If I mistake not the cause, I may with charitie inough wish them still the same fortune: for as is elsewhere touched, I conceyue their former large peopling, to haue bin an effect of the countries impouerishing, while the inuasion of forraine enemies draue the Sea-coast Inhabitants to seeke a more safe, then commodious abode in those Inland parts.
Strangers occasioned to trauaile through the shire, were wont, no lesse sharply then truly, to inueigh against the bad drinke, course lodging, and slacke attendance which they found in thosehouses that went for Innes: neither did their horses better entertainment, proue them any welcomer ghests then their masters: but in stead of remedy, they receyued in answere, that neither such an outcorner was frequented with many wayfarers, nor by hanging out signes, or forestalling at the Townes end, like the Italians, did they inuite any; and to make great prouision vpon small hope of vtterance, were to incurre a skorne-worthy losse, seeing Aspettare, & non venire (saith the same Italian) is one of the tre cose da morire.
Touching the Yeomanarie of Cornwall, I can say little, worth the observing, for any difference from that of other shires, and therefore I will step downe the next staire to husbandmen.
These in times not past the remembrance of some yet liuing, rubbed forth their estate in the poorest plight, their grounds lay all in common, or onely diuided by stitch-meale: little bread-corne: their drinke, water, or at best, but whey: for the richest Farmour in a parish brewed not aboue twyce a yeere, and then, God wotte what liquor: their meat, Whitsull, as they call it, namely, milke, sowre milke, cheese, curds, [67] butter, and such like as came from the cow and ewe, who were tyed by the one legge at pasture: their apparell, course in matter, ill shapen in maner: their legges and feet naked and bare, to which sundrie old folke had so accustomed their youth, that they could hardly abide to weare any shooes; complayning how it kept them ouer hote. Their horses shod onlie before, and for all furniture a pad and halter, on which the meaner countrie wenches of the westerne parts doe yet ride astride, as all other English folke vsed before R. the 2. wife brought in the side saddle fashion of straw.
Suteable hereunto was their dwelling, & to that their implements of houshold: walles of earth, low thatched roofes, few partitions, no planchings or glasse windows, and scarcely any chimnies, other then a hole in the wall to let out the smoke: their bed, straw and a blanket: as for sheets, so much linen cloth had not yet stepped ouer the narrow channell, betweene them and Brittaine. To conclude, a mazer and a panne or two, comprised all their substance: but now most of these fashions are vniuersally banished, and the Cornish husbandman conformeth himself with a better supplied ciuilitie to the Easterne patterne, which hath directed him a more thriuing forme of husbandrie; and our halcion dayes of peace enabled him to applie the lesson: so as, his fine once ouercome, he can maintaine himselfe & his familie in a competent decencie to their calling, and findeth monie to bestow weekely at the markets, for his prouisions of necessitie and pleasure: for his quarterlie rent serueth rather as a token of subiection to his Land-lord, then any grieuous exaction on his tenement.
One point of their former roughnesse, some of the Westerne people do yet still retaine, & therethrough in some measure, verifie that testimonie which Mathew Westm. giueth of them, together with the Welsh, their auncient countrimen: namely, how fostering a fresh memorie of their expulsion long agoe by the English, they second the same with a bitter repining at their fellowship: and this the worst sort expresse, in combining against, and working them all the shrewd turnes which with hope of impunitie they can deuise: howbeit, it shooteth not to a like extremitie in all places and persons, but rather by little and little, weareth out vnto a more milde and conuersable fashion.