till the learned Lhuyd published his Cornish Grammar. The manuscripts in the Bodleian Library, have been already mentioned, to which may be added, that in the Cottonian Library, there is a Cornish Vocabulary. There are also several proverbs still remaining in the ancient Cornish, all savouring of truth, some of pointed wit, some of deep wisdom. This language was spoken so generally in Cornwall down to the reign of King Henry VIII, that Dr. John Moreman, Vicar of Menhynnet, in the latter part of that King's time, is said to be the first who taught his parishioners the Lords Prayer, Creed, and Ten Commanda ents in the English tongue. When the Liturgy at the Reformation was appointed by authority to take place of the Mass, the Cornish people desired that it should be in the English language, being apprehensive that it might be injoined them in their mother tongue, as it was with regard to the Welsh. By this means, and the gentry mixing gradually with the English, the Cornish language lost ground in proportion as it lay nearer to Devon. In the parish of Pheoke it resisted the scythe of time so long, that about the year 1640, Mr. William Jackman, then vicar thereof, was obliged to administer the Sacrament to the Communicants. in the Cornish, because the aged people did not understand the English tongue. After the Restoration we find the Cornish surviving only in the more western parts, where the Rev. Mr. F. Robinson, Rector of Landawidnek, was the last, who, not long before the year 1678, preached a sermon in the Cornish language only. About the year 1710 it was generally spoken in the parishes of Paul and St. Just; the fishermen and market women in the former, and the tinners in the latter, conversing one with the other for the most part in the Cornish tongue. In 1700 Lhuyd, beforementioned, to acquaint himself with the Natural History and Monuments, but principally with the language, in order to perfect his Archæologia, came into Cornwall, and by the hints which he collected, and the especial assistance of Mr. John Keigwyn, a gentleman well versed in the learned languages, as well as his own, composed his Cornish Grammar. This he afterwards published in 1707, and being by that time thoroughly acquainted, with the other dialects of the British tongue, was able to correct the errors of the modern Cornish, who in many particulars, had greatly degenerated from the orthography of their forefathers, and wanted a reformer of such capacity, to chasten and reduce their speech to the true radical original elements. His Grammar will preserve the rudiments of this language as long as his works remain, which will be as long as any regard for etymology and the ancient history of these kingdoms subsists. It lays a founda. tion also for correcting the manuscripts we have in this tongue, and by diligently examining, collating, and making proper extracts from the clearest parts of them, for perfecting a Cornu-English and an Anglo-Cornish Vocabulary. This language is now altogether ceased, and when Dr. Borlase wrote, it was not spoken any where in conversation. The twenty-seventh chapter, which is omitted in the Table of Contents, contains an Account of the Antiquities that have been found in Cornwall since the year 1753. This chapter may be considered as an Addenda to the former work of the same author, on the antiquities of Cornwall, and ought to have been incorporated into the second edition of that volume. A List of the Plates in Borlase's Natural History of Cornwall. 1. Map of the County, p. 1. 2. View of the Port and part of the Boroughs of East and West Looe, presented by James Butler, Esq. p. 40. 3. North View of Wadebridge, presented by John Molesworth, Esq. p. 46. 4. East view of Place, near Padstow, presented by Humphrey Prideaux, Esq. W. B. delin. and J. G. Sculp. p. 51. 5. East View of Keneggy in Mounts Bay, presented by the Hon. John Harris, p. 55. 6. South View of Trelowarren, presented by Sir Richa Vyvyan, Bart. p. 86. 7. View of Enys House, presented by John Enys, Esq. p. 88. 8. South View of Nanswhydn House, presented by Mrs. . Jane Hoblyn. W. B. delin. J. G. sculp. p. 90. 9. View of Anthony House, presented by Francis Buller, Esq. p. 92. 10. East View of Tehidy, presented by Francis Basset, Esq. P. 94. 11. South View of Carclew House, presented by William Lemon, Esq. W. B. delin. J. G. sculp. p. 96. 12. View of Godolphin House, presented by the Earl of Godolphin, p. 99. 13. Plate containing Thirty-five Specimens of Cristallized Quartz, found in Cornwall, presented by Mrs. Grace 14. West View of Pendarves House, presented by Samuel Percival, Esq. p. 122. 5. 16. Two Plates containing 64 Specimens of Figured Mundics found in Cornwall, presented by Mrs. Mary Basset of Haldane, Devon. p. 137, 141. 17. Examples of the Declination and Dipping of Strata, Lodes, &c. p. 149. 18. Section of the Pool Mine, in the parish of Illogan, p. 169. 19. Engines for raising Water, Tin Stamping Mills, View of Pornanvon Cove in the Parish of St. Just, p. 172. 20. Plate of 37 Specimens of Tin, &c.-The American Aloe in blossom; presented by Dr. Lyttelton, Dean of Exeter, p. 186. 21. Plate containing 26 Varieties of Copper, &c. found in Cornwall, presented by Dr. Lavington, Bihop of Exeter, p. 200. 22. West View of Clowance, presented by Sir John St. Aubyn, Bart. p. 219. 23. South-east View of Trewithen, presented by Thomas Hawkins, Esq. p. 228. 24. Specimens of Corals and Coralloids-Figure of the Cornish Chough and other Birds-View of the Pyramid at Arwinek, p. 239. 25. Thirty Specimens of Sea Insects, p. 254. 26. Thirteen Specimens of Fish found in the Cornish Seas, p. 263. 27. The Dolphin, Porpoise, Frog Fish, Turtle, Fossil Horn, &c. p. 264. 28. Variety of Cornish Shells and Reptiles, presented by William Oliver of Bath, M. D. p. 276. 29. Plan of Piran-Round-Figure of the Storm Finch or Petterel-Sibthorpia Cornubiensis,—and 5 Coins, presented by Christopher Hawkins, Esq. p. 298. I. THE SURVEY OF CORNWALL. By RICHARD CAREW, of Antonie, Esq. London, 1602. II. THE SURVEY OF CORNWALL. And an Epistle concerning the Excellencies of the English Tongue. Now first Published from the Manuscript. By RICHARD CAREW, of Antonie, Esq. With the Life of the Author By H. C. Esq. (Hugh Carew) London, 1723. III. The Same, 1769. The History and Monuments of the County of Cornwall are here faintly touched by a person, who, if the infancy of those studies at the time he wrote, had afforded him light and materials, was extremely capable of describing them. After the author published his work in the year 1602, in quarto, he intended to have printed a new edition for the purpose of correcting the errors of the press. This appears from a letter he addressed in 1606 to Camden, in which he solicits him to send a copy of what Mr. (afterwards Sir John) Doderidge had written concerning the Duchy of Cornwall, which, however, was not published till the year 1630. In this letter he says, that "the first publishing of my Survey was voluntary; the second which I now purpose, is of necessity, not so much for the enlarging it, as the correcting mine and the printer's oversights. -I imagine that I may cull out of Master Solicitor's Garden" (Doderidge was then Solicitor General) "many flowers to adorn this other edition; and if I wist where to find Mr. Norden I would also fain have his Map of our Shire; for perfecting of which he took a journey into these parts." The author, did not however, publish a second edition of his book, though he lived fourteen years after he wrote the above-mentioned letter. He died on the 6th of No.vember 1620. |