South Powys and vpon the West Dyui and Caerdiganshire In this countrie standeth the towne of Harlech and a great lake called â—hyn Tegyd through which the riuer Dee runneth and mingleth not with the water of the lake which is three miles long and also the salmons which are commonlie taken in the riuer hard by the lake are neuer seene to enter the lake Likewise a kind of fish called Gwyniaid which are like to whitings and are full in the lake are neuer taken in the riuer Not farre from this lake is a place called Caergay which was the house of Gay Arthurs foster brother This shire as well as Aruon is full of cattell foule and fish with great number of read deere and roes but there is great scarsitie of corne The fourth part of Gwyneth was called Y Beruedhwlad which may be Englished the inland or middle countrie which conteined fiue Cantreds and 13. comots as Cantref Ryuonioc had in it these comots Vwchalet and Isalet Cantref Ystrat had Hiraethoc and Cynmeirch Cantref Ros these Vwchdulas Isdulas and Creuthyn which all are in the lordship of Denbigh sauing the Creuthyn which is in Carnaruonshire wherin the castell of Dyganwy did stand which was the Earles of Chester and is commonlie called in the Latine and English chronicle Gannoc The fourth Cantref was Dyffryn Clwyd which may be Englished the vallie of Clwyd and now is called the lordship of Ruthyn and hath these comots Coleigion Lhannerch and Dogueilyn The fift Cantref is Tegengl and is now a part of Flyntshire hauing these comots Counsylht Prestatyn and Ruthlan And in this part is one of the fairest vallies within this Ile containing 18. miles in length and 4.5.6 or 7. in breadth as the hils either drawe inward togither or backward asunder which high hils doo inclose it on the East West and South parts and Northward the sea It is plentifull of cattell fish and foule corne hey grasse and wood and diuided along in the middest with the riuer Clwyd to whom runneth Clywedoc Ystrat VVhilar Elwy and a great number of other riuers from the hils In this vallie two miles from the sea is the towne and castell of Ruthlan where sometimes a parliament hath beene kept And two miles aboue it is the see of Saint Asaph betweene the riuers Clwyd and Elwy called in the old time the bishops see of Lhan Elwy Foure miles thence and two miles from the riuer is situate vpon a rocke the towne and castell of Denbigh where is one of the greatest markets in the marches of Wales and one of the fairest and strongest castels within this realme which being the house of Dauid brother to Lhewelyn the last Prince of the Welsh blood was enlarged and strengthned by Henrie Lacy Earle of Lincolne to whom king Edward gaue the same lordship it is also the shire towne of that Shire Fiue miles aboue this is the towne of Ruthyn with a faire castell which sometimes belonged to the Lords Gray Earles of Kent This part of Northwales hath vpon the North the riuer Dee and the sea Vpon the West Aruon and the riuer Conwey South and East Merionyth and the countrie then called Powys And these be the meeres and bounds of Gwyneth or Venedotia for the name of Northwales conteineth beside this all Powys at these daies So there was vnder the territorie of Aberfraw 15. Cantreds and in them 38. comots The second kingdome was Mathraual which in right order was the third as that which came to the third brother yet for the better vnderstanding of the historie folowing I haue placed it here To this kingdome belonged the countrie of Powys and the land betwixt Wy and Seauerne Which part had vpon the South and West Southwales with the riuers Wy and Tywy and other meeres Vpon the North Gwyneth and vpon the East the marches of England from Chester to Wy a little aboue Hereford and therefore it was most troubled with wars as well of the Saxons as afterwards of the Normanes Lords marchers who dailie wanne some part thereof and by that meanes it was the first part that serued the kings of England and therefore lesse esteemed of all the rest This part called Powys was diuided againe into Powys Vadoc and Powys Wenwynwyn Powys Vadoc contained in it selfe fiue Cantreds and 15. comots Cantref Y Barwn which hath three comots Dynmael Edeyrneon and Glyndourdwy which be now in Merionithshire sauing Dinmael which is in Denbighshire Cantref Y Rhiw whose comots were these Yal now in Denbighshire Stratalyn and Hop now in Flyntshire Cantref Vwchnant hath these comots Merfforth in Flyntshire Maelor Gymraeg in English Bromfield now in Denbighshire and Maelor Saesneg in Flyntshire Cantref Trefred containeth these comots Croesvain Tref Y VVayn in English Chirke and in Denbighshire Croes of Wallt English Oswestree and in Shropshire Cantref Rayder with his comots Mochnant Israider Cynlhaeth Nanheudwy all in Chirke land in Denbighshire Also the lordship of Whytington now in Shropshire was in this part of Powys which part at this daie hath lost the name of Powys and is situate in diuerse shires as it appeereth by the discourse before passed In this part is the castell of Holt in Bromefield and the castell of Chirke in Chirkeland Likewise the lordship and castell of Whytington which came by mariage to Fulke Fitzwarren There is beside these the lordship of Oswesire of the which the Fitzalans haue been lords these 300. and odde years and of diuers other lordships in those marches as Shrarden the eleuen townes Clun and manie others which be all now in Shropshire The second part called Powys Wenwynwyn had likewise fiue Cantreds and twelue comots Cantref Y Vyrnwy had these comots Mochnant vwch Rayader Mechain Iscoed and Lhannerch Hudol Cantref Ystlyc had these Devthwr Gorthwr Isaf and Strat Marchelh Cantref Lhyswynaf had these Caereneon and Mechain Vwchcoed Cantref Cydewen had comot Conan and comot Hauren Cantref Conan had Cyueilioc and Mouthwy which is now in Merionyth shire Of all these the three first Cantreds doo onlie at this daie beare the name of Powys which are vpon the Northside of Seauerne and are all fiue sauing the comot of Mowthwy in Mongomry shire This is a countrie full of woods hils and riuers and hath in it these townes the Poole Newtowne and Machynlhaeth Arustly was in old time in this part but afterwards it came to the Princes of Gwyneth These lordships came by iust descent from the Princes thereof to a woman named Hawys the daughter of Owen ap Gruffyth as appeareth in the historie following page 215. Arustly and Cyuelioc came to the Baron of Dudley and afterwards it was sold to the king The third part belonging to Mathraual was the land betweene Wy and Seauerne containing foure Cantreds and 13. comots Cantref Melienyth hath these comots Ceri Swythygre Riwalalht and Glyn Ieithon Cantref Eluel hath these Vwchmynydh Ismynydh and Lhechdhyfnog Cantref Yclawdh these Dyffryn Teyueydiat
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
kings of Brytaine bicause it was and is the strongest countrie within this Ile full of high mountaines craggie rocks great woods and deepe vallies strait and dangerous places deepe and swift riuers as Dyui which springeth in the hils of Merionyth and runneth Northwest through Mowthwy and by Machynlaeth and so the sea at Aberdyui diuiding North and Southwales a sunder Dee called in Welsh Dourdwy springing also in the other side of the same hils runneth East through Penlhyn and the lake Tegyd downe to Corwen and Lhangolhen betweene Chirkeland and Bromefield where it boweth Northward toward Bangor to the Holt and to Chester and thence Northwest to Flynt castell and so to the sea There is also Conwey rising likewise in Merionyth shire and diuiding Caernaruon from Denbigh shire runneth vnder Snowdon Northeast by the towne of Aberconwey to the sea Also Clwyd which rising in Denbigh land runneth downe to Ruthyn and plaine North not farre from Denbigh to Saint Asaph and so by Ruthlan and to the sea There be manie other faire riuers of which some runne to the sea as Mawr at Traethmawr and Auon y Saint at Caernaruon and other that runne to Seauerne as Murnwy in Powys and to Murnwy Tanat some other to Dee as Ceirioc betwixt the lordships of Chirke and Whittington Alyn through Yal and Moldes dale and Hope dale and so to Dee a little aboue Chester And this shall suffice for the perfect description of that which in old time was called Gwyneth and Powys and at these daies the sixe shires of Northwales Now remaineth the last kingdome of Wales called Dineuowr which although it was the greatest yet was it not the best as Giraldus witnesseth cheefelie bicause it was much molested with Flemings and Normans and also that in diuers parts thereof the lords would not obey their Prince as in Gwent and in Morganwc which was their owne confusion as shall hereafter appeare This was diuided into sixe parts of the which Caredigion was the first and conteined foure Cantreds and ten comots as Cantref Penwedic had in it these comots Geneurglyn Perueth and Creuthyn Cantref Canawl had these Meuenyth Anhunoc and Pennarth Cantref Castelh had these comots Mabwynion and Caerwedros Cantref Syrwen had these Gwenionyth and Iscoed and this part is at this daie called in English Caerdiganshire and in Welsh Swydh Aberteiui This is a champion countrie without much wood and hath beene diuers times ouercome with Flemings and Normans which builded manie castels in it and at the last were beaten out of them all It hath on the East Northwales with the riuer Dyui and part of Powys vpon the South Caermardhynshire vpon the West Penbroke shire with the riuer Teiui and vpon the North the Irish sea In this part is the towne of Caerdigan vpon Teiui not farre from the sea The towne of Aberystwyth vpon the riuer Ystwyth by the sea and Lhanbadarn Vawr which was a great sanctuarie and a place of religious and learned men in times past And in this shire were a great number of castels as the castell of Stratmeyric of Walter of Lhanrysted of Dynerth of the sons of Wyneaon of Aber Reidol and a great number more with the townes of Tregaron Lhandhewibreui as you shall vnderstand in the historie folowing The second part was called Dyuet and at this daie Penbroke shire and had in it eight Cantreds and 23. comots which were these Cantref Emlyn that had these comots Vwchkuch Iskuch and Leuethyr Cantref Arberth had these Penrhyn ar Elays Esterolef and Talacharn Cantref Daugledhev had these Amgoed Pennant and Euelfre Cantref YCoed hath these Lhanhayaden and Castelh Gwys Cantref Penvro hath these Coedyr haf Maenor byrr and Penvro Cantref Ros hath these Hulfforth castelh Gwalchmai and Ygarn Cantref Pubidioc hath these Mynyw Pencaer and Pebidioc Cantref Cemais hath these Vwchneuer Isneuer and Trefdraeth In this part are diuers townes and hauens at this daie as Penbrooke Tenbie in Welsh Dynbegh y pyscot Herefordwest in Welsh Hulfforth with the faire hauen of Mylford called in Welsh Aberdaugledheu Saint Dauids or Menevia called in Welsh Mynyw the cheefest see in all Wales Then Fiscard called Abergwayn and Newport named Trefdraeth these be alongst the sea coast or not verie farre off Besides these there be diuers castels as Cilgerran Arberth Gwys Lhanhayaden Walwyn and diuers other This part was wonne first by Mountgomerys Earles of Sherewsburie and after giuen Marshalls and so to Valence and from thence were the Princes of Wales most troubled with the Normans and Flemings who doo remaine and inhabit about Tenbie Penbrooke and in Ros to this daie which can neither Welsh nor good English as yet Dyuet for so will I call it hereafter hath on the West and North the Irish sea vpon the South the Spanish sea and vpon the East Caermardhynshire on the Northeast Caerdiganshire The third part was Caermardynshire hauing foure Cantreds and 15 comots as Cantref Finioc with the comots of Harfryn Deruedh and Isgeneny Cantref Eginoc with these Gwyr now in Glamorganshire Cydweli and Carnwilheon Cantref Bachan with these Malbaen Caeo and Maenor Deilo Cantref Mawr with these Cethineoc comot mab Elvyw comot mab Vchdryd and Wydigada In this shire are the townes and castels of Caermardhyn Dyneuowr which was the Princes seat of the countrie Newtowne Lhandeilo Lhanymdhyfry Emlyn Swansey now in Glamorganshire called in Welsh Abertawy vpon the sea the castell of the sonnes of Vchtryd of Lhanstephan and others It hath vpon the West Dyuet or Penbrooke shire on the North Caerdiganshire vpon the Southweast the sea and vpon the Southeast Glamorgan and vpon the East Brecknockshire This is counted the strongest part of all Southwales as that which is full of high mountaines great woods and faire riuers speciallie Tywy In this and in the other two parts of Southwales were the notablest acts that this historie intreateth of atchiued and doone The fourth called Morganwc now Glamorganshire containing foure Cantreds with 15. comots As Cantref Croneth with these comots Rwngneth ac Avan Tir yr Hwndrwd and Maenor Glynogwr Cantref Pennythen with these Meyskyn Glynrhodny Maenor Talauan and Maenor Ruthyn Cantref Brenhinol with these Cibowr Senghennyth Vwchcaeth and Iscaeth Cantref Gwentlhwg which is now in Monmouthshire with these comots Yrhardh Ganol and Eithafdylygion In this part are these townes and castels Lhandaf the Bishops sea Caerdyffe called Caerdhydh Cowbridge called in Welsh Y bont vaen which is as much to saie as Stonebridge Lantwyd Caerffyli and others and hath diuers riuers which runne to the south sea as Lay Taf Tawy Neth Avan Ogwr and Lhychwr it hath on the south the sea of Seauerne which diuideth it from Deuonshire and Cornewall vpon the Weast Northweast Caermardhynshire vpon the Northeast Brechnockshire and vpon the East Monmouthshire Of this you shall read verie little for one Iestyn being cheefe of the countrie and hauing warre with his neighbours called one Robert Fitzhamon with a great
