Meredyth serued the king in all these warres who did the Prince most hurt of all men and was in great hope of goodlie preferments at the kings hands whom after the ouerthrowe of the Prince the king made knight and fed with manie faire and good woords After that he and all other his countriemen and neighbours had submitted themselues to the gouernement of the king of England it happened that the lord Payne Tiptoft warden of the kings castels nigh vnto Reeses countrie and the Lord Alan Plucknet the kings steward in Wales called the said Rees as they did all other of the countrie to the kings court whither he refused to come alledging his ancient priuileges and liberties with the kings promises but the said officers procéeded according to the law against him wherevpon a great variance arose betwéene the said Payne Tiptoft and the said Sir Rees ap Meredyth so that sundrie skirmishes were foughten betwixt them and men slaine on both sides to the great disturbance of the countrie The king hearing of these things being then beyond the seas wrote vnto Rees ap Meredyth requiring him to kéepe the peace till his returne at what time he promised to reforme all things in due and reasonable order but Rees would not giue ouer the enterprise which he had begun Wherevpon the king sent to the Earle of Cornewall whom he had leaft his lieutenant in the realme during his absence to send an armie of men into Wales to withstand the disordered attempts of the said Rees Who went into Wales himselfe and ouerthrew Reeses castell of Drofolan but by vndermining and reuersing the walles of the said castell with the fall thereof the Baron of Stafford the lord William de Monchency with manie other knights and Esquires were oppressed and brused to death Afterward Robert Tiptoft lord deputie of Wales gathered an armie and méeting the said Rees after the slaughter of 4000. of his people discomfited and tooke him Who about Michaelmas folowing at the kings going into Scotland was had to Yorke and there condemned and executed Not long after the king wanting monie there was a great subsidie granted towards the maintenance of the warres in France about leuieng of the which there was much adoo in diuerse places but especiallie the Welshmen which were neuer woont to be acquainted with such contribution stormed against it so that they tooke one of their owne captaines named Roger de Puelesdon who at the kings commandement gathered the said subsidie and hanged him with diuers other and afterward headed the said Roger. Wherevpon the king being sore offended for the death of the said Roger whom he greatlie fauoured and hearing that the Welshmen began to stirre against him in diuers places for the Westwales men had chosen Maelgon Vachan for their captaine and destroied all Caerdigan and Penbrooke and returned with rich spoiles they of Glamorgan and the South parts tooke one named Morgan for their leader and driuing the Earle of Glocester out of the countrie they restored to the said Morgan againe those possessions which the ancestors of the said Earle by force and great wrong had taken from the said Morgans predecessors The Northwales men had set vp one Madoc being of the kindred of the last Lhewelyn slaine at Buelht who gathering a great power came to Caernaruon and slew a great number of Englishmen which were come thither to the Faire and spoiled the whole towne then I saie the king called backe his brother Edmond Earle of Lancaster and Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne and lord of Denbigh who had an armie readie to passe into Gascoyn These Earles came towards Northwales and as they approched néere vnto the castell of Denbigh vpon S. Martyns daie the Welshmen with great force encountred them and giuing them battell droue them backe and discomfited their people Then the king himselfe came to Wales and kept his Christmas at Aberconwey where Robert Wynchelsey archbishop of Canturburie came vnto him and did his homage and then returned home The king as he passed further into the countrie lost much of his carriages which the Welshmen tooke being loden with vittell and prouision for the armie so that the king and his people indured great penurie and was constrained to drinke water mixt with honie and eate verie grosse and course meate where he was verie like to haue béene distressed had not the other part of his armie come vnto him in time While the king remained in Snowdon the Earle of Warwicke hearing that a great number of Welshmen were assembled togither and lodged in a vallie betwixt two woods chose out a companie of horssemen with certeine crossebowes and archers and comming vpon the Welshmen in the night compassed them round about who pitching the ends of their speares and turning the points against their enimies stood at defense so to kéepe off the horssemen But the Earle hauing placed his battell so that euer betwixt two horssemen there stood a crossebow a great part of the Welshmen who stood at defense in maner aforesaid with their speares were ouerthrowne and broken with the shot of the quarels and then the Earle charged the residue with a troupe of horssemen and bare them downe with such slaughter as they had not susteined the like losse of people as was thought at anie time before After this the king builded a strong castell within the Ile of Anglesey and called the same Buemarish and so putting all things in quietnesse and punishing such as had put to death Roger de Puelesdon he returned home with his armie But Madoc within a while after leauieng an armie of men came to Oswestrie where the people yéelded vnto him and méeting with the lord Strange with a companie of Marchers not farre from Knookine ouerthrew him and spoiled his countrie miserablie and shortlie after he gaue the Marchers another ouerthrow But for all that the lord Marchers nothing dismaied at this mischance gathered a great power anew met Madoc as he was comming towards Shrewesburie vpon the hils of Cefn Digolh not farre from Caurs castell where after a long fight the said Madoc was taken and his men discomfited and put to flight Then he was sent to the Towre of London there to remaine in perpetuall prison There be some which affirme that Madoc was not taken but rather after manie aduentures and sundrie conflicts when the Welshmen were brought into an issue of great extremitie the said Madoc came in and submitted himselfe to the kings peace and was receiued vpon condition that he should pursue Morgan till he had taken him and brought him to the kings prison which was done and so all things in those parties were set in rest and peace and manie hostages of the chiefest of the nobilitie of Wales were deliuered to the king who sent them to diuerse castels in England where they were safelie kept almost to the end of the warres that followed with Scotland In the
countriemen and kinsmen the one being the vncle was Archbishop of S. Dauids of whome mention is made in this place The other Asser the nephew was a man of excellent learning and wisedome and for that cause being Chancellour to his vncle was sent for by King Alfred to teach his children who wrote the actes of the same Alfred and was afterward Bishop of Shireburne of whom mention is made in the English Chronicles About this time Edward sent a great armie to Northumberland which spoiled the countrie and then returned home neuerthelesse the Danes folowed them and destroied a great part of Mercia But within a while after Edward gathered an armie and giuing them battell ouerthrew them and slue their kings Alden and Edelwulph and a great number of their nobles This yeare died Edelred Duke of Mercia which had long been sicke after whome Elfleda his wife enioied the countrie of Mercia sauing the cities of London and Oxford which king Edward seised into his owne hands The yeare 907. died Cadelh King or Prince of Southwales second sonne of Roderike the great leauing behind him three sonnes Howel Dha that is to saie Howel the good who succeeded his father in the kingdome of Southwales Meyric and Clydawc About two yeares after King Edward did build the Castell of Hartford betwixt the riuers Benefic Minier and Lige and also the borough of Wytham in Essex and laie at Wealdyne where he subdued those countries The yeare following the Danes of Leycester and Hampton slew a great number of Englishmen at Hochnorton and in their returne homeward spoiled all Oxfordshire The next yeare after that there came a great nauie from Tydwike with Vther and Rahald and past by the westerne sea to VVales and destroied S. Dauids and there fought the battel of Dinerth where Mayloc the sonne of Peredur Gam was slaine And afterward they entred Herefordshire where they were fought withall and Rahald slaine and the rest compelled to forsweare the Kings land Then the King caused the southside of Seauerne to be kept with a great armie yet did the Danes twise enter his land once by the East at VVerd and another time at Portogan but they were at either time ouerthrowne by the Englishmen And from thence they departed to the Ile of Stepen frō whence they were driuen by hunger to Southwales where they were beaten and constrained to depart into Ireland The yeare insuing there was a great battell fought betwixt the Kentishmen and the Danes at Holme but who had the victorie is not certainelie reported In the yeare 913. Anarawd chiefe King of VVales died and left behind him two sonnes Edwal Voel which reigned after him and Elise Edwal Voel Edwal Voel sonne of Anarawd I thinke that the name of Leycester is héere mistaken for Legecestria that is Chester called of the Romanes Legionum Cestria which being destroied by the Danes was about this time by the procurement of a Adelred Duke of Mercia and Elflede his wife repaired and reedified as Matth. Westm. writeth and as the ancient records of the citie of Chester doo testifie Besides that I find no mention of the reedifieng of Leycester at this time neither in the Brytish Chronicle nor yet in anie ancient English writer The next summer after the men of Deuelyne did destroie the Ile of Môn or Anglesey And the yeare 917. Clydawc the sonne of Cadelh was slaine by the hands of his brother Meyric and about the same time the Englishmen did ouerthrowe the Danes after a great fight at Tottenhale Io. Castoreus reporteth this storie in this maner Huganus Lord of Westwales perceiuing King Edward to be occupied in the Danish warre farre enough from him gathered an armie of Brytaines and entered the Kings land Wherevpon Elfled Ladie of Mercia the sister of King Edward came to VVales with a strong armie and fought with the Welshmen at Brechnocke and putting Huganus to flight tooke his wife and 34. men captiues and lead them with hir to Mercia Huganus thus discomfited fled to Derbie there being peaceablie receiued of the countriemen with fiftéene men of war and two hundred souldiors well appointed ioined himselfe with the Kings aduersaries the Danes of which thing when Elfled was certified by the men of Derby shée folowed him with a great armie and entred the gates of that towne where Huganus resisted hir and slue foure of hir chiefe officers But Gwyane Lord of the Ile of Elie hir Steward set the gates on fire and furiouslie running vpon the Brytaines entred the towne Then Huganus being ouermatched and choosing rather to die by the sword than to yéeld himselfe vnto a woman was there slaine Thus out of Castoreus The yeare insuing Elfled wan Leycester and subdued to hir all the Danes that laie there The Yorkeshiremen also did hir homage and seruice she died at Tamworth after that she had worthilie ruled Mercia eight yeares and lieth buried at Glocester by S. Peters porch vpon whose toombe this Epitaph was written O Elfleda potens ô terror virgo virorum O Elfleda potens nomine digna viri Te quoque splendidior fecit natura puellam Te probitas fecit nomen habere viri Te mutare decet sed solùm nomina sexus Tu regina potens réxque trophea parans I am nec Caesareos tantùm mirere triumphos Caesare splendidior virgo virago vale After the death of Elfled Edward disinherited hir daughter Alfwyen and seazed the land of Mercia to his owne hands The cause why Edward disinherited this yoong Ladie his néece whose mother Elfled being his owne sister had done so much for him was as Castoreus writeth for that Alfwyen not making the king hir vncle whome hir mother had appointed gardian and ouerséer of hir priuie to hir doings had promised and contracted mariage with Raynald king of the Danes wherevpon king Edward to preuent his enimie entred the land of Mercia and seazed the same to his owne hands and caried also the said Ladie with him into Westsex The same Author also reporteth that about this time Leofred a Dane and Gruffyth ap Madoc brother in law to the prince of Westwales came from Ireland with a great armie to Snowdon and minding to bring all Wales and the marches thereof to their subiection ouerran and subdued all the countrie to Chester before King Edward was certified of their arriuall Whereat he was verie sore offended and being loath to trouble his subiects in that behalfe made a vowe that he and his sonnes with their owne people would be reuenged vpon Leofred and Gruffyth and therevpon came to Chester and wan the citie from them Then he diuided his armie into two batels whereof he and his sonne Athelstan lead the first and Edmund and Edred the second and so folowed them with as much celeritie as he could and ouertooke them at the forest of Walewode now Sherwode where Leofred and Gruffyth set vpon him fierselie so that the king in
