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CORNISH CHAIRS. 

 By the Rev. S. RUNDI^E, M.A. 



When a Cornisliraan is asked in stereotyped phrase, 

 "What cheer, un?" the stereotyped joke in reply is "Au, no 

 cheer toall, like a cricket," which is a three-legged stool. Of 

 some of the articles styled chairs in Cornwall we shall be apt to 

 say that they are no chairs at all, but something quite di:fferent, 

 as in the case of St. Mawnan's Chair, which is a simple rock, 

 and St. Michael's Chair, which was most likely used for the 

 support of a lantern. 



Cornish Chairs seem naturally to fall under the heads of 

 "Nature's Chairs," as St. Mawnan's Chair and the Lizard 

 Chair, now, alas! demolished; " Griant's Chairs," which really 

 ought to fall into the first class as in every case they owe their 

 being to nature's hands; " Church Chairs," of which there are 

 two divisions, misereres and chairs that have had a prior 

 existence either as belonging to some secular person, or as 

 having been fashioned out of church furniture; "Historic 

 Chairs," which have been connected with famous persons, and 

 " Saint's Chairs," with which class it is perhaps wrong to reckon 

 St. Michael's Chair. 



Natural. 



1. St. Mawnan's Chair is merely a rock on the sea-coast, 

 not far from the church. 



2. The Lizard Chair — demolished about twenty five years 

 ago — was close to the Signal Station. It was of serpentine, 

 probably the only historic chair of that material, and resembled 

 in shape an oblong bench. 



G-iant's Chairs. 



These are in every case naturally formed out of rock. 

 Giant's Chair, near Hugh Town, St. Mary's, Isles of Scilly. 

 Near the edge of the cliff is a rock named the Giant's Chair, so 

 called from its shape being that of an old-fashioned arm-chair. 



