CORNWALL The best features of this church arc its com- modious size and its commanding situation. In Alverton Street we have the name of the old Alwaretone estate, mentioned in Domes- day. The principal event in the history of Penzance is its burning by the Spaniards in 1595, a fate foretold in an old Cornish pro- phecy which, being translated, runs : — "They shall kind on the rock of Merlin Who shall burn Paul, Penzance, and Newlyn ". The prophecy probably helped to bring about its own fulfilment, for the inhabitants, thinking themselves foredoomed, gave little opposition to the party of about 200 Spanish. These, landing at Mousehole, on a rock that really bore the name of Merlin, proceeded to fire and pillage. Having sacked Mousehole, Paul, Newlyn and Penzance, the foe retired to their galleons for the night ; but by next day the Cornish folk had plucked up a little courage, and the Spaniards deemed it wise to set sail before Drake and Hawkins should be on their sea-track. A new town soon rose from the ashes of the old one, but this was also doomed to suffer ; Penzance being loyal to the king was revengefully treated by Fairfax in 1646. Under Charles IL its fortunes revived ; and when Defoe came westward he found Penzance " a place of good business, well built and populous, having a good trade and a great many ships belonging to it, notwithstanding it is so remote ". With a superstition not )et
