grasped a small serpent, also alive. Through the bright gem both were visible, the hand and the ‘worm’ as of old they called it. When invoked by the king, the fingers moved and the serpent writhed and miracles were wrought by spirits which were vassals of the gem.... Because of this mystic Hand the pentacle or five-pointed (fingered) figure became the Sigil of Signomancy in the early ages.”

[16]Hawker had a seal engraved with this pentacle. Compare the lines in his poem “Baal-Zephon.”

“Oh for the Sigil! or the chanted spell!The pentacle that Demons know and dread.”

“Oh for the Sigil! or the chanted spell!The pentacle that Demons know and dread.”

In a letter to Miss Louisa Twining, Hawker writes: “The pentacle of Solomon, or five-pointed figure, was derived from his seal wherewith he ruled the genii. It was a sapphire, and it contained a handalivewhich grasped a small serpent, also alive. Through the bright gem both were visible, the hand and the ‘worm’ as of old they called it. When invoked by the king, the fingers moved and the serpent writhed and miracles were wrought by spirits which were vassals of the gem.... Because of this mystic Hand the pentacle or five-pointed (fingered) figure became the Sigil of Signomancy in the early ages.”

[17]For an instance of its use in exorcism, see the “Botathen Ghost” story, p.158.

[17]For an instance of its use in exorcism, see the “Botathen Ghost” story, p.158.

[18]“And Solomon built ... Baalath, and Tadmor in the Wilderness” (1 Kings ix. 17-18).

[18]“And Solomon built ... Baalath, and Tadmor in the Wilderness” (1 Kings ix. 17-18).

[19]This screen was constructed by Mr. Hawker from the rescued remnants of an older screen, pieced together with ironwork. It has since been taken down, and the old carving placed in other parts of the church.

[19]This screen was constructed by Mr. Hawker from the rescued remnants of an older screen, pieced together with ironwork. It has since been taken down, and the old carving placed in other parts of the church.

[20]See AppendixAb.

[20]See AppendixAb.

[21]The chancel has been restored by Lord Clinton. The old altar ornaments used by Mr. Hawker are preserved in the vestry.

[21]The chancel has been restored by Lord Clinton. The old altar ornaments used by Mr. Hawker are preserved in the vestry.

[22]See note on p.6. Two new lancet windows have since been placed in the chancel, one by Mrs. Waddon Martyn, of Tonacombe, in memory of her husband, the other by friends of the Rev. J. Tagert, to commemorate the restoration of the church during his vicariate. A larger memorial window has also been placed by the Martyn family at the east end of the north aisle.

[22]See note on p.6. Two new lancet windows have since been placed in the chancel, one by Mrs. Waddon Martyn, of Tonacombe, in memory of her husband, the other by friends of the Rev. J. Tagert, to commemorate the restoration of the church during his vicariate. A larger memorial window has also been placed by the Martyn family at the east end of the north aisle.

[23]This appears to be an error, as the date on the pillar (in Roman figures) is 1564. (See AppendixA.)

[23]This appears to be an error, as the date on the pillar (in Roman figures) is 1564. (See AppendixA.)

[24]See AppendixAb.

[24]See AppendixAb.

[25]Compare the apportionment of the regions among the four great knights, Lancelot, Perceval, Tristan, and Galahad, in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”“Let us ariseAnd cleave the earth like rivers; like the streamsThat win from Paradise their immortal name:To the four winds of God, casting the lot....”The mystic attributes of the four regions are told in lines of incomparable grandeur.

[25]Compare the apportionment of the regions among the four great knights, Lancelot, Perceval, Tristan, and Galahad, in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”

“Let us ariseAnd cleave the earth like rivers; like the streamsThat win from Paradise their immortal name:To the four winds of God, casting the lot....”

“Let us ariseAnd cleave the earth like rivers; like the streamsThat win from Paradise their immortal name:To the four winds of God, casting the lot....”

The mystic attributes of the four regions are told in lines of incomparable grandeur.

[26]More about this village is to be found in the article “Holacombe.”

[26]More about this village is to be found in the article “Holacombe.”

[27]This dislike is disappearing. When I was at Welcombe recently a grave was being dug on the northern side of the church. The grave-digger said he had been christened and married by Mr. Hawker: “one of the best passons,” he added, “us ever had.”—Ed.

[27]This dislike is disappearing. When I was at Welcombe recently a grave was being dug on the northern side of the church. The grave-digger said he had been christened and married by Mr. Hawker: “one of the best passons,” he added, “us ever had.”—Ed.

[28]See p.62.

[28]See p.62.

[29]These initials are still to be seen at Stanbury, now a farmhouse. The scene of Mr. Baring-Gould’s novel “The Gaverocks” is partly laid there.

[29]These initials are still to be seen at Stanbury, now a farmhouse. The scene of Mr. Baring-Gould’s novel “The Gaverocks” is partly laid there.

[30]Richard Cann, who died February 15, 1842. Compare Hawker’s head-note to the poem in “Cornish Ballads,” where it is called “The Dirge.”

[30]Richard Cann, who died February 15, 1842. Compare Hawker’s head-note to the poem in “Cornish Ballads,” where it is called “The Dirge.”

[31]It may be said that the first editions of some of Hawker’s poems are on the grave-stones in Morwenstow churchyard. Other verses of this kind are those “On the Grave of a Child,” and some of the prose inscriptions bear traces of the same authorship.

[31]It may be said that the first editions of some of Hawker’s poems are on the grave-stones in Morwenstow churchyard. Other verses of this kind are those “On the Grave of a Child,” and some of the prose inscriptions bear traces of the same authorship.

[32]FromNotes & Queries, 1st ser., vol. ii. p. 225. 1850. See Appen.B.

[32]FromNotes & Queries, 1st ser., vol. ii. p. 225. 1850. See Appen.B.

[33]Compare “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”“Thank God, thou whining knave! on land,But thank, at sea, the steersman’s hand.”

[33]Compare “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”

“Thank God, thou whining knave! on land,But thank, at sea, the steersman’s hand.”

“Thank God, thou whining knave! on land,But thank, at sea, the steersman’s hand.”

[34]The scene of this legend is pointed out in the garden at Tonacombe Manor.

[34]The scene of this legend is pointed out in the garden at Tonacombe Manor.

[35]FromHousehold Words, vol. vi. pp. 515-517. 1853.

[35]FromHousehold Words, vol. vi. pp. 515-517. 1853.