wey and consider not onlie what we are our selues but also what our enimies are which come against vs they are the verie Brytaines whose fathers and ancesters our fathers haue béereft of their inheritance and expelled out of their owne land and now they iustlie come against vs to claime that which our ancesters by violence haue taken from theirs Let vs therefore like other nations choose vnto vs a head to leade direct and gouerne vs whome as chiefe lord in time of peace and warre we as members may obeie and sticke to sith without a head there is no victorie to be looked for Haue not the Brytaines after two yeares of their dispersion set vpon the ancient Saxons a more valiant people than we are fiftéene times within seauen yeares Did they not spoile their kingdomes killed their people and left such as remained aliue sore wounded and maimed at their departure The rest of the Saxon kings agréed vnto his mind and with one assent chose that worthie Knight Inas King of Westsex to be their souereigne who hauing taken their homage aduanced his standard and marched forward against Iuor and Henyr and set vpon them so that they were faine to forsake their tents and flie into Wales Thus Inas hauing obteined the victorie with the other Saxon Kings sauing Sibertus who by reason of his age and impotencie had departed home before returned to South hampton where his cousen Adelard informed him that Iuor and Henyr had gathered and leauied a puissant armie afresh to set vpon the Saxons where vpon Inas foreslowed not the matter but went against them and laid séege to the Castell of Snowdon compelling the Brytaines to flie to their ships and while he was at Bangor with the other Saxon Kings and the nobles of Wales he kept the feast of S. Dauid and then dismissed the other Kings home to their countrie vntill they should be called for againe and departed himselfe with Adelard his cousen to Quéene Ethelburga being then at Manchester and continued there almost thrée moneths In the meane while Adelard minding to trauell about all Wales met thrée spies of whome being by him taken and examined he learned that Iuor and Henyr were returning againe with a huge armie of such strength and force as all the Saxon Kings were not able to resist Then went he and shewed Inas what he had heard wherefore Inas foorthwith certified the other Saxon Kings of the same commanding them without delaie to be readie at Chester with horse and armour to go against their enimies and to defend their countrie from violence Who accordinglie met at Chester and following the Kings standard gaue the Brytaines battell and put them to flight Howbeit the Brytaines eftsoones inuaded England and made seauen roades in two yeares destroieng townes and villages wheresoeuer they came and neuer returning without great and rich booties Inas after this victorie returned home and reigned ouer the West Saxons 36. yeares and then bequeathed his kingdome to his cousen Adelard Thus much out of Castoreus This Iuor made the fratrie of Glastenburie called in the Brytish toong Ynys Aualon Ioseph of Aremathia being sent by Philip the Apostle as Gildas reporteth came into this Iland in the daies of Aruiragus King of Brytaine about the yeare of Christ 53. and instructed the Brytaines in the doctrine of saluation in the Ile of Aualon where he builded a Church for the Christians which Church this Iuor if it be he that gouerned the West Saxons conuerted to an Abbey and endowed the same with large possessions which was the more famous because the bodies of the said Ioseph of Aremathia and king Arthur were there buried He gaue also great lands to the Church of Winchester In the second yeare of Iuors reigne Brythe a subiect to Egfride King of Northumberland did ouerrun and destroie a great part of the countrie of Ireland In the fourth yeare of his reigne there was a great earthquake in the Ile of Man and the yeare following it reigned bloud in Brytaine and in Ireland The milke likewise and the butter turned to the colour of bloud The second yeare after that the Moone appeared all bloudie After the departure of Iuor to Rome Adelard or Adelred tooke the rule of the Saxons And Rodericus or Roderi Molwynoc the sonne of Edwal Ywrch did take the rule of the Brytaines in the west part of England Roderike Molwynoc Roderike or Rodri the sonne of Edwal Ywrch The yeare 733. died Beda priest brought vp in the Abbey of Wyrnetham a great clearke that wrote manie works among which there is one intituled The Ecclesiasticall historie of the English nation dedicated vnto Cleolwolfe King of Northumberland This yeare Adelard King of Westsex and Ethelbald King of Mertia ioined their powers against the Brytaines and gaue them battell and after a long fight and great slaughter vpon either part obteined a bloudie victorie The yeare 735. Adelard King of Westsex died and Cudred reigned in his place And the yeare following died Edwyn King of the Pictes And in the yeare 746. there was a great battell fought at Hereford betwixt Cudred and Ethelbaldus where after a long fight Cudred had the victorie Also the next yeare ensuing he gaue the Brytaines and ouerthrow and died shortlie after The Brytaines seeing they could little preuaile against the Saxons ioined in league with Cuthred King of the West Saxons who then was out with Ethelbald King of Mertia wherevpon the said Ethelbald entred into Wales with a strong armie and the Brytaines met him and were there discomfited After that Cuthred and Ethelbald met in the field where Ethelbald was put to flight but anon after they two were made friends and ioined together their powers against the Brytaines and ouercame them After Cuthred in the yeare 749. was Sigebert created King who for his euill behauiour was expelled by his nobles out of his Kingdome and was miserablie slaine by a swineheard after whome Kenulph was made King of West Saxons the yeare 750. About the same time died Theodor the sonne of Belin a man of great estimation among the Brytaines Not long after there was a great battell fought betwixt the Brytaines and the Pictes at a place called Magedawc where Dalargan King of the Pictes was slaine Within a little after Roderi or Roderike Molwynoc was driuen by the Saxons to forsake the west countrie to come to seeke his own inheritance in Northwales where ruled at that time the children of Bletius or Bledericus prince of Cornewal Deuonshire who was one of them that gaue Adelred and Ethelbert the ouerthrow at Bangor vpon the riuer Dee who enioied the gouernance of Northwales euer sithence Caduan was chosen King of Brytaine vntill this time By this historie it should séeme that the Brytaines continued their gouernement in the west part of Lhoegria vntill this time But surelie the consent in a maner of all
serue for a mans necessarie defense and were not distrainable without the prince his licence 5 Causes of inheritance were not heard or determined but from the ninth of Nouember till the ninth of Februarie or from the ninth of Maie vntill the ninth of August The rest of the yeare was counted a time of vacation for sowing in the spring and reaping in the haruest 6 This also is to be obserued that all matters of inheritance of land were determined and adiudged by the King or Prince in person or his speciall deputie if he were sicke or impotent and that vpon view of the same land calling vnto him the fréeholders of that place two elders of his counsell the Chiefe iustice attending alwaies in the court the ordinarie iudge of the countrie where the land laie and the priest The maner of their procéeding was thus The king or prince sate in his Iudiciall seate higher than the rest with an elder on his right hand and another on his left and the fréeholders on both sides next vnto them which for this cause as I thinke were called Vchelwyr Before him directlie a certaine distance off and a little lower sate his Chiefe iustice hauing the priest on his right hand and the ordinarie iudge of that countrie on the left The court being set the plaintife came in with his aduocate champion and Ringylh or sergeant and stood on the left side then came in the defendant in like maner with his aduocate champion and Ringylh and stood on the right side and last of all the witnesses of both parties came which stood directlie before the Chiefe iustice at the lower end of the hall vntill they were called vp to testifie the truth of their knowledge in the matter in variance The figure of the which I thought good héere to laie downe as you sée in the page next following After the hearing of the books read the depositions of the witnesses and full pleading of the cause in open court vpon warning giuen by the Rhinghylh the Chiefe Iustice the priest and the ordinarie iudge withdrew themselues for a while to consult of the matter and then Secundum allegata probata brought their verdict the court sitting Whervppon the king or prince after consultation had with the elders or seniors which sate by him gaue definitiue sentence except the matter was so obscure and intricate that right and truth appeared not in the which case it was tried by the two champions and so the cause ended This shall be sufficient for this time Now therefore let vs go forward in the historie At this time the foresaid kings Aulafe and Regnald entered the land of Edmund who gathering his strength together folowed them into Northumberland and ouercame them in plaine battell and chased them out of the land and so remained a whole yeare in those parts setting things in order and quieting of that countrie And bicause he could not by anie meanes bring the inhabitants of Cumberland to liue in anie honest order he spoiled that countrie and committed it to the rule of Malcolme king of Scotland vpon condition that he should send him succours in all his warres both by sea and land Some other write that king Edmund being accompanied with Lhewelyn ap Sitsylht which was after prince of Wales entred Cumberland and taking the two sonnes of Dummaile king of that prouince put out their eies and then gaue that countrie to Malcolme to be holden of him with condition to kéepe the North part of the realme from incursion of enimies the which condition was afterward but slenderlie perfourmed This Malcolme was the sonne of Donald King of Scotland and was the next king after Constantine the third being in number the 76. In the yeare 942. died Hubert Bishop of S. Dauids the yeare also following Marclois Bishop of Bangor and Vssa the sonne of Lhavyr died The yeare 944. the Englishmen did enter Wales with a strong armie and spoiled Strad Clwyd and returned home At which time Conan the sonne of Elise was put in danger of death by poison and Everus Bishop of S. Dauids died The yeare after Edmund King of England was slaine by treason as some writers saie vpon S. Augustines daie as he was at dinner Other saie that he espied an outlawe sitting in the hall and as he drew him from the table the outlaw slew the King with a knife And some be of opinion that as the King would haue rescued a man of his from an officer who had arrested him the same officer slue him not knowing that he was the King he lieth buried at Glastenburie After whose death Edred or Edfred his brother was crowned in his place who made an expedition to Scotland and Northumberland and subdued them both and receiued fealtie and homage of the Northumbers and Scots by oth which was not long kept In the yeare 948. died Howel Dha the noble and worthie King or Prince of Wales whose death was sore bewailed of all men for he was a prince that loued peace and good order that feared God He left behind him foure sonnes Owen Run Roderike and Edwyn betwixt whom and the sonnes of Edwal there was great warres for the chiefe rule of Wales as shall appeare in the historie following Ievaf and Iago Ievaf and Iago the sonnes of Edwal Voel AFter the death of Howel Dha his sonnes did diuide Southwales and Powys betwixt them and Ievaf and Iago the second and third sonnes of Edwal Voel ruled Northwales bicause their elder brother Meyric was not a man worthie to rule who comming of the elder house would haue had the chiefe rule of all Wales which the sonnes of Howel Dha denied them And therevpon Iago or Iames and Ievaf entred Southwales with a great power against whome came Owen the sonne of Howel and his brethren and fought together at the hils of Carno where Iago and Ievaf had the victorie and the yeare folowing the same brethren did twise enter into Southwales and spoiled Dyuet and slue Dwnwalhon the Lord thereof And within a while after died Roderike one of the sonnes of Howel Dha In the yeare 952. the sonnes of Howel gathered their strength together against Ievaf and Iago and entered their land to the riuer of Conwy where they fought a cruell battell at a place called Gwrgustu or Lhanrwst as some thinke where a great number were slaine vpon either side as Anarawd the sonne of Gwyriad or Vriet the sonne of Roderike the Great and Edwyn the sonne of Howel Dha in the which battell were ouerthrowne the sonnes of Howel whome Ievaf and Iago pursued to Caerdigan and destroied their countrie with fire and sword About this time Yarthyr the sonne of Mervyn was drowned and the yeare following Congelach King of Ireland was slaine But to returne to Edred King of England As soone as he was returned to his owne land Aulaf with a great armie landed in Northumberland and was receiued of
