188 CHTJRCH OF ST. JTTST-IN-PENWITH. 



repay study, and would have rewarded you still further, had not 

 the late Mr. Piers St. Aubyn cut away a portion of it because it 

 projected across the window arch. Mr. St. Aubyn was one of the 

 most conscientious architects who ever worked in Cornwall, and 

 what he built, he built to endure ; but he was not an artist and a 

 poet, and was guilty of more than one such crime as this. How 

 far the blame must rest with him for having disposed of the 

 carved and other oak of the previous wagon roof I do not know. 

 That glorious timber now forms a private gentleman's summer- 

 house, and its place has been taken by a pine roof, whose very 

 durability is, under the circumstances, an offence. 



Other carved work there was once in this church. Doubtless, 

 the present pine seats are the successors of carved oak benches, 

 such as we fortunately still have in many of our Cornish churches. 

 The screen is still to a large extent preserved, and a portion now 

 serves as the front of the altar table in Kelynack Mission-room. 

 Of the other points of interest in the church I must say little, for 

 my paper has already run to too great a length. There are in the 

 tower two mediaeval bells, with many points of interest about 

 them, which we must pass by. One is inscribed "see michaelora 

 Pro nobis," and the other "Protege virgo pia quos conuoco 

 sancta maria," which last has been rather wildly translated by a 

 former vicar, Mr. Pagan, in one of the early numbers of the 

 Penzance Society's Transactions, " Pray for the Virgin Mary," a 

 proceeding unusual, I believe, even among Poman Catholics. 

 The remaining bell was made at St. Erth in 1741, and for some 

 unexplained reason has on it the name of Admiral Vernon. 



The beautiful alabaster reredos with its figures of Cornish 

 Saints was cut by Messrs. Earp and Hobbs of London, from the 

 designs of Mr. Earp, water-colour artist, of KiUarney. 



The church plate is none of it very old, the oldest piece dating 

 from 1666, namely the Communion Cup, presented by John 

 Burlace. This also is the only vessel of any beauty. The interest 

 of the other pieces lies merely in the names of their donors, 

 Borlase of Pendeen, Edwards of Truthwall, and Adams of 

 Carallack. 



The church is now lighted by gas, but fortunately the hand- 

 some chandeliers, with the exquisite iron work which supports 

 them have been retained. They were the gift of John Edwards of 