[36]A character in “Guy Mannering.”

[36]A character in “Guy Mannering.”

[37]A cove some six miles S.W. of Bude. Hawker has a poem on the death of a noted smuggler, “Mawgan of Melhuach.”

[37]A cove some six miles S.W. of Bude. Hawker has a poem on the death of a noted smuggler, “Mawgan of Melhuach.”

[38]A mistaken spelling: see AppendixA.

[38]A mistaken spelling: see AppendixA.

[39]The allusion is to a passage in Æschylus, “Prom. Vinct.” 90.ποντίων τε κυμάτωνἀνήριθμον γέλασμα.It was a favourite metaphor of Hawker’s, and occurs over and over again in his poetry. The best instance is in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” where he apostrophises Cornwall.“Thy streams that march in music to the sea,’Mid Ocean’s merry noise, his billowy laugh.”

[39]The allusion is to a passage in Æschylus, “Prom. Vinct.” 90.

ποντίων τε κυμάτωνἀνήριθμον γέλασμα.

ποντίων τε κυμάτωνἀνήριθμον γέλασμα.

It was a favourite metaphor of Hawker’s, and occurs over and over again in his poetry. The best instance is in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” where he apostrophises Cornwall.

“Thy streams that march in music to the sea,’Mid Ocean’s merry noise, his billowy laugh.”

“Thy streams that march in music to the sea,’Mid Ocean’s merry noise, his billowy laugh.”

[40]FromHousehold Words, vol. viii. pp. 305, 306. 1853.

[40]FromHousehold Words, vol. viii. pp. 305, 306. 1853.

[41]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 153-156. 1865.

[41]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 153-156. 1865.

[42]1834.

[42]1834.

[43]The Tamar.

[43]The Tamar.

[44]The Torridge.

[44]The Torridge.

[45]John Wesley.

[45]John Wesley.

[46]And like Daniel Gumb. See p.107.

[46]And like Daniel Gumb. See p.107.

[47]Videp.32,et seq.

[47]Videp.32,et seq.

[48]See the essay, “Cruel Coppinger,” and AppendixF.

[48]See the essay, “Cruel Coppinger,” and AppendixF.

[49]These are still preserved. They are little sand-glasses, shielded with brass, cylindrical in shape. The sand in one takes twenty-eight seconds to run, that in the other fourteen.

[49]These are still preserved. They are little sand-glasses, shielded with brass, cylindrical in shape. The sand in one takes twenty-eight seconds to run, that in the other fourteen.

[50]Hawker is not forgotten in Arbroath. A lecture was delivered there on February 18, 1903, by the Rev. A. E. Crowder, on “Cornwall: its Scenery, People, Antiquities, and Folklore.” The lecturer referred to Hawker and the wreck of theCaledonia.

[50]Hawker is not forgotten in Arbroath. A lecture was delivered there on February 18, 1903, by the Rev. A. E. Crowder, on “Cornwall: its Scenery, People, Antiquities, and Folklore.” The lecturer referred to Hawker and the wreck of theCaledonia.

[51]For Hawker’s poem on this occasion, see p.22.

[51]For Hawker’s poem on this occasion, see p.22.

[52]“Gebir,” Book I., lines 216, 217. The usual version has “hardwet sand.” Hawker and Landor (it may be remarked by the way) were in many respects kindred spirits.

[52]“Gebir,” Book I., lines 216, 217. The usual version has “hardwet sand.” Hawker and Landor (it may be remarked by the way) were in many respects kindred spirits.

[53]Bude.

[53]Bude.

[54]Probably Mr. George Casebourne, Civil Engineer, who married a sister of Mr. Hawker’s, and was for some years superintendent of the Bude Canal.

[54]Probably Mr. George Casebourne, Civil Engineer, who married a sister of Mr. Hawker’s, and was for some years superintendent of the Bude Canal.

[55]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 454-456. 1865.

[55]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xiii. pp. 454-456. 1865.

[56]See AppendixC.

[56]See AppendixC.

[57]Compare Hawker’s fine description of the feast at Dundagel in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—“Strong men for meat, and warriors at the wine,They wreak the wrath of hunger on the beeves,They rend rich morsels from the savoury deer,And quench the flagon like Brun-guillie dew!”

[57]Compare Hawker’s fine description of the feast at Dundagel in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—

“Strong men for meat, and warriors at the wine,They wreak the wrath of hunger on the beeves,They rend rich morsels from the savoury deer,And quench the flagon like Brun-guillie dew!”

“Strong men for meat, and warriors at the wine,They wreak the wrath of hunger on the beeves,They rend rich morsels from the savoury deer,And quench the flagon like Brun-guillie dew!”

[58]Another version of the story says that he was a shoemaker come on business, and that he never made boots for Mr. Arscott again. For the fate of the other toad, see end of AppendixC.

[58]Another version of the story says that he was a shoemaker come on business, and that he never made boots for Mr. Arscott again. For the fate of the other toad, see end of AppendixC.

[59]The Rev. Robert Martyn, then Vicar of Stratton.

[59]The Rev. Robert Martyn, then Vicar of Stratton.

[60]On another occasion Black John awoke from a less serious trance. The parson in his sermon was speaking of “that blessedness which on earth it is impossible to find,” when a well-known voice from the gallery shouted, “Not find! Us be sartain to find un to-morrow in Swannacott Wood!”

[60]On another occasion Black John awoke from a less serious trance. The parson in his sermon was speaking of “that blessedness which on earth it is impossible to find,” when a well-known voice from the gallery shouted, “Not find! Us be sartain to find un to-morrow in Swannacott Wood!”

[61]In another version of the tale, Black John said to the preacher, “Only just take your hat off and say two words of gospel to ’im, and her won’t touch ’ee.”

[61]In another version of the tale, Black John said to the preacher, “Only just take your hat off and say two words of gospel to ’im, and her won’t touch ’ee.”

[62]This is one stanza from Hawker’s own poem, “Tetcott, 1831; in which year Sir William Molesworth caused the old house to be taken down, and a new one built.” (See AppendixC.)

[62]This is one stanza from Hawker’s own poem, “Tetcott, 1831; in which year Sir William Molesworth caused the old house to be taken down, and a new one built.” (See AppendixC.)

[63]These lines are from Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[63]These lines are from Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[64]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xv. pp. 206-210. 1866. See AppendixD.

[64]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xv. pp. 206-210. 1866. See AppendixD.