when the other heard vpon their promise they were readie to follow so made readie a great nauie In the meane while Tosty entred Humber with 40. saile but Earle Edwyn met with him and put him to flight who as he failed toward Scotland met with Haroald king of Norwaie with 300. saile comming towards England and ioining with him they both entred Humber and hauing landed their armie they came to Yorke where both Earles Edwyn Marcher gaue them battell vpon the south part of the towne but Haroald and Tosty bare awaie the victorie and spoiled the citie then marched forwards toward Stamfordbridge where Haroald king of England and all his power did meete with them And after a long fight manie valiant acts atchieued on both sides euen from morning till noone at what time the Norwaies began to retire backe ouer the water one of them worthie not to be forgotten kept the passage vpon the bridge with his axe against all the armie of England till three of the clock and slew 40. men but at the last one got vnder the bridge and with his speare gaue him his deaths wound through the bridge Then the armie passed ouer the bridge and put the Norwaies to flight and slew Haroald their king and Tosty where not one man escaped of all the number that was not either killed or burned Then Haroald entred Yorke with great ioie and triumph as he sate at dinner there came a post who told him how Duke William was landed at Suwerhide and had fortified himself with a trench at Hastings With which tidings Haroald being nothing dismaied made expedition thitherward Where William diuiding his armie into fiue battels made a long oration vnto his soldiours wherein he declared the worthinesse of their forefathers the Danes and Norwaies aswell against the Englishmen which were neuer able to abide their force as against the Frenchmen and other nations and how they were accustomed to ouercome at all times being well horssed well armed and good archers had now to doo with a nation onelie taught to trust to their feete euill horssed vnarmed and such as knew not how to occupie their bowes Then he brought his people to the field but Haroald couched all his armie in one battell as nigh togither as they could well stand and so set vpon his enimies And after long fight William caused his men to retire as if they fled then the Englishmen folowed apase and brake their araie which when William perceiued he brought in a battell of fresh Normanes who entred Haroalds battell and fought so sore that Haroald was hurt with an arrow and afterward slaine and so the Englishmen left the Normanes both the field and the victorie The yeare folowing VVilliam passed the sea to Normandie then Edgar Edeling came out of Scotland to Yorke for the people of the countrie had slaine Robert to whome VVilliam had giuen that Earldome and 900. men with him and had receiued Edgar for their king But VVilliam returning from Normandie destroied all the North countrie and chased Edgar to Scotland againe Also Edrike Syluaticus the sonne of Alfrike Earle of Mercia refusing to submit himselfe as other had done when he saw that the king was departed to Normandie rose against such as were left in his absence to kéepe the land in obedience wherevpon those that laie in the castell of Hereford Richard fitz Scrope and others oftentimes inuaded his lands and wasted the goods of his tenants but as often as they came against him they alwaies lost some of their owne men at length he calling to his aid the kings of Wales Blethyn and Rywalhon wasted the countrie of Hereford euen to Wye bridge and then returned with a maruelous great spoile This yeare also being 1068. Meredyth and Ithel the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn raised a great power against Blethyn and Rywalhon kings of Northwales and met with them at a place called Mechain where after long fight there were slaine vpon the one part Ithel and vpon the other part Rywalhon and Meredyth put to flight whome Blethyn pursued so straightlie that he starued for cold and hunger vpon the mountaines and so Blethyn the sonne of Convyn remained the onlie king of Powys and Northwales About this time Swayne king of Denmarke and Osburne his brother came to Humber with 300. sailes and to them came Edgar Edeling and Earle VValtelfe who all together came to Yorke and wan the castell and laie that winter betwixt Ouse and Trent till the king came thither and chased the Danes to their ships and destroied the inhabitants of the countrie but Earle VValtheof he receiued to mercie At this time Caradoc sonne to Gruffyth ap Rytherch ap Iestyn caused a great number of Frenchmen for so the Brytish booke calleth the Normanes to enter Southwales to whom he ioined his power of Gwentland and gaue Meredyth the king of that countrie an ouerthrow and slue him vpon the riuer of Rympyn At the same time also Dermot Maken Anel the worthiest and noblest prince that euer ruled in Ireland was murthered The two Earles Edwyn and Marcher with Hereward gathered an armie against the king but Edwyn was slaine of his owne people and the other tooke the Ile of Elie which the king so sore besieged that he shortlie tooke Marcher and his complices but Hereward escaped his hands manfully whom the king folowed to Scotland made Malcolme king of the land his subiect and vassall Then after the king passed to Normandie and receiued Edgar Edeling to his mercie And about this time the Normanes did lead a great power to VVestwales by sea and destroied Dyuet and the countrie of Caerdigan and caried awaie much spoile and did so likewise the yeare folowing Bleythyd Bishop of Meneuia or S. Dauids died at this time and Sulien was Bishop in his place Not long after this time Radulph Earle of Eastangles conspired against the king with Roger Earle of Hereford Earle VValtheof at the mariage of the said Radulph with Rogers sister in Essex the matter was opened but it pleased not the rest Therefore Radulph tooke shipping in Norwich fled to Denmarke and the king suddenlie comming ouertooke VValtheof and Roger of whom VValtheof was beheaded Roger committed to prison the people all slaine among whom there were a great number of VVelshmen This Radulphs mother came out of VVales which was the cause of the Welshmens being there for Radulph sent for manie of his mothers friends and kinsmen to come to this marriage meaning through their aid and procurement to get the princes and people of VVales to ioine with him in this enterprise He also and his complices sent to Cnute king of Denmarke promising him the kingdome of England to aid him against VVilliam the bastard But William being aduertised of all these things ouerthrew all their deuises for by his sudden comming vppon them out of Normandie he
Mountgomery to whom the Conqueror had giuen the Earldome of Arundell and Salopsburie or Shrewsburie entred into Powys land and wan the castell and towne of Baldwyn which he fortified and called it Mountgomery after his owne name Also this yeare William Rufus went to Normandie against his brother Robert and sent to England for 30000. footemen of whome when they came to the sea shore the king tooke ten shillings a peece and sent them home But shortlie after hee made a voiage into Northumberland against the Earle which rebelled and after he had taken Newcastell and Bamborough hee tooke the Earle at Tinmouth and returned homeward The same yeare Gruffyth ap Conan king of Northwales with Cadogan ap Blethyn who then ruled Southwales entred the land of Cardigan killed a great number of Normanes being not able anie longer to suffer their great pride and crueltie But after their returne the English captaines sent for more men to England and thought priuilie to make a roade to Northwales Which iournie was discouered to Cadogan who gathered his power and met with them in the wood or forrest of Yspys and set vpon them with great hew and crie and they defended themselues manfullie but in the end they were compelled to flee with great losse and Cadogan followed them hard and spoiled the countrie of Cardigan and Dyuet and destroied all the castels sauing two which were Penbrooke and Rydcors which he could not get and so returned to Powys with much ioy In this yeare 1093. the Normanes that inhabited the countrie of Glamorgan spoiled the countries of Kydwely and Ystrad Tywy and left them without anie inhabitors Then VVilliam Rufus being informed of the great slaughter of his subiects aswell in Chesshire Shropshire VVorcestershire and Herefordshire as within VVales which Gruffyth ap Conan and the sonnes of Blethyn ap Convyn had doone gathered his power together and entred VVales at Mountgomery which castell being latelie ouerthrowne by the VVelshmen he reedified againe but the VVelshmen kept so the straites of the mountaines with the woods and the riuers that the king did no good but lost his labour and his men therfore he returned backe to his great dishonor In the yeare 1094. died VVilliam the sonne of Baldwyn who at the kings commandement had built the castell of Rydcors after whose death the castell was forsaken by his men and the inhabitants of Gwyr Brechnock Gwent Gwentlhwc cast from their necks the burthen of the Normanes that had wonne their countries and held them in subiection and chased them out of their countries but they returned againe with great strength of Englishmen and Normanes Then the countrie men which abhorred their pride and cruell rule met with them at a place called Celly Tarvawc and fought with them manfullie so that they put them to flight with great slaughter and chased them backe againe out of the land Neuertheles the greedie Normanes would not giue ouer but doubling their strength returned againe to Brechnockshire making a vow to leaue no liuing thing within that countrie But it hapned otherwise for the people fled before them and staid at a straite and killed a great number of them About this time Roger Mountgomery Earle of Salop and Arundell William Fitzeustace Earle of Glocester Arnold de Harecourt and Neale le Vicount were slaine betwéene Cardyf and Brechnock by the Welshmen Also Walter Eureux Earle of Sarum and Hugh Earle Gourney were there hurt and died after in Normandie Therefore when the Normanes saw that they had all the losse they manned and victailed the castels which they had before time builded there and returned backe but in their returne Gruffyth and Ivor the sonnes of Ednerth ap Cadogan met them vpon the sudden at Aberlhech and falling vpon them slew the most part of them and the rest escaped to England But the Normane captaines defended the castels manfullie and kept them vntill they were driuen by force for safegard of their liues to forsake them then the ancient dwellers enioied their countries againe quietlie Moreouer certeine lords of Northwals namelie Vchthed the sonne of Edwyn ap Grono and Howel ap Grono with the children of Cadogan ap Blethyn of Powys land gathered a number of men passed through Cardiganshire to Dyuet which countrie the king a little before had giuen to Arnulph sonne to Roger Mountgomery who had builded there the castell of Penbrooke and appointed keeper and steward of the same one Gerald de Windsore and there burned spoiled and destroied all the countrie sauing the said castell of Penbrooke which they could not winne and so returned home with great bootie After the returne of these lords Gerald issued out of the castell and spoiled the lands of S. Dauids and tooke manie prisoners and returned to the castell The yeare following William Rufus returning from Normandie to England and hearing of the great slaughter of his men doone by the Welshmen gathered all his power with great pompe and pride entred Wales But the Brytaines fearing the great strength of the king put their hope onlie in the almightie Lord turning to him in fasting praier and repentance of their sinnes and he that neuer forsaketh the penitent and contrite hart heard their praiers so that the Normanes and Englishmen durst neuer enter the land but such as entred were all slaine and the king returned with small honor after he had built certaine castels in the marches The yeare following being 1096. Hugh de Mountgomerie Earle of Arundell and Salopsburie whom the Welshmen call Hugh Goch that is to saie Hugh the read headed and Hugh Vras that is Hugh the fat Earle of Chester and a great number of Nobles more did gather a huge armie and entred into Northwales being thereto mooued by certeine Lords of the countrie But Gruffyth ap Conan the Prince and Cadogan ap Blethyn tooke the hilles and mountaines for their defense bicause they were not able to meete with the Erles neither durst they well trust their owne men And so the Erles came ouer against the Ile of Môn or Anglesey where they did build a castell of Aberlhiennawc Then Gruffyth and Cadogan did go to Anglesey thinking to defend the Ile and sent for succour to Ireland but they receiued verie small Then the treason appeared for Owen ap Edwyn who was the Princes cheefe counseller and his father in lawe whose daughter Gruffyth had married hauing himselfe also married Everyth the daughter of Convyn aunt to Cadogan was the cheefe caller of those strangers into Wales who openlie went with all his power to them and did lead them to the Ile of Anglesey which thing when Gruffyth and Cadogan perceiued they sailed to Ireland mistrusting the treason of their owne people Then the Earles spoiled the Ile and slew all that they found there And at the verie same time Magnus the sonne of Haroald came with a great nauie of ships towards England minding
