A supplement to the first and second books of the History of Cornwall / [by R. Polwhele] ; containing remarks on St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, the Land's End, and the Sylleh Isles. By the historian of Manchester [i.e. J. Whitaker].

  • Polwhele, Richard, 1760-1838
Date:
1804
Catalogue details

Licence: Public Domain Mark

Credit: A supplement to the first and second books of the History of Cornwall / [by R. Polwhele] ; containing remarks on St. Michael's Mount, Penzance, the Land's End, and the Sylleh Isles. By the historian of Manchester [i.e. J. Whitaker]. Source: Wellcome Collection.

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    (i daungerous for accefle when it is a chair compofed of hones projefting from the two fides of the tower battlements, and uniting into a kind of bafon for a feat juft at the fouth-weftern angle, but elevated above the battlements on each fide, having its back juft within, and hanging high over the rocky precipice below. It thus appears “ fomewhat daungerous” indeed, but not merely “ for accefle,” though the climber to it muft actually turn his whole body at that altitude to take his feat in it, but from the altitude itfelf, and from its projection over the precipice. It alfo appears an evident addition to the building. And it was afiuredly made at this period, not for the ridiculous purpofe to which alone it profeffedly minifters at prefent, that of enabling wo- men who fit in it to govern their hufbands afterward but for fuch of the pilgrims as had ftronger heads and bolder fpirits, to complete their devotions at the Mount, by fitting in this St. Michael's Chair as denominated, and there Jhowlng themjelves as pilgrims to the country round. Hence in an author, who lends us information without knowing it, as he alludes to cuftoms without feeling the force of them, we read this tranfient information : Who knowes not Mighel’s Mount and Chaire, The pilgrim's holy vaunt ? Norden alfo re-echoes Carew, in faying “ St. Michaels Chaire is fabled to be in the Mount.”f We thus find a reafon for the conftruftion of the chair, that comports with all the ufes of the church on which it is conftrufted, and that miniftered equally with this to the purpofes of reli- gion then predominant; a religion, dealing more in exteriours than our own, operating more than our own, through the body, upon the foul; and fo leaving, perhaps, a more fenfible impreffion upon the fpirits. To fit in the chair then, was not merely as Carew reprefents the aft, “ fome- “ what daungerous” in the attempt, “ and therefore holy in the adventure ;”§ but alfo holy in itfelf as on the church tower; more holy in its purpofes, as the feat of the pilgrims ; and moft holy, as the feat of a few, in accomplifhment of all their vows; as the chair of a few, in invitation of all the country. The whole church remains at this day, beaten by the wfinds or buffeted by the rains, a vene- rable monument of Saxon architecture, yet unadmired equally by the gaze of the vulgar, and the infpeCtion of the curious. In Hals’s days, however, that Sir John St. Aubyn, “ who for melan- “ choly retirement dwelleth here who, in a principle probably of religious fequeftration from the world, which is lo proper in itfelf to be occafionally reduced into praCtice, but which is al- ways reckonedmelancholy” by thofe who want it moft, the irreligious fools of the world, had retired to this Mount as an afylum from the world and its follies; repaired the church much, and fitted it up once more for divine fervice. But the church is now waiting for a fccond reftoration by the prefent Sir John. Sir John is at once an antiquary and a man of tafte, I underftand. He therefore intends to exercife this tafte, and to gratify his antiquarianifm, by renewing the church in a high ftyle of elegance. He has ereCted a magnificent organ already. He has alfo procured, at a great expence, a quantity of painted glafs fufficient for all the windows. I faw one great cafe of the glafs there, ready for the windows. And, in levelling a very high platform for the altar, under the eaftern window, a low Gothic door was difcovered to have been clofed up with ftone * Carew, 154. 2 Yet this is the only ufe affigned for it, by Mr, Gough, i, 13, + Carew, 155, Norden, 39. § Carew, ibid.