COENUBIANA, 75 



when, perhaps, the only similarity consists in both having the 

 same letter, " a, "or " b," or " c " for instance, occurring in their 

 names. With the exception of the bottle at St. Phillack, 

 and the Tre-Meneverne stone connected with the legend of St. 

 Keverne and St. Just, an account of the relics is only advanced 

 with the greatest caution, and no claim of infallibility is 

 announced. In addition to this, the authenticity of the relics 

 may be open to question and even denied, so that the whole 

 matter is involved in the greatest obscurity. Still, as the 

 subject has never been broached before, it is desirable that it 

 should now be attempted. 



The first relic is that of a bottle discovered in the founda- 

 tions of the chancel of the church of St. Phillack, half-filled 

 with what was supposed to be blood. The bottle was made of 

 glass, and had been submitted to an expert, Mr. Powell, head of 

 the Whitefriars Glass Works. This gentleman was convinced 

 of its antiquity by the sharp cutting of the rim of the neck by 

 shears, and by the mode of detaching the base (See Proceedings 

 of Soc. of Antiq., v., 13.5). The bottle was returned to its place 

 during the completion of the restoration of the chancel. If the 

 fluid were blood, it is exceedingly likely that, from its position, 

 it was supposed to be the blood of the martyred saint, St. 

 Phillack, who may have fallen, among the saints whom the 

 bloodthirsty king Teudar slew, near Pevyer, which still remains 

 under nearly the same name near Phillack.* It is hardly 

 necessary to remind my readers how relics of saints were eagerly 

 sought for, and buried underneath, or near the altar, as convey- 

 ing a particular sanctity and protection to the spot, and this may 

 have been the case with the glass bottle containing the fluid 

 buried in the chancel at St. Phillack. In pre-Eeformation days 

 no c^iurch was to be consecrated without relics. [Grreg. Dial., iii, 

 30. Cone. Celcyth, A.D. 816, c. 2 (Haddan and Stubbs iii, 580). 

 Hefele Conciliengseh iii, 270 (2), (Magor's and Lumby's Bede, 

 Oamb., 1879.)] 



The next relic we have to consider is that of the pastoral 

 staff of St. Malo, whom Harvey identifies with St. Malo or MuUyon ; 

 but Borlase (" Age of Saints," p. 168) claims MuUyon for St. 



* Leland, Supp. Papers, Lake's Par. Hist, of Cornwall, iv, 72. 



