aODOLPHIN AND THE GODOLPHIKS. 467 



At this instant four Galliasses at ancker before Mousehole, their men landed, 

 that towne fired and other houses thereabouts, no more of their fleet in sight, 50 or 

 60 were seen Monday evening and yesterday thwart of Falmouth ; now con- 

 sider what is to be done for your own safety, and our defence. Written on ye 

 greene beyond Penzance this Wensday about one of ye clock ye 23rd of July 95. 



Yours 



FEAS. GODOLPHIN, 

 THOS. CHIVEETON. 

 There is assemble about 200 naked 

 men. I attend the coming of more and 

 so to make hed towards the enemy. 



Addressed 

 To the right worshipful Sir Francis Drake and Sir John Hawkins Knights 

 generall of her Majesty's forces now at Plymouth. 

 With all haste post 

 Haste for life 

 From post to post by the ordinary post for her Majesty's special service. 



FRAS. GODOLPHIN. 



But tlie Spaniards landing a further force Sir Francis was 

 obliged to retreat, and abandon Penzance as well, to be fired, 

 luckily without much loss, there being ' ' onely a constable 

 unhorsed without any harme saving the shew on his doublet of 

 the bullets sliding by his back." On the Eastern Green, how- 

 ever, the Cornish rallied and eventually the Spaniards withdrew. 



From an examination of four Englishmen captured by the 

 Spaniards and landed in Mount's Bay, we learn that after the 

 Spaniards had burned Penzance and other villages, they had 

 mass the next day on the Western Hill, by a friar, where they 

 vowed to build a friary when they had conquered England. 

 It is needless to say that no ruins of this friary are known to 

 exist. 



The most noteworthy of the succeeding Grodolphins, is of 

 course, Sydney, created first Earl of Grodolphin, The Lord High 

 Treasurer, and great Minister of Queen Anne ; and Margaret, 

 his wife, whose praise is sounded by Evelyn, and who lies buried 

 under the altar-stone of Breage Church, but whose lives I have 

 not space to touch on. The family estates devolving through 

 the female branch to the Osborne family now The Dukes of Leeds. 



And now to revert for a short time to the interesting old home 

 in which we stand, and which has seen so many famous men 

 within its walls. As I have previously stated it is distinctly of 



