Page:The Cornwall coast.djvu/246

240 THE CORNWALL COAST did not encourage suicide. Just below is, " Item, more to six distressed Bristoll men their vessell being taken att Sea, 4s. Cd." There are many such entries, of which St. Ives may well be proud. But these accounts also bear record of less peaceful proceedings. Under the year 1681, after an entry of four shillings received from " ffower offenders for their breach of the Saboth," we have a chronicling of disturbance caused by St. Just men, and a fine on them " for their riotous assembling into the Borough." A little later is the item : " Pd constables to putt St. Just men to Lanceston, £6 9s. 6d." ; also 5s. " paid Mr. Robin- son to dress their wounds." It is pleasant to think that the St. Ives folk were such good Christians. In 1685 the borough paid some attention to the condition of its drum : " Pd Henry Anthony for new making the Towne drum 2s. 6d." Later, there is a payment to Henry Barber for beating the same. Immediately after there is much to-do about some sugar stolen by a man named Teage ; sugar was a costly luxury in those days. One of the items is this : " Spent by Mr. Trentwith, Mr. Robinson, my self & Mr. May, at St. Earth, G^vynear, Camborne and other places to discover the Sugar stoUen by Teage being out two dayes, £1 3s. 6d." It is amusing to notice how the writer's modesty held good until he had recorded the names of Trentwith and Robinson, after which it rebelled and insisted on taking precedence of Mr. May. This Teage business caused a deal of trouble, and many witnesses were carried to Launceston as evidence against him, at great expense ; yet the borough did not scruple, shortly afterwards, to expend a shilling "for poynts to whip the boyes veiweinge the parish bounds,"