Prev | Current Page 377 | Next

Carew, Richard, 1555-1620

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


Hence is sprung the prouerb, when we see one slouenly appareled,
to say, He shall be presented in Halgauer Court.
But now and then, they extend this merriment with the largest,
to the preiudice of ouer-credulous people, perswading them to fight
with a Dragon lurking in Halgauer, or to see some strange matter
there: which concludeth at least, with a trayning them into the mire.
Within short space after the great fame dispersed, touching the rare
effects of Warwickshire wels, some idle enuious head raysed a brute,
that there rested no lesse vertue (forsooth) for healing all diseases,
in a plentifull spring, neere vnto Bodmyn, called Scarlets well:
which report grew so farre, and so fast, that folke ranne flocking
thither in huge numbers, from all quarters. But the neighbour
Iustices, finding the abuse, and looking into, the consequence,
forbad the resort, sequestred the spring, and suppressed the miracle.
Howbeit, the water should seeme to be healthfull, if not helpfull:
for it retaineth this extraordinary quality, that the same is
waightier, then the ordinary of his kinde, and will continue
the best part of a yeere, without alteration of sent or taste; onely
you shall see it represent many colours, like the Raine-bowe,
which (in my conceite) argueth a running thorow some minerall veine,
and therewithall a possessing of some vertue.


Pages:
365 366 367 368 369 370 371 372 373 374 375 376 377 378 379 380 381 382 383 384 385 386 387 388 389