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July 23, 2025
Sublime Rambling
English Epistle #17
By Vicki L. George
The Bandera Prophet
English epistle #17
April 12, 1998
You all know the old tune - well, here are some new words, “I’m Dreaming of a White Easter.” Easter? Yep. Today is Easter Sunday and it’s been snowing most of the morning. So far this afternoon, it’s been sleeting and hailing pretty good, too. Cold winds but, between snow clouds and rain clouds, the sun does come out for a few minutes at a time. A whole new experience and absolutely mind boggling.
Farther north this front has caused some serious flooding. And, of course, we’ve heard about the tornadoes in the American southeast. Everyone blames “El Niño,” but I’m beginning more and more to consider what the prophets said.
Easter is a big deal here, actually bigger than at home. Good Friday and the Monday following are legal holidays; no banks, school or post office. Card and flower sales are brisk. People traveling and visiting and shopping beforehand. Very busy and hustly-bustly. And this weather has hurt the tourist business.
Last weekend Hubby and I went out to Land’s End. It’s a tourist spot and not worth “writing home about,” but the scenery off the coast is beautiful. Land’s End is actually the name of a theme park kind of thing.
On the way back to town we decided to look for that stone we’d heard about that was split during the earthquake in the 1200s. I had gotten directions several weeks ago. The stone is in the yard of the St. Levan church near Porthcurno, about six miles west of Penzance. Legend has it that St. Levan prayed over the boulder after it split and made this prophecy, “When with paniers astride, A pack Horse can ride, Through St. Levan’s Stone, The world will be done.”
The rock is now split only just wide enough for a person to walk through. One more good earthquake should do it! (There was another just two years ago, 3.9 on the scale. Shook houses but didn’t widen the gap in the stone.)
Different parts of St. Levan church were built in the 13th century and it was added onto in the 15th century. It has three bells, dated 1641, 1754 and 1881. The Font dates from 1100.
Of course, the churchyard is the graveyard. One is the grave of Captain Richard Wetheral who was lost with the brig “Aurora” off Land’s End in 1811. Legend says that a ghostly ship’s bell strikes the watches in his grave and those who hear it are doomed to die within a year. (Fortunately, we didn’t hear a thing.)
There were three interesting epitaphs:
In Memory of William Michell
who departed this life June the 4th 1807
aged 56 years
Affliction sore long time I bore
Physicians were in vain
I found no ease till God did please
To Ease me of my pain.
My eyes are closed my grave you see
Therefore prepare to follow me.
Here lies inter’d
The Bodies of
The Children Henry and Mary
Son and Daughter of
David and Elizth Rawlings
of the Parish
Their time was short the longer is their rest
God ended them hence because He saw it best
Mary
died the 2nd of Nov. 1796
aged 7 months
Henry
was unfortunately drowned at Penberth
the 11th of July 1810
aged 10 years
Their happy souls have took their flight
To the best regions of delight
Their Saviour to adore.
Parents prepare while you are here
To meet your babies in glory there
Where parting is no more.
Time How Short Eternity How Long
Beneath this stone lithe the inter’d bodies
of two children daughters of
Tho. & Jane Blewett
Departed the Life April 17th 1813
Aged 2 months
Also
Jane Blewett
Departed the Life April 13th 1815
Aged 4 years
The great Jehovah full of Love
His messenger did send
to call those Little babies above
To Joys that never will end.
I find children’s graves so sad. And I always wonder who writes the lovely poetry to put on tombstones; and I like the humorous messages, too.
Farther north this front has caused some serious flooding. And, of course, we’ve heard about the tornadoes in the American southeast. Everyone blames “El Niño,” but I’m beginning more and more to consider what the prophets said.
Easter is a big deal here, actually bigger than at home. Good Friday and the Monday following are legal holidays; no banks, school or post office. Card and flower sales are brisk. People traveling and visiting and shopping beforehand. Very busy and hustly-bustly. And this weather has hurt the tourist business.
Last weekend Hubby and I went out to Land’s End. It’s a tourist spot and not worth “writing home about,” but the scenery off the coast is beautiful. Land’s End is actually the name of a theme park kind of thing.
On the way back to town we decided to look for that stone we’d heard about that was split during the earthquake in the 1200s. I had gotten directions several weeks ago. The stone is in the yard of the St. Levan church near Porthcurno, about six miles west of Penzance. Legend has it that St. Levan prayed over the boulder after it split and made this prophecy, “When with paniers astride, A pack Horse can ride, Through St. Levan’s Stone, The world will be done.”
The rock is now split only just wide enough for a person to walk through. One more good earthquake should do it! (There was another just two years ago, 3.9 on the scale. Shook houses but didn’t widen the gap in the stone.)
Different parts of St. Levan church were built in the 13th century and it was added onto in the 15th century. It has three bells, dated 1641, 1754 and 1881. The Font dates from 1100.
Of course, the churchyard is the graveyard. One is the grave of Captain Richard Wetheral who was lost with the brig “Aurora” off Land’s End in 1811. Legend says that a ghostly ship’s bell strikes the watches in his grave and those who hear it are doomed to die within a year. (Fortunately, we didn’t hear a thing.)
There were three interesting epitaphs:
In Memory of William Michell
who departed this life June the 4th 1807
aged 56 years
Affliction sore long time I bore
Physicians were in vain
I found no ease till God did please
To Ease me of my pain.
My eyes are closed my grave you see
Therefore prepare to follow me.
Here lies inter’d
The Bodies of
The Children Henry and Mary
Son and Daughter of
David and Elizth Rawlings
of the Parish
Their time was short the longer is their rest
God ended them hence because He saw it best
Mary
died the 2nd of Nov. 1796
aged 7 months
Henry
was unfortunately drowned at Penberth
the 11th of July 1810
aged 10 years
Their happy souls have took their flight
To the best regions of delight
Their Saviour to adore.
Parents prepare while you are here
To meet your babies in glory there
Where parting is no more.
Time How Short Eternity How Long
Beneath this stone lithe the inter’d bodies
of two children daughters of
Tho. & Jane Blewett
Departed the Life April 17th 1813
Aged 2 months
Also
Jane Blewett
Departed the Life April 13th 1815
Aged 4 years
The great Jehovah full of Love
His messenger did send
to call those Little babies above
To Joys that never will end.
I find children’s graves so sad. And I always wonder who writes the lovely poetry to put on tombstones; and I like the humorous messages, too.