and broken
down in the year 1589. Its pristine beauty is thus minutely described in
Davis's _Rights and Monuments_: "On the west side of the city of
Durham, where two roads pass each other, a most famous and elegant cross
of stone work was erected to the honour of God, &c. at the sole cost of
Ralph, Lord Neville, which cross had seven steps about it, every way
squared to the socket wherein the stalk of the cross stood, which socket
was fastened to a large square stone; the sole, or bottom stone being of
a great thickness, viz. a yard and a half every way: this stone was the
eighth step. The stalk of the cross was in length three yards and a half
up to the boss, having eight sides all of one piece; from the socket it
was fixed into the boss above, into which boss the stalk was deeply
soldered with lead. In the midst of the stalk, in every second square,
was the Neville's cross; a saltire in a scutcheon, being Lord Neville's
arms, finely cut; and, at every corner of the socket, was a picture of
one of the four Evangelists, finely set forth and carved. The boss at
the top of the stalk was an octangular stone, finely cut and bordered,
and most curiously wrought; and in every square of the nether side
thereof was Neville's Cross, in one square, and the bull's head in the
next, so in the same reciprocal order about the boss. On the top of the
boss was a stalk of stone, (being a cross a little higher than the
rest,) whereon was cut, on both sides of the stalk, the picture of our
Saviour Christ, crucified; the picture of the Blessed Virgin on one
side, and St. John the Evangelist on the other; both standing on the top
of the boss. All which pictures were most artificially wrought together,
and finely carved out of one entire stone; some parts thereof, though
carved work, both on the east and west sides, with a cover of stone
likewise over their heads, being all most finely and curiously wrought
together out of the same hollow stone, which cover had a covering of
lead."

[Illustration: (_Percy's Cross_.)]

The second specimen (_see the Cut_) stands by the side of the
highway over Hedgeley Moor, in the adjoining county of Northumberland.
This Cross is a record of the War of the Roses. Here, in one of the
skirmishes preliminary to the celebrated victory at Hexham (May 12,
1464), Sir Ralph Percy was slain, by Lord Montacute, or Montague, brother
to the Earl of Warwick, and warden of the east marches between Scotland
and England.