Shrewesburie were Richard de Belmersh or de Beleasmo as some doo call him who being chéefe dooer about Roger Mountgomery Earle of Salop was preferred to the Bishopricke of London and afterwards appointed by this King Henrie to be warden of the Marches and gouernour of the countie of Salop Walter Constable the father of Milo Earle of Hereford and Rayner the kings lieutenant in the countie of Salop. About this time as Bale noteth the church of Meneuia or S. Dauids began to be subiect to the sea of Canturburie being alwaies before the Metrapolitane church of all Wales In the yeare 1103. Owen ap Edwyn died after great miserie and long sicknesse Then also Richard the sonne of Baldwyn did fortifie the castell of Ridcors and chased Howel ap Grono out of the countrie to whom the King had giuen the custodie of that castell who neuerthelesse returned shortlie after and burned all the countrie houses corne and haie and slew a great number of the Normanes as they returned homeward and kept all the countrie in his subiection except the castels and these garrisons At this time the King did take the rule of Dyuet from Saer to whom he had committed the same and gaue it to Gerald who had beene sometimes Steward there under Arnulph Then the Normanes who were in the castell of Rydcors and other castels there abouts seeing they could not haue the vpper hand of Howel ap Grono in open fight fell to their accustomed practise of treason and so obtained their purpose in this manner There was one Gwgan ap Meyric who had nursed a sonne to Howel ap Grono and therefore verie well trusted and loued of him as the manner of Wales is This traitour being corrupted by the Normanes procured his maisters death bidding him one night to his house to make merrie whither he came gentlie Then Gwgan gaue notise thereof to the garrisons of the castels who in the dawning of the daie entred the towne comming about the house gaue a great showte wherewith Howel awooke and coragiouslie leapt out of his bed and sought his weapons but the traitor Gwgan had conueied them awaie when he was asleepe Then he called for his men but they were all fled to saue their liues and as he would haue gotten awaie he was taken by Gwgan and his companie and strangled whose bodie he deliuered to the Normanes which cut off his head and brought it to the castell of Rydcors And this traitorous murther of the kings lieutenant was left vnpunished For whatsoeuer fault the Normanes committed was alwaies winked at and if the Welshmen did neuer so little offend the lawes of the king it was thought an heinous fault which was the cause that afterwards they rebelled against the king who sought nothing but their vtter destruction About this time Anselme Archbishop of Canturburie called a synod at London where among other things it was ordeined and decreed that priests should not marrie which was not before that time forbidden in Brytaine This ordinance or decree seemed to some verie cleanlie and honest but of other it was thought perilous and dangerous least they seeking to be cleane and honest as they termed it should fall into horrible uncleanlinesse and dishonestie abhominable to a christian man and this was a thousand one hundered and odde yeares after the incarnation of Christ. King Henrie in the fift yeare of his reigne sailed with a great power to Normandie where his brother Robert with Robert de Belesmo Arnulph and William Earle of Mauritania gaue him battell but the King got the victorie and tooke the Duke his brother and William de Mauritania prisoners and carried them to England whom he committed to perpetuall prison and caused his brothers eies to be put out Then shortlie after died Edgar king of Scots and Alexander his brother was crowned in his place by consent of king Henrie At this time Meyric and Gruffyth the sonnes of Trahaern ap Caradoc were both slaine by Owen ap Cadogan ap Blethyn Also Meredyth ap Blethyn brake the prison where he had been a long time and came home and gat his owne inheritance againe and enioied it quietlie The yeare 1108. the rage of the sea did ouerflow and drowne a great part of the lowe countrie of Flanders in such sort that the inhabitants were driuen to seeke themselues other dwelling places who came to King Henrie and desired him to giue them some void place to remaine in who being verie liberall of that which was not his owne gaue them the land of Ros in Dyuet or Westwales where Penbrooke Tenby and Hauerford are now built there they remaine to this daie as may well be perceiued by their speach and conditions farre differing from the rest of the countrie At that time Gerald steward did build againe the castell of Penbrooke in a place called Congarth Vechan and brought thither all his houshold stuffe and other goods with his wife and children Then also Cadogan ap Blethyn made a great feast in Christmas and bad all the Lords of the countrie to his house in Dyuet among whom came Owen his sonne who being at his fathers house and hearing the beautie of Nest wife to Gerald steward of Penbrooke praised aboue all the women in the land was meruelous desirous to see hir And for so much as Gladys wife to Rees ap Theodor or Tewdor and mother to Nest was the daughter of Rywalhon ap Convyn and coosen germane to Cadogan his father he with a few vnder the colour of freendship and coosenage went to see hir finding the truth to surmount the fame he came home all inflamed with hir loue and in that doting moode the same night returning thither againe with a sort of wild companions entred the castell priuilie and compassed the chamber about and set the house on fire wherewith Gerald and his wife awoke and he would haue issued out to know what that noise meant but his wife fearing some treason staied him and counselled him to go to the priuie and so pulling vp the boord she helped him out that waie and then she came to the chamber dore and said that there was none but she and hir children yet they entred in and sought al about but when they could not find him they tooke hir and hir two sons and a sonne and a daughter borne by a concubine to Gerald and caried them awaie to Powys and so burning the castell they spoiled all the countrie Now when Cadogan hard this he was verie sorie and feared the kings displeasure and forthwith went to Powys and willed his sonne to send home to Gerald his wife and children with his goods but Owen in no wise would depart with the woman yet at hir request he sent to Gerald his children againe And when Richard bishop of London whom the king had appointed Warden of the Marches being at Shrewsburie hard of this hee was verie sore offended and
caused engines to be made to batter the walles with force of men and other to cast great stones to their enimies to disquiet the garison Which preparations when they within beheld their stomachs failed and forthwith they yeelded the fort then Howel returned home with great honour Shortlie after there fell a great dissention betwixt Howel and Conan prince Owens sonnes and Cadwalader their vncle wherevpon they called their strength vnto them and entred the countrie of Merionyth where the people fled to the sanctuaries to saue their liues These two yoong Lords made proclamation that no man should hurt those that would yeeld to them whervpon the people which had fled returned to their houses without hurt Thus they brought all the countrie in subiection to them lead their armie before the castell of Cynvael which Cadwalader had built and fortified wherein was the Abbot of Tuygwyn or Whitehouse to whome the Lord had committed the defense of his castell Then Howel and Conan summoned the fort with great threatnings but they within defied them wherevpon Howel Conan promised the Abbot Meruyn great rewards to let them haue the house But he like a faithfull seruant whom neither terrible manaces nor pleasant proffers could mooue to vntruth but as his lord trusted him so would he continue still and not deceiue his expectation denied them of the same choosing rather to die with honour than to liue with shame With which answere the yoong Lords were greatlie offended that a priest should staie their prosperous proceedings and thervpon assaulted the castell so sore that after they had beaten downe the walles they entred by force and slew and wounded all the garrison sauing the Abbot who escaped awaie priuilie by meanes of freends whom he had in Howels armie The yeare 1147. died Robert Earle of Glocester Gilbert Earle of Clare Vchthred bishop of Landaff after whome Nicholas ap Gurgant was made bishop And the yere 1148. died Barnard bishop of S. Dauids or Meneuia after him came Dauid Fitzgerald to be bishop there who was before Archdeacon of Caerdigan The yeare ensuing Owen prince of Northwales did build a castell in Yale and his brother Cadwalader built another at Lhanrystyd and gaue Cadogan his son his part of Caerdigan Towards the end of this yeare Madoc the sonne of Meredyth ap Blethyn did build the castell of Oswestrie and gaue his nephewes Owen and Meyric the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Meredyth his part of Cyuelioc The yeare after prince Owen did imprison Conan his sonne for certaine faults committed against his father also prince Owens sonne tooke his vncle Cadwalader prisoner and brought his countrie and castell to his subiection At this time also Cadeth the sonne of Gruffyth ap Rees fortified the castell of Carmarthyn from thence lead his armie to Cydwely where he destroied and spoiled all the countrie and after his returne he ioined his power with Meredyth and Rees his brethren and entring Caerdigan wan the part called Is Aeron Not long after there fell a variance betwixt Rondel Earle of Chester and Owen prince of Northwales Then Rondel gathered a great power of his freends and hired soldiours from all parts of England to whom Madoc ap Meredyth prince of Powys disdaining to hold his lands of Owen ioined all his power and they both togither entred prince Owens land who like a worthie prince not suffering the spoile of his subiects met them at Counsylht and boldlie bad them battell which they refused not but being more in number and better armed and weaponed were glad of the occasion yet before the end they threw awaie weapon and armour and trusted their feet whome the Northwales men did so pursue that few escaped but were either slaine or taken sauing the cheefe captaines whose horses caried them awaie cleere In the yeare 1150. Cadelh Meredyth and Rees the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees Prince of Southwales wanne all Caerdigan from Howel the sonne of prince Owen sauing the castell of Lhanvihangel in Pengwern and at the castell of Lhanrystyd they lost manie of their men therefore they slew all the garrison when they wan it and thence they went to the castell of Stratmeyric which they fortified and manned and then returned home This Cadelh had a great pleasure in hunting and vsed much that pastime which thing when the inhabitants of Tenby or Denbigh y pyscot in Penbrooke shire knew they laid in ambushment for him and so when this lord had vncoupled his hounds and pursued the stag with a few companions they fierslie set on him his companie and seeing they were but few and vnarmed they easilie put them to flight and wounded Cadelh verie sore yet he escaped their hands came to his house where he laie a long time like to die Then his brethren Meredyth Rees entered Gwyr where burning and destroing all the countrie they wan the castell of Aberlhychwr rased it to the ground and then returning home with great bootie reedified the castell of Dynevowr The same yeare also Howel the sonne of Owen prince of Northwales fortified Humfreys castell in the vallie of Caletwr In the yeare 1151. Owen Gwyneth tooke Cunetha his brother Cadwalhon his sonne and put out his eies and gelded him least he should haue children to inherit part of the land Lhewelyn also the sonne of Madoc ap Meredyth slew Stephen the sonne of Baldwin About the same time Cadwalader the brother of Prince Owen escaped out of his nephew Howels prison and subdued part of the Ile of Môn or Anglesey to himselfe but his brother Owen sent an armie against him and chased him thence who fled to England for succour to his wiues freends for she was the daughter of Gilbert Earle of Clare The same yeare Galfride Arthur was made bishop of Lhanelwy now called in English Saint Asaph Also Simon Archdeacon of Cyuelioc an man of great worthines and fame dyed at the same time And the yeare ensuing Meredyth and Rees the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Rees did lead their powers to Penwedic before the castell which did belong to Howel the sonne of Prince Owen and with great paines got it Shortlie after priuilie by night they came to the castell of Tennbie which was in the keeping of Fitzgerald and scaled it vpon the sudden and got it and did so reuenge their brothers hurt Then returning thence they diuided their armie and Rees went to Stratcongen which he destroied and spoiled and went thence to Cyuelioc which he destroied in like manner But Meredyth laid siege to the castell of Aberavan and wan it and came home with rich spoiles At this time died Rondle Earle of Chester and Hugh his sonne was created Earle in his place In the yeare 1153. died Meredyth ap Gruffyth ap Rees Lord of Caerdigan and Stratywy in the 25. yeare of his age a worthie knight and fortunate in battell iust and liberall to all men Also the
