302 NATURAL HISTORY 
and the degenerate diforderly obfervation of it, « and the judges of the 
aflize, Walter and Denham , made an order at Exeter, A. D. 1627, to 
fupprefs all fuch feafts : the fame was done in Somerfetfhire A. D. 
1631; but upon Bifhop Laud’s complaint, fays my author", the 
laft order was reverfed ; the Lord Bifhop of that diocefe c , with 
feventy-two of the moll: orthodox and able of his Clergy, having 
certified under their hands, that on thefe feaft days, which generally 
fell on Sundays, the fervice of God was more folemnly performed, 
and the Church much better frequented, both in the forenoon and 
afternoon, than on any other Sunday in the year ; that the people 
very much defired the continuance of them, and that the Minifters 
did in moll places do the like for thefe reafons, viz. for preferving 
the memorial of the dedication of their feveral Churches, for civil- 
izing the people, for compofing differences by the mediation and 
meeting of friends, for increafe of love and unity by thefe feafts of 
charity, and for the relief and comfort of the poor.” 
The tinners hold fome holidays peculiar to themfelves, particu- 
larly the Thurfday, one clear week before Chriftmas-day, which 
they call Jeu-whydn , or White Thurfday, in commemoration (as 
conftant tradition fays) of black tin being firft melted in thefe parts 
and turned into white tin, it being the cuftom anciently, as it 
feems, to export into other parts the tin-ore unmelted, or carry it to 
the engroffer’s melting-houfe however diftant. 
The tinners alfo hold St. Piran’s day on the fifth of March, ceafe 
from all labour, and ( in all confiderable mines ) are allowed money 
to make merry withal in honour of St. Piran, who is recorded to 
have given them fome very profitable informations relating to the 
tin-manufa&ure. 
sect. xii. A very fingular manner of curing madnefs is that mentioned by 
Local cuf- Mr. Carew (page 123) in the parifh of Altarnun in this county. 
Bouffening. It was the cuftom to place the difordered in mind on the brink of 
a fquare pool, filled with water which came from St. Nun’s well f . 
The patient having no intimation of what was intended, was, by 
a fudden blow in the breaft, tumbled into the pool, where he was 
toffed up and down by fome perfons of fuperior ftrength, till being quite 
debilitated, his fury forfook him ; he was then carried to the Church, 
and certain maffes fung over him ; if he was not cured at once, the 
immerfion was repeated. This cuftom was pra&ifed probably in 
fome other parts of this county as well as at Altarnun ; lor at the 
foot of St. Agnes’s holy well (a place formerly of great refort) I 
d Dugdale’s Warwicklhire, laft Edition, page f Nun or Nunne being the patronefs Saint, 
682. ° from whofe altar (famous I conjecture for fome 
e Bath and Wells. miracles) this parifh had its name. 
think 