[65]Spelt “Routorr” in the linesquotedon p.234. It seems more natural to take the word as meaning “rough, or rugged, tor.” Hawker spells it “Roughtor” on p.124.

[65]Spelt “Routorr” in the linesquotedon p.234. It seems more natural to take the word as meaning “rough, or rugged, tor.” Hawker spells it “Roughtor” on p.124.

[66]Now called “Brown Willy.” See the linesquotedon p.80.

[66]Now called “Brown Willy.” See the linesquotedon p.80.

[67]Compare the lines on Sir Lancelot in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” and Hawker’s note—“Ah me! that logan of the rocky hills,Pillar’d in storm, calm in the rush of war,Shook at the light touch of his lady’s hand!”The ballad on “The Doom Well of St. Madron” records a similar test of innocence. For Carew’s description of a logan-rock, see end of AppendixD.

[67]Compare the lines on Sir Lancelot in “The Quest of the Sangraal,” and Hawker’s note—

“Ah me! that logan of the rocky hills,Pillar’d in storm, calm in the rush of war,Shook at the light touch of his lady’s hand!”

“Ah me! that logan of the rocky hills,Pillar’d in storm, calm in the rush of war,Shook at the light touch of his lady’s hand!”

The ballad on “The Doom Well of St. Madron” records a similar test of innocence. For Carew’s description of a logan-rock, see end of AppendixD.

[68]See AppendixDa.

[68]See AppendixDa.

[69]“On one side lay the Ocean, and on oneLay a great water, and the moon was full.”

[69]

“On one side lay the Ocean, and on oneLay a great water, and the moon was full.”

“On one side lay the Ocean, and on oneLay a great water, and the moon was full.”

[70]William Cookworthy (1705-1780) started life as a small druggist in Nut Street, Plymouth. He had been educated by the Society of Friends, and at thirty-one he retired from trade, became a Quaker minister, and continued so for twenty-five years. About 1758, having discovered a new process of making porcelain, he set up a manufactory at Plymouth, which was after his death transferred to Bristol, and thence to the Potteries. “Cookworthy is said to have been a believer in thedowsingor divining-rod for discovering mineral veins, and we learn that he became a disciple of Swedenborg.... As a lover of science he was much appreciated, as is proved by the fact that Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and Captain Cook, dined with him at Plymouth before their voyage round the world” (“Dictionary of National Biography”). His duties led him to travel about the mining districts of Cornwall, and he was a great friend of Nancarrow of Godolphin, a superintendent of mines. It would be on these journeys, no doubt, that he came across Daniel Gumb. Cookworthy died on October 16, 1780, aged 76.

[70]William Cookworthy (1705-1780) started life as a small druggist in Nut Street, Plymouth. He had been educated by the Society of Friends, and at thirty-one he retired from trade, became a Quaker minister, and continued so for twenty-five years. About 1758, having discovered a new process of making porcelain, he set up a manufactory at Plymouth, which was after his death transferred to Bristol, and thence to the Potteries. “Cookworthy is said to have been a believer in thedowsingor divining-rod for discovering mineral veins, and we learn that he became a disciple of Swedenborg.... As a lover of science he was much appreciated, as is proved by the fact that Sir Joseph Banks, Dr. Solander, and Captain Cook, dined with him at Plymouth before their voyage round the world” (“Dictionary of National Biography”). His duties led him to travel about the mining districts of Cornwall, and he was a great friend of Nancarrow of Godolphin, a superintendent of mines. It would be on these journeys, no doubt, that he came across Daniel Gumb. Cookworthy died on October 16, 1780, aged 76.

[71]“On many a cairn’s grey pyramid,Where urns of mighty chiefs lie hid.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.

[71]

“On many a cairn’s grey pyramid,Where urns of mighty chiefs lie hid.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.

“On many a cairn’s grey pyramid,Where urns of mighty chiefs lie hid.”

Lay of the Last Minstrel.

[72]It was not Agag, but Og, the king of Bashan, who had the bedstead of iron. See Deuteronomy iii. 11.

[72]It was not Agag, but Og, the king of Bashan, who had the bedstead of iron. See Deuteronomy iii. 11.

[73]This is probably a slip of the pen for “Virgilian.” The line occurs in Virgil’s “Eclogues,” 8, 43. There is no stop at “illum.” The sentence is carried on to the next lines—“Aut Tmaros aut Rhodope aut extremi GaramantesNec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis edunt.”Conington translates the passage thus: “Now know I what love is; it is among savage rocks that he is produced by Tmarus or Rhodope or the Garamantes at earth’s end; no child of lineage or blood like ours.” Hawker’s translation, it must be owned, is preferable as far as it goes.

[73]This is probably a slip of the pen for “Virgilian.” The line occurs in Virgil’s “Eclogues,” 8, 43. There is no stop at “illum.” The sentence is carried on to the next lines—

“Aut Tmaros aut Rhodope aut extremi GaramantesNec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis edunt.”

“Aut Tmaros aut Rhodope aut extremi GaramantesNec generis nostri puerum nec sanguinis edunt.”

Conington translates the passage thus: “Now know I what love is; it is among savage rocks that he is produced by Tmarus or Rhodope or the Garamantes at earth’s end; no child of lineage or blood like ours.” Hawker’s translation, it must be owned, is preferable as far as it goes.

[74]Evidences of thought and style make it almost certain that these ingenious “fragments” are Hawker’s “own invention.” See note on p.104.

[74]Evidences of thought and style make it almost certain that these ingenious “fragments” are Hawker’s “own invention.” See note on p.104.

[75]It was a trick of Hawker’s style to end a sentence with this or similar adverbs. Instances occur on pp.17and172. Elsewhere he writes: “As the lightning leaps from the dark cloud suddenly.” Little points like this suggest the real authorship of Daniel Gumb’s diary.

[75]It was a trick of Hawker’s style to end a sentence with this or similar adverbs. Instances occur on pp.17and172. Elsewhere he writes: “As the lightning leaps from the dark cloud suddenly.” Little points like this suggest the real authorship of Daniel Gumb’s diary.

[76]Numbers xxiv. 21, “And he (Balaam) looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.”

[76]Numbers xxiv. 21, “And he (Balaam) looked on the Kenites, and took up his parable, and said, Strong is thy dwelling-place, and thou puttest thy nest in a rock.”

[77]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 247-249. 1866. See AppendixE.

[77]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 247-249. 1866. See AppendixE.

[78]See AppendixB.