yeare folowing Owen the sonne of Gruffyth ap Meredyth named Owen Cyuelioc and Owen ap Madoc ap Meredyth got the castell of Carrechoua by Oswestrie and wasted it About the same time there was a combate fought betweene Robert Mountfort and Henrie de Essex to trie which of them had begun the flight in the voiage against the Welshmen in the marches Either of them accused the other but in the triall Henrie was ouercome and afterward disinherited shauen a moonke at Redding Then the king gathered a great power against Southwales and came himselfe as farre as Pencadayr beside Brechnock where Rees came to him and did him homage and gaue him pledges and then the king went to Ireland againe About this time Eneon the sonne of Anarawd ap Gruffyth nephue to prince Rees was murthered in his bed by a man of his owne named Lhywarch Also Cadogan ap Meredyth was slaine after the like maner by one Walter ap Riccart Then the lord Rees as he is called in Welsh or king Rees as the Latine authors name him tooke the Cantref Mawr which is a great countrie and the land of Dynevowr and enioied it And this yeare died Cadiuor ap Daniel Archdeacon of Caerdigan and Henrie ap Arthen which was the worthiest clerke that had beene manie yeares in Wales The yeare ensuing the lord Rees seeing he was not able to maintaine his estate with such lands as the king had appointed him entred the lands of Roger de Clare Earle of Glocester for by the Earles means was his nephue murthered and wanne the castels of Aberheidol and of the sonnes of Wynyaon rased them And so in short time he brought all Caerdigan to his subiection from thence he made manie roades against the Flemings and got great spoiles in their countrie Then all VVales agreed to forsake the rule of the Normanes whose treason and crueltie they could not abide and to serue princes of their owne nation This yeare Hamelyn base brother to king Henrie maried the Countesse of VVarren which was wife to VVilliam Earle of Egle base sonne to king Stephen and daughter and heire to VVilliam Earle VVarren Also this yeare died VValter Gifford Earle of Buckingham without heire therefore the Earledome fell to the kings hands In the yeare 1165. Dauid the sonne of Owen prince of Northwales did destroie all Flynt shire which was the kings and caried all the people and cattell with him to the Dyffryn Cloyd now called Ruthyn land Which thing when the king vnderstood he leuied an armie in hast and came to succour his castels and people as far as Ruthlan and after he had laine there three daies and could do no good he returned to England where he gathered another armie of chosen men through all his dominions as England Normandie Aniow Gascoine Gwyen sending for succours from Flanders and Brytaine then returned towards Northwales minding vtterlie to destroie all that had life in the land and comming to Croes Oswalt called Oswaldstree incamped there On the contrarie side prince Owen and his brother Cadwalader with all the power of Northwales and the lord Rees with the power of Southwales Owen Cynelioc and the sonnes of Madoc ap Meredyth with the power of Powys and the two sonnes of Madoc ap Ednerth with the people betwixt Wye and Seauerne gathered themselues togither and came to Corwen in Edeyrneon purposing to defend their countrie But the king vnderstanding that they were so nigh being wonderfull desirous of battel came to the riuer Ceireoc and caused the woods to be hewen downe Wherevpon a number of the VVelshmen vnderstanding the passage vnknowing to their captaines met with the kings ward where were placed the piked men of all the armie and there began a hote skirmish where diuerse worthie men were slaine on either side but in the end the king wanne the passage and came to the mountaine of Berwyn where he laie in campe certaine daies and so both the armies stood in awe each of other for the king kept the open plaines and was affraid to be intrapped in straits but the VVelshmen watched for the aduantage of the place kept the king so straitlie that neither forrage nor victuall might come to his camp neither durst anie soldiour stirre abroad And to augment these miseries there fell such raine that the kings men could scant stand vpon their feete vpon those slipperie hilles In the end the king was compelled to returne home without his purpose that with great losse of men and munition besides his charges Therefore in a great choler he caused the pledges eies whom he had receiued long before that to be put out which were Rees and Cadwalhon the sonnes of Owen and Cynwric and Meredyth the sonnes of Rees and other I find also written by diuers that in the assieging of a bridge the king was in no small danger of his life for one of the Weshmen shooting directlie at him had persed him through the bodie if Hubert de S. Clere constable of Colchester perceiuing the arrow comming had not thrust him selfe betwixt the King and the same arrow whereby he saued his maister and died himselfe for him presentlie Although Polydor writing the historie out of the same authors doo conceale the same Then after long consultation the king came the third time towards Northwales intending to haue his armie conueied by sea to land in some conuenient place of the countrie and so he came to Chester and there laie a certeine time till all his nauie was gathered togither aswell hired ships of Ireland as his owne and vpon the sudden he brake vp his campe and gaue both ships and men leaue to depart The same yeare Rees prince of Southwales laid siege to the castell of Aberteiui and wan it and made it flat with the ground and likewise wan Cilgerran rased it At which time he tooke prisoner Robert the sonne of Stephen his coosen germane sonne to Nest his aunt who after the death of Gerald had maried Stephen constable and so returned home with great honor and rich spoile About the same time died Lhewelyn sonne to prince Owen a worthie gentleman and of great towardnesse In the yeare ensuing the Flemings and Normanes came to Westwales with a great power against the castell of Cilgerran which Rees had fortified and laid siege to it assaulting it diuerse times but it was so manfullie defended that they returned home as they came and shortlie after they came before it againe where they lost manie of their best men and then departed againe The same yeare Owen prince of Northwales laid siege to the castell of Basygwerke which the king had fortified and in short time wan the same and rased it About the same time Dermot the son of Murchart was chased out of his dominion in Ireland and went to Normandie to king Henrie for succour Also Iorwerth Goch was spoiled of his lands in Powys by
a great armie and shortlie after laid siege to Aberteiui and got it and from thence marched to Caermardhin and likewise got the same Lhewelyn prince of Wales at what time William Marshall Earle of Penbrooke prosecuted the warres in Ireland against the kings enimies there tooke by force two castels in Wales belonging to the said Earle putting all his men which kept the same to the sword and fortifieng the same with a garrison of his owne men in either of them departed home againe whereof when the said Earle was aduertised he returned from Ireland with all spéed and recouering his castels againe vsed the same courtesie towards Lhewelyns men that he had shewed to his and then entring further into the Princes countrie destroied all before him as he went These newes comming to Lhewelyns eares did sore offend him wherevpon he sent Gruffyth his sonne with a power of men to staie the Earle for passing further Then Gruffyth went to Cydweli and vnderstanding that the Burgesses of the towne meant to betraie him burned the towne churches and all to the earth Then William Marshall passed the riuer Tywy at Caermardhin where Gruffyth met with him gaue him battell which was verie doubtfull and endured vntill night and then either partie withdrew themselues and the riuer betwixt And after they had laien so certen daies Gruffyth for lacke of victuals for his men which were about 9000. persons returned back and the Earle went to Cilgerran and began to build there a verie strong castell Then receiuing letters from the king to come and speake with him he went to the court by sea and left his armie to continue the worke he had begon Then the king and the archbishop of Canturburie being at Ludlowe sent for the Prince and would faine haue agreed him and the Earle but it would not be and so they departed And when the Earle would haue passed to Penbrooke by lande with the strength of the Earle of Derby and Henrie Pygot lord of Ewyas the Prince sent his son to keepe the passage at Carnwylhion he himselfe came as far as Mabedryd Which when the Erle vnderstood he returned backe to England the Prince went to Northwales Certeine of the barons also misliking the rule of Hubert de Burgh conspired against the king and him as Randulph Earle of Chester VVilliam de Fortibus Earle of Albemarle Iohn constable of Chester Foulke de Breant Hugh de Veteri ponte Bryan Lysle Patrike de Malo lacu Philip Marke and VVilliam lord de Cantilupo But the matter was appeased and the king got the castell of Bedford by long siege wherein was William de Breant brother to Foulke About this time died William de longa Spata Earle of Salisburie The yeare folowing Sarancus de malo Leone deliuered Rochell to the French king Also Foulke de Breant was at this time banished England and came to such pouertie that he begged from dore to dore The yeare 1226. Rees Vachan sonne to Rees Gryc did take his father prisoner and would not set him at libertie till he had deliuered him the castell of Lhanymdhyfri At this time died Meredyth archdecon of Caerdigan sonne to prince Rees and was buried by his father at S. Dauids The yeere folowing king Henrie came with a great armie to Wales as farre as Ceri and incamped there vpon the other side prince Lhewelyn called to him all the power of Wales and incamped not farre off and there were diuerse great skirmishes and chieflie vpon one daie the most part of both armies was in the field and a great number slaine of the kings men At which time William de Bruse sonne to Reynald was taken prisoner who offered for his ransome the countrie of Buelht and a great summe of monie beside then there was a peace concluded betweene the king and the Prince wherevpon the Prince came to the king and did honor him but not as his king and lord and euerie partie returned home This historie is somewhat otherwise laid downe by Matthew Paris which I haue thus translated out of the same author About the same time those souldiers which laie in garrison in the castell of Mountgomery went out with some of their neighbours to amend a certeine passage in the high waie leading through a great wood thereby where the Welshmen were woont to rob and slaie such as trauelled that waie and comming to the place with their axes and other weapons began to fell the trées and to cut downe the bushes whereby the waie might be inlarged Which thing when the Welshmen vnderstood they came with a great power and setting vpon their enimies compelled them to take the castell for their defense certeine being slaine on both sides and then casting a trench about the same laid siege vnto it This being quickelie certified vnto Hubert de Burgh chiefe Iustice of England to whom a little before the same castell and honor was giuen the king himselfe with conuenient spéed comming raised the siege and when his whole armie came to him for few soldiours came with him thither he went to the said wood which was verie large being fiue miles in length and by reason of the thicke growth of the same verie hard to be stocked howbeit the king caused the same with great diligence and trauell to be asserted and consumed with fire Then leading his armie further into the countrie he came to an abbeie of white moonks called Cridia being a refuge for the Welshmen to flie vnto which he caused to be burnt to ashes where Hubert de Burgh to whome the place seemed verie fit for fortification hauing the assent of the king caused a castell to be builded But or euer the worke was finished manie were slaine on both sides and William de Bruse a noble warriour who went out to make prouision for the armie was taken by the Welshmen and cast in prison and diuerse other went out for the like purpose whereof one being knighted a few daies before seing some of his felowes in danger and like to be distressed rushed boldlie into the middest of his enimies killing manie about him who in the end with manie other of the kings men was there slaine Manie also of the kings 〈◊〉 soldiours being confederate with prince Lhewelyn did verie faintlie defend his cause with whom they came thither Wherevpon the king wanting necessarie prouision and perceiuing the double dealing of some of his owne men was constrained to conclude a dishonorable peace with the Welshmen giuing his assent that the castell which with so great expenses of men and monie was now almost finished should be rased at his owne charges taking of prince Lhewelyn thrée thousand pounds towards the same The peace being thus confirmed both parties departed homeward So the king of England after that he had bestowed thrée moneths in the building of the said castell and disbursed an infinite summe of monie in vaine leauing William