Lordship IN primis the said Lordship in length from Rymny bridge on the east side to Pwlh Conan on the west side is 27. miles The breadth thereof from the hauen of Aburthaw alias Aberdaon on the southside to the confines of Brechnock shire aboue Morleys castell is 22. miles Item the same Lordship being a Lordship Marcher or a Lordship roiall and holden of no other Lordship the Lords euer sithence the winning of the same owing their obedience onelie to the crowne haue vsed therein Iura regalia that is the triall of all actions as well reall as personall with plées of the crowne and authoritie to pardon all offenses treason onelie excepted Item there were xj Lordships to wit Senghennyth Myskyn Ruthin Lhanblethian Tir Iarlh Glyn Rothney Auan Neth Coyty Talauan and Lhantuit alias Bouiarton that were members of the said Lordship of Glamorgan In euerie of the members were the like Iura regalia vsed in all things sauing that if anie wrong iudgement were giuen in anie of the courts of the said members it should be reuersed by a writ of false iudgement in the countie court of Glamorgan as superiour court to the same members Also all matters of conscience happening in debate in anie of the said members should be heard and determined in the chancerie of Glamorgan before the Chancellor thereof Item the bodie of the said Lordship of Glamorgan was before the alteration of the lawes in Wales a countie of it selfe wherein the Lord had two castels and thrée market townes to wit the castell and towne of Kynfigs alias Kefnffigen in the west part thereof and Cowbridge towne alias Pont vaen in the middest And the towne and castell of Cardyff or Caer-Dhydh in the east part in which castell of Cardyff the Lord did most inhabit and therein he had his Chancerie and Exchequer and a faire court house wherein the Countie court was monthlie kept on the mondaie for all the suters of the Sherffée that is of the bodie of the said Lordship it selfe without the said members Item within the said Sherffée or bodie of the said Lordship were 18. castels and 36. knights fées and an halfe that held of the said Lordship of Glamorgan by knights seruice besides a great number of fréeholders Item in eight of the said members were ten castels and foure borough townes Item the annuall reuenewes of the said Lordship with the members was one thousand markes whereof was allowed in fées 400. markes of the which members aforesaid maister Iohn Gamage Esquier occupieth one at this daie descended vnto him from the Turberuiles his ancestors that is to wit the Lordship of Coytie and the heire of Iohn Basset enioieth an other to wit the Lordship of Talauan by purchase from king Edward the sixt The other nine members with foure of the foresaid knights fées all the castels market townes and borough townes with the demeanes of the same and all the lands that were in the Lords hands parcell of the said Lordship and members the Earle of Penbroke hath purchased So that there remaineth now to the segniorie of the said Lordship of Glamorgan being in the Quéenes Maiesties hands but the moitie onelie of the manour of Dynaspowys of the value of xxvj pounds by the yeare The maner of the winning of the said Lordship IN the yeare of our Lord 1091. and in the fourth yeare of the reigne of King William Rufus one Iestyn the sonne of Gungant being Lord of the said Lordship of Glamorgan Rees ap Theodoc Prince of Southwales that is of Caermarthyne shire and Caerdigan shire made warre vpon him Wherevpon the said Iestyn vnderstanding himselfe vnable to withstand the said Rees without some aid otherwise sent one Eneon a Gentleman of his to England to one Robertus Fitzhamon a worthie man and knight of the priuie chamber with the said King to retaine him for his succor The which Robert being desirous to exercise himselfe in the feates of warre agréed soone with him thereto for a salarie to him granted for the same Wherevpon the said Robert Fitzhamon retained to his seruice for the said iorney twelue knights and a competent number of soldiours and went into Wales and ioining there with the power of the said Iestyn fought with the said Rees ap Tewdor and killed him and one Conan his sonne After which victorie the said Robert Fitzhamon minding to returne home againe with his companie demanded his salarie to him due of the said Iestyn according to the couenants and promises agréed vpon betwéene him and the aforesaid Eneon on the behalfe of the said Iestyn his maister The which to performe in all points the said Iestyn denied and therevpon they fell out so that it came to be tried by battell And forsomuch as the said Eneon sawe his maister go from diuers articles and promises that he had willed him to conclude with the said Robert Fitzhamon on his behalfe he forsooke his maister and tooke part he his fréends with the said Robert Fitzhamon In the which conflict the said Iestyn with a great number of his men were slaine whereby the said Robert Fitzhamon wan the peaceable possession of the whole Lordship of Glamorgan with the members of the which he gaue certaine castels and manours in reward of seruice to the said twelue knights and to other his Gentlemen ¶ The Names and Sirnames of the said twelue Knights were these 1 WIlliam de Londres alias London 2 Richardus de Grana villa alias Greenfeeld 3 Paganus de Turberuile 4 Robertus de S. Quintino alias S. Quintine 5 Richardus de Syward 6 Gilbertus de Humfreuile 7 Rogerus de Berkrolles 8 Reginaldus de Sully 9 Peter le Soore 10 Iohannes le Fleming 11 Oliuerus de S. Iohn a yoonger brother of the Lord S. Iohn of Basing 12 William le Esterling whose ancestors came out of Danske to England with the Danes and is now by shortnesse of spèech called Stradling ¶ The parcels giuen by the said Robert Fitzhamon to the said twelue Knights and others in reward of seruice IN primis to the said William de Londres the said Robert Fitzhamon gaue the castell and manour of Ogmor being foure knights fées now parcell of the possessions of the dutchie of Lancaster Item to the forenamed sir Richard Greenfeeld he gaue the castell and lordship of Neth being one of the members aforesaid and now parcell of the possessions of the Kight honorable the Earle of Penbroke Item to sir Paine Turberuile he gaue the castell and lordship of Coyty being another of the said members and now parcell of the possessions of M. Iohn Gamage esquire Item to sir Robert S. Quintine he gaue the castell and lordship of Lhan Blethyan being another of the said members and now parcell of the possessions of S. William Herbert of Swansey knight Item to sir Richard Syward he gaue the castell and lordship of Talauan being another of the said members and now parcell
the castell of Richard de la Mare and the castell of Dinerth and Caerwedros returned home with much honor Afterward towards the end of the same yeare they returned againe with 6000. footemen and 2000. horsemen well armed and to them came Gruffyth ap Rees Howel ap Meredyth of Brechnoke and his sonnes Madoc ap Ednerth who subdued the whole countrie to Aberteivi placing againe the old inhabitants and chasing awaie the strangers Against them came Stephen constable of Aberteivi Robert Fitzmartyn the sons of Gerald and William Fitziohn with all the power of the Normanes Flemings and Englishmen that were in Wales or the marches Now after a cruell and bloodie fight the strangers after their accustomed vse put all their hope in their forts and forsooke the field and the Welshmen folowed hard that besides 3000. that were slaine a great number were drowned and taken and caried awaie captiues After this victorie Owen and Cadwalader ouerran the whole countrie and returned home with rich spoiles as well in armour and horse as in other things with great triumph And at this time the pride of the nobles of England began to appeare for first Hugh Bigod kept the castell of Norwich but forthwith sore against his will he restored it to the king himselfe The cause of this tumult of the nobles was rumor which went abroad of the death of the king who was then sicke of a lethargie Those which bare him no good will verified the rumor as much as in them laie and stirred the people in the behalfe of the Empresse Such as were his fréends tooke strong castels to saue themselues as this Hugh Bigod for feare of the fréends of the Empresse tooke the castell of Norwich and afterward being certified that the king was well againe he was loth to deliuer the same out of his posession vnlesse it were into the kings owne hands After that the king did besiege Excester which Baldwyn de Reduerijs kept against him and wan it and so he did the Ile of Wight which was the said Baldwynes and banished him out of the land The yeare 1137. died Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor the light honor and staie of Southwales who had by his wife Gwenlhian the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan Rees commonlie called the lord Rees and others Florentius moonke of Worcester in his supplie to Marianus Scotus saith that This Gruffyth ap Rees Prince of Southwales died by the deceitfull practise of his wife He writeth also of a noble knight named Paine a man of great valiancie who being verie earnest in pursuing of the Welshmen was at this time hurt with a speare and so died and was caried to Glocester and there buried Also towards the end of the same yeare died Gruffyth ap Conan king or prince of Northwales the onelie defense and sheeld of all Wales after he had escaped manie great dangers by sea and land in Ireland and Wales and after manie worthie victories and after he had brought Northwales which he found full of strangers to peace and quietnesse hauing ruled the same worthilie 50. yeares This prince had manie children by diuerse women first by Angharat the daughter of Owen ap Edwyn he had sonnes Owen Cadwalader and Cadwalhon who was slaine before his father died and daughters Marret Susanna Ranulht Agnes and Gwenlhian And by another woman he had Iago Ascain Edwal Abbot of Penmon Dolhing who was also a priest and well learned and Elen the wife of Hova ap Ithel Velyn of Yal He reformed the disordered behauior of the Welsh minstrels by a verie good Statute which is extant to this daie There are thrée sorts of minstrels in Wales 1 The first sort named Beirdh which are makers of songs and odes of sundrie measures wherein not onelie great skill and cunning is required but also a certeine naturall inclination and gift which in Latine is termed Furor poëticus These doo also kéepe records of Gentlemens armes and petegrées and are best esteemed and accounted of among them 2 The second sort of them are plaiers vpon instruments théefelie the Harpe and the Crowth whose musike for the most part came to Wales with the said Gruffyth ap Conan who being on the one side an Irishman by his mother and grandmother and also borne in Ireland brought ouer with him out of that countrie diuers cunning musicians into Wales who deuised in a manner all the instrumentall musike that is now there vsed as appéereth as well by the bookes written of the same as also by the names of the tunes and measures vsed amongst them to this daie 3 The third sort called Atcaneaid are those which doo sing to the instrument plaied by another and these be in vse in the countrie of Wales to this daie This statute or decrée here mentioned dooth not onelie prescribe and appoint what reward euerie of the said minstrels ought to haue and at whose hands but also of what honest behauiour and conuersation they ought to be to wit no make bates no vagabounds no ale-househanters no drunkards no brallers no whoorehunters no théeues nor companions of such In which things if they offend euerie man by the said statute is made an officer and authorized to arrest and punish them yea and take from them all that they haue then about them They are also in the same statute forbidden to enter into anie mans house or to make anie song of anie man without speciall licence of the partie himselfe And this statute or decrée hath béene oftentimes allowed by publike authoritie of the chéefe magistrats of that countrie as appeareth by sundrie commissions directed to diuers Gentlemen in that behalfe Owen Gwyneth Owen Gwyneth the sonne of Gruffyth ap Conan In the yeere 1140. Cynwric the sonne of Owen was slaine by the men of Madoc ap Meredyth ap Blethyn ap Convyn and the next yeare after king Stephen with a great armie did besiege Lincolne against whome came Ranulph Earle of Chester Robert Earle of Glocester with his father in law and the Barons which were disinherited to raise the siege But before they came the towne was won then passing a dangerous marrish they camped hard by the king readie to giue him battell who likewise brought foorth his men in three battels In the first were these Alan Earle of Brytaine the Earle of Mellent Hugh Bygod Earle of Norfolke Simon Earle of Hampton and Earle Warren In the second the Earle of Albemarle and William of Ypres a noble man a worthie souldiour And in the third the king with Baldwyn Fitzgilbert and a great number of nobles more And of the other part the disinherited Barons had the first place the Erle of Chester with his succours of Wales better couraged than armed had the second place and the Earle of Glocester lead the last battell These after a cruell fight tooke the king prisoner and afterward the Queene and
Gruffyth and Owen This Gruffyth ap Madoc tooke part with king Henrie the third and Edward the first against the prince of Northwales and therefore for feare of the prince he was faine to lie for his owne safegard in his said castell of Dînas brân which standeth on the toppe of a verie stéepe hill to the which there is no waie but one to come He died his children being within age wherevpon shortlie after ensued the destruction of two of them for the said king Ed. 1. gaue the wardship of Madoc who had for his part the lordships of Bromfield and Yale and the said castell of Dînas brân which the reuersion of Maelor Saesnec after his mothers decease who had the same to hir iointer to Iohn Earle Warren and granted the wardship of Lhewelyn to whose part the lordships of Chirke and Nanhevdwy came to Roger Mortimer third sonne to Roger Mortimer the sonne of Ralph Mortimer Lord Mortimer of Wigmor These guardians forgetting the seruice doone by the father of the wardes to the king so garded their wardes with so small regard that they neuer returned to their possessions And shortlie after the said guardians did obtaine the same lands to themselues by charters of the king This Iohn Earle Warren began to build the Holt castell and William his son finished the same The lordship of Bromfield and Yale continued in the name of the Earle Warren thrée descents Iohn William and Iohn that died without issue and then the said lordship togither with the said Erldome of Warren descended to Alice daughter of the said William Erle Warren and sister and heire of the said last Iohn Earle Warren which Alice maried Edmond Fitzalan Erle of Arundell in the which house of Fitzalanes it remained thrée descents after the said Edmond and Alice to wit to Richard Earle of Arundell and to Richard Earle of Arundell his sonne and to Thomas Earle of Arundell sonne of the said last Richard And then for want of issue of the said Thomas Earle of Arundell and Warren the said lordship fell to two of his sisters whereof one named Elizabeth was maried to Thomas Mowbray Duke of Norfolke the other named Ioane was maried to William Beauchamp lord of Abergauenny whose part afterwards came by a daughter to the Neuil lord of Abergauenny and sithence it came to the hands of Sir William Stanley knight by whose attaindor it escheated to the crowne and so remaineth parcell of hir maiesties possessions at this daie Roger Mortimer Iustice of Northwales builded the castell of Chirke and maried Lucia the daughter and heire of Sir Robert de Wafre knight by whom he had issue Roger Mortimer who maried Ioane Turberuile and had issue Iohn Mortimer lord of Chirke This Iohn sold the lordship of Chirke to Richard Fitzalan Earle of Arundell sonne to the said Edmond and so it was annexed againe to Bromfield and Yale The third sonne of Gruffyth lord of Dînas brân named also Gruffyth had for his part Glyndowrdwy which Gruffyth ap Gruffyth was father of Madoc Crupl father of Madoc Vachan father of Gruffyth father of Gruffyth Vachan father of Owen Glyndowr who rebelled in the time of king Henrie the fourth by whose attaindor that part also came to the kings hands which was purchased of the king by Robert Salisburie of Rug of whome Salisburie the lord of Glyndowrdwy that now is descended Owen the fourth sonne of Gruffyth lord of Dînas brân had for his part Cynlhaeth which at this daie togither with the lordship of Chirke land is parcell of the possessions of the right honorable the Earle of Leycester The other part of Powys containing the countries of Arustly Cyuelioc Lhannerch hudol Caereneon Mochnant vwch Rayader Mechain vwch Coed Mouthwy Deuthwr Strat Marchelh and Teirtref or the thrée townes rightfullie descended to Gruffyth ap Meredyth ap Blethyn before mentioned who was by King Henrie the first created Lord Powys he married Gweyryl or Weyryl the daughter of Vrgene ap Howel ap Ieuaf ap Cadogan ap Athlestan Glodryth and by hir had issue Owen surnamed Cyuelioc Owen Cyuelioc enioied his whole inheritance as his father did and married Wenlhian the daughter of Owen Gwyneth Prince of Northwales by whom he had issue Gwenwynwyn or Wenwynwyn after whose name that part of Powys was afterward called Powys Wenwynwyn He had also a bastard brother called Caswalhon to whom he gaue the territories called Swydh Lhannerch Hudol and Braniarth Gwenwynwyn succéeded his father in the whole segniorie sauing Lhannerch Hudol and Braniarth which were giuen to his base brother Caswalhon Maelrhy during his life time onelie Which Gwenwynwyn married Margaret daughter to Rees ap Theodor Prince of Southwales and by hir had issue Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn succéeded his father in all his possessions and had issue sixe sonnes among whom his inheritance was diuided as foloweth Owen the eldest sonne had for his part Arustly Cyuelioc Lhannerch hudol and the moitie of Caereneon Lhewelyn the second sonne had Mochnant vwch Rayader and Mechain vwch Coed Iohn the third sonne had the fourth part of Caereneon William the fourth sonne had Mouthwy Gruffyth Vachan the fift sonne had Deuthwr Strat marchelh and Teirtref Dauid the sixt sonne had the other fourth part of Caereneon Owen ap Gruffyth had issue one onelie daughter his heire named Hawys Gadarn that is Hawys the hardie against whom hir vncles Lhewelyn Iohn Gruffyth Vachan and Dauid arose challenging the lands of their brother Owen and affirming that a woman was not capable of lands in that countrie Wherevpon Hawys made such fréends in England that the matter being opened vnto King Edward the second the said King bestowed hir in marriage vpon a seruant of his named Iohn Charleton termed Valectus Domini Regis borne in Appley a little off from Welinton 1268. in the countie of Salop whom he made Lord Powys in hir right This Iohn Charleton Lord Powys being aided by the king tooke thrée of his wiues vncles to wit Lhewelyn Dauid and Iohn whom he laid vp fast in the kings castell of Hardlech and obteined a writ from the King of the Shirife of the countie of Salop and Sir Roger Mortimer Lord of Chirkland and iustice of Northwales for the apprehension of Gruffyth Vachan with Sir Roger Chamber and Hugh Mountgomerie his two sonnes in lawe which then were in armour against the said Charleton and Hawys Wherevpon the said Gruffyth Vachan and his brethren hauing then lost their greatest staie which was Thomas Earle of Lancaster submitted themselues to the kings order touching all matters in variance betwéene them and their néece who finding by records that Gruffyth ap Meredyth auncestor to the said Hawys vpon his submission to King Henrie the first became subiect to the King of England and therevpon was by the said King created Baron of Powys which Baronie he and his heires held afterward of the king in Capite as other Barons of England did And therefore the