[78]See AppendixB.

[79]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Sir Beville—the Gate Song of Stowe.” See also AppendixEa.

[79]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Sir Beville—the Gate Song of Stowe.” See also AppendixEa.

[80]It is said locally that Antony’s stocking would hold a peck of wheat.

[80]It is said locally that Antony’s stocking would hold a peck of wheat.

[81]C. S. Gilbert in his “History of Cornwall.”

[81]C. S. Gilbert in his “History of Cornwall.”

[82]“Ride! ride! with red spur, there is death in delay,’Tis a race for dear life with the devil;If dark Cromwell prevail, and the king must give way,This earth is no place for Sir Beville.”The Gate Song of Stowe.

[82]

“Ride! ride! with red spur, there is death in delay,’Tis a race for dear life with the devil;If dark Cromwell prevail, and the king must give way,This earth is no place for Sir Beville.”The Gate Song of Stowe.

“Ride! ride! with red spur, there is death in delay,’Tis a race for dear life with the devil;If dark Cromwell prevail, and the king must give way,This earth is no place for Sir Beville.”

The Gate Song of Stowe.

[83]There is a description of this battle in Q’s novel, “The Splendid Spur,” one of the most vivid and stirring battle pictures in modern fiction.

[83]There is a description of this battle in Q’s novel, “The Splendid Spur,” one of the most vivid and stirring battle pictures in modern fiction.

[84]In a letter dated September 21, 1866, to his brother-in-law, the late Mr. John Sommers James, Hawker says, “He (Antony Payne) was an Ancestor of Captain Parsons and Sam. He was going to bury your Great Grandfather at Stamford Hill alive, wounded among the other Rebels, but he spared him, and, as I have stated, his ‘descendants are among the most conspicuous of the Inhabitants of Stratton to this day.’”

[84]In a letter dated September 21, 1866, to his brother-in-law, the late Mr. John Sommers James, Hawker says, “He (Antony Payne) was an Ancestor of Captain Parsons and Sam. He was going to bury your Great Grandfather at Stamford Hill alive, wounded among the other Rebels, but he spared him, and, as I have stated, his ‘descendants are among the most conspicuous of the Inhabitants of Stratton to this day.’”

[85]The authenticity of this letter is doubtful. If spurious, however, it is interesting as an example of Hawker’s Chattertonian propensities and his skill in catching the antique style. (See AppendixE.)

[85]The authenticity of this letter is doubtful. If spurious, however, it is interesting as an example of Hawker’s Chattertonian propensities and his skill in catching the antique style. (See AppendixE.)

[86]Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723), a German by birth, was Court painter to five English sovereigns, Charles II., James II., William III., Anne, and George I. He came to England in 1675, and if Charles II., who died in 1685, commanded him to paint the portrait of Antony Payne, it must have been between those years that the picture was executed. According to the dedication under Gilbert’s engraving, however, it was done at the expense of the Earl of Bath. The Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, has published a pamphlet (price 2d.) entitled “A Short Account of Anthony Payne, the Cornish Giant, and the History of his Portrait.” This states that the picture was painted in 1680. “Ten reigning sovereigns in all sat to Kneller for their portraits. His sitters included almost all persons of rank, wealth, or eminence, in his day, and examples of his brush may be found in nearly every historic mansion or palace in the kingdom.... Kneller can best be studied at Hampton Court” (“Dictionary of National Biography”).

[86]Sir Godfrey Kneller (1646-1723), a German by birth, was Court painter to five English sovereigns, Charles II., James II., William III., Anne, and George I. He came to England in 1675, and if Charles II., who died in 1685, commanded him to paint the portrait of Antony Payne, it must have been between those years that the picture was executed. According to the dedication under Gilbert’s engraving, however, it was done at the expense of the Earl of Bath. The Royal Institution of Cornwall, Truro, has published a pamphlet (price 2d.) entitled “A Short Account of Anthony Payne, the Cornish Giant, and the History of his Portrait.” This states that the picture was painted in 1680. “Ten reigning sovereigns in all sat to Kneller for their portraits. His sitters included almost all persons of rank, wealth, or eminence, in his day, and examples of his brush may be found in nearly every historic mansion or palace in the kingdom.... Kneller can best be studied at Hampton Court” (“Dictionary of National Biography”).

[87]In the letter to Mr. J. Sommers James quoted above Hawker refers to Antony Payne as “owner of the spear your brother Henry gave me years ago.”

[87]In the letter to Mr. J. Sommers James quoted above Hawker refers to Antony Payne as “owner of the spear your brother Henry gave me years ago.”

[88]This flagon was given by Mr. Hawker to Mr. Thomas Shephard, of Stratton, whose daughter, Mrs. William Shephard, of Barnstaple, has presented it to Truro Museum. (Seeillustrationfacing p. 14.) The Shephards are descendants of Antony Payne, and Mr. William Shephard has in his possession a pewter shaving cup that belonged to Antony’s father.

[88]This flagon was given by Mr. Hawker to Mr. Thomas Shephard, of Stratton, whose daughter, Mrs. William Shephard, of Barnstaple, has presented it to Truro Museum. (Seeillustrationfacing p. 14.) The Shephards are descendants of Antony Payne, and Mr. William Shephard has in his possession a pewter shaving cup that belonged to Antony’s father.

[89]Gilbert says “in the north aisle.” Possibly Hawker altered this in accordance with the superstition mentioned on p.21. See end of AppendixE.

[89]Gilbert says “in the north aisle.” Possibly Hawker altered this in accordance with the superstition mentioned on p.21. See end of AppendixE.

[90]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 537-540. 1866. For the historical basis of this article, see AppendixF.

[90]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvi. pp. 537-540. 1866. For the historical basis of this article, see AppendixF.

[91]In the original form of this article, a second verse was added, and the first was slightly different.“Will you hear of the bold, brave Coppinger?How he came of a foreign kind?He was brought to us by the salt water;He’ll be carried away by the wind.For thus the old wives croon and sing,And so the proverbs say,That whatsoever the wild waves bringThe winds will bear away.”

[91]In the original form of this article, a second verse was added, and the first was slightly different.

“Will you hear of the bold, brave Coppinger?How he came of a foreign kind?He was brought to us by the salt water;He’ll be carried away by the wind.For thus the old wives croon and sing,And so the proverbs say,That whatsoever the wild waves bringThe winds will bear away.”