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 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
most commonlie as in Gwynedh which some old writers call Venedotia for Gwynethia Aberffraw in the Ile of Môn or Anglesey In Deheubarth called in Latine Demetia Caermardhyn from whence it was afterward remooued to Dineuowr eight miles thence In Powys Pengwern called Y Mwythic and in English Sherewsburie from whence it was remooued to Mathraual in Powys land And bicause this historie dooth as well intreate of warres betwixt these three prouinces as betwixt them and the Saxons Normanes and Flemings I thinke it good to set foorth the particular description of euerie part by it selfe And first of Northwales as the cheefest part which he gaue his eldest sonne ordeining that either of the other two should paie him yearelie 200. pound of tribute as it appeareth in the lawes of Howel Dha which are to be had in Welsh and also in Latine Therefore Gwyneth called Northwales had vpon the Northside the sea from the riuer Dee at Basingwerke to Aberdyui and vpon the West and South west the riuer Dyui which diuideth it from Southwales and in some places from Powys land And on the South and East it is diuided from Powys sometimes with mountaines and sometimes with riuers till it come to the riuer Dee againe This land was of old time diuided to foure parts of which the cheefest was Môn in English called Anglesey where the Princes cheefe house was at Aberfraw which is an Iland separated from the maine land with an arme of the sea called Maenai had in it selfe three Cantreds or hundreds which were subdiuided to sixe comots as Cantref Aberfraw to comot Lhion and comot Malhtraeth Cantref Cemais to the comots Talebolion and Twr Celyn Cantref Rossyr to the comots Tindaethwy and Maenai And at this daie there is a trimme towne in that Ile called Beumarish and a common passage to Ireland at Caergybi called in English Holyhead But here I cannot winke at that notable error of Polydor which after his accustomed fashion denieth this Ile to be called Môna but Anglesia or Anglorum insula bicause it is called in English Anglesey and giueth this name Môna to Man and so hath lost the names of both Iles which ignorance and forgetfulnes might be forgiuen him if he had not drawne a great number to this error with him which in their charters doo dailie wrong name these Iles which may be easilie prooued First bicause the inhabitants of the Ile doo know none other name but Môn and it is called through all Wales Tîr Môn that is to saie the land of Môn vnto this day So that neither by memorie of man neither by anie monument in writing in the Brytish â—â—ong can it appeare that euer it had anie other name but Môn yet there be manifest monuments for these 1000. yeares It is also growne to a prouerbe through Wales for the fertilitie of the ground Môn mam Gymry that is to saie Môn mother of Wales The ancient historie of Cornelius Tacitus which belike age had beaten out of Polydors head saith that the soldiours of Paulinus Suetonius and afterward of Iulius Agricola after they had passed through Northwales then came ouer against Môna where they did swim ouer an arme of the sea of 200. pases and so by force wanne the Ile Now whether is it more reasonable thus to swimme ouer 200. pases or 20. miles I know there is no man that beleeueth Polydor in this point let all men therefore by this iudge the rest As for that which he saieth of the great woods it is nothing for both the Romanes and after when the Christian faith tooke place in this realme the Christians did fall and roote them out for the idolatrie and absurd religion which was vsed there that the king of Man sent for timber to Môn read the life of Hugh Earle of Chester which also is euident by the great beeches and other trees found in the earth at these daies His other reason is bicause it is called Anglesey in the English toong so is Lhoyger England and Cambry Wales are those therefore the old names No surelie And what if the inhabitants called it so as they did not had it not a name before the Angles wanne it Yes I warrant you but he had forgotten that Now to the name of Man it was euer or at the least these 1000. yeares named in Brytish Manaw of which commeth the English name Man The inhabitants thereof call it so and no nation about it did euer call it Môn no nor any writer but Polydor which was too yong a godfather to name so old a child For Gildas who wrote aboue 900. yeares passed whose writings Polydor neuer sawe but vntrulie fathers vpon him his owne deuise Giraldus in his description of Ireland to Henrie the second Henrie Huntington doo plainlie call Man in Latine Eubonia adding thereto either Manaw or Man for the better vnderstanding of the name will you beleeue them or Polydor Other arguments there are which I will passe ouer till I haue more leasure and occasion to write of this matter The second part of Northwales was called Aruon which is as much to saie as ouer against Môn and had in it foure Cantreds and ten comots Cantref Aber had in it three comots Y Lhechwedh vchaf Y Lechwedhisaf and Nanconwy Cantref Aruon had two comots Ywch Gwyruai Isgwyruai Cantref Dunodic had two comots Ardudwy and Euionyth Cantref Lhyyn containeth three comots Cymytmayn Tinlhayn and Canologion This is now called Carnaruonshire as Môn is called Anglesey shire and haue the same diuision at this daie In this shire are Snowdon hils called Eryri neither in height fertilitie of the ground wood cattell fish and foule giuing place to the famous Alpes and without controuersie the strongest countrie within Brytaine Here is the towne of Caernarnon called in the old time Caer segonce and there also is Conwey called Caergyffyn And the see of Bangor with diuers other ancient castels and places of memorie and was the last part of Wales that came vnder the dominion of the kings of England It hath on the North the sea and Maenai vpon the East and Southeast the riuer Conwey which diuideth it from Denbighshire although it now passe the riuer in one place by the sea shore And on the Southwest and West it is separated from Merionyth by high mountaines and riuers and other meares The third part of Gwyneth was Merionyth containing three Cantreds and euerie Cantred three comots As Cantref Meyreon hath three comots Talybont Pennal and Ystumaner Cantref Arustly had these Vwchcoed Iscoed and Gwarthrenion Cantref Penlhyn had these Vwchmeloch Ismeloch and Micnaint and this keepeth the said name till this daie but not within the same meres and is full of hils and rocks and hath vpon the North the sea notable at this daie for the great resort and number of people that repaire thither to take herrings It hath vpon the East Aruon and Denbighland vpon the
number of straungers to his succoures which after they had atchiued the enterprise liked so well the countrie that they found occasion to fall out with Iestyn and inhabited the countrie themselues and their heires to this daie The fift part was called Gwent and now in Monmouthshire which had three Cantreds and ten comots as Cantref Gwent which had these comots Y mynyth Iscoed Lhefnydh and Tref y grug Cantref Iscoed these Brynbuga Vwchcoed Y Teirtref and Erging acewyas now in Herefordshire Cantref Coch was the seauenth Cantred of Morganwc which is now in Glocestershire and is called the Forrest of Deane In this part is the ancient citie of Caerlhêon vpon Vsk where was the Archbishops of Wales here are also diuers townes and castels as Chepstowe Glyn Strigul Ros Tyntern vpon the riuer Wy there is also Newport called Y castelh Newydh Vysc called Brynbuga Grosmont Raglan White castell Abergeuenny and manie other This is a faire and a fertile countrie of which likewise the Gentlemen were neuer obedient to their Prince which was the cause of their owne destruction It hath on the West Glamorgan and Brechnockshires vpon the North Herefordshire vpon the East Glocestershire with the riuer Wy and vpon the South and Southeast Seauerne Last of all commeth Brecheinoc now Brechnockeshire which hath three Cantreds and eight comots As Cantref Selef which hath these comots Selef and Trahayern Cantref Canol these Talgarth Ystradyw and Brwynlhys or Eglwys yail. Cantref Mawr these Tir Raulff Lhywel and Cerrig Howel In this part is the towne of Brechnock vpon the meeting of Vsck and Hodni and is called Aberhodni and Hay called Y Gelhy with Talgarth Buelht Lhangors it hath West Caermardhynshire with the riuer Tawy vpon the North Radnorshire with Wy vpon the East Herefordshire and Monmouth vpon the South Glamorgan This for the most part is full of mountaines woods and riuers especiallie Buelht And the lords of this countrie called Bruses with the Mortimers most of all others lords Marchers sometimes by might but oftener by treason haue molested and greeued the Princes of Wales as you shall vnderstand by the historie folowing This land came after the Bruses to the Bohunes Earles of Hereford and so to the Staffords dukes of Buckingham These six shires being subiect to the territorie of Dynevowr with Radnorshire which was belonging to Mathraual are now commonlie called Southwales which countrie is both great and large with manie faire plaines and vallies for corne high mountaines and rocks full of pasture for cattell great and thicke woods with forrests and parks for red deere and fallow cleare and deepe riuers full of fish of which Seauerne is the cheefest which with Wy Reidol spring out of a high mountaine called Pymlhymon in the edge of Caerdiganshire and are called commonlie the three sisters Seauerne runneth full East through Cydewen by the poole and vnder the castell of Shraden to Shrewesburie from whence it turneth Southward and run-to Bridgenorth Bewdley Worcester Glocester and so to the sea by Bristowe The second sister is Gwy in English Wy which tooke hir iourney Southeast by Rayader Gwy to Buelht where Irwon meeteth hir thence to Glasburie and so to Hereford and Monmouth to the sea of Seauerne at Chepstow for so they call Môr Hafren the sea which seuereth Wales from Somersetshire Deuonshire and Cornwale The third sister named Reidol ranne Northward to the sea being not farre off at Aberystwyth There be other faire riuers as Vsk which rising in a high mountaine called Y Mynydh duy in the Southwest part of Brechnockshire runneth to Brechnocke and so through Monmouthshire to the towne of Vsk Caerlhêon and Newport and so to the said South sea Tywy also rising not farre from Wy runneth South to Lhanymdhyfri and thence Southwest by Lhandeilo and Dinevowr to Abergwily and Caermardhyn and so by Lhanstephan to the sea Teivi likewise which riseth in the edge of Caermardhyn-shire runneth Northwest by Emlyn Cilgerran Caerdigan and so to the North sea In Teiui aboue all the riuers in Wales were in Giraldus time a great number of Castors which may be englished Beuers and are called in Welsh Auanc which name onelie remaineth in Wales at this daie but what it is very few can tell It is a beast not much vnlike an Otter but that it is bigger all hearie sauing the taile which is like a fish taile as broad as a mans head This beast vseth as well the water as the land and hath verie sharpe teeth and biteth cruellie till he perceiue the bones cracke his stones be of great efficacie in physicke He that will learne what strong nests they make which Giraldus calleth castels which they build vpon the face of the water with great bowes which they cut with their teeth and how some lie vpon their backs holding the wood with the forefeet which the other draweth with a crosse sticke the which he holdeth in his mouth to the water side and other particularities of their natures let him read Giraldus in his Topographie of Wales There be besides these a great number of riuers of which some run to the South and some to the West and Northsea as Tywy in Glamorganshire Tafalso in Caermardhynshire which runneth to Cledheu two riuers either called Cledheu which doo giue Mylford the name of Aberdavgledhev in Penbrookshire Arth Aeron and Ystwyth in Caerdigan There be also diuers lordships which be added to other shires and were taken heretofore for parts of Wales and in most part of them at this daie the Welsh language is spoken as Oswestre Knocking Whittington Elsmer Masbrocke Chirburie Caurs Clynn which are now in Shropshire Ewyas Lacy Ewyas Haroald Clifford Winsorton Yardley Huntyngdon Whytney Loghardneys in Herefordshire Also this countrie of Southwales as all the rest of Brytaine was first inhabited by the Brytains which remaine there to this daie sauing that in diuers places speciallie alongst the sea shore they haue beene mingled with Saxons Normans which the Welsh historie calleth Frenchmen and Flemings so that the Princes of Wales sith the conquest of the Normans could neuer keepe quiet possession thereof but what for strangers and what for disloyaltie of their owne people vexation and war were for the most part compelled to keepe themselues in Caermardhynshire This shall suffice for the description of the countrie and therefore let vs now proceed to the Brytish copie Cadwalader The beginning of the Principalitie and gouernement of VVales Little Brytaine is a countrie in France called in Caesars time Armorica and after inhabited by Brytaines who about the yeare of Christ 384. vnder the conduct of Conan Lord of Meriadoc now Denbighland went out of this Ile with Maximus the tyrant to his aid against the Emperour Gratianus and winning the said countrie of Armorica which Maximus gaue Conan his people slue and draue out all the old inhabitants thereof planting themselues in the same where they to this daie speake the Brytish
