The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
History
The Parochial History of Cornwall, Volume 2 (of 4)
Cornwall (England : County) -- History; Geology -- England -- Cornwall (County)
Carew also speaks of it as
“a chapel for devotion, builded by William Earl of Morton,” (Carew so
speaking with the multitude, when he ought to have given the building
to the Confessor,) “and greatly haunted while folk endured (endeared)
their merits by farre travailing.” 5. Carew thus refers obscurely,
perhaps unconsciously, to a particular privilege annexed to the
church, which was given by one decree from Pope Gregory, and confirmed
by another from Bishop Leofric. “Universis Sanctæ Matris ecclesiæ
presentes literas inspecturis vel audituris salutem,” cries the
former, “noverit universitas vestra quod sanctissimus Papa Gregorius,
anno ab incarnatione Domini millesimo septuagesimo,” the very year,
therefore, in which Earl Montaign gave this church to the other in
Normandy, “ad ecclesiam Montis Sancti Michaelis, in comitatu Cornubiæ,
gerens eximiæ devocionis affectum, piè concessit ecclesiæ predictæ,
[et] omnibus fidelibus, qui illam cum suis beneficiis et elemosinis,”
(with alms and oblations, so that “folke endeared their merits,” not
merely “by farre travailing,” but by a tax upon their purse,)
“exepecierint seu visitaverint, tertiam partem penetenciarum suarum
eis condonari,” a third of all those acts being remitted, which
penitents were enjoined to perform, in order to prove the sincerity of
their penitence to God, and to themselves. The same privilege is
repeated by the Bishop of Exeter in 1085, thus: “omnibus illis, qui
illum ecclesiam suis cum beneficiis et elemosinis expetierint et
visitaverint, tertiam partem penitentiarum condonamus.” Yet, what is
surprising, the privilege became nearly as much unknown afterwards as
it is at present, and was therefore promulgated by the clergy of the
church at the beginning of the fifteenth century: “Tota verba,” adds
the reciter, “in antiquis registris de novo,” a little before
William’s visit, “in hâc ecclesiâ repertis, inventa,” being then
unknown to the very clergy themselves, and only discovered by the
discovery of some registers equally unknown, “prout his in valvis
ecclesiæ publicè ponuntur,” were exhibited to public view by being
posted upon the folding-doors of the church. “Et quia pluribus istud
est incognitum, ideo nos, in Christo Dei famuli et ministri hujus
ecclesiæ, universitatem vestram qui regimen animarum possidetis,” all
the rectors and vicars of the kingdom, “ob mutuæ vicissitudinis
obtentum requirimus et rogamus, quatenus ista publicetis in ecclesiis
vestris, ut vestri subditi et subjecti ad majorem exoracionem
devocionis attentius animentur, et locum istum gloriosius peregrinando
frequentent ad dona et indulgencias predicta graciosè consequenda.”
From this republication of the privilege, undoubtedly, did the
numerous resort of pilgrims to the church begin. Then too was formed
assuredly that seat on the tower, which is so ridiculously described
by Carew, as “a little without the castle――a bad seat in a craggy
place――somewhat dangerous for access;” when it is only a chair,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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