“Will you hear of the bold, brave Coppinger?How he came of a foreign kind?He was brought to us by the salt water;He’ll be carried away by the wind.

For thus the old wives croon and sing,And so the proverbs say,That whatsoever the wild waves bringThe winds will bear away.”

[92]See p.38.

[92]See p.38.

[93]Hawker himself used a seal engraved with the one word, “Thorough,” the motto, as he said, of Archbishop Laud.

[93]Hawker himself used a seal engraved with the one word, “Thorough,” the motto, as he said, of Archbishop Laud.

[94]Mr. Baring-Gould, in his “Vicar of Morwenstow” (Edition 1899, p. 110), gives another reason for Coppinger’s wrath:—“The Kilkhampton parson hated rook-pie. Coppinger knew it. He invited him to dine with him one day. A large rook-pie was served at one end of the table, and roast rooks at the other, and the parson, who was very hungry, was forced to eat of them. When he departed he invited Coppinger to dine with him on the following Thursday. The smuggler arrived, and was regaled on pie, whether rabbit or hare he could not decide. When he came home he found a cat’s skin and head stuffed into his coat pocket, and thereby discovered what he had been eating.”

[94]Mr. Baring-Gould, in his “Vicar of Morwenstow” (Edition 1899, p. 110), gives another reason for Coppinger’s wrath:—“The Kilkhampton parson hated rook-pie. Coppinger knew it. He invited him to dine with him one day. A large rook-pie was served at one end of the table, and roast rooks at the other, and the parson, who was very hungry, was forced to eat of them. When he departed he invited Coppinger to dine with him on the following Thursday. The smuggler arrived, and was regaled on pie, whether rabbit or hare he could not decide. When he came home he found a cat’s skin and head stuffed into his coat pocket, and thereby discovered what he had been eating.”

[95]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 276-280. 1867. For the origins of this story, see AppendixG.

[95]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 276-280. 1867. For the origins of this story, see AppendixG.

[96]“Straight, but as lissome as a hazel wand;Her eyes a bashful azure, and her hairIn gloss and hue the chestnut, when the shellDivides threefold to show the fruit within.”Tennyson,The Brook.

[96]

“Straight, but as lissome as a hazel wand;Her eyes a bashful azure, and her hairIn gloss and hue the chestnut, when the shellDivides threefold to show the fruit within.”Tennyson,The Brook.

“Straight, but as lissome as a hazel wand;Her eyes a bashful azure, and her hairIn gloss and hue the chestnut, when the shellDivides threefold to show the fruit within.”

Tennyson,The Brook.

[97]One of Mr. Hawker’s sisters was the wife of John Dineham, surgeon, of Stratton.

[97]One of Mr. Hawker’s sisters was the wife of John Dineham, surgeon, of Stratton.

[98]Hawker has a pretty poem for children with this title—“Teach me, Father John, to sayVesper-verse and matin-lay:So when I to God shall plead,Christ His Cross shall be my speed.”

[98]Hawker has a pretty poem for children with this title—

“Teach me, Father John, to sayVesper-verse and matin-lay:So when I to God shall plead,Christ His Cross shall be my speed.”

“Teach me, Father John, to sayVesper-verse and matin-lay:So when I to God shall plead,Christ His Cross shall be my speed.”

[99]The love of the Lady Katherine Gordon for Perkin Warbeck is the subject of Hawker’s poem, “The Lady of the Mount.”

[99]The love of the Lady Katherine Gordon for Perkin Warbeck is the subject of Hawker’s poem, “The Lady of the Mount.”

[100]The remains of this old building have been embodied in some cottages. The doorway shown in the illustration forms the front door of one of these. The other is occupied by the Cornwall County Police, and the unsuspecting pilgrim who rambles round without permission is liable to be startled by the gruff remark, “You’m trespassing!” Thus are we recalled from “the baseless fabric” of the past to the stern realities of the living present.

[100]The remains of this old building have been embodied in some cottages. The doorway shown in the illustration forms the front door of one of these. The other is occupied by the Cornwall County Police, and the unsuspecting pilgrim who rambles round without permission is liable to be startled by the gruff remark, “You’m trespassing!” Thus are we recalled from “the baseless fabric” of the past to the stern realities of the living present.

[101]Hawker gives a romantic turn of his own to this part of the story.

[101]Hawker gives a romantic turn of his own to this part of the story.

[102]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 501-504. 1867. The story occurs in C. S. Gilbert’s “Historical Survey of Cornwall,” in Mrs. Bray’s “Trelawny of Trelawn,” and in “Histories of Launceston,” by R. and O. B. Peter.

[102]FromAll the Year Round, vol. xvii. pp. 501-504. 1867. The story occurs in C. S. Gilbert’s “Historical Survey of Cornwall,” in Mrs. Bray’s “Trelawny of Trelawn,” and in “Histories of Launceston,” by R. and O. B. Peter.

[103]All this is singularly applicable to Hawker himself.

[103]All this is singularly applicable to Hawker himself.

[104]See p.45.

[104]See p.45.

[105]John Ruddle, or Rudall, A.M., was instituted Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, Launceston, on Christmas Day, 1663, on which day he began his ministry. He is entered in the Visitation Book of 1665 as vicar, and in that of 1692 as curate. He became a prebendary of Exeter. On July 15, 1671, he married Mary Bolitho, a widow. He was buried on January 22, 1698. (See AppendixH.)

[105]John Ruddle, or Rudall, A.M., was instituted Vicar of St. Mary Magdalene, Launceston, on Christmas Day, 1663, on which day he began his ministry. He is entered in the Visitation Book of 1665 as vicar, and in that of 1692 as curate. He became a prebendary of Exeter. On July 15, 1671, he married Mary Bolitho, a widow. He was buried on January 22, 1698. (See AppendixH.)

[106]It is a question whether these documents ever existed outside Hawker’s brain. See note on p.101.

[106]It is a question whether these documents ever existed outside Hawker’s brain. See note on p.101.

[107]See Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 148.

[107]See Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 148.

[108]For the pedigree of the family of Bligh, of Botathen, see Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 38. William Bligh, baptized May 18, 1657, was the son of William, who was baptized June 9, 1633, and was, therefore, only thirty-two in 1665. According to ancestries given by Carew and Gilbert, it is probable that the Earls of Darnley are descended from the Blighs of Botathen. (See App.H.)

