ACCOUNT OF BOOKS.
477
at Blackwall he was met by the lord high conftable with feven barges, and a galley full of atten- dants, richly covered with cloth of gold and arras. The king pro- ceeded to London ; in Fieet-ftreet the champions folemnly met in his prefence : and the palaces of the Biihops of Saliibury and Ely were appointed to lodge thefe brave fons of holy church ; as St. Paul's cathedral was for holding a chap- ter for the folution of certain doubts upon the articles of com- bat. The timber and workman- fhip of the lifts coll above 200 marks. The pavilions, trappings, &c. were fumptuous in propor- tion. Yet, however weighty the cxpence, the queen could not but think it well beftowed, when fhe had the fatisfadion of beholding her brother viftorious in fo fturdy an encounter ; the fpike in the front of the Lord Scales's horfe having run into the noftril of the Ballard's horfe, fo that he reared an end and threw his rider to the ground. The generous conqueror difdained the advantage, and would have renewed the combat, but the Baflard refufed to fight any more on horfe-back. The next day they fought on foot, when Widville again prevailing, and the fport waxing warm, the King gave the fignal to part them.
Earl Rivers had his fliare of his lifter'^ aiflidions as well as of her
triumphs; but making a right ufe of adverfity, and underftanding that there was to be a jubilee and pardon at St. James's in Spain in 1473, he failed from Southamp- ton, and for fome time was ' full
- vertuoufly occupied in going of
' pilgrimages to St. James in Ga- ' lice, toRome,andtoSeintNicho-
- las de Bar in Puyle, and other di-
- vtrfe holy places. Alfo he pro-
- cured and got of our holy fa-
- ther the Pope a greet and large
- indulgence, and grace unto the
- chapel of our lady of the
' Piewe by St. Stephen's at Well- ' menfrre.'
The difmal catadrophe of this accomplilhed Lord, in the forty- fixth year of his age, is well known.
' Rivers, Vaughan and Gray*,
- Ere this lie Ihorter by the heads at
Pomtret.'
The works of this gallant and learned perfon were j
L * The diftes and fayinges of ' the philofophers ; tranflated out
- of Latin into Frenfhe by a
' worfliipful man called Meilire
- Jehan de Teonville, Provoll of
' Paris ;* and from thence ren- dered into Engliili by our Lord Rivers, who falling to the Spanifh Jubilee, * and layckyng lyght of ' all londes, the wynde being good
• Queen Elizabeth Gray is defeivedly pitied for loling her two fens, but the royalty of their birth has fo engroffed the attention of hiiiorians, that they never reckon into the number of her misfortunes tlie murder of this her fecond ton Sir Richard Gray. It is remaikable how flightiy ihe death of ourEa! Pvivers is always mentioned, though a man invefled with fuch high ofTices ot tiull and dig- nity ; and how much we dwe!l on the execution of the lord chamberlain Hafting';, a man in every light his inferior. In truth the generality draw their ideas of Englifh llory from the tragic rather than the hiftoric authors.
' and
