CHRONICLES OF CORNISH SAINTS. I. — S. CUBY. 319 



Kippiscombe-lane, hj the side of which there is a spring of water, 

 still called Cuby's Well.-^ 



How long the saint remained in Cornwall, or why he withdrew 

 from it, we have no information. Whitaker supposes t that he 

 migrated in consequence of the luurder of his brother Melyan, 

 and there is much plausibility in the conjecture ; for the crime 

 must have rendered the life of the saint himself, as well as all the 

 other members of the reigning family, very insecure. Moreover, 

 it must have plunged the whole country into strife and bloodshed ; 

 for Rivold, the murderer, had come into Cornwall with a hostile 

 army, bent probably upon the subjugation of Melyan's kingdom, 

 as well as the extermination of his family. He is styled by Le- 

 land, "invasor Cornubiae"; and, after having murdered Melyan, 

 his sister's husband, he is said to have first maimed, and then in- 

 stigated the murder of his nephew, Melor, the son of Melyan. 

 These atrocities, doubtless, roused the fury of the Cornislimen, and 



* Bond, in his History of Looe, gives the following account of it : — 



" The spring flows into a circular basin, or reservoir, of granite, or of 

 some stone like it, two feet four inches at its extreme diameter at top, and 

 about two feet high. It appears to have been neatly carved and ornamented 

 in its lower part with the figure of a griffin, and round the edge with dolphins, 

 now much defaced. The water was formeiiy carried off by a drain or hole at 

 the bottom, like those usually seen in fonts and piscinas. The basin (which 

 I take to be an old font), was formerly much respected by the neighbours, 

 who conceived some great misfortune would befal the person who shoidd 

 attempt to remove it from where it stood ; and that it required immense 

 power to remove it. A daring feUow, however, says a story, once went with 

 a team of oxen for the express purpose of removing it. On his arrival at the 

 spot, one of the oxen fell down dead, which so alarmed the fellow that he 

 desisted from the attempt he was about to make. There are several loose 

 stones scattered round the basin or reservoir, perhaps the remains of some 

 birilding which formerly enclosed it, — a small chapel likely. The last time 

 I saw this reservoir it had been taken many feet from where it used to stand, 

 and a piece of the brim of it had been recently struck off." 



I am glad to learn from the Eev. Paul Bush, rector of Duloe, that the 

 font of this old chapel has been removed to a place of safety at his suggestion, 

 and is now in the safe keeping of the owner of the property, Mr. Peel of 

 Trenant, 



It is worthy of mention that about two miles from St. Cuby's Well there 

 is, in the parish of Pelynt, another ancient well, associated with the name 

 of S. Non, an aunt of S. Cuby and the mother of S. David. It is now called 

 Ninnian's Well. 



•j- Strange to say, Whitaker seems to have overlooked the inconsistency 

 of this conjecture with his own theory of Cuby's era, for Melyan or Melgan 

 is said to have been killed in 524. 



D 