[108]For the pedigree of the family of Bligh, of Botathen, see Vivian’s “Visitations of Cornwall,” p. 38. William Bligh, baptized May 18, 1657, was the son of William, who was baptized June 9, 1633, and was, therefore, only thirty-two in 1665. According to ancestries given by Carew and Gilbert, it is probable that the Earls of Darnley are descended from the Blighs of Botathen. (See App.H.)

[109]This is no doubt a mis-spelling for “Dingley.” A James Dingley was vicar of the parish of South Petherwin, where the ghost appeared, in the same reign, and assisted Parson Rudall in his ministrations at Launceston. The name Dingley exists in that town and district at the present day.

[109]This is no doubt a mis-spelling for “Dingley.” A James Dingley was vicar of the parish of South Petherwin, where the ghost appeared, in the same reign, and assisted Parson Rudall in his ministrations at Launceston. The name Dingley exists in that town and district at the present day.

[110]See p.15.

[110]See p.15.

[111]The pentacle of Solomon. See p.14.

[111]The pentacle of Solomon. See p.14.

[112]Compare the lines on Merlin in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—“He raised his prophet-staff: that runic rod,The stem of Igdrasil—the crutch of Raun,”to which Hawker appends the following note: “Igdrasil, the mystic tree, the ash of the Keltic ritual. The Raun, or Rowan, is also the ash of the mountain, another magic wood of the northern nations.”

[112]Compare the lines on Merlin in “The Quest of the Sangraal”—

“He raised his prophet-staff: that runic rod,The stem of Igdrasil—the crutch of Raun,”

“He raised his prophet-staff: that runic rod,The stem of Igdrasil—the crutch of Raun,”

to which Hawker appends the following note: “Igdrasil, the mystic tree, the ash of the Keltic ritual. The Raun, or Rowan, is also the ash of the mountain, another magic wood of the northern nations.”

[113]See AppendixAb.

[113]See AppendixAb.

[114]See note on p.104.

[114]See note on p.104.

[115]Hawker was quite capable of submitting a poser of this kind to his own bishop, Dr. Phillpotts. It is on record that he once exorcised a rebellious vestry, but whether he obtained the bishop’s licence in this case is not stated.

[115]Hawker was quite capable of submitting a poser of this kind to his own bishop, Dr. Phillpotts. It is on record that he once exorcised a rebellious vestry, but whether he obtained the bishop’s licence in this case is not stated.

[116]FromBelgravia, vol. iii. pp. 328-337. 1867.

[116]FromBelgravia, vol. iii. pp. 328-337. 1867.

[117]The author and Rev. Dr. Jeune, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, father of Sir Francis Jeune.

[117]The author and Rev. Dr. Jeune, afterwards Bishop of Peterborough, father of Sir Francis Jeune.

[118]“O type of a far scene! the lovely land,Where youth wins many a friend, and I had one;Still do thy bulwarks, dear old Oxford, stand?Yet, Isis, do thy thoughtful waters run?”The Token Stream of ‘Tidna’ Combe.(See AppendixA.)

[118]

“O type of a far scene! the lovely land,Where youth wins many a friend, and I had one;Still do thy bulwarks, dear old Oxford, stand?Yet, Isis, do thy thoughtful waters run?”The Token Stream of ‘Tidna’ Combe.

“O type of a far scene! the lovely land,Where youth wins many a friend, and I had one;Still do thy bulwarks, dear old Oxford, stand?Yet, Isis, do thy thoughtful waters run?”

The Token Stream of ‘Tidna’ Combe.

(See AppendixA.)

[119]Compare Tennyson, “In Memoriam”—“For, ‘ground in yonder social millWe rub each other’s angles down,‘And merge,’ he said, ‘in form and gloss,The picturesque of man and man.’”

[119]Compare Tennyson, “In Memoriam”—

“For, ‘ground in yonder social millWe rub each other’s angles down,‘And merge,’ he said, ‘in form and gloss,The picturesque of man and man.’”

“For, ‘ground in yonder social millWe rub each other’s angles down,

‘And merge,’ he said, ‘in form and gloss,The picturesque of man and man.’”

[120]Such things have been known to occur even in these degenerate days.

[120]Such things have been known to occur even in these degenerate days.

[121]A variant of a line in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[121]A variant of a line in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[122]The Oxford crone speaks with a Cornish accent, and some think that she hailed from Stratton.

[122]The Oxford crone speaks with a Cornish accent, and some think that she hailed from Stratton.

[123]Hawker came in contact, however, with some of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, as we learn from a letter where he says: “How I recollect their faces and words—Newman, Pusey, Ward, Marriott; they used to be all in the common-room every evening, discussing, talking, reading.” Hawker went up to Oxford in 1822, and won the Newdigate in 1827, when Newman was a Tutor of Oriel and Keble was publishing “The Christian Year.”

[123]Hawker came in contact, however, with some of the leaders of the Oxford Movement, as we learn from a letter where he says: “How I recollect their faces and words—Newman, Pusey, Ward, Marriott; they used to be all in the common-room every evening, discussing, talking, reading.” Hawker went up to Oxford in 1822, and won the Newdigate in 1827, when Newman was a Tutor of Oriel and Keble was publishing “The Christian Year.”

[124]One of the kind so often used by Wesley for his open-air sermons in Cornwall. See p.160.

[124]One of the kind so often used by Wesley for his open-air sermons in Cornwall. See p.160.

[125]Compare Hawker’s poem,“Trebarrow,” and his footnote thereto.

[125]Compare Hawker’s poem,“Trebarrow,” and his footnote thereto.

[126]From the description of Carradon in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”

[126]From the description of Carradon in “The Quest of the Sangraal.”

[127]“Kings of the main their leaders brave,Their barks the dragons of the wave.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.

[127]

“Kings of the main their leaders brave,Their barks the dragons of the wave.”Lay of the Last Minstrel.

“Kings of the main their leaders brave,Their barks the dragons of the wave.”

Lay of the Last Minstrel.

[128]Compare Hawker’s well-known ballad, “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”

[128]Compare Hawker’s well-known ballad, “The Silent Tower of Bottreaux.”

[129]There were no “earls” of Bottreaux. Knights, or barons, would be more correct.

[129]There were no “earls” of Bottreaux. Knights, or barons, would be more correct.

[130]Wizard.

[130]Wizard.

[131]See AppendixJ.

[131]See AppendixJ.

[132]Compare Tennyson—“that gray king, whose name, a ghost,Streams like a cloud, man-shaped, from mountain peak,And cleaves to cairn and cromlech still.”

