In the time of James I. a Spanish man-of-war came unseen through the
mist of the harbour, and despatched a well-armed crew with muffled oars
to plunder and burn the town of Penryn. They managed to land in the
darkness, and were about to begin their depredations when suddenly they
heard a great sound of drums and trumpets and the noise of many people.
This so alarmed them that they beat a rapid retreat, thinking the
militia had been called out by some spy who had known of their arrival.
But the Penryn people were in happy ignorance of their danger. It
happened that some strolling actors were performing a tragedy, and the
battle scene was just due as the Spaniards came creeping up in the
darkness; hence the noise. When the Penryn folk heard the following
morning what had happened, it was said they had to thank Shakespeare for
their lucky escape.
No one passing through the smiling and picturesque town of Penryn would
dream that that beautiful place could ever have been associated with
such a fearful and horrid event as that known to history as the "Penryn
Tragedy," which happened during the reign of James I.
At that time there lived at the Bohechland Farm in the parish of St.
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