A book of the west. Volume 2, Cornwall : $b being an introduction to Devon and CornwallBaring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
History
A book of the west. Volume 2, Cornwall : $b being an introduction to Devon and Cornwall
Baring-Gould, S. (Sabine)
Cornwall (England : County)
He sent forward a messenger to tell Padarn that he was on his way,
and drawing near. The story has been already told how the news
reached Padarn at the time he was dressing. Whilst in the district of
Trigg Samson made the acquaintance of the chieftain, named Gwythiel,
and rendered him some service with his son, who was stunned by a
fall from his horse. Gwythiel seems to have followed him. Later on
he became a disciple of S. Winwaloe, and founded a church in West
Cornwall. Samson went on to Northill, where he remained for some
time, and then proceeded to Golant. His main object in remaining in
Cornwall was to watch affairs in Brittany. He had with him several
companions--disciples from Wales, Austell, and Mewan and Erme. At
Golant Samson continued till the arrival of his cousin, Maglorius, with
tidings from Brittany, whereupon he entrusted his church to a disciple,
crossed over, and settled at Dol. Canno, prince of the blood royal, had
murdered his brother, the reigning prince, in 546, and had usurped the
throne. Judual, the son of the murdered king, had fled to the court
of Childebert, King of the Franks. Samson visited Paris, and used
persuasion to induce the Frank king to interfere and reinstate Judual.
Childebert would not do this, but finally gave Samson leave to do what
he could off his own bat. Samson then retired to the Channel Islands,
where he enlisted soldiers and drilled them, and then landed on the
Brittany coast, and proclaimed Judual. In the meantime Mewan had acted
as his agent, travelling through the country preparing for a general
revolt. Three bloody battles were fought, and in the third Canno
was killed by the hand of Prince Judual, A.D. 560, whereupon Judual
ascended the throne, and rewarded Samson as liberally as he could have
desired, but the bishop died five years later. Samson must have spent
a good many years in Cornwall if he left Wales in 548 to escape the
yellow plague which was then ravaging the land.
At Golant the saying is that there is to be seen “a tree above the
tower, a well in the porch, and a chimney in the roof.” The tree was
probably once growing out of the stones on the top of the tower; the
well is there still, close to the entrance to the church, under a rude
arch. It is a holy well, and is said to have been a spring elicited by
Samson with his staff.
The church is late Perpendicular.[19] The pulpit and reading-desk are
made up of old bench-ends, representing apostles, the M of Mary, and
the lily of the Annunciation, and instruments of the Passion.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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