Letitia Elizabeth Landon (L. E. L.) in Fisher's Drawing Room Scrap Book, 1832/Fowey Harbour, and Polruan Castle, &c.
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FOWEY HARBOUR, ST. SAVIOUR’S CHAPEL & POLRUAN CASTLE.
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FOWEY HARBOUR, AND POLRUAN CASTLE, &c.
The Ladye sat in her lonely tower,
Singing a mournful song;
One of those sad and olden rhymes
That aye to love belong.
The bride is young, and her lord is away,
Therefore sings she that love-lorn lay.
Sudden she marks, through the glittering waves,
Two armed ships cleave their way;
Their sails are white, in the morning light,
And around breaks the dashing spray.
She sees the flag with its lilies expand,
And a band of warriors leap to land.
It had been sight, for a gallant knight,
To mark that ladye call,
'Mid weeping maidens, and wardens old,
On her vassals to man the wall;
Albeit it roused more love than fear,
To see, that white hand grasp the spear.
There are no knights like our English knights,
Yet the boldest of his name,
Never from castle repulsed the foe
More bravely than that fair dame:
They left their chief, and their banner behind,
When the Frenchmen spread their sails to the wind.
"Is a masque tow'rd?" said the castle's lord,
When he came home next day,
Beside him stood a captive knight,
And a banner before him lay:
His ladye's cheek wore its deepest red,
When she told him how she had been lord instead.
Leland, when speaking of the "Frenchmen" having "diverse times assailed the town" of Fowey, "and last most notably, about Henry the Sixth's time," informs us, that "the wife of Thomas Treury, the 2d, with her men, repelled the French out of her house in her husband's absence; whereupon Thomas Treury builded a righte faire and stronge embateled towr in his house,—and vnto this day it is the glorie of the town building in Faweye." The tower fell to the ground about sixty years ago, and two busts of the heroine who so gallantly repulsed the enemy, were found in the ruins: they are still preserved.