142 • ST. piran's old church, 



enough remained to sJioiv the original shape and height of it^^^ This 

 and the further legends cited by Mr. Haslam probably dated from 

 1835, and had become distorted in those few years. He also gives 

 us a drawing of the church as it appeared in 1845 which does not 

 even accord with his own description. 



From the Episcopal Registers we learn that in 1269 the 

 vicar's stipend was partly made up of the profits arising fi'om 

 carrying round the saint's relics ; in 1331, as already mentioned, 

 they were accused of the irregularity of carrying them too often 

 and too far, and in 1281, in an inventory taken at St. Piran's of 

 the goods of the church, there are enumerated (amongst many 

 other things) a box in which St. Piran's head was kept, and a 

 hearse in which is placed the body of St. Piran {i.e., for 

 processions.)'^^ 



By his will, dated 18th April, 1433, Sir John Arundel, 

 knight, bequeaths 40/- for the use of the parish to enable them 

 to enclose the saint's head honorably and in the best manner they 

 could devise. 



Even a saint could hardly be dug up every time there was to 

 be a procession of relics through the parish. Mr. Michell 

 discovered a niche suitable for keeping such relics behind the 

 altar ; Mr. Haslam converted this into a window. 



Numerous other instances are there of what we will call 

 "mistakes" on the j^art of Mr. Haslam. His whole account 

 seems to be the product of an hysterical and vain man, unable to 

 weigh evidence, and unaccustomed to be exact : he may probably 

 be acquitted of any intentional misstatement. 



It might not be worth while noticing them were it not that 

 the book, " From Death unto Life," had, and still has, a pheno- 

 menal circulation amongst the uncritical public, and that its 

 statements on St. Piran are firmly believed b}^ hundreds of people 

 to-day, while the notes of Mr. Michell are forgotten, and the 

 crushing exposure in the pages of the "West Briton" in 1895 

 by Mr. Muller is by many forgotten too. Mr. Muller has known 

 the ruins and studied their history for more than 30 years, his 

 profession entitles his lightest opinion to respect, and his 

 possession of Mr. Michell' s original record makes him, undoubt- 

 edly, the best authority we have on this old building. 



21. The italics are mine. 



22. See Oliver, Moii. Dio. IJxon., Addl. Supp., p. lo. 



