Daily Kennebec journal., 1908-09-21
TWO CORNISH SAINTS.
The Legend Attached to the Three
Stones of Keverne.

At st. Germoe's, about midway be
tween Heston and Narration. in Corn
| wall, there is a field that still bears the
name, or did very lately, of Tremen-
| keyerne. This in the old Cornish
tongue meant the three stones OF
kevcrne." and there We're formerly
three large stones lying here that had
| every appearance of having been
brought from the CrowZa Downs, near
st. Keverne. They consisted of the
same iron gritstone that abounds on
| these downs but is unknown to st.
Gcrmoe. 1t is difficult to account
| scientifically or historically for these
stones, which unhappily We're long ago
broken up for road metal: but tradition
finds no such trouble, and the story OF
how they came here is j very curious
and characteristic piece of Cornish
s;,intlOre. The Cornish saints" were
men and women of ordinary aesh and
blood They We're never represented
as wholly sanity; the term merely sig
nl,ied that they lived the religious life
as distinct from the purely secular.
There is a difficulty in identifying st.
NeNcrne. hut whoever he was and
most probably he was an~lrishman-he
occupied religious cell in 4 deSolatc
corner of the Lizard district.
On enc occasion he received 4 friend
y visit from st. Just. of the Lands
End. 1t is not easy to say who st.
Just was. but some points in his char
actor are forcibly brought home to US
III the tale of this visit. The story tells
is that the two saints had a fine time
together drinking much rich wine out
If a chalice which st. Just not only
admired but coveted. Perhaps the
in@ ilud something to do With it; 1t Is
certain that after st. Just had LETT St
Nevcrne missed his cup. He searched
Ugh and low, but it was not to be
:ourl. There was only one solution
st. Just must have lifted it. Indlg-
nation boiled in the veins of st. Ike
verne to think that his friend whom he
li;d entertained 50 royalty should have
Crved him so, and he at once started
Ii in pursuit His course took him
across the CrONza Downs, and he
licked up 4 few of the stones that lay
about, with d view to future use. As
thcsc pebbles each weighed several
IundredWeiSht it is clear that keverne
NAs Il giant, according to ;hc standard
Of our deca0ent days. In Cornwall
>;lcs of giants and saints are often
woven together Presently keVcrnc
anne in sight OF st. Just, toiling on
ahead of him with speed, vet with an
air of being absorbed in devotional cX-
orcises. The pursuing giant called on
he other TO stop, but st. Just either
did not or would not hear and Neverne
hought we'll to use some stronger in
He threw of his stones
NTH such good aim that st. Just
thought it wise to use discretion. Let |
ling the chalice slip on the ground he
mace the best of his way to his own
parish without waiting to discuss mat
ters with his angry pursuer. But st.
kevcrne was not satisfied till he had |
discharged his remaining stones, after
wlich, gathering up his cup with angry |
ceilings still unquenched, he returned |
sadder if not wiser.
For many centuries the stones lay |
where they had fallen, a permanent
witness to the truth of the story
There Was IL superstition that theyI
could not be removed, but if taken |
away by day were replaced during the |
night. When wanted for road mend
ing, however. the superstition had to
ne broken with the stones. 1t is clear
hat st. Just had given the other saint
i good run. but tradition does not say
= nat further dealings they had togeth-
r. Naturally our sympathles go with
st Keverne. and though the humor OF
5he position may not fail to strike us
* seems that his friend got eff rather
too lightly-Pall Mall Gazette.