Where I may not passe in silence, the commendable deserts of Master Rashleigh the elder, descended from a yonger brother of an ancient house in Deuon; for his industrious iudgement and aduenturing, in trade of marchandise, first opened a light and way, to the townesmens newe thriuing, and left his sonne large wealth, and possessions; who (together with a dayly bettering his estate) conuerteth the same to hospitality, and other actions fitting a Gent. well affected to his God, Prince, and Countrey. He married the daughter of Bonithon; his father, of Lanyne, and beareth S. a plaine Crosse betweene 2. Croissants A.
Anno 28. H. 6. there was an Act of Parliament made, to restraine the abuses of sea-officers, in wrong exactions at Foy, and some other hauens.
The Lord of Pomier, a Norman, encouraged by the [1457.] ciuill warres, wherewith our Realme was then distressed, furnished a nauy within the riuer of Sayne, and with the same in the night, burned a part of Foy, and other houses confyning: but vpon approch of the countryes forces, raised the next day by the Sherife, he made speed away to his ships, and with his ships to his home.
In a high way neere this towne, there lieth a big and long moore stone, containing the remainder of certaine ingraued letters, purporting some memorable antiquity, as it should seeme, but past ability of reading.
[137]
Not many yeres sithence, a Gentleman, dwelling not farre off, was perswaded, by some information, or imagination, that treasure lay hidden vnder this stone: wherefore, in a faire Moone-shine night, thither with certaine good fellowes hee hyeth to dig it vp; a working they fall, their labour shortneth, their hope increaseth, a pot of Gold is the least of their expectation. But see the chance. In midst of their toyling, the skie gathereth clouds, the Moone-light is ouer-cast with darkenesse, downe fals a mightie showre, vp riseth a blustering tempest, the thunder cracketh, the lightning flameth: in conclusion, our money-seekers washed, in stead of loden; or loden with water, in stead of yellow earth, and more afraid, then hurt, are forced to abandon their enterprise, and seeke shelter of the next house they could get into. Whether this proceeded from a naturall accident, or a working of the diuell, I will not vndertake to define. It may bee, God giueth him such power ouer those, who begin a matter, vpon couetousnesse to gaine by extraordinarie meanes, and prosecute it with a wrong, in entring and breaking another mans land, without his leaue, and direct the end thereof, to the princes defrauding, whose prerogatiue challengeth these casualties.
A little beyond Foy, the land openeth a large sandie drab Bay, for the Sea to ouer-flow, which, and the village adioyning, are therethrough aptly termed Trewardreth, in English, The Sandie towne. Elder times, of more deuotion then knowledge, here founded a religious house, which, in King Henrie the eights raigne, vnderwent the common downefall.
I haue receiued credible information, that some three yeeres sithence, certaine hedges deuiding a closse on the seaside hereabouts, chanced, in their digging, vpon a great chest of stone, artificially ioyned, whose couer, they (ouer-greedy for booty) rudely brake, and therewithall a great earthen pot enclosed, which was guilded and graued with letters, defaced by this misaduenture, and ful of a black earth, the ashes (doubtles) as that, the vrna of some famous personage.
Vpon a side of this bay, one M. Peter Beuill first began the experiment of making a saltwater pond, induced thereunto, by obseruing that the high Summer tydes brought with them young Basses and Millets, whom at their ebbing, they left behinde in little pits of the euen ground, where they would liue for many weekes without any reuisitation of the sea: who, as he bettered this naturall patterne, so did I his artificiall; but yet with a thankefull acknowledgement, by whome I haue profited.
Lostwithiel should seeme to fetch his originall from the Cornish Lostwithiall, which in English, soundeth a Lions tayle: for as the Earle of this prouince gaue the Lyon in armes, and the Lions principall strength (men, say) consisteth in his tayle; so this towne claymeth the precedence, and his Lords chiefest residence, & the place which he entrusted with his Exchequer, and where his wayghtier affaires were managed.