46 N A T U R A L H I S T O R Y
in which King Arthur received his mortal wound: thdsjrecorded
by; the PoetL:
____ - <c Naturam Cambela fontis
Mutatam ftupet effe jui, ^ixiirfoend&^n jmtpa
Sanguineus torrens ripas, et dudt in aeqiior
Corpora caeforum;. plure? aatare.videres, | | | u
Et petere auxilium quos undis vita reliquit.’ !
The other, a bloody battle, fought betwixt the Cornifh, and tho
Weft Saxons of Devonfhire, in the year 824 !, in which many
thoufands fell on each fide, and the victory remained uncertain.
Hence; after a run of about 12 miles, it becomes navigable for fand
barges at Parbrok; and at.Egloftiel", receives a plentiful addition
to it’s ftream, from the River Laine A mile farther down, this
River reaches the greateft bridge in this county/ called Wa“^
bridge ; about the year 1460 °, there was a fer^y here whilft the tide
was in, and a very dangerous ford when, the tide' was. retired^
which moved the'then Vicar of Eglofhel, ope-Mr. Lovebon, with
great induftry and public fpirit, to undertake this bridge; a great and
ufefui, but tedious work. Befides the expence, fo, difproportioned
jt> his circumftances, in the eourfe of the work,
difficulties, , as might have baffled a more mechanical age than that
in whieh- he lived: thegtound,- for the. fp,uffdafi6n of dome ..or the.
piers, proved fo fwampy, that after repealed” another way,
they werq forced at laft to build.on wool-p'^cksr-^hqn^eyer, i t ffrouiu
never be forgotten» that by his folficitations, and the liberah contributions
o f others,, but chiefly by his own’ .perfeyetance, and the
bleffings o f providence, he lived tb; accomplifh the ‘bridge as- nr
now ftands, with feventeen fair and uniform arches, reaching quite
crofs the valley, to the great fafety of travellers, ; and the. credit of
his country. Hither come up fmall barks-of -40 and 6o.tpn, and
fiipply the country with coal from Wales, with flat, whieh rifes about
ten miles off, lime, timber» and groceries from Briftol. A mile farther
down , the Alan makes two final? Creeks on the Eaft, in return for a
brook or two which it receives; then keeping to the North-Weft, and
fupplying two Creeks on the Wefttrn bank which run up intO.St. Iffy,
and little Petrock parifhes, in a mile more it reaches "the antient
town of Petrockftow, alias Padftow, where there is a pier, and forne
k In Camden, page 23.
1 See Saxon chronicle«
m That is, the Church on the River.
n Some Rivers among the Britifh, fay 9 Lhuyd
in Baxter’s gloflary, page 273, take their names
from animals; as the Caru (Cerv-us) in Shropihire,
and the Elaine* (Hlnnulus). ini Radnorshire*. and
Montgomeryshire* &c. prooabiy this River Lain,
had the name of Elaine from the fwiftnefs of
it’s eourfe.
0■ Iceland, Vpl. Hi page f e
trade