to the castell of Lhangadoc and wan it not regarding his promise and league with the sonnes of his brother Gruffyth ap Rees forgetting how worthilie they had serued him in his necessitie Therefore assoone as they heard of this both Rees and Owen came before the said castell wan it by assault slew or tooke prisoners all the garrison and then burned the castell to the earth The yeare 1210. king Iohn made a voiage to Ireland with an armie of great power and wanne the countrie of Conacht and tooke Cathol their prince prisoner In this voiage of King Iohn towards Ireland as he was in his iournie in the borders of Wales there was one taken and brought before him who had killed a préest The officer desired to vnderstand the kings pleasure what he would haue doone to him Let him go saith the king for he hath slaine mine enimie The churchmen of those daies persecuted king Iohn with booke bell and candell and therefore he little regarded the losse of some of them Also he spoiled Hugh de Lacie Lord of Meth of his castels and lands and tooke William de Bruse the yoonger and Mawd de Saint Valerike his mother and brought them both to England with him and caused them cruellie to be famished in the castell of Wyndsor The cause of the kings displeasure taken against this William de Bruse Lord of Brecknock as Matthew Paris reporteth the same was this When the Pope had excommunicated the realme of England The king fearing a further inconuenience tooke pledges of such of his nobles as he suspected would make anie stirre against him sending his messengers to the said William de Bruse demanded his sons for pledges Then Mawd the wife of the said William more malipart than manerlie taking the word out of hir husbands mouth answered roundlie that the king who had shamefullie slaine Arthur his nephue whom he ought rather to haue kept and preserued should haue none of hir children These words being by the messengers signified vnto the king put him in such a heat against the said Lord that he sent certeine souldiours to take him wherevpon he his wife and children were faine to flie into Ireland to saue their liues where the said Mawd and hir sonne were now taken but the father escaped and fled into France where he died afterward as the same author saith This yeare the Earle of Chester reedified the castell of Dyganwy which stood vpon the sea shore East of the riuer Conwy which prince Lhewelyn had before destroied Also he fortified the castell of Treffynnon or S. Wenefride Then prince Lhewelyn entered the Earles land and destroied a great part thereof and returned home with a great spoile Also Rees Vachan sonne to prince Rees fearing prince Lhewelyn who defended his nephues the sonnes of Gruffyth in their right went to the king for succours which he receiued with good will and by their aid he laid siege to the castell of Lhanymdhyfry Now when the garrison sawe no hope of succours they desired that they might depart bag baggage horsses all and so they did Likewise Gwenwynwyn whom the king held in prison was set at libertie and the king fearing the princes power sent an armie with him by whose means he receiued all his countrie againe in short space Maelgon also when he heard the same came to the kings court became the kings man who returning home with a great number of Normanes and Englishmen ioined to them all the power he could make in Wales and contrarie to the oth that he had made to his nephues Rees and Owen began to spoile their countrie and comming to Cantref Penwedic encamped at Cilkennyn and laie there all night consulting vpon his voiage In the meane time his nephues hearing this hauing but a small power not aboue 300. of chosen men came and lodged hard by vnknowing to their enimies And when they vnderstood by their spies that all was in quiet in Maelgons campe and how that his men mistrusting nothing behaued themselues careleslie these two lords prosecuted boldlie the enterprise which they had taken in hand and peaceablie entring the campe did come where they thought Maelgon laie or euer they were espied they gaue alarum and slew a great number before they awoke and the rest hearing the noise halfe amazed by means of the darkenesse escaped awaie thinking some great power had beene there But Maelgons men defended them manfullie vntill such time as their lord had gotten vpon his feete and escaped awaie by benefite of the night Then his nephue Conan ap Howel and his chiefe counseller Gruffyth ap Cadogan were both taken and Eneon ap Caradoc with a great number more slaine About this time Gilbert Earle of Glocester fortified the castell of Buelht where a litle before he had lost manie of his men This yeare also Mawd de Bruse wife to Gruffyth ap Rees died and was buried in a moonks coule in Stratflur by hir husband The next yeare ensuing king Iohn had manie complaints made vnto him by the Marchers vpon prince Lhewelyn how he entring their countrie burned and spoiled all as he went and slew their men Wherfore the king gathered a great armie through all England and called to him such lords and princes of Wales as held of him as Howel ap Gruffyth ap Conan ap Owen Gwyneth whom Lhewelyn had banished Madoc ap Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfield Chirke and Yale Meredyth ap Rotpert lord of Cydewen Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys Maelgon and Rees Vachan the sonnes of prince Rees rulers of Southwales With this great armie he entred into Northwales by Chester minding to destroie all that had life within that countrie Then the prince hearing of all this preparation against him aswell of his owne countriemen as others commanded all such as inhabited the Inland or Midle countrie which is now part of Denbigh and Flynt shires to remooue all their goods and cattels to Snowden hils for a time And so the king came along the sea coast to Ruthlan and so passed ouer the riuer Clwyd and came to the castell of Teganwy and there remained a while but Lhewelyn cut off his victuals behind him so that he could haue none from England and there cold not a man scatter from the skirmishes vnfought withall where the Northwales men alwaies both for the aduantage of the straits and knowledge of the places had the vpper hand At the last the English souldiours were glad to taste horsse flesh for pure neede Then when the king saw no remedie he returned home in great rage leauing the countrie full of dead bodies In August next ensuing he returned againe with a great armie and the lords before named with him entred into Wales at Blanch-monasterie now Oswestree whereof Iohn the sonne of William Fitzalan was lord At this time the king passing the riuer of Conwey encamped there by the riuer side and sent
charges in this warre The yeare folowing the mariage was celebrated at VVorcester betwixt Elianor daughter to Symon Montfort and prince Lhewelyn where the King the Queene and the most part of the nobilitie of England were present Also the yeare after Roger Mortimer set vp at Killingworth a round table for a hundreth knights to be exercised in the feats of armes and thither resorted manie knights from diuerse countries At this time the king of Scots did his homage to king Edward and obtained the kings letters that his succors in the last warres of VVales were not done by the name of seruice but of good will And at this time a generall inquisition was made how and by what title euerie man held his lands and liberties and the first that was called was the Earle VVaren who drawing out an old sword said By this warrant mine ancestours wanne their lands and by this I doo and will hold mine And all the Barons applied to this answere and the Quo warranto was no more talked of The peace concluded betwéene the prince of Wales and the king of England did not long continue by reason of the seuere and stricte dealing of such officers as the king appointed rulers in the Marches and the Inland countrie of Wales who hunting after their owne gaines oppressed the inhabitants burthening them with new exactions contrarie to the customes of the countrie and also shewing themselues too much affectionate in matters of controuersie betwéene partie and partie especiallie when anie Englishman had to doo in the matter which poling and parcialitie did altogither alienate the harts of the people from the king of England so that they had rather die than liue in such thraldome Wherevpon assembling themselues togither they so moued Dauid lord of Denbigh to be at vnitie with prince Lhewelyn and to take pitie vpon their affliction and miserie that he being agréed with his brother became their captaine Not long after Dauid lord of Denbigh being reconciled to his brother the Prince vpon condition he should neuer after serue the king of England as he had done before but become his vtter enimie laid siege to the castell of Hawarden and tooke Roger Clifford a noble knight slaieng all that resisted and after spoiling all the countrie he with his brother the Prince laid siege to the castell of Ruthlan the king hearing of this hasted thither with a great armie to raise the siege then the Prince retired backe with his armie Also the same time Rees the sonne of Maelgon and Gruffyth ap Meredyth ap Owen with other noble men of Southwales tooke the castell of Aberystwyth and diuerse other castels in that countrie spoiling all the kings people that inhabited there abouts Therefore the king sent the Archbishop of Canturburie to talke with the Prince and his brethren which returned without doing anie good and by the kings commandement denounced them and all their complices accursed This Archibishop here mentioned was Iohn Peckham who was sent from king Edward to prince Lhewelyn as this author thinketh but he himselfe affirmeth that he tooke that enterprise in hand of his owne motion contrarie or beside the kings mind to the which assertion of his Nicholas Triuet and Thomas Walsingham séeme to agrée His whole dooings in this matter are to be found in the records of Canturburie the copie of the which records being collected and for the most part translated out of Latine into English by Doctor Thomas Yale chanceller to that worthie prelate of reuerend memorie Matthew Parker Archbishop of Canturburie whose carefull search painfull trauell and chargeable setting out of the antiquities of this land euerie man that loueth his countrie cannot choose but commend and thankefullie accept and take in good part I thought necessarie here to set downe for the laieng open of the truth to the view of all men which heretofore was either maliciouslie concealed or negligentlie omitted by all the writers of this historie Articles sent from the Archbishop of Canturburie to be intimated to Lhewelyn Prince of VVales and the people of the same countrie BIcause we came to those parts for the spirituall and temporall health of them whom we haue euer loued well as diuers of them haue knowne 2. That we come contrarie to the will of our Lord the king whom our said comming as it is said dooth much offend 3 That we desire and beséech them for the bloud of our lord Iesus Christ that they would come to an vnitie with the English people and to the peace of our lord the king which we intend to procure them so well as we can 4 We will them to vnderstand that we cannot long tarrie in these quarters 5 We would they considered that after our parting out of the countrie they shall not perhaps find anie that will so tender the preferring of their cause as we would doo if it pleased God with our mortall life we might procure them an honest stable and firme peace 6 That if they doo contemne our petition labour we intend foorthwith to signifie their stubbernes to the high bishop and the court of Rome for the enormitie that manie waies hapneth by occasion of this discord this daie 7 Let them know that vnlesse they doo quickelie agrée to a peace that warre shall be aggrauated against them which they shall not be able to sustaine for the kings power increaseth dailie 8 Let them vnderstand that the realme of England is vnder the speciall protection of the sea of Rome that the sea of Rome loueth it better than anie other kingdome 9 That the said sea of Rome will not in anie wise sée the state of the realme of England quaile being vnder speciall protection 10 That we much lament to heare that the Welshmen be more cruell then Saracens for Saracens when they take christians they kéepe them to be redéemed for monie But they saie that the Welshmen by and by doo kill all that they take and are onelie delighted with blood and sometime cause to be killed them whose ransome they haue receiued 11 That whereas they were euer woont to be estéemed and to reuerence God Ecclesiasticall persons they séeme much to reuolt from that deuotion moouing sedition and warre and committing slaughter and burning in the holie time Which is great iniurie to God wherein no man can excuse them 12 We desire that as true christians they would repent for they cannot long continue their begun discord if they had sworne it 13 We will that they signifie vnto vs how they will or can amend the trouble of the kings peace and the hurt of the common wealth 14 That they signifie vnto vs how peace and concord may be established for in vaine were it to forme peace to be dailie violated 15 If they saie that their lawes or couenants be not obserued that they doo signifie vnto vs which those be 16 That granting it that they were iniured as they saie
