Page:The Cornwall coast.djvu/48

it THE CORNWALL COAST in the district of his home, some one was inspired to write the quatrain : — "And must Trelawney die, And shall Trelawney die? We've thirty thousand Cornish boys Will know the reason why ! " This circulated rapidly through the Duchy, and reached London, where it is said to have procured the Cornishman's release. It is certain that John Trelawney was committed to the Tower in 1627 by the House of Commons, but was shortly released by order of the King and created a baronet. It is very probable, therefore, that this occasion was really the origin of the much-debated refrain, and that its use was revived by the committal of Bishop Trelawney, if not on other occasions and attached to other names as well. Hawker was not always sufficiently explicit as to the derivations of his poems, and he was guilty of one or two mystifications, some of which still survive in the popular guide-books (such as his story of the " Silent Bells of Bottreaux ") ; but he cannot be accused on this occasion, as he never asserted that his ballad was really ancient ; and he certainly did fine service in embodying and perpetuating the stirring refrain. As Hawker states, he never claimed the chorus, but he did claim the ballad. But after making all allowance for the beauties and varied associations of the Looes and of Talland, it must candidly be confessed that the great gem of the district is Polperro. From West Looe it is reached by way of Portlooe and Talland ; there are daily excursions by brake from Looe in the season. Of course visitors can go by boat if