And heere I thought requisite, to lay downe the names of such Cornish gentlemen, as I find recorded to haue come in with the Conquerour.
Gentlemen descended from those, who came in with the Conquerour, and now resi- ding in Cornwall.
Arundell. Greinuile.
Basset. Karrow, alias, Carew. Bluat, alias, Bluet. Beauchamp. Mowne, alias, Mohun. Bray. Malet. Bellet. Miners. Beuill. Barret. Pomeray.
Courtenay. Rouse. Chaumont, alias, Chamond. Samtalbin, alias, Semtabyn. Denis. Saulay, alias, Saule.
If the variety of Armes disclaime from any of these names, I will not stand vpon a stiffe iustification: and yet it is to bee noted, that diuers Cornish Gentlemen, borne yonger brothers, and aduanced by match, haue left their owne coats, & honoured those of their wiues with the first quarter of their shields. Which error their posteritie likewise ensued, as also, that before these later petty differences grew in vogue, the Armes of one stocke were greatly diuersified in the younger braunches.
I had also made a more paynful, then perfect collection of most of the Cornish Gentlemens names & Armes: But because the publishing thereof might perhaps goe accompanied with diuers wrongs, to my much reuerenced friends the Heralds, by thrusting my sickle into their haruest; to a great many my Countrymen, whom my want of information should be forced to passe ouer vnmentioned; and to the truth it selfe, where my report (relying vpon other mens credits) might through their errour intitle me the publisher (though not the author) of falshood: I rather thought fit altogether to omit it, and to note onely, that of diuers Gentlemen there haue bene in Cornwall, either their names are worne out, or their liuings transferred by the females, into other families: as likewise, sundry of those there now inhabiting, are lately denized Cornish, being generally drawne thither (besides other more priuate respects) through eyther the desire of change, which the disease of discontent affecteth, or the loue of quiet in so remote a corner, or the supposall of commodities there arising, and accruing, or the warrantize from ouerlooking & bearing, where little difference in quality tendeth to an [66] equality in estates.
From Gentility, we wil descend to ciuility, which is or should be in the townesmen. Those in Cornwall do no more by nature, then others elsewhere by choyce, conceiue themselves an estranged society from the vpland dwellers, and cary, I will not say a malice, but an emulation against them, as if one member in a body could continue his wel-being without a beholdingnes to the rest. Their chiefest trade consisteth in vttering their petty marchandises, & Artificers labours at the weekly markets. Very few among them make vse of that oportunity, which the scite vpon the sea proffereth vnto many, for building of shipping, and traffiking in grosse: yet some of the Easterne townes piddle that way, & some others giue themselues to fishing voyages, both which (when need requireth) furnish her Maiesties nauy with good store of very seruiceable Mariners.
There are (if they be not slaundered) that hunt after a more easie then commendable profit, with little hazard, and (I would I could not say) with lesse conscience. Anno 32. H. 8. an act of Parliament was made for repayring, amongst others, the Borough townes of Launceston, Liskerd, Lostwithiel, Bodmyn, Truro, and Helston in Cornwall, but with what fruit to their good, I cannot relate.
Within late yeeres memorie, the sea-coast Townes begin to proclaime their bettering in wealth, by costly encrease of buildings; but those of the Inland, for the most part, vouch their ruined houses, and abandoned streets, as too true an euidence, that they are admitted no partners in this amendment.