[132]Compare Tennyson—

“that gray king, whose name, a ghost,Streams like a cloud, man-shaped, from mountain peak,And cleaves to cairn and cromlech still.”

“that gray king, whose name, a ghost,Streams like a cloud, man-shaped, from mountain peak,And cleaves to cairn and cromlech still.”

[133]“One breed may rise, another fall;The Berkshire hog survives them all.”It was, perhaps, in commemoration of this episode that Hawker when afterwards curate of North Tamerton, kept a tame Berkshire pig. Another parson-poet, Robert Herrick, is also said to have had a pet porker.

[133]

“One breed may rise, another fall;The Berkshire hog survives them all.”

“One breed may rise, another fall;The Berkshire hog survives them all.”

It was, perhaps, in commemoration of this episode that Hawker when afterwards curate of North Tamerton, kept a tame Berkshire pig. Another parson-poet, Robert Herrick, is also said to have had a pet porker.

[134]Compare p.204.

[134]Compare p.204.

[135]Compare p.202.

[135]Compare p.202.

[136]An escapade with pigs occurs in Tennyson’s poem, “Walking to the Mail.”

[136]An escapade with pigs occurs in Tennyson’s poem, “Walking to the Mail.”

[137]Pembroke.

[137]Pembroke.

[138]Welcombe, to which Mr. Hawker became curate in 1850, and which he continued to serve until his death. There is an allusion to Welcombe church on p.21.

[138]Welcombe, to which Mr. Hawker became curate in 1850, and which he continued to serve until his death. There is an allusion to Welcombe church on p.21.

[139]Hawker writes in one of his letters: “And now enough of myself. Solitude makes men self-praisers, and a Bemööster Herr—as the Germans call lonely readers—a mossy vicar likes to talk about his own importance.”

[139]Hawker writes in one of his letters: “And now enough of myself. Solitude makes men self-praisers, and a Bemööster Herr—as the Germans call lonely readers—a mossy vicar likes to talk about his own importance.”

[140]Compare p.196.

[140]Compare p.196.

[141]A similar sacrilege occurs in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[141]A similar sacrilege occurs in Hawker’s poem, “A Legend of the Hive.”

[142]See AppendixAb.

[142]See AppendixAb.

[143]An echo from Shakespeare—“... the toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

[143]An echo from Shakespeare—

“... the toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

“... the toad, ugly and venomous,Wears yet a precious jewel in his head.”

[144]Compare p.194.

[144]Compare p.194.

[145]Horace, “Ars Poetica,” 185—“Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet.”

[145]Horace, “Ars Poetica,” 185—

“Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet.”

“Ne pueros coram populo Medea trucidet.”

[146]Charityis the full name.

[146]Charityis the full name.

[147]There is a chapter on charms in Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[147]There is a chapter on charms in Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[148]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Modryb Marya”—“Now the holly with her drops of blood for me:For that is our dear Aunt Mary’s tree.”

[148]Compare Hawker’s poem, “Modryb Marya”—

“Now the holly with her drops of blood for me:For that is our dear Aunt Mary’s tree.”

“Now the holly with her drops of blood for me:For that is our dear Aunt Mary’s tree.”

[149]Compare the poem, “A Croon on Hennacliff.”

[149]Compare the poem, “A Croon on Hennacliff.”

[150]Hawker was no doubt reminded of his own impersonation of a mermaid at Bude. For many quaint legends about mermaids and mermen, see Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[150]Hawker was no doubt reminded of his own impersonation of a mermaid at Bude. For many quaint legends about mermaids and mermen, see Hunt’s “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[151]Compare Browning’s lines—“Italy, my Italy!Queen Mary’s saying serves for me—(When fortune’s maliceLost her—Calais)—Open my heart and you will seeGraved inside of it, ‘Italy.’”

[151]Compare Browning’s lines—

“Italy, my Italy!Queen Mary’s saying serves for me—(When fortune’s maliceLost her—Calais)—Open my heart and you will seeGraved inside of it, ‘Italy.’”

“Italy, my Italy!Queen Mary’s saying serves for me—(When fortune’s maliceLost her—Calais)—Open my heart and you will seeGraved inside of it, ‘Italy.’”

[152]The same conceit, humorously applied, occurs in Calverley—“And the lean and hungry raven,As he picks my bones, will startTo observe ‘M.N.’ engravenNeatly on my blighted heart.”

[152]The same conceit, humorously applied, occurs in Calverley—

“And the lean and hungry raven,As he picks my bones, will startTo observe ‘M.N.’ engravenNeatly on my blighted heart.”

“And the lean and hungry raven,As he picks my bones, will startTo observe ‘M.N.’ engravenNeatly on my blighted heart.”

[153]See pp.196,202.

[153]See pp.196,202.

[154]Perceval was Prime Minister from 1809 to 1812, in the time of the Regency and the Peninsular War.

[154]Perceval was Prime Minister from 1809 to 1812, in the time of the Regency and the Peninsular War.

[155]The “Dictionary of National Biography” gives the following account of this event: “There was a certain bankrupt named John Bellingham, a man of disordered brain, who had a grievance against the Government originating in the refusal of the English Ambassador at St. Petersburg to interfere with the regular process of Russian law under which he had been arrested. He had applied to Perceval for redress, and the inevitable refusal inflamed his crazy resentment. On Monday, May 11 (1812), the House of Commons went into Committee on the orders in Council, and began to examine witnesses. Brougham complained of Perceval’s absence, and he was sent for. As he passed through the lobby to reach the house, Bellingham placed a pistol to his breast and fired. Perceval was dead before a doctor could be found.... Bellingham was tried at the Old Bailey on May 15, and the plea of insanity being set aside by the court, he was hanged on May 18.”

[155]The “Dictionary of National Biography” gives the following account of this event: “There was a certain bankrupt named John Bellingham, a man of disordered brain, who had a grievance against the Government originating in the refusal of the English Ambassador at St. Petersburg to interfere with the regular process of Russian law under which he had been arrested. He had applied to Perceval for redress, and the inevitable refusal inflamed his crazy resentment. On Monday, May 11 (1812), the House of Commons went into Committee on the orders in Council, and began to examine witnesses. Brougham complained of Perceval’s absence, and he was sent for. As he passed through the lobby to reach the house, Bellingham placed a pistol to his breast and fired. Perceval was dead before a doctor could be found.... Bellingham was tried at the Old Bailey on May 15, and the plea of insanity being set aside by the court, he was hanged on May 18.”