The historie of Cambria now called Wales A part of the most famous Yland of Brytaine written in the Brytish language aboue two hundreth yeares past translated into English by H. Lhoyd Gentleman Corrected augmented and continued out of Records and best approoued Authors by Dauid Powel Doctor in diuinitie CVM PRIVILEGIO To the Right worshipfull Sir Philip Sydney knight IT is the maner of most writers Right worshipfull in dedicating of their bookes to praise and extoll the vertues and noble qualities of such men as they choose to be the patrons of their works whereby to winne some credit and countenance to themselues the which thing I see to be doone by a great number of writers as well strangers as countreymen who haue set out the praise and commendation of your noble gifts I am therefore at this time to direct my stile the rather to admonish you how to emploie and vse the same to that end that they are bestowed vpon you than otherwise vainelie with suspicion of flatterie to speake of them And first I would haue you to consider with your selfe that you haue receiued all the good gifts you haue at the hands of almightie God who is the giuer of all goodnesse for the which your dutie is to render most humble and hartie thanks vnto his diuine maiestie The end also for the which they are giuen vnto you is at no time to be forgotten that is the setting foorth of the glorie of God the benefit of your countrie Call also to remembrance that they be talents deliuered vnto you of credit to vse for a time for the which you must render an account whensoeuer it pleaseth the owner to call you to it the more you haue the greater your account will be for he that hath receiued fiue talents is further to be charged than he which hath receiued but one and he that hath receiued ten deeper than he that hath receiued but fiue Vse them therefore and hide them not in a napkin for they are the better for the wearing the more you vse them the more they will increase the more you laie out the richer you shalbe Haue alwaies before your eies the glorie of God neuer forget the same in anie thing you doo seeke the weale publike of your countrie labour to doo it good in anie thing you may while you haue time so to doo for you haue but a while to remaine heere awaie you must go after the common course of nature Let the remembrance of your account when your stewardships is ended be neuer out of your mind These be the cheefe points leading the right path to true nobilitie these you shall find set out at large in that booke wherewithall you are most delighted For the putting of these things in practise I am to laie downe two examples for you to imitate the which because they are domesticall ought to mooue you to be the more willing to follow them The one in your own noble father who alwaies hath beene and yet is more inclined and bent to doo good to his countrie than to benefit or inrich himselfe as Wales and Ireland beside his owne can beare him witnesse The other in your honorable father in lawe Sir Francis Walsingham hir Maiesties cheefe Secretarie a man for his zeale of Gods glorie and loue towards them that feare God vnfainedlie well knowne to the world Follow their steps with the remembrance of that noble house out of the which you are descended by your honourable mother and then you cannot doo amisse Labour by the example of your father to discouer and bring to light the acts of the famous men of elder times who with conference of the estate and gouernment of all ages will bring you to the perfect experience of those things that you haue learned out of Aristotle Plato and Cicero by your trauell in philosophie Your father with his great expenses and labour hauing procured gotten to his hands the histories of Wales and Ireland which countries for manie yeeres with great loue and commendation he gouerned committed vnto me this of Wales to be set foorth in print with direction to proceed therein and necessarie bookes for the dooing thereof And although I was vnsufficient for dooing of it yet I haue doone mine indeuour and now doo present the same vnto your worship as by good reason due to the sonne and heire of him that was the procurer and bringer of it to light desiring you to accept it with as good will as the same is offered vnto you and so following the godlie zeale loue of the common wealth and care to doo it good of so noble and worthie parents to beare countenance and fauour to the countrie of Wales which hartilie wisheth you honourable preferment in the feare of God The Lord increase his gifts in you to his glorie the benefit of the commonwealth and your endlesse comfort From my lodging in London the 25. of March 1584. Your worships readie at commandement Dauid Powel CAradoc of Lancaruan gentle Reader collected the successions actes of the Brytish Princes after Cadwalader to the yeare of Christ 1156. Of the which collections there were seuerall copies afterward kept in either of the Abbeis of Conwey and Stratflur which were yearelie augmented as things fell out and conferred together ordinarilie euerie third yeare when the Beirdh which did belong to those two Abbeis went from the one to the other in the time of their Clêra wherein were contained besides such notable occurrences hapning within this Ile of Brytaine as they then thought worthie the writing which order of registring and noting continued in those Abbeis vntill the yeare 1270. which was a little before the death of the last Lhewelyn who was slaine at Buelht These collections were copied by diuers so that there are at this daie of the same in Wales a hundred copies at the least whereof the most part were written two hundred yeares ago This booke Humffrey Lhoyd gentleman a paineful and a worthie searcher of Brytish antiquities translated into English and partlie augmented chieflie out of Matthew Paris and Nicholas Triuet but before the booke was polished hauing yet manie imperfections not onelie in the phrase but also in the matter and substance of the historie it pleased God to take him awaie in the floure of his time who if God had spared him life would not onelie haue set out this historie absolute and perfect but also haue opened vnto the world other antiquities of this land which now lie hidden and vnknowen The copie of his translation the Right honorable Sir Henry Sidney Lord President of Wales whose disposition is rather to seeke after the antiquities and the weale publike of those countries which he gouerneth than to obtaine lands and reuenewes within the same for I know not one foote of land that hee hath either in VVales or Ireland had lieng by him a great while and being desirous to haue the same set out in print sent
Brytish books of petegrees I. Castoreus Syluester Giral Cambrensis which with diuers other rare monuments of antiquitie I receiued at the hands of the Right Honorable the Lord Burghley high treasurer of England who also directed me by his letters to all the offices where the Records of this realme are kept out of the which I haue gathered a great part of this historie and more would haue done if the time had permitted The copie I haue conferred with the aforenamed authors and where I found them to intreat of the matters therein contained I haue noted them in the margine and in such authors as are printed I haue most commonlie directed thee gentle Reader to the page or chapter of the booke where thou shalt find the same historie treated of Againe where I found anie thing of Wales worthie the noting in the said authors being not conteined in the copie I haue inserted the same in a smaller letter with this marke * before it whereby it may be discerned from the copie it selfe Further such things as were breefly set downe in the copie without signification of cause or declaration of circumstances if I found the same in anie of mine authors treated of and further opened I haue likewise inserted it in his due place In the possession and succession of families I haue sought what I could for the time and haue laid downe most of the noble families of England which had lands in Wales or descended out of that countrie I was greatlie furthered in this worke by the painefull and studious trauell of the right worshipfull Sir Edward Stradling Knight Thomas Powel of Whittington parke and Richard Broughton Esquires In the description I haue taken the lesse paines looking dailie for the comming foorth of the painefull and studious trauell of some other who hath labored in that behalfe and studied all the Romane and Brytish histories concerning the ancient names of nations and places within this Iland so that my labour were superfluous in that behalfe Herein if happilie I haue swarued or omitted anie thing which should haue beene laid downe in this historie I neither did it wittinglie nor willinglie and therefore being readie vpon better information to amend that which shalbe found to be amisse if any so shalbe I am the rather to be born withall because I am the first setter out in print of this historie for things can neuer be so well doone at the first when there is but few that doo trauell therein as they maie in processe of time when euerie man putteth to his helping hand which curtesie I am to desire of thee gentle Reader for the perfecting of this worke Concerning the alteration of the estate there was neuer anie thing so beneficiall to the common people of Wales as the vniting of that countrie to the crowne and kingdome of England whereby not onelie the maladie and hurt of the dissention that often hapned betweene the Princes of the countrie while they ruled is now taken awaie but also an vniformitie of gouernment established whereby all controuersies are examined heard decided within the countrie so that now the countrie of Wales I dare boldlie affirme it is in as good order for quietnes and obedience as anie countrie in Europe for if the rulers and teachers be good and doo their duties the people are willing to learne readie to obeie and loath to offend or displease And if it please God once to send them the Bible in their owne language according to the godlie lawes alreadie established the countrie of Wales I doubt not will be comparable to anie countrie in England A description of Cambria now called Wales Drawne first by Sir Iohn Prise knight and afterward augmented and made perfect by Humfrey Lhoyd Gentleman FOr as much as it is necessarie for the vnderstanding of this historie to knowe the perfect description of the countrie of Wales to the end the acts atchiued and doone in the same may be the better knowne I thought good somewhat to trauell therein and so to laie downe the same as it was in those daies and as it is now that the reader by conference of both times may the better vnderstand this worke Therefore after the three sonnes of Brutus had diuided the whole Ile of Brytaine into three parts that part conteined within the French seas with the riuers of Seauerne called in Brytish Hafren Dee and Humber fell to the eldest sonne Locrinus which was after his name called Lhoyger which name it hath in the Brytish toong to this daie and in English now it is called England and is augmented Northward to the riuer Tweed The second sonne Albanactus had all the land Northward from Humber to the sea Orkney called in the Brytish toong Mor Werydh and in Latine Mare Caledonicum The third sonne Camber had to his part all that which remained vndiuided lieng within the Spanish and Irish seas and separated from England with the riuers Seauerne and Dee and this part was after his name called Cambria and the inhabitants thereof Cambry and their language Camberaec and so are at this daie So that they haue kept the same countrie and language this 2690. and odde yeares without commixtion with anie other nation especiallie in Northwales as it shall hereafter appeare And bicause the name of this countrie is changed or rather mistaken by the inhabitants of England and not by them called Cambry but Wales I thinke it necessarie to declare the occasion thereof which is that where the Saxons a people of Germanie were the first that after the Brytaines inhabited and ruled the greatest part of this Ile droue the Brytains to that corner which according to the maner of their countrie they called Wales and the people Welshmen and the toong Welsh that is to saie Strange or not of them vnderstanded For at this daie the inhabitants of the lowe countries call their next neighbours language of Henegaw or other that speake French Walsh as a language to them vnknowne Likewise the dwellers of Tyroll other the higher countries of Germanie doo name the Italian their next neighbour a Welshman and his language Walsh And this is an euident proofe that they which harped vpon a Queene Gwalaes and of a Prince Wala of whom neither Brytish Latine nor English historie maketh mention were fowlie deceiued and so likewise was a great historiographer of late daies which saith that it was called Walia quasi Italia bicause the rest of the Romans which remained in the Ile were driuen thither Neither is this anie new inuention although Polydore Virgil with an Italian brag dooth glorie himselfe to be the first that espied it out for diuers ancient writers doo alledge the same cause of the name of Wales of whom Syluester Giraldus is one who wrote in the time of Henrie the second after the conquest before 380. yeares passed which is an euident token that the said Polydore did either neuer see nor read the ancient histories
