Page:The histories of Launceston and Dunheved, in the county of Cornwall.djvu/355

MINISTERS DURING THE COMMONWEALTH. 319 Falstaff a bill, of which we here insert a copy : " Item. A capon 2s. 6d. Item. Sauce 4d. Item. Sack 2 gallons 5s. 8d. Item. Anchovies and sack after supper 2s. 6d. Item. Bread a halfpenny." The comment of Prince Henry upon that bill is, " Oh, monstrous ! but one halfpennyworth of bread to this intolerable deal of sack !" We reverently withhold comment on the hearty devotions of the men of Dunheved who, in the year 1642-3, were in the first throes of a civil war. There were, probably, no regular ministrations in the church during the latter portion of this civil war and the early portion of the Protectorate. In the year 1645 no less than eight several persons were paid for occasional services, and in 1646 nine were so paid. We find numerous entries during the Commonwealth of presentments by the jury against inhabitants " for absenting themselves from the church on the Lord's-day ; " and of proceedings at Law Courts for little irregularities of conduct, and the use of abusive language. Among the latter is one showing that, on the 31st July, 1654, Nicholas Cowles of Launceston was bound with sureties to be of good behaviour "for slandering Mr. Jerome, a minister, saying that he was as notorious a drunkard as any in England." Whether Mr. Cowles did, or not, prove the charge, we see that, before the year 1654 ended, Mr. Joseph Hull, was officiating here. Mr. Jago has transcribed, from a source unknown to us, a letter concerning this Mr. Hull, written by John Tingcombe of Truro to the clerk of Cromwell's Council. The letter is dated Launceston, 16th August, 1655, and the transcript reads as follows : " 'Tis hoped that the man is godly. He has a very greate charge of children, neare twenty, some say more. He has had no augmentation from the committee heretofore." It is uncertain whether we should or not infer, from Mr. Tingcombe's allusion to a "charge of