[156]Robert Hunt has a delightful chapter on “The Elfin Creed of Cornwall,” in his “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[156]Robert Hunt has a delightful chapter on “The Elfin Creed of Cornwall,” in his “Popular Romances of the West of England.”

[157]Compare “The Doom-Well of St. Madron”—“‘Now horse and hattock, both but and ben,’Was the cry at Lauds, with Dundagel men,And forth they pricked upon Routorr side,As goodly a raid as a king could ride.”

[157]Compare “The Doom-Well of St. Madron”—

“‘Now horse and hattock, both but and ben,’Was the cry at Lauds, with Dundagel men,And forth they pricked upon Routorr side,As goodly a raid as a king could ride.”

“‘Now horse and hattock, both but and ben,’Was the cry at Lauds, with Dundagel men,And forth they pricked upon Routorr side,As goodly a raid as a king could ride.”

[158]A reference to a custom, still followed to some extent in Devon and Cornwall, of paring the turf of grass-fields and burning the sods. It is called “bait-burning,” or “burning bait.”

[158]A reference to a custom, still followed to some extent in Devon and Cornwall, of paring the turf of grass-fields and burning the sods. It is called “bait-burning,” or “burning bait.”

[159]“Full of wise saws and modern instances.”—As You Like It.

[159]“Full of wise saws and modern instances.”—As You Like It.

[160]Hawker’s account (on p.11) of the discovery of the piscina in the chancel wall at Morwenstow is, however, very circumstantial. If “the jumbled carved work and a crushed drain,” which, he says came to light when the mortar was removed, proceeded from his imagination, it is a touch of genius in fabrication. In a letter to Mr. Richard Twining dated October 25th, 1855, Hawker writes: “Will you have the kindness to present the inclosed drawing to Miss L. Twining in my name and with my best regards. It is of a piscina discovered by me in the south wall of my chancel, where it has been hidden by mortar full 300 years, and existed there before that date full 500 years more.”The whole passage from Mr. Baring-Gould is as follows: “The ancient piscina in the wall is of early English date. Mr. Hawker discovered under the pavement in the church, when reseating it, the base of a small pillar, Norman in style, with a hole in it for a rivet which attached to it the slender column it supported. This he supposed was a piscina drain, and accordingly set it up in the recess beside his altar.” Mr. Baring-Gould evidently uses the word “piscina” as meaning the whole “recess” beside the altar. Mr. Chope appears to use it for the pillared structure within the recess. Hawker’s own words seem to show that he found the whole piscina,i.e.the recess with the drain inside it, “in the chancel wall.” He says nothing of any discovery “under the pavement,” and Mr. Baring-Gould does not give his authority for this statement.At any rate, if the piscina, or piscina drain, or pillar-base, whichever it be, was abstracted from the ruined chapel at Longfurlong, it presumably was not discovered under the pavement of Morwenstow Church, unless by another stroke of genius.It may be of interest to add that, on thrusting a piece of grass down the hole which Hawker took for a piscina drain, and which Mr. Baring-Gould says is a rivet-hole, I found that it went right through to the floor of the recess, a depth of about 13 inches. It is quite possible, therefore, that, if connected with another hole through the wall, it might at one time have served the purpose of a drain.—Editor.

[160]Hawker’s account (on p.11) of the discovery of the piscina in the chancel wall at Morwenstow is, however, very circumstantial. If “the jumbled carved work and a crushed drain,” which, he says came to light when the mortar was removed, proceeded from his imagination, it is a touch of genius in fabrication. In a letter to Mr. Richard Twining dated October 25th, 1855, Hawker writes: “Will you have the kindness to present the inclosed drawing to Miss L. Twining in my name and with my best regards. It is of a piscina discovered by me in the south wall of my chancel, where it has been hidden by mortar full 300 years, and existed there before that date full 500 years more.”

The whole passage from Mr. Baring-Gould is as follows: “The ancient piscina in the wall is of early English date. Mr. Hawker discovered under the pavement in the church, when reseating it, the base of a small pillar, Norman in style, with a hole in it for a rivet which attached to it the slender column it supported. This he supposed was a piscina drain, and accordingly set it up in the recess beside his altar.” Mr. Baring-Gould evidently uses the word “piscina” as meaning the whole “recess” beside the altar. Mr. Chope appears to use it for the pillared structure within the recess. Hawker’s own words seem to show that he found the whole piscina,i.e.the recess with the drain inside it, “in the chancel wall.” He says nothing of any discovery “under the pavement,” and Mr. Baring-Gould does not give his authority for this statement.

At any rate, if the piscina, or piscina drain, or pillar-base, whichever it be, was abstracted from the ruined chapel at Longfurlong, it presumably was not discovered under the pavement of Morwenstow Church, unless by another stroke of genius.

It may be of interest to add that, on thrusting a piece of grass down the hole which Hawker took for a piscina drain, and which Mr. Baring-Gould says is a rivet-hole, I found that it went right through to the floor of the recess, a depth of about 13 inches. It is quite possible, therefore, that, if connected with another hole through the wall, it might at one time have served the purpose of a drain.—Editor.

[161]The inscription runs as follows: “THIS · WAS · MADE · IN · THE · YERE · OF · OURE · LORDE · GOD · 1575.” The pew bearing it now stands (1903) at the east end of the north aisle, facing south.—Editor.

[161]The inscription runs as follows: “THIS · WAS · MADE · IN · THE · YERE · OF · OURE · LORDE · GOD · 1575.” The pew bearing it now stands (1903) at the east end of the north aisle, facing south.—Editor.

[162]The foumart is now extinct in England, though, I believe, to be met with in parts of Scotland.

[162]The foumart is now extinct in England, though, I believe, to be met with in parts of Scotland.

[163]See note on p.118.

[163]See note on p.118.

[164]The cedar wainscot which lined the chapel is said to have been bought out of a Spanish prize, and the carving is mentioned by Defoe, in his “Western Tour,” as the work of Michael Chuke, and not inferior to Gibbon’s. (C. S. Gilbert, “Survey of Cornwall,” vol. ii. p. 554.)

[164]The cedar wainscot which lined the chapel is said to have been bought out of a Spanish prize, and the carving is mentioned by Defoe, in his “Western Tour,” as the work of Michael Chuke, and not inferior to Gibbon’s. (C. S. Gilbert, “Survey of Cornwall,” vol. ii. p. 554.)


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