of this realme or dissembleth the same to the aduancement and praise of himselfe and his countrie which to the learned and indifferent reader shall appeare to be the onelie occasion he tooke that worke in hand for all his booke redoundeth onlie to the praise and honour of the Romans as well spirituall as temporall and to blase forth their acts and deeds within this realme and vpon the other part dooth either openlie slaunder or els priuilie extenuate or shamefullie denie the martiall prowesse and noble acts as well of Saxons Danes and Normans as of the Brytains all inhahiters of this Ile Which thing he that list to prooue let him read and conferre Caesars Commentaries Cornelius Tacitus Herodianus and other ancient writers as well in Latine as in Greeke with his worke As for the ancient writers of the Brytish historie as the Brytish chronicle the historie of Gildas Ponticus Verunnius yea the golden worke of Matthew Paris moonke of Saint Albon which wrote from VVilliam Bastard to the last yeares of Henrie the third I dare well saie he neuer sawe them they be in diuers places to be had so that the truth may be easilie prooued To make an end I saie that he being first a straunger borne and also ignorant as well in the histories of this realme as of those toongs and languages wherin the same were written could neuer set foorth the true and perfect Chronicle of the same But he hauing a good grace and a pleasant stile in the Latine toong and finding himselfe in a countrie where euerie man either lacked knowledge or spirit to set forth the historie of their owne countrie tooke this enterprise in hand to their great shame and no lesse dispraise bicause he a blind leader shall drawe a great number of vndiscreet and rash folowers as well Geographers and Cosmographers as Chroniclers and Historiographers to the darke pit of ignorance where I leaue them at this time remitting the reader to the apologie of Sir Iohn Pryse knight and his Brytish historie written by him of purpose against the enuious reports and slaunderous taunts of the said Polydor where he shall see a great number of his errors confuted at large And to returne to my former matter of the name of Wales which name to be giuen of late by a straunge nation may be otherwise prooued for the Welshmen themselues doo not vnderstand what these words VVales and Welsh doo signifie nor know anie other name of their countrie or themselues but Cambry nor of their language but Cambraec which is as much to saie as Cambers language or speech So likewise they know not what England or English meaneth but commonlie they call the countrie Lhoyger the Englishmen Sayson and the English toong Saysonaec Which is an euident token that this is the same language which the Brytaines spake at the beginning for the works of Merdhyn and of Taliessin who wrote aboue 1000. yeares past are almost the same words which they vse at this daie or at the least easie to be vnderstanded of euerie one which knoweth perfectlie the Welsh toong especiallie in Northwales Beside this where at this daie there doo remaine three remnants of the Brytaines diuided euerie one from other with the seas which are in Wales Cornewall called in Brytish Cerniw and little Brytaine yet almost all the particular words of these three people are all one although in pronunciation and writing of the sentences they differ somewhat which is no maruell seeing that the pronunciation in one realme is often so diuers that the one can scant vnderstand the other But it is rather a wonder that the Welshmen being separated from the Cornish well nigh these 900. yeares and the Brytaines from either of them 290. yeares before that and hauing small traffike or concourse togither sithence that time haue still kept their owne Brytish toong They are not therefore to be credited which denie the Welsh to be the old Brytish toong And here I cannot passe ouer what one of these fine Chroniclers wrote of late of the name of Brytaine affirming that it should be so called of Brytaine in France as the elder of that name But surelie he had either neuer seene Ptolomie nor Caesar nor anie other ancient writer or read them with small iudgement and memorie For there he might haue learned that when this land was called Brytaine the other was called Armorica how in Maximus time Conan Meriadoc was the first that gaue it that name inhabited it with Brytaines out of this Ile Other deriuations of these words Brytania and Albion out of Greeke Latine I am ashamed to rehearse for vnto such errors doo they commonlie fall that either puffed vp with vaine glorie of their owne wits or pinched with despite and enuie at other mens works or blinded with ignorance do go about to write set foorth anie historie or chronicle But passing ouer this matter vntill an other time I will returne to the description of Wales which as I said was of old time compassed almost about with the Irish seas the riuers Dee and Seauerne although afterwards the Saxons wan by force from the Brytaines all the plaine and champion countrie ouer the riuers and speciallie Offa king of Mercia who made a ditch of a great breadth and depth to be a meare betwixt his kingdome and Wales which ditch began at the riuer Dee by Bassing werke betweene Chester and Ruthlan and ran along the hils sides to the south sea a little from Bristowe reaching aboue a hundreth miles in length and is in manie places to be seene at this daie bearing the name of Clawdh Offa that is to saie Offas ditch and the countrie betweene it and England is commonlie called in Welsh Y Mars although the greatest part of it be now inhabited by Welshmen namlie in Northwales which yet keepeth the ancient limits to the riuer Dee and in some places ouer it Other as Syluester Giraldus make the riuer VVy called in Welsh Gwy to be the meare betweene England and Wales on the South part called Southwales who measureth the breadth of Wales from Salowe or Willoweford called Rhydyrhelig vpon VVy to Saint Dauids in Meneuia 100. miles and the length from Caerlheon vpon Vsce in Gwentland to Holihead called Caergybi in Anglisey in Welsh called Môn aboue 100. miles and these be the common meares at this daie although the Welsh toong is commonlie vsed and spoken Englandward beyond these old meeres a great waie as in Herefordshire Glocestershire and a great part of Shropshire And thus for the generall description of Wales which afterward about the yeare of Christ 870. Rodericus Magnus king of Wales diuided it into three territories which they called kingdomes which remained vntill of late daies These three were Gwynedh in English Northwales Deheubarth in English Southwales and Powys land in euerie of the which he ordeined a princelie seat or court for the Prince to remaine at
whole land by colour of iustice yet he brought the land in such awe of him that a child might haue caried gold openlie through all England without danger of theeues for all such oftenders lost their hands and if anie man forced anie woman he should lose his stones This William left England to William Rufus his sonne and Normandie to his eldest sonne Robert and his treasure he gaue to Henrie his third sonne The same yeare all the sons of Blethyn ap Convyn sometimes king of VVales gathered their strength together against Rees ap Tewdor who not being able to meete with them fled to Ireland and there he purchased himselfe great freends and got an armie of Irishmen and Scots to whom he promised great towards when he should obtaine his kingdome and so landed in Southwales with these strangers Which when his freends hard of they drew to him the other came in all hast thinking to fight with him before his power should increase and at Lhechryd they gaue him battell where they were discomfited and two of the brethren slaine to wit Madoc and Riryd and the other fled and forsooke the countrie As soone as Rees was in quiet possession of his kingdome he sent home his strangers with great rewards About this time the shrine of S. Dauid was stolne out of the church and when all the iewels and treasures were taken away the shrine was left where it might be found againe The Normanes rebelled against the king in diuers places at one time for Odo Bishop of Bayon chiefe gouernour of England began the rebellion in Kent and burned the kings townes so did Roger lord Mortimer at Peuenest Bishop Galfride destroied Bath and Berklay Roger did his indeuour in Northfolke and Southfolke Hugh in Leycester and Northamptonshires and the Bishop of Durham was not behind in his quarter Likewise the Earles of Hereford and Shrewesburie with the Welshmen burned all VVorcestershire and Glocestershire to the gates of VVorcester Then the king gathered his strength together and promising the people their ancient liberties proceeded towards his enimies and first wanne the castell of Tynbridge and after besieged Odo and Roger Mortimer in the castell of Peuenest vj. weekes at which time his brother Robert came with an armie from Normandie and would haue landed but he was driuen backe by such as kept the sea coastes Then Odo yeelded Peuenest to the king promised to depart the land so did Afterwards the king wan the castell of Rochester and lead his armie to Durham tooke it and banished all his enimies the land In the yeare 1088 there was a terrible earthquake through all the land the yeare folowing died Sulien the godliest wisest man and the greatest clerke in all VVales being 80. yeares old About this time certeine strangers which were rouers vpon the seas landed at S. Dauids and robbed it and burned the towne At which time also Cadiuor the sonne of Calhoyn lord of Dyuet died whose sonnes Lhewelyn and Eneon mooued Gruffyth the sonne of Meredyth to make warre against their lord prince Rees ap Theodor and so ioining all their strength togither came against him to Lhandydoch where Rees was who gaue them battell and putting them to flight pursued them so sore that he tooke Gruffyth ap Meredyth and put him to death But Eneon sonne to Cadiuor ap Colhoyn fled to Iestyn lord of Morgannwc who likewise rebelled against Rees ap Theodor and promised vpon condition to haue Iestyns daughter in mariage and certaine other couenants then agreed vpon betweene them to bring to their succours an armie of Normanes for he had serued in England before and was well knowen acquainted with all the English nobilitie which things being thus concluded they were fully minded to be reuenged vpon Rees And so Eneon went to England wrought such means that he procured Robert Fitzhamon with twelue other knights to gather a great armie of Frenchmen or Normanes to come to their aid who shortlie after landed in Glamorganshire where Iestyn ap Gurgant lord of the land receiued them with much honor and ioining his power to theirs burned spoiled prince Rees his land destroied his people Which thing being declared to Rees grieued him sore wherevpon he suddenlie gathered his power and met them not far from Brechnock where after a terrible fight he was slaine with whome fell and decaied the kingdome of Southwales This Rees had by his wife the daughter of Rywalhon ap Convyn a sonne called Gruffyth who at his fathers death was but a verie child and one Grono that was in the kings prison These Normanes after they had receiued their promised salarie and great rewards of Iestyn returned to their ships When Eneon burthened Iestyn with the promise of his daughter in mariage Iestyn laughed him to scorne and told him that he would bestow his daughter otherwise wherevpon Eneon full of anger and despite folowed the Normanes And when he came to the shoare they were all a shipboard then he shouted to them and made a signe with his cloake to call them backe and they turned againe to know his meaning Then he went to the chiefest of them and shewed of his abuse at Iestyns hands declaring withall how easie it was for them to winne that faire and pleasant countrie from Iestyn whome for his treason to Rees none other prince of Wales would succour wherevnto they were easilie persuaded and so vngratefullie turned all their power against him for whose defense they had come thither and at whose hands they had beene well intertained and recompensed with rich gifts and great rewards And first they spoiled him of his countrie who mistrusted them not and tooke all the fertile and valey ground to themselues and left the barren and rough mountaines to Eneon for his part The names of those twelue knights that came and accompanied Robert Fitzhamon were these Londres or London as the Brytish booke nameth him Stradlyng S. Iohn Turberuile Grenuile Humffreuile S. Quintine Soore Sully Berkeroll Syward and Fleming These men and their heires haue enioied that countrie to this daie who were the first strangers that euer inhabited Wales since the time of Camber The historie of the winning of Glamorgan in maner agréeing with this author is particularlie set in writing by some skilfull and studious Gentleman of that countrie wherein he continueth not onelie the vse and possession of the same Lordship in the heires of those noble men which wan it but also sheweth their progenie and issues euen to our time The copie whereof being deliuered vnto me by the right worshipfull Mistres Blanch Parry one of the Gentlewomen of the Quéenes Maiesties priuie chamber a singular well willer and furtherer of the weale publike of that countrie I thought good héere to insert as followeth The winning of the Lordship of Glamorgan or Morgannwc out of the VVelshmens hands and first of the description of the same
Owen Cyuelioc the son of Gruffyth ap Meredyth lord of Powys by Owen Vachan second sonne to Madoc ap Meredyth which lands they diuided betwixt them so that Owen Cyuelioc had Mochnant aboue Rayader and Owen Vachan Mochnant beneath Rayader This yeare there was an earthquake in Northfolke and Suffolke At this time king Henrie maried Geffrey his sonne to Constance the onelie daughter heire of Conan Earle of Richmond and duke of Brytaine In the yeare 1167. Owen prince of Nothwales Cadwalader his brother and Rees prince of Southwales brought an armie to Powys against Owen Cyuelioc and wan all his lands chased him out of the countrie and gaue Caereneon to Owen Vachan the sonne of Madoc ap Meredyth to hold of prince Owen and the lord Rees had Walwern bicause it stoode within his countrie But within a while after Owen Cyuelioc returned with a number of Normanes and Englishmen to recouer his countrie againe and laid siege to the castell of Caereneon and winning the same burned it to the ground Also the same yeare the aforesaid princes Owen Rees and Cadwalader laid siege to the castell of Ruthlan which the king had latelie built and fortified which the garrison defended manfullie and worthilie yet the princes would not depart vntill they had won it which they did at two moneths end and then rased it Afterward they gat the castell of Prestaryn and destroied it and then brought all Tegengl to Owens subiection and returned home with much honor In the yeare folowing Conan the sonne of prince Owen slew Vrgeney Abbot of Lhwythlawr and Lhawthen his nephue At this time Henrie duke of Saxonie maried Mawd king Henries daughter Then also the nobles of Poitiew rebelled against king Henrie vpon hope of the French kings aid and slew VVilliam Fitzpatrike Earle of Salisburie then the king created VVilliam his sonne Earle in his steed Also the Brytaines of Armorica rebelled against king Henrie wherefore he destroied a great part of the countrie The next yeare Henrie the kings eldest sonne did homage to the French king for the Earledome of Aniow and the stewardship of France which belonged thereto and Geffrey did his brother homage for the dukedome of Brytaine Then the king made a great ditch or trench betwixt France and Normandie to defend the countrie from sudden incursions and theeues And this yeare Robert the sonne of Stephen constable was released out of his coosins the lord Rees his prison and was sent to Ireland with a great power to succour Dermot son to Murchart who landed at Lochgarmon and wan it and so went forward This Robert Fitzstephen Moris Fitzgerald his brother and their nephues Robert Meyler and Raymond with an armie of Welshmen vnder the conduct of Richard Strangbow Earle of Strigule were the chiefe captains and dooers in the conquest of Ireland when it was first reduced vnder the subiection of the crowne of England of whom the Fitzgeralds Fitzstephens and Fitzmoris are descended of whom Giraldus writeth at large in his historie of Ireland In the yeare 1169. Meyric ap Adam of Buelht was murthered in his bed by Meredyth Bengoch his coosen germane Also this yeare there were found the bones of a giant cast vp by the sea of such length that his body seemed to containe fiftie foote in height At this time the king caused his sonne Henrie to be crowned king of England by the Archbishop of Yorke Also this yeare Owen Gwyneth the son of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales passed out of this world after he had gouerned his countrie well and worthilie 32. yeares This prince was fortunate and victorious in all his affaires he neuer tooke any enterprise in hand but he atchieued it He left behind him manie children gotten by diuerse women which were not esteemed by their mothers and birth but by their prowes and valiantnesse First he had by Gladus the daughter of Lhywarch ap Trahaern ap Caradoc Iorweth drwyndwn that is Edward with the broken nose Conan Maelgon and Gwenlhian by Christian the daughter of Grono ap Owen ap Edwyn he had Dauid Roderike Cadwalhon Abbot of Bardsey and Angharat wife to Gruffyth Maylor he had besides these Conan Lhewelyn Meredyth Edwal Run Howel Cadelh Madoc Eneon Cynwric Philip and Riryd lord of Clochran in Ireland by diuerse women of whom Run Lhewelyn and Cynwric died before their father of the rest you shall heare hereafter Dauid ap Owen Dauid the sonne of Owen Gwyneth This Madoc arriuing in that Westerne countrie vnto the which he came in the yeare 1170. left most of his people there and returning backe for more of his owne nation acquaintance and fréends to inhabite that faire and large countrie went thither againe with ten sailes as I find noted by Gutyn Owen I am of opinion that the land wherevnto he came was some part of Mexico the causes which make me to thinke so be these 1 The common report of the inhabitants of that countrie which affirme that their rulers descended from a strange nation that came thither from a farre countrie which thing is confessed by Mutezuma king of that countrie in his oration made for quieting of his people at his submission to the king of Castile Hernando Curteis being then present which is laid downe in the Spanish Chronicles of the conquest of the West Indies 2 The Brytish words and names of places vsed in that countrie euen to this daie doo argue the same as when they talke togither they vse this word Gwrando which is Hearken or listen Also they haue a certeine bird with a white head which they call Pengwin that is white head But the Iland of Corroeso the cape of Bryton the riuer of Gwyndor and the white rocke of Pengwyn which be all Brytish or Welsh words doo manifestlie shew that it was that countrie which Madoc and his people inhabited The same time Elianor the kings daughter was married to Alfonsus king of Castil Also Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigul went to Ireland without the kings leaue and married the daughter of Dermot king of Dublyn wherefore the king seased all his lands in England to his owne hands and Dermot died shortlie after and was buried at Ferna About the end of this yeare Thomas Becket Archbishop of Canturburie was slaine The yeare ensuing Rees prince of Southwales came with great power to Powys and subdued Owen Cyuelioc the Lord thereof and tooke pledges of him and so returned home with much honour Then the king called his nobles to consult about the enterprise of Ireland which had beene before determined to be taken in hand To this consultation came messengers from Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigule Marshall of England to deliuer to the kings hands the citie of Dublyne and the towne of Waterford with such other townes as he had by the right of his wife wherevpon the king restored to him againe his lands in England and Normandie and made him
