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Carew, Richard, 1555-1620

"The Survey of Cornwall And an epistle concerning the excellencies of the English tongue"


Which sound thus in English.
This was the Titans haunt, but with
No plenty did abound,
Whom beasts raw hides for clothing seru'd;
For drinke, the bleeding wound ;
Cups, hollow trees; their lodging, dennrs ;
Their beds, brakes; parlour, rocks;
Prey, for their food; rauine, for lust;
Their games, life-reauing knocks.
Their Empire, force; their courage, rage ;
A headlong brunt, their armes ;
Combate, their death; brambles, their graue.
The earth groan'd at the harmes
Of these mount-harbour'd monsters : but
The coast extending West,
Chiefe foyson had, and dire dismay,
And forest fury prest
Thee, Cornwall, that with utmost bound
Of Zephire art possest.

But afterwards, the Cornishmen, through the conuersation of forraine
Marchants trading into their countrey for Tyn, by the testimony of
Diodorus Siculus; grew to a larger measure of ciuility, then others
their fellow, but more remoted Ilanders. From which ciuility, in the
fruitful age of Canonization, they stepped a degree farder to holines,
& helped to stuffe the church kalender with diuers Saints, either made
or borne Cornish.


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