Drake Proanter East, the Toby Trethell

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From Archaeologia Cornu-Britannica; or, an essay to preserve the Ancient Cornish Language (1790), edited by William Pryce, M.D. of Redruth, Cornwall.

One Parson’s Certificate to another, to marry a Couple, whose Banns had been called.

Drake Proanter East, the Toby Trethell.
Demytho Jowan an dean
Tha Agnez an bennen ;
Rag beneas an gy,
En eglez ny Zelio Tri :
Ha hemma urta ve, rago why
Ha henna demithe gy.
Ma leiaz gwreage,
Lacka vel zeage,
Gwell-gerres,
Vel kommeres ;
Ha ma leiaz, bennen,
Pokare an guenen,
Eye vedn gwerraz dege teez
Dendle peath a’n beaze.
Fleâz hep skeeanz,
Vedn guile go sceanz ;
Buz mor crown gy penderi,
Pan dêl go gwàry,
Ha madra ta,
Pandrig seera, ha damma ?
Na ra henz moaz dan cooz,
Do kuntle go booz ;
Buz, gen nebas lavirians,
Eye venjah dendle go booz, ha dillaz.
Cowzow do ve,
Che dean mor ffeer,
Do leba ez mear a peath, ha leiaz tîr ;
Ha me rig clowaz an poble galarou,
Ta eth reas do che eithick gwreag dah :
Hye oare gwile padn dah gen tye glân ;
Ha et eye ollaz, hye dalveath gowas tane.
Na dalle deez perna kinnis war an sawe,
Na moaz cuntle an drize dro dan keaw ;
Rag hedda vedn boz cowzes dro dan pow :
Gwell eye veyha perna nebas glow ;
Ha hedna vedn gus tubm a theller e a râg.
Ha why el evah cor gwella, mor seez de brage.
Na dale dien gwile treven war an treath ;
Buz, mor mennow direvall war bidn an pow yeine,
Why dal veya gowas an brossa mine,
Ha ryney vedn dirra bidn mor, ha gwenz.
Na-g-ez drog vyth gwrez, lebben, na kenz.


Drake Parson of St. Just, to Thomas Trythell.
Marry John, the man,
To Agnes, the woman,
For they are banned,
In our church three Sundays :
And this from me, to you,
And then, marry them.
There are many wives,
Worse than grains,
Better left,
Than taken ;
And there are many women,
Like the bees ;
They will help bring men
To get the wealth of the world.
Children without knowledge,
Will do (to) their sense ;
But if they should consider,
What ought to be their play,
And study well,
What did father, and mother ? They should not go to the wood,
To gather their meat ;
But, with little labour,
They would get their meat, and cloaths.
Speak to me,
Thou man so wise,
To whom is much of wealth, and much land ;
And I did hear the people complain,
That there is to the a huge wife good :
She knows to make cloth good with her wool ;
And she must hearth it, she ought to have fire.
Nor ought men to buy fuel by the seame,
Nor go to gather the brambles about the hedges ;
For that will be spoken about the country :
Better she had bought some coal ;
And that will you warm behind and before.
And you may drink best beer, if you have malt.
Nor ought men make houses on the sand ;
But, if you will build up against the country cold,
You must have the biggest stones,
And they will last against sea, and wind.
There is no hurt at all done, now, nor before.

      • These I had from Mr. Lhuyd; and since, with some difference, from Mr. Gwavas, whose is the translation. — (TONKIN.)