Alicia maried to Henrie Hastings to the which sisters the king gaue other lands and tooke the said Earldome into his owne hands Quia noluit tam praeclaram dominationem diuidi inter colos In the yeare 1237. Lhewelyn prince of Wales called all the Lords and Barons of Wales before him to Stratflur and there euerie one of them swore to be faithfull subiects and did homage to Dauid Lhewelyns sonne At this time Lhewelyn prince of Wales being impotent by reason of a palsie which had taken him and sore vexed and disquieted by his sonne Gruffyth sent Ambassadors to the king to signifie vnto him that for as much as his yeares were now welnigh spent he was desirous to lead the rest of his daies in peace and quietnes and therefore purposed now to submit himselfe to the gouernment and protection of the king of England and that he would hold his lands of him promising withall that when soeuer the king should stand in néed of his aid he would be readie to helpe him with men and monie to the vttermost of his power There were sent as mediators in this behalfe the bishops of Hereford Chester who trauelled about the same with the good liking of many of the nobles of Wales although some openlie gainsaid them in no case would accept anie such peace Then the said Dauid tooke from his brother Gruffyth Arustly Ceri Cyuelioc Mowthwy Mochnant and Caereneon and let him onelie enioy the Cantref of Lhyyn This Gruffyth was the elder brother and a lustie gentleman but yet base borne The summer folowing the Earle of Cornwale and William de longa Spata the yoonger tooke their viage towards the holie land Simon de Monteforti fled from France to England to whom the king gaue the Stewardship of England with the Erledome of Leicester This time Dauid sonne to prince Lhewelyn did contrarie to his oth take his brother Gruffyth being in safeconduct with the bishop of Bangor vpon whose promise he was content to speake with his brother and imprisoned him in the castell of Crickieth The yeare after Christs incarnation 1240. Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth the most valiant and noble prince which brought all Wales to his subiection and had so often put his enimies to flight and defended his countrie enlarging the meares thereof further than they had beene manie yeares before passed out of this transitorie life and was honorablie buried at the Abbeie of Conwey after he had gouerned Wales well and worthilie fiftie and sixe yeares This prince left behind him one sonne called Dauid begotten vpon his wife Ione daughter to king Iohn of England by whom also he had a daughter called Gladys maried to six Ralph Mortimer Also he had another sonne called Gruffyth whom his brother wrongfullie kept in close prison as long as he liued as shalbe hereafter declared Dauid ap Lhewelyn Dauid the sonne of Lhewelyn When Richard bishop of Bangor sawe that Dauid dealt so hardlie with his brother Gruffyth contrarie to his faithfull promise made vnto the said bishop he excommunicated him and then withdrawing himselfe out of Wales made a gréeuous complaint to the king vpon Dauid most instantlie requesting the king to deliuer Gruffyth out of prison least the rumor of that fact being notified in the court of Rome and other countries out of the realme should be some staine of the kings honor if he should not withstand such outragious and wilfull dealings The king therefore greatlie blaming Dauid his nephue for the abusing of his brother in such sort as he did requested him with most pithie persuasions to set his brother at libertie as well for the sauing of his owne credit and fame as also for the auoiding of the said excommunication and other imminent dangers which might ensue of that matter To the which request of the king Dauid answered plainelie that he would not deliuer his brother out of prison affirming constantlie that if his brother were inlarged the countrie of Wales would be in great disquietnes Whereof when Gruffyth was certified he sendeth priuilie to the king promising that if he would forceablie deliuer him out of his brothers prison he would hold his lands of him and paie him two hundereth markes yearelie offering not onelie to be sworne vpon this and to deliuer pledges for performance thereof but also to aid the king to bring the rest of the Welshmen to his subiection Further Gruffyth Lord of Bromfield did assure the king of aid if he would come to Wales with an armie to chastise Dauid for his falsehood and iniurie vsed towards his brother Moreouer the bishop of Bangor being more desirous to be reuenged vpon Dauid in an other mans matter than carefull to feed his flocke in discharge of his owne dutie sent to Rome and there followed the matter so hard that the Pope excommunicated Dauid which excommunication was denounced accordinglie and his land interdicted Now king Henrie being allured with these promises on Gruffyths behalfe leauied a puisant armie to go into Wales straightlie commanding by his writs all such as ought him seruice in time of warre to giue their attendance vpon him readie with horse and armor at Glocester the first daie of August folowing to set forward against his enimies Whither the king came at the daie appointed and from thence went to Salop and remained there fiftéene daies During the kings abode at Salop diuers noble men were great suters vnto him in the behalfe of Gruffyth as Ralph lord Mortimer of Wigmore Walter Clifford Roger de Monte Alto steward of Chester Maelgon the sonne of Maelgon Meredyth ap Rotpert lord of Cydewen Gruffyth ap Madoc lord of Bromfield Howel and Meredyth the sonnes of Conan ap Owen Gwyneth and Gruffyth the sonne of Gwenwynwyn lord of Powys These wrought so with the king that there was a league concluded betwéene him and Senena the wife of the said Gruffyth in the behalfe of hir husband lieng then in his brothers prison according to the articles comprised in this charter folowing Conuenit inter dominum Henricum tertium regem Anglorum illustrem ex vna parte Senenam vxorem Gryffini filij Leolini quondà m principis Northwalliae quem Dauid frater eius tenet carceri mancipatum cum Owino filio suo nomine eiusdem Gryffini ex altera c. Articles of agreement betweene Henrie the third of that name king of England of the one partie and Senena the wife of Gruffyth the sonne of Lhewelyn sometimes Prince of Northwales whom Dauid his brother deteineth in prison with Owen his sonne in the name of the said Gruffyth of the other partie IN primis the said Senena vndertaketh that the said Gruffyth hir husband will giue vnto the king sixe hundreth markes vpon condition that the king doo cause the said Gruffyth and Owen his sonne to be deliuered from the prison wherein they are kept and will stand to the iudgement of the kings court whether
offerentibus and therevpon granted his letters of commission to the abbots aforesaid to release Dauid from his oth of allegiance to the king of England and to inquire of the whole estate of the matter and to certifie him of the same These commissioners taking vpon them the authoritie directed their Mandat to the king of England commanding him to appeare before them at Creythyn in the church of Lhangustenyn in the vigil of S. Agnes next comming to answer in the premisses Wherevpon the king laughing at the presumption of these abbots being greatlie offended with the Pope for his vnsatiable gréedines sent to Rome and with greater summes of monie quieted all things againe so that the Pope made his gaine at both hands Sée Matthew Paris page 840. Then prince Dauid gathered all his strength to be reuenged of the wrongs which the Erles of Clare and Hereford with Iohn de Monmouth and Roger de Monte Alto and other Marchers did to his people Whom all the lords in Wales obeied and tooke for their souereigne sauing Gruffyth son to Gwenwynwyn and Morgan ap Howel which two shortlie were compelled to obey also Wherefore the prince entred the land of March spoiling and destroieng a great part thereof with whome the said Earles fought diuerse times and sometimes the one and sometimes the other had the uictorie The yeare ensuing the Marchers and the Welshmen met not far from Mountgomery where was a cruell fight and 300. of the Welshmen slaine and a great number of Englishmen among whome there was slaine a noble knight called Hubert Fitzmatthew Wherevpon the king being wearie of these domesticall troubles gathered a huge armie of Englishmen and Gascoynes and entred Northwales intending to destroie the countrie but the Prince met with his people in a straict fought with them and put them to flight There the king lost a great number of his most worthie soldiours and nobilitie the most part of all his Gascoynes therefore seeing he cold doo no good he sent for the Irishmen which landed at the Ile of Môn or Anglesey and spoiled a great part thereof till the inhabitants of the Ile gathered themselues together and met with them being loden with spoile whom they chased to their ships then the king manned and victualed his castels and returned to England Of this viage a certeine noble man being then in the kings campe wrote thus to his fréends about the end of September 1245. The king with his armie lieth at Gannock fortifieng of that strong castell we lie in our tents thereby watching fasting praieng fréezing with cold we watch for feare of the Welshmen who are woont to inuade and come vpon vs in the night time We fast for want of meat for the halfpenie loafe is woorth fiue pence We praie to God to send vs home againe spéedilie wée starue for cold wanting our winter garments and hauing no more but a thin linnen cloath betwixt vs and the wind There is an arme of the sea vnder the castell where we lie whereto the tide commeth and manie ships come vp the hauen thither which bring victuals to the campe from Ireland and Chester This arme of the sea lieth betwixt vs and Snowdon where the Welshmen abide now and is about a slight shoote ouer when the tide is in There came to the mouth of that hauen a certeine ship from Ireland with victuals to be sold vpon mondaie before Michaelinas daie which being negligentlie looked vnto was set on drie ground at the low ebbe on the further side of the water ouer against the castell which thing when the Welshmen saw they came downe from the hilles and laid siege to the ship being now vpon drie ground wherevpon we on the other side beholding the same sent ouer by boates thrée hundreth Welshmen of the borders of Cheshire and Shropshire with certeine archers and armed men to the rescue of the said ship Then the Welshmen withdrew themselues to their accustomed places in the rockes and woods whom our men followed as far as two miles being a foote bicause they brought no horsses ouer with them and slew manie of them But our men in their returne being ouergréedie and couetous spoiled the abbey of Aberconwey and burned all the houses of offices belonging to the same Which doings caused the Welshmen to come togither who like desperate men set vpon our soldiours being loden with spoiles and slew a great number of them following the rest to the waterside of whom some gat to the boates and so escaped and some cast themselues into the water and were drowned and such as they tooke they hanged or headed euerie one In this conflict we lost manie of our men speciallie of those that were vnder the conduct of Richard Earle of Cornewal as Sir Alan Buscell Sir Adam de Maio Sir Geffrey Estuemy and one Ramond a Gascoine whom the king greatlie fansied and diuers other beside a hundreth of common soldiours In the meane time Sir Walter Bisset worthilie defended the said ship vntill the tide came and then came awaie with the same manfullie wherein there were thréescore tunnes of wine beside other prouision c. Many other things are conteined in the said writing of the hard shifts that were made in the kings campe for victuals and the great dearth of all things that were to be eaten This yeare died Walter Marshall Earle of Penbrooke and Anselme his brother without issue whose inheritance descended to their fiue sisters To the intent the reader may vnderstand to whom the lands and lordships in Wales of the Earle Marshall and Penbrooke came I thought it conuenient here so laie downe how these fiue sisters were bestowed 1 Ione the eldest maried Warren Mountchensey whose daughter and heire named also Ione was maried to William de Valence halfe brother to king Henrie the third who in hir right was Earle of Penbrooke whose two daughters after the death of Aymēr de Valence were his heires to wit Isabel maried vnto Iohn lord Hastings and Abergeuenny whose daughter named Elizabeth maried Reynold lord Gray of Ruthyn to the which familie afterwards the inheritance fell and Ione married to Iohn lord Comyn who had issue Elizabeth maried to Richard lord Talbot and Ione maried to Dauid Earle of Athell 2 Mawd the second daughter of the Earle Marshall and Penbrooke was maried to Hugh Bygod Earle of Northfolke father of Ralph Bygod whose daughter and heire Isabel was maried to Sir Gilbert Lacy who had issue Margerie and Mawd his daughters and heires Margerie maried to Iohn L. Verdon of whom the Earle of Shrewesburie and the Earle of Essex are descended Mawd maried Geffrey Geniuill father to Peter Geniuill whose daughter and heire was maried to Roger Mortimer lord of Wigmor and the first Earle of March 3 Isabel the third daughter of the Earle Marshall Penbrooke was maried to Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester of whose issue mention is made before pag. 129.