to Brytaine Armorike where they remaine to this daie and gaue Lhoegria now England to the Saxons And albeit that Caduan Cadwalhon Cadwalader were sithence intituled Kings of all Brytaine yet they could neuer recouer againe the quiet possession of the whole Iland afterwards After the departure of Cadwalader out of the land the Brytaines were gouerned within the countrie of Wales or Cambria by those men whereof this historie following doth intreate which were commonlie called Kings of such prouinces and countries as they possessed vntill the time of Owen Gwyneth who being in the daies of King Stephen and Henrie the second was the first that named himselfe Prince of Wales and so the rest after him kept that title and stile and yet neuertheles they are sometimes called Princes before him and Kings after him as I haue obserued by diuers charters and old records which I haue séene in the Tower of London and else-where Howbeit this author calleth the chiefest of them Kings till the time of the said Owen and sithence Princes IVOR IVOR the sonne of Alan Wherevpon Kentwinus King of Westsex gathered a great number of Saxons and Angles together and came against the Brytaines which were readie to abide the battell and as the armies were both in sight they were not verie desirous to fight but fell to a composition and agreement that Iuor should take Ethelburga to wife which was cousen to Kentwyn and quietlie enioie all that he had during the reigne of Iuor This Iuor is he whom the English Chronicles do call Iue or Iew King of West Saxons that reigned after Cedwall and they saie that he was a Saxon for Kentwyn reigned but fiue yeares after Iuors comming to England and after him his nephew Cedwall who after he had reigned ouer the West Saxons two yeares went to Rome and left his kingdome to Iue his cousen This Iue or Iuor whome the Brytaines call the sonne of Alan and the Saxons the sonne of Kenred being King of the Saxons and Brytaines which inhabited the west partes of England after manie victories atchieued against the Kings of Kent Southsex and Mertia left his kingdome to Adelred or as some call him Adelerdus his cousen and tooke his iournie to Rome where he made a godly end about the yeare of our Lord 720. Of Cadwalader Cedwall and Iuor there be diuers opinions Some hold that Cadwalader and Cedwall are the selfesame man and that the Saxon writers call him Cedwall whome the Brytaines do name Cadwalader who as the Brytish Chronicles do affirme after his foresaid vision did resigne all his right title and interest in great Brytaine to the said Alan king of Brytaine Armorike and so despairing that either he or his should euer haue anie thing to doo there leauing his sonne Edwal Ywrch and his people to the ordering of his cousen Alan went to Rome But this opinion séemeth to varie from the assertion of Bernardus Guidonius But certainelie in mine opinion it is more probable that this Cedwall was Edwal the sonne of Cadwalader for the name Edoal which in the ancient Brytish copie is written Etoal may well agrée with that which Guidonius writeth and an easie matter it were especiallie in proper names for the C. capitall to créepe in which is almost all one with that character which the Lawyers do call a paraph and is vsed commonlie in all old text hands at the beginning of periods or sections Of this matter thus writeth Guidonius In suo pontificali Catalogo sub Sergio primo Per idem tempus Ethoal rex Brytonum cùm per decem annos multis regulis obuiasset plura mala illis irrogasset tandem ipsis in pacem deuenientibus super occidentales Saxones regnauit annis duobus Videns autem Brytanniam multis miserijs contritam regnum spreuit terrenum propter aeternum Romam veniens paucis diebus transactis migrauit ad Christum Et paulo post Hic ex toto illud regnum antiquissimum Brytonum corruit quod omnibus ferè regnis diuturnius fuit A tempore Heli Sacerdotis vsque ad hoc tempus per annos 1825. Rob. Caenalis lib. 2. per. 2. That is At the same time Ethoal King of the Brytaines when he had by the space of ten yeares warred with diuers Kings and often put them to the woorse at length growing to an agréement with them he reigned ouer the West Saxons two yeares and then perceiuing Brytaine to be ouerworne with miseries preferring the heauenlie kingdome before the earthlie came to Rome and within few daies died and in him ended wholie that ancient kingdome of the Brytaines which continued in a maner longer than anie other from Helie the priest to this time by the space of 1825. yeares Further it is not like that Iuor comming to the aid of Edwal his cousen would euer séeke the kingdome to himselfe and defeate the right heire but verie well it may be if this Iuor be that man whome the Saxon writers call Inas or Iue after these Brytaines had arriued in the south part of this realme and fought diuers times with the Saxon kings and continued in Cornewall Deuonshire and Somersetshire by the space of two yeares that they should afterwards méet Centwyn in the field and so fall to an agréement that Iuor taking Ethelburga the cousen of Centwyn to wife should enioie the kingdome of the West Saxons after Centwyn and that therevpon Edwal resigning his title and interest to Iuor departed to Rome and so died as Guidonius saith All this notwithstanding it séemeth by the report of other writers of verie good account that Inas or Iue king of the West Saxons whose lawes are extant in print set out by maister William Lamberd Esquier a woorthie searcher and preseruer of the antiquities of this land was not a Brytaine but a Saxon who had warre against the Brytaines diuers times and vanquished them Matth. West reporteth that Inas or Iue fought with Gerent King of the Brytaines I haue an ancient booke written as Iohn Leland thinketh by Iohn Castoreus or Beuer sometimes Monke of Westminster who liued in the time of Edward the third which reporteth the historie of Inas in this sort About the yeare of grace 689. Iuor and Henyr sonnes of the daughter of Cadwalader sometime King of Brytaine came ouer from Ireland and taking to their aid the two Kings of Wales destroied the prouince of Chester and sent messengers to the Saxon Kings commanding them to restore againe to the Brytaines the countrie of Lhoyger out of the which they had wrongfullie expelled their parents and ancesters adding that if they would not so doo within fiftéene daies they should not enioie it anie longer The which message Inas the noble King of Westsex signified vnto all the other Saxon Kings who soone met together in Mount Campeden to whom Sibertus King of Essex spake thus Deare frends and companions let vs
writers is that the Brytish kingdome ended in Cadwalader after whom the Brytaines had nothing to doo beyond Seuerne being constrained to kéepe themselues within the countries of Cambria and Cornubia It is also written by diuers that Iuor and Ynyr at their first arriuing in Brytaine were repelled by the Saxons and driuen to Wales where Iuor ruled as Prince manie yeares whome this Roderi or Roderike the sonne of Edwal the sonne of Cadwalader succéeded When Roderike king of the Brytains had reigned about 30. yeares he died the yeare 750. leauing two sons after him Conan Tindaythwy Howel Conan Tindaethwy Conan Tindaethwy the sonne of Roderike I reade that this Hylda which was the néece of Edwine King of Northumberland brought vp by Pauline and Aedan in a publike synode did withstand Wilfride and other superstitious moonks in these toies and trifles all edging for hir out of Polycrates the fact of Irenaeus who withstood Victor Bishop of Rome in that behalfe and the custome of the church of Asia obserued by S. Iohn the Euangelist Philip the Apostle Polycarpus and Melito and taught in this Iland of Brytaine by Ioseph of Arimathea who first preached the Gospell in the same In the yeare 763. was Offa made King of Mercia and Brichtrich King of West Saxons In the which yeare died Fermael the sonne of Edwal and the yeare following Cemoyd the King of the Pictes The yeare 776. the men of Southwales destroied a great part of Mercia with fire and sword And the summer following all the Welshmen gathered themselues togither and entred the Kingdome of Mercia and did much hurt there The Saxons which bordered vpon the countrie of Cambria or Wales did dailie incroch so vpon the lands of the Welshmen beyond Seauerne that they had gotten much of the same into their hands especiallie toward the south part of the countrie Wherefore the VVelshmen put themselues in armour and set vpon the Saxons and chased them ouer Seauerne againe and then returned home with a great prey and thus they did oftentimes killing and destroieng all before them and alwaies bringing home with them much cattell which thing caused Offa to conclude a peace with the other Saxon Kings and to bend his whole force against the Welshmen Wherevpon Offa King of Mercia caused a great ditch to be made large and deepe from sea to sea betwixt his kingdome and Wales whereby hee might the better defend his countrie from the incursions of the Welshmen And this ditch is to be seene in manie places as yet and is called Clawdh Offa which is Offas ditch at this daie King Offa calling to his aid the other Saxon Kings gathered a huge armie and came ouer Seauerne into Wales vpon whose comming the VVelshmen being not able to encounter with such a multitude of armed souldiers left the plaine and euen countrie by Seauerne side and the land betwéene it and the riuer VVye and withdrew themselues to the mountaines and rockes where they might be most in safetie vntill the enimies were auoided out of the countrie yet neuerthelesse continuallie they made diuers inuasions by stealth into the land of Mercia alwaies returned with aduantage so that the Saxons by keeping themselues encamped could doo no good for they durst not pursue the VVelshmen to the mountaines and woods for feare of intrapping by such as kept the streights and passages When Offa perceiued that by open warre he could do no good he expelled all the Welshmen out of the plaine and euen countrie betwéene Seauerne and Wye and planted Saxons in the same and annexing it to his owne kingdome of Mercia caused this great famous ditch whereof mention is in this place to be made to saue his people from the inuasions of the Welshmen Whervpon the seate of the Kings of Powys was translated from Pengwern now called Salop to Mathrual where it continued long after In the yeare 795. the Danes came first into England and sixe yeares after they came againe destroied a great part of Lindsey and Northumberland and ouerran the most part of Ireland and destroied Rechreyn Also about the same time there was a battell fought at Ruthlan betweene the Saxons and the Welshmen where Caradoc King of Northwales was slaine This Caradoc was the son of Gwyn the sonne of Colhoyn the sonne of Ednowen the sonne of Blethyn the sonne of Blecius or Bledricus prince of Cornewall and Deuonshire Also this yeare died Offa King of Mercia and Egfert his sonne reigned in his stead In the yeare of our Lord 800. Egbertus was made King of Westsex and Kenulphus the yeare following treated King of Mercia Arthen also the sonne of Sitsylht the sonne of Clydawc King of Caerdigan died the same yeare Likewise Run King of Dyuet and Cadelh King of Powys died in the yeare 808. This was a troublesome time and as yet no staied gouernement established in Wales and therefore such as were cheefe lords in anie countrie are heere called kings The next yeare after died Elbodius Archbishop of Northwales before whose death the sunne was sore eclipsed In the yeare 810. was the moone eclipsed vpon Christmas daie The same yeare S. Dauids was burnt by the West Saxons There was also a generall morreine and death of cattell throughout all Wales The next yeare insuing Owen the sonne of Meredyth the sonne of Terudos died and the Castell of Degaunwy was destroied with thunder Conan prince of Wales and his brother Howel could not agree insomuch that they tried the matter by battell wherein Howel had the victorie This Howel the brother of Conan King or Prince of Northwales did claime the Ile of Môn or Anglesey for part of his fathers inheritance which Conan refused to giue him and therevpon they fell at variance and consequentlie to make warre the one against the other which is vnnaturall amongst brethren Héere I thinke it fit to saie somewhat of the custome and tenure of Wales whereof this mischiefe grew that is the diuision of the fathers inheritance amongst all the sonnes commonlie called Gauel kinde Gauel is a Brytishe tearme signifieng a hold because euerie one of the sonnes did hold some portion of his fathers lands as his lawfull sonne and successour This was the cause not onlie of the ouerthrow of all the ancient nobilitie of VVales for by that meanes the inheritance being continuallie diuided and subdiuided amongst the children and the childrens children c. was at length brought to nothing but also of much bloudshead and vnnaturall strife and contention amongst brethren as we haue héere an example and manie other in this historie This kind of partition is verie good to plant and settle anie nation in a large countrie not inhabited but in a populous countrie alreadie furnished with inhabitants it is the verie decaie of great families and as I said before the cause of strife and debate And the next yeare there was much hurt done by thunder and in
