Note 2 — THE PENZANCE OF OUR GRANDFATHERS.

At this time, and long before, the men of Zennor were noticeable for their singing and other musical attainments, which they made a source of pleasure and profit, to themselves at least, from their being often asked to parish-feasts from a good distance off, especially down West (the wise folk live t’other side) that the feasters might be gratified by their harmonious strains in church on the Sunday, and brisk dancing tunes on their fiddles to set their heels a-shaking on other nights of the feasten week, besides for the sake of the new songs they often contrived to learn from the show people in Corpus Christi fair. But they were not often asked two years following, because when they once got into comfortable quarters, it was no easy matter to get rid of them until long after servy-day,2 when they had more than eaten their welcome. For the sake of their psalm-singing they used also to be often asked to attend funerals round about, when the friends wished to show more than ordinary respect to the deceased or themselves, and have the disconsolate widows cheered. The Zennor men, with their wives and children, never failed to come, with half a word’s asking, from miles away, and they have the same fondness for funerals still; whether seed-time or harvest, sunshine or rainy day, Zennor folks, old and young, will leave their work and scamper over hills and moors miles away to “a good buryal” (burying), where there is likely to be plenty of toddy and tobacco, cake and biscuit, provided for all comers. But their room is often better liked than their company; for, after the men have smoked and pocketed up as much good shag as opportunity would favour them to take, by stuffing into the palm of the hand instead of the bowl of the pipe, drunk as much toddy as they could possibly contrive to get hold of by shifting about from place to place, so as to be always near the jug of hot liquor as it is carried round for the people who remain outside, the women and children all push indoors that can, to look sharp after the cake and biscuits, of which they contrive to pocket up a good store for the children left home, and don’t forget the toddy, believe me, even if they have a “dish of nice, sweet, strong tea, shure enough.” After having stuffed and quaffed till near bursting point, they will scamper away home like prall’d3 dogs, and the devil a finger will they lend to help take the poor defunct to his last home, often miles away, leave alone the singing. They are often too drunk to raise the funeral note, and make some fun, which serves just as well, by getting into an old ballad-tune by mistake. Zennor folks are not often asked to parish feasts for the sake of their singing now: they may stay home and bleat to Carn Galver for what anyone cares about the greedy goats.