of Northwales by his father but of a yoonger brother of the house of Powys whose portion by inheritance is laid downe by me in the description of the lordship of Powys before page 213. which was but a verie small thing There be diuerse gentlemen euen at this date in Wales which are come of the house of Northwales lineallie but I know none which are lawfullie descended of Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth called by Matthew Paris Leolinus Magnus but such are come out of the house of Mortimer in the which house by order of descent the right of the inheritance lieth About this time Harold king of Man came to the court and did homage to king Henrie and he dubbed him knight The summer folowing Rees Vachan son to Rees Mechyl got the castell of Carrec Cynnen which his mother of meere hatred conceiued against him had deliuered to the Englishmen The Abbots of Conwey and Stratflur made sute to the king for the bodie of Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn which he granted vnto them and they conueied it to Conwey where he was honorablie buried Then also VVilliam Ferrers Earle of Derbie and his wife died being either of them a hundreth yeares of age Not long after William de longa Spata Earle of Salisburie was slaine in the holie land leauing one daughter behind him maried to Henrie Lacy Earle of Lyncolne The same time likewise died Gladys daughter to prince Lhewelyn and wife to Sir Ralph Mortimer in the castell of VVyndsore The yeare next folowing was so drie that there fell no raine from the eleuenth daie of March to the Assumption of our ladie In the yeare 1254. there arose a great debate betweene the princes of VVales for Owen could not be content with halfe the principalitie but got his yoonger brother Dauid to him and they two leuied a great power to disinherite Lhewelyn who with his men met with them in the field and after a long fight gaue them an ouerthrowe where he tooke them both prisoners then seased all their lands into his owne hands enioieng alone the whole principalitie of Wales The yeare ensuing all the lords of Wales came to prince Lhewelyn and made their complaints to him with weeping eies how cruellie they were handled by prince Edward and others of the nobles of England their lands being taken from them by force and if at anie time they did offend they were punished with extremitie but where they were wronged they found no remedie Therfore they protested before God and him that they would rather die in the field in defense of their right than to be made slaues to strangers whervpon the Prince pitieng his estate and theirs determined togither with them vtterlie to refuse the rule of the Englishmen and rather to die in libertie than to liue in thraldome shame and opprobrie And gathering all his power first recouered againe all the Inland countrie of Northwales and afterward all Merionyth and such lands as Edward had vsurped in Caerdigan which he gaue to Meredyth the sonne of Owen ap Gruffyth and Buelht he gaue to Meredyth ap Rees chasing awaie Rees Vachan out of the same and so honorablie diuided all that he wan amongst his Barons that he kept nothing to himselfe but the perpetuall fame of his liberalitie Then also he recouered Gwerthryneon from Sir Roger Mortimer The summer folowing prince Lhewelyn made warre against Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn who serued the king and wan all Powys from him saue the castell of Pole and a little of Caereneon and the land by Seauerne side Rees Vachan ap Rees Mechylh meaning to recouer his lands againe obtained of the king a great armie where of one Stephen Bacon was captaine and came to Caermardhyn by sea and marching from thence towards Dyneuowr laid siege to the castell but the princes power came with his coosins to raise the siege where there was fought a bloudie battell as euer was fought in VVales of so manie men and in the end the Englishmen were put to flight and lost of their men aboue 2000. soldiours from thence the princes armie went to Dyuet and burned all the countrie and destroied the castels of Abercorran Lhanstephan Maenclochoc Arberth and then returned home with much spoile And forthwith not being able to abide the wrongs that Geffrey Langley Lieutenant to the Earle of Chester did to them the Prince entred the Earles lands and destroied all to the gates of Chester on either side the water Wherevpon Edward the Earle fled to his vncle who was then chosen king of Romanes for succour and returning backe with an armie durst not fight with the Prince who had 10000. armed men euerie one sworne to die in the field if need required in the defense of their countrie yet Gruffyth ap Madoc Maelor commonlie surnamed lord of Dinas Brân which is a castell standing vpon a verie high mountaine of situation impregnable in the lordship of Chirke forsooke the Prince and serued the Earle with all his power which Earle was counted a cruell and vniust man hauing no regard to right promise or oth The next yeare prince Lhewelyn seasing to his hands Cemeys and making peace betwixt Rees Gryc and Rees Vachan his brothers sonne got the castel of Trefdraeth or Newport with all Ros sauing Hauerford Then destroieng the countrie in his waie towards Glamorgan he rased the castell of Lhangymwch and returning to Northwales met with Edward Earle of Chester by the waie whom he caused to retire backe and then destroied the lands of the said Gruffyth lord of Bromfield Therefore the kings of England Almaine wrote to him gentlie to depart home which he refused to doo but diuiding his armie into two battels in euerie of the which as Matthew Paris saith there were 1500. footemen and 500 horsmen well appointed Wherevpon Edward sent to the Irishmen to come to his succours whereof the Prince being certified made readie his ships and sending them to the sea with sufficient power to resist the comming of his enimies that waie preuented him so that the Irishmen were ouercome and sent home with great losse Wherefore the king with his sonne being in a great rage gathered all the strength of England from S. Michaëls Mount to Twede came to Northwales as far as Teganwy but the Prince caused all the victuals to be remooued ouer the riuer of Conwey and kept all the straictes and passages so narrowlie that the king was compelled to retire to England with great losse Then prince Lhewelyn calling to him all the power of Southwales came to the marches where Gruffyth Lord of Bromfield yeelded himselfe to him bicause the king could not defend his lands seasing to his owne hands all the lands in Powys he banished the lord Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn and wanne the castels of Gilbert de Clare Earle of Glocester where also he gaue the Englishmen an ouerthrowe and slew a great number of the worthiest
30000. markes and the king granted the prince a Charter to receiue from thenceforth homage and fealtie of all the nobilitie and Barons of Wales sauing one so that all the foresaid Barons should euer after hold of the prince as their liege lord and he to be called and written from thenceforth prince of Wales And in witnesse of this the king put his seale and hand to the said Charter which was likewise confirmed by the authoritie of the Pope The yeare after this died Grono ap Ednyuet Vachan a noble man and chiefe of the princes councell In the yeare 1270. died Gruffyth lord of Bromfield and was buried at Vale Crucis Here endeth the Brytish copie That which foloweth vnto the death of this Prince was collected by Humfrey Lhoyd Gentleman AT this place leaueth the Brytish booke and writeth no further of the end of this prince but leaueth him at the highest and most honorable staie that anie prince of Wales was in of manie yeares before the writer peraduenture being abashed or rather ashamed to declare the vtter fall and ruine of his countrie men wherevnto their owne pride and discord did bring them as it doth euidentlie appeare to him that searcheth out their histories But I intending to finish the historie during the gouernment of the Brytaines haue sought out in other Chronicles written in the Latine toong speciallie in the Chronicle of Nicholas Triuet who wrote from the beginning of the reigne of king Stephen to the coronation of Edward the second and such other asmuch as I could find touching this matter The yeare 1270. Iohn Earle Waren slew Alan Le Souch lord chiefe Iustice in Westminster hall The yeare folowing Edward with his brother Edmund went to the holie land where at Acon he was in danger to be slaine by a villaine vnder the colour of deliuering of a letter who gaue him fiue wounds with a knife And the yeare 1272. died Henrie king of England and Edward his sonne comming from the holie land two yeares after was crowned at Westminster king of England to which coronation the prince of Wales refused to come although he was sent for laieng for his excuse that he had offended manie noble men of England and therefore would not come in their daunger without he had for pledges the kings brother with the Earle of Glocester and Robert Burnell cheefe Iustice of England wherewith the king was sore offended but he dissembled his displeasure for that time King Edward could neuer brooke prince Lhewelyn sithence the time that he was driuen to slight by him at their méeting in the marches whereof mention is made before page 321. On the other side Lhewelyn liked no better of the king than the king did of him Againe those noble men which for their disobedience were disinherited by Lhewelyn were receiued and intertained of king Edward which things caused the Prince to feare some euill practice by those and other such as hated him if he should haue béen at the kings coronation to doo his homage and fealtie according to the writ directed vnto him in that behalfe as appeareth by an instrument sent by the said Prince to Robert Kilwarby Archbishop of Canturburie the Archibishop of Yorke and other bishops sitting then at their conuocation in the new Temple at London Anno. 1275. Wherein the causes of this warre are contained which instrument it selfe as it was then sent is extant at this daie written in parchment with the Princes great seale therevnto appendant which I haue séene and copied out of the originall verbatim being then in the custodie of Thomas Yale doctor of lawe of late Deane of the arches a great searcher and preseruer of the antiquities of Wales which I thought conuenient here to laie downe for the fuller vnderstanding of this historie Reuerendissimis in Christo patribus ac D.D. Roberto Dei gratia Archiepiscopo Cantuar. totius Angliae Primati Archiepiscopo Eborum ac eorum Suffraganeis c. TO the most reuerend fathers in Christ and Lords Robert by the grace of God Archbishop of Canturburie primate of England and the Archbishop of Yorke and their Suffraganes being now togither at London in councell their deuout sonne Lhewelyn Prince of Wales and lord of Snoudon greeting with due obedience reuerence and honor in all things Be it knowen to your reuerend Fatherhoods that where heretofore contention and discord wherof warre followed and long continued arose betwixt the king of noble memorie Henrie king of England of the one partie and vs of the other partie the same contentions and strife were at the last appeased by authoritie of the sea Apostolike and means of the reuerend father lord Otobonus Deacon and Cardinall of S. Adrian Legate into England as it appeareth in the forme of treatie and peace betwixt the said king and Edward his first begotten son lord Edward now king of England and their successors on the one partie and vs and our successors on the other partie by the corporall othes of both parties assured Which forme of peace was committed to writing by the said Legate with the seale of the said king and the seale of the said lord Edward now king and with our seale also In the which peace it is conteined amongst other things which you doo well know as we beleeue that we and our successors should hold of the king and his successors the principalitie of Wales So that all Welsh Barons should hold their Baronies and lands of vs and our successors in Capite and should doo homage and fealtie to vs and to our heires one Baron excepted for the which we and our successors should doo homage and fealtie to the lord the king and his successors It is further conteined in the same peace that neither the said king nor his successors should receiue anie of our enimies nor anie running awaie from vs or our successors nor should helpe or maintaine anie such against vs or our successors The which all are conteined in the forme of peace the tenor whereof the reuerend Fathers of Strata Florida and Aberconwey bearers hereof can shew you But see reuerend Fathers the lord Edward now noble king of England after the said peace taketh into his hands certeine Barons lands of Wales of which they and their ancestors haue beene long possessed and keepeth a Baronie in his hands which should be ours by the forme of peace other Barons of our land being from vs fugitiues running to him he keepeth helpeth and mainteineth as Dauid ap Gruffyth and Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn who purposed our death and destruction Notwithstanding that since their departure they haue robbed within our land committed slaughter and burning of houses and doo still dailie commit the like against the peace aforesaid although we haue often sent our greefes complaints by our solemne messengers to the said noble lord Edward as well before he was king as since yet vnto this daie he neuer did anie redresse therein
London denied him iustice vnlesse he would be iudged according to the English lawes in the said matter 2 All iniuries trespasses and faults on either part doone be clearelie remitted vnto this present daie This article was not kept for that as soone as the lord Reginald Gray was made Iustice he mooued diuers and innumerable accusations against the men of Tegengl Ros for trespasses doone in the time of king Henrie when they bare rule in those parties wherby the said men dare not for feare kéepe their own houses 3 Where as it was agréed that Rees Vachan ap Rees ap Maelgon shall enioie his possessions with all the land which he now holdeth c. After the peace concluded he was spoiled of his lands of Geneu'rglyn which he then held with the men and cattell of the same 4 Also our lord the king granteth that all tenants holding lands in the foure Cantreds and in other places which the king holdeth in his owne hands shall hold and enioie the same as fréelie as they did before the time of the warres and shall vse the same liberties customes which they vsed before Contrarie to this article the lord Reginald Gray hath brought manie new customes against the forme of peace aforesaid 5 All controuersies mooued or to be mooued betwixt the Prince and anie other shall be decided after the lawe of the marches if they haue their beginning in the marches and after the lawes of Wales such as in Wales haue their beginning Contrarie to this article the king dooth and sendeth Iustices to Anglesey who presume to iudge there the men and subiects of the Prince setting fines vpon them contrarie to the lawes of Wales séeing neither this nor anie like was euer heard in times past imprisoning some outlawing others when the Prince is at all times readie to doo iustice to all men that complaine vpon anie of his men 6 Where it is in the peace that Gruffyth Vachan should doo homage to the king for the land in Yale to the Prince for the land in Ederneon the kings iustices brought the ladie of Maylor into all the said lands of Edeyrneon The knowledge of which cause onelie pertained to the Prince and not to the said Iustices and yet for peace sake the Prince did tollerate all this being at all times readie to minister iustice to the said Ladie 7 And though the said Prince submitted himselfe vnto vs and our will yet we neuerthelesse will and grant that our will in no case goo furder than is conteined in those articles Contrarie to this article gold was exacted for the Quéenes workes at euerie paiment made to the King which gold was neuer demanded in time of king Henrie or anie other king of England Which gold yet for quietnes sake the Prince paid though it were not spoken of or mentioned in the peace And now further it is exacted for the old Quéene the kings mother that now is for the peace concluded with king Henrie 2000. marks and a halfe and vnlesse it be paid the king threatneth to occupie the goods and lands of Lhewelyn and his people which he could find in his realme and sell men and beasts vntill the said summe were paid 8 Item when the king inuited the Prince to his feast at Worcester promising with verie faire words that he would giue his kinsewoman to him to wife and enrich him with much honor neuerthelesse when he came thither the selfe same daie they should be maried before Masse the king required a bill to be sealed by the Prince conteining amongst other things that he would neuer kéepe man against the kings will nor neuer mainteine anie whereby it might come to passe that all the Princes force should be called from him The which letter sealed he deliuered the king by iust feare which might mooue anie constant man yet was not this conteined in the peace whereas the conclusion of the peace was that the king should require nothing that was not conteined in the same 9 Item where in the said peace all customes be confirmed to the said Prince as his ancestors of long and dailie obserued custome haue receiued to their owne vse all wrecks hapning vpon his owne lands the Iustice of Chester tooke a distresse of the Prince for goods of shipwrecke receiued by him before the warres contrarie to the forme of the said peace By the which all trespasses of either side were remitted and contrarie to the customes before said and if in case it were forfeited yet he tooke such a distresse fiftéene pounds of honie and manie horsses and imprisoned his men And this he tooke of the Princes owne proper goods and further tooke booties of Bagiers which came to Lyrpoole with merchandize and neuer redeliuered the same vntill he had taken so much monie for the same as it pleased him 10 Item when certeine men of Geneurglyn had taken certeine goods of some of their neighbors of Geneurglyn when they were in the dominion of the prince in Meyreon the kings men of Lhanbadarn did take awaie the said goods out of the said dominion of the Prince and when the Prince his men came thither and asked the cause why they tooke the said preie the kings men killed one of them and wounded other and the rest they did imprison neither could the prince get anie iustice for the said goods to this daie 11 And where it is conteined in the peace that all things committed in the Marches should be redressed in the Marches yet the kings men would no where heare the princes men but put them in the castell of Lhanbadarn which is against the peace afore said In these articles and diuers others the king standeth sworne to the prince and to his people And although the prince as well by himselfe as by his people haue often requested the king to cause the said peace to be kept yet was it in no point kept but dailie the kings Iustices doo more and more heape iniuries and griefs vpon the people of those parts So that it cannot be blamed if the Prince did assent to them that first began the wars séeing the oth which the lord Robert Typtost sware for the king was kept in no point and chéeflie séeing the Prince was forewarned that he should be taken so soone as the king came to Ruthlan as he had béene in déede if the king had come thither after Christmasse as he purposed These greefes folowing were done by the king and his officers to the lord Dauid ap Gruffyth WHen the said Dauid came to the lord Edward then Earle of Chester and did him homage the said lord Edward did giue by his letters patents to the said Dauid two Cantreds Dyffryncluyd and Ceinmeyrch with all the appurtenances afterward when he was made king he confirmed the said gift to the said Dauid and gaue him possession of them Then afterward Guenlhian Lacy died who held some townes in the said Cantreds for terme of life which after
soldiers and such as the king loued well Therefore the king called his strength to him and sent to Gascoine and Ireland for succours and then comming to VVales in haruest time destroied all the corne that was in his waie yet he went not farre beyond Chester but returned backe without dooing any notable act for God as Matthew Paris saith defended the poore people that put their whole confidence in him The lord Iames Audeley whose daughter Gruffyth lord of Bromfield had married brought a great number of horssemen frō Almaine to serue against the VVelshmen who with their great horsses and vnaccustomed kind of fight ouerthrew the VVelshmen at the first encounter Wherefore the VVelshmen shortlie after minding to reuenge that displeasure made road into the said lord Audleys lands where the Almaines set vpon them pursuing hard such as fled to the straits who vsing that flight for a policie returned againe so suddenlie and so fearslie vpon the Almaines that they being not able to retire vpon the sudden were almost all slaine At this time there was great scarsitie in England of beefes and horsses whereof they were woont to haue manie thousands yeerelie out of VVales and all the marches were made as a desolate and desart place The next spring all the nobles of VVales came togither and sware to defend their countrie to the death and neuer to forsake one another and that vpon paine of cursing but shortlie after Meredyth ap Rees of Southwales not regarding his oth serued the king Then the king called a Parliament for a subsidie to conquere Wales when he had so manie losses and of late all the countrie of Penbrooke burnt and spoiled wher the Welshmen had found salt plentifullie which they lacked In the which Parliament William de Valentia accused the Earles of Leycester and Glocester as the workers of all this mischiefe wherevpon the Parliament broke without the grant of anie subsidie Againe shortlie after the same Parliament by prorogation was holden at Oxford where the king and Edward his sonne were sworne solemnlie to obeie the lawes and statutes of the realme but the kings brethren Gwy and William with Henrie son to the king of Almaine and Iohn Earle Warren forsooke the oth and departed awaie And there the lords of Wales offered to be tried by the lawe for any offense they had committed against the king vniustlie but Edward would not heare of it but sent one Patrike de Canton as Lieutenant for the king to Caermardhin and with him Meredyth ap Rees and this Patrike desired to speake vpon peace with the princes councell Wherevpon the prince meaning good faith sent his brother Dauid whom he had set at libertie with Meredyth ap Owen and Rees ap Rees to Emlyn to intreat with them of peace but Patrike meaning to intrap them laid an ambushment of armed men by the waie and as they should haue met these men fell vpon the Welshmen and slew a great number of them but the lords which escaped raised the countrie forthwith and folowed Patrike and slue him and the most part of all his men And after this the Prince desirous of peace and quietnesse to redeeme the same and to end all troubles and to purchase the kings good will offered the king 4000. markes and to his sonne 300. and to the Queene 200. to haue peace but the king answered What is this to our losses and refused it It appeareth by the Records in the Towre that about this time to wit An. 43. H. 3. There was a commission to William bishop of Worcester Iohn Mansel treasurer of Yorke the kings Chaplaine and Peter de Montfort to conclude a peace with the Welshmen but it is like that there was nothing doone to anie effect in that behalfe for the warre continued still Notwithstanding I find by Matthew Westminster that there was a certeine truce agréed vpon betwéene the king and the Welshmen for a yeare I read also in the same author that the bishop of Bangor was this yeare about Michaelmas sent from Lhewelyn the prince and all the Barons of Wales to the king to desire peace at his hands to offer vnto him the summe of 16000. pound for the same so that he would grant the Welshmen to haue all their matters heard and determined at Chester as they were woont to haue and to suffer them to enioy the lawes and customes of their owne countrie but what answere the bishop brought againe the said author maketh no mention The yeare 1260. prince Lhewelyn destroied the lands of Sir Roger Mortimer bicause he contrarie to his oth mainteined the kings quarell and tooke from him all Buelht sauing the castell which the Princes men gatte by night without bloodshed and therein much munition and so after the Prince had passed through all Southwales he returned to his house at Aber betwixt Conwey and Bangor The yeare folowing died Owen ap Meredyth lord of Cydewen And this summer certeine of the Princes men tooke vpon a sudden the castell of Sir Roger Mortimer in Melienyth and slew the garrison taking Howel ap Meyric the captaine thereof with his wife and children and the princes Lieutenant came and destroied it then Sir Roger Mortimer hearing this came with a great strength of lords and knights to Melienyth where the Prince came also and Sir Roger kept himselfe within the wals of the broken castell sent to the prince for licence to depart without hurt Then the prince hauing his enimie within his danger tooke compassion vpon him bicause he was his coosen and suffered him to depart with his people without hurt From thence the prince went to Brechnocke at the request of the people of that countrie which swore fidelitie vnto him and so returned to Northwales Prince Lhewelyn being confederate with the Barons against the king destroied the Earldome of Chester and rased two of Edwards castels Tygannwy and Diserth and thither came Edward and did nothing to speake of This yeare Iohn Strange the yoonger being Constable of Montgomery came with a great number of Marchers by night through Ceri to Cydewen which thing when the countrie men vnderstood they gathered themselues togither and slew 200. of his men but he escaped with the rest backe againe Shortlie after the Marchers and the Welshmen met besides Clun where the Englishmen had the victorie and slew a great number of Welshmen At this time Dauid the princes brother whom he had set at libertie forsooke him and succoured his foes with all his power Then Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn got the castell of Molde and rased it At this time died Meredyth ap Owen the defender of Southwales The yeare ensuing king Henrie lead a great armie towards Wales and by meanes of Orobonus the Popes legate there was a peace concluded betwixt the king and the Prince at the castell of Montgomery vpon Calixtus daie for which peace the prince gaue the king