The sixt yeare of Ethelred came another host of Danes through VVestsex and to Reding with Basrecke and Alding and fought fiue battels with Ethelred and Alfred his brother in two of the which the Danes were ouercome at Henglefild Estondowne and in the three other the Englishmen were ouerthrowne at Reding Basing Mereton The yeare 871. King Ethelred died Alfred his brother reigned in his stead Alfred assoone as he had taken the kingdome vpon him considering with himselfe what a heauie burthen he did sustaine inquired after the wisest and the best learned men that he could heare of that he might be directed by them whome he worthilie intertained vsing their aduise as well in the publike gouernment of the common welth as in his priuate studies and conference of learning He sent for two famous learned men out of Wales the one named Iohn De Erigena sirnamed also Scotus borne at Meneuia or S. Dauids brought vp in that colledge who hauing for learning sake trauelled to Athens and bestowed there manie yéeres in the studie of the Gréeke Hebrue and Chaldie toongs and the secret mysteries of Philosophie came from thence to France where he was well accepted with Carolus Calnus and Ludouicus Balbus and there translated the works of Dionysius Areopagita De coelesti hierarchia out of the Gréeke into the Latine toong and at the last being returned home to Wales was sent for by this King Alfred who then founded and erected the vniuersitie of Oxford was the first that professed learning and read publikelie in the said Uniuersitie The other was Asserius or Asser of whom I shall haue occasion to speake hereafter He would not suffer anie to beare office in his court but such as were learned exhorting all men generallie to embrace and honour learning and learned men Alfred in the first yeare of his reigne fought two battels with the Danes vpon the south side of Thames and slue of them one King and nine Earles About this yeare died Gwgan King of Caerdigan This was that noble Gwgan ap Mevric ap Dunwal ap Arthen ap Sitsylht King or prince of Caerdigan who as some Brytish bookes haue was at this time drowned by misfortune At this time the Danes destroied the towne of Alclyde and wan London and Reding and all the inland and kingdome of Mercia And one King or leader of them tooke the countrie of Northumberland and he and his people did much trouble the Pictes Likewise the yeare following three Kings of the Danes went from Cambridge to VVarham in Dorcetshire and Alfred would haue giuen them battell but the Danes desired peace and foresware England which they neuer did before and the same night their horsemen tooke their iournie toward Excester and their footemen which went to the sea were all drowned at Sandwitch When the Danes had thus abiured England they bent their force against VVales and entred the Ile of môn with a great armie in the yeare of Christ 873. where Roderike gaue them two battels one at a place called Bangole and another at a place called Menegid in Anglesey I find also that about this time Halden and Hungare two Captaines of the Danes arriued in Southwales and ouerran the whole countrie destroieng all before them with fire and sword neither sparing churches nor religious houses but within a while after they receiued their deserued reward at the hands of the West Saxons who méeting with them on the coast of Deuonshire slew both Halden and Hungare with 1200. of their people At this time Eneon Bishop of Meneuia or S. Dauids died and Hubert was installed in his place And within two yeares after Dungarth king of Cornewall was drowned by a mischance In the yeare 876. the Englishmen entred into Anglesey and fought with the VVelshmen a sore battell who in the yeare following slue Roderike king or prince of VVales and Gwyriad his brother or as some saie his son This Roderike had by his wife Enghârad the daughter of Meyric the son of Dyfnwal or Dunwal the son of Arthen ap Sitsylht diuers sonnes as Anarawd his eldest sonne to whome he gaue Aberfraw with Northwales Cadelh the second son who had Dinevwr with Southwales and also tooke Mathraual and Powys land by force from his brethren after the death of Mervyn the third sonne to whome his father had giuen the same Roderike the Great is counted of all writers to be the vndoubted owner and possessor of all Wales Venedotia or Northwales descended vnto him from his mother Esylht the daughter and sole heire of Conan Tindaethwy as is euident by this historie Demetia or Southwales as some doo affirme came to him by his wife the daughter heire of Meyricap Dyfnwal ap Arthen ap Sitsylht king of Caerdigan hir brethren who are thought to be illegitimate holding of hir husband Powys he had by Nest the sister and heire of Congen ap Cadelh King of Powys which was his fathers mother These thrée dominions he appointed vnder their meares and bounds with a princelie house in euerie of them which he named Y tair Talaeth and left the same vnto thrée of his sonnes Anarawd Cadelh and Mervyn which were called Y tri twysoc Talaethioc that is The thrée crowned princes because euerie of them did weare vpon his bonet or helmet a coronet of gold being a broade lace or headband indented vpward set and wrought with pretious stones which in the Brytish or Welsh speach is called Talaeth and so to this daie nurses doo name that broade headband wherewith a childs head is bound vppermost vpon some other linen cloathes Talaeth Aberffraw was the chiefe house of the prince of Gwyneth whose dominion was therfore called Talaeth Aberffraw Dinevowr the princelie house of Dehevbarth whereof that part is named Talaeth Dinevowr and in like maner Talaeth Mathraval is so called of the princelie seate of Powys called Mathraval Giraldus Cambrensis in his booke intituled Descriptio Cambriae is of opinion that Mervyn was the eldest sonne of Roderike to whome Venedotia was giuen and was the father of Anandhrec which was the father of Meyric which was the father of Edwal which was the father of Iago c and that Anarawd had Powys and died without issue But the common opinion of all other writers is to the contrarie agréeable to that which this Author affirmeth Roderike had also Roderike Meyric Edwal or Tudwal Gwyriad and Gathelic of whome you shall heare in the historie following ANARAWD Anarawd the sonne of Roderike Other kingdomes and countries of Europe were disquieted with this persecution of the Danes as well as England For of this Hasting it is written that laieng séege to the citie of Limogis in France and despairing of the spéedie winning of the same hée deuised this traine to get it He fained himselfe to be dangerouslie sicke and sent to the Bishop and the Consul of the same citie desiring them most instantlie
that he might be admitted to the christian faith and be baptised before his departure out of this world The Bishop and the Consul suspecting no guile were verie glad not onlie to be deliuered from the present trouble but also to winne such a woorthie man to the congregation of Christ. Wherevpon firme peace being made betwéene both nations Hasting is baptised the Bishop and the Consul being his Godfathers which thing being done he was caried by the souldiours to his ships in verie weake case as he outwardlie pretended About midnight he caused himselfe being armed in his complet harnesse to be laid vpon a béere commanding his souldiours to be armed and to carie their weapons with them vnder their vpper garments and so to be readie when he should giue them a signe The daie following all things being in a readines he was brought solemnelie by his people with great clamor and counterfet moorning to be interred in the chiefe church of the citie where the Bishop and the Consul accompanied with all the worship of the same citie came to honor the buriall but as soone as the Bishop had made himselfe readie to burie the corpse most of all the townes men being in the church Hasting stepped vp all armed with his sword drawne and first killed the Bishop and the Consul and then fell with his armed souldiours vpon the naked people and destroied them in a maner euerie one putting all to the sword neither sparing age sexe or infirmitie And when he had sacked the towne he sent messengers to Charles the French King for peace which he obteined and withall the citie of Charters towards his charges to be quiet About this time Evneth the sonne of Bledryd a Baron of Wales died And the yeare 893. Anarawd King or prince pf Northwales came with a great number of Englishmen and made war against his brother Cadelh and spoiled the countries of Caerdigan and Ystradgwy In those daies the Danes beseeged Excester against whome when Alfred went they which were at Auldre passed ouer to Essex and builded a Castell at Scobrith and from thence tooke their iournie to Budington vpon Seauerne And when Alfred came to Excester the Danes fled to the sea and spoiled the seacoasts of Wales And they which were in Budington hearing of the kings comming fled backe to their Castell in Essex Another companie of them came to Leycester where Alfred did beseege them till they were driuen to eate their owne horsses Afterwards the yeare 895. the Danes that were in Leycester with all the rest of them which were in Northumberland passed by the North seas to Meresige an Ile in Essex and the yeare following they entred the riuer Lyne with the Thames and there builded a Castell twentie miles from London and as they came to spoile the countrie they were ouerthrown and lost foure of their princes and fled to the Castell Then Alfred diuided the riuer into three parts so that the water was so diminished that their ships could not returne to the sea which thing when the Danes saw they left their wiues and children in Essex and passed spoiling the land to Quadbryge vpon Seauerne and so passed the riuer and spoiled the countries of Brecknocke Gwentland Gwentlhwg Also this yeare went a great number of them to France by the riuer Seyn and another companie of them spoiled the coastes of Deuonshire where they lost sixe ships after a long conflict The summer following the countrie of Ireland was destroied with strange woormes hauing twoo teeth which consumed all that was greene in the land These seeme to be Locusts a rare plague in these countries but often seene in Afrike Italie and other hot regions About the yeare 900. Igmond with a great number of souldiours came to Anglesey and the Welshmen gaue him battell at Molerain There be some Brytish copies of this historie which affirme that this battell betwéene Igmond captaine of the blacke nations and the Brytaines wherein Mervyn was slaine was fought at a place called Meilon of the which it was called Maes Rhos Meilon The same yeare died Alfred which some call Alured making v a vowell which should be a consonant This prince translated the ancient lawes of Dyfnwal Moelmut king of Brytaine and the laws of Marsia Queene of Brytaine and wife to Cyhelin out of Brytish into English and called it Marsian law which law was afterward called Westsaxon lex and kept in a part of Mercia and in all the countries on the south of Thames for the other part of the land had another law called Dane lex and these remained till Edward the Confessors time who of these two lawes made one Also this Alfred did diuide the daie in three parts by a taper which burnt continuallie in his chappell and endured iust 24. houres The first part of that time he bestowed at his booke and in praier the second in the affaires of the common wealth and the third part to take his rest and refresh himselfe after whose death a certaine clearke made his Epitaph as heere followeth Nobilitas innata tibi probitatis honorem Armipotens Alfrede dedit probitásque laborem Perpetuúmque labor nomen cui mixta dolori Gaudia semper erant spes semper mixta timori Si modò victor eras ad crastina bella pauebas Si modò victus eras crastina bella parabas Cui vestes sudore iugi cui sica cruore Tincta iugi quantum sit onus regnare probarunt Non fuit immensi quisquam per climata mundi Cui tot in aduersis vel respirare liceret Nec tamen aut ferro contritus ponere ferrum Aut gladio potuit vitae finisse labores I am post transactos regni vitaeque labores Christus ei fit vera quies sceptrúmque perenne After Alfred reigned Edward his sonne against whome Adelwulph his brother made cruell war who flieng to Northumberland stirred the Danes against him He was chosen King as well of the Danes as of the Angles which at that time had growne to be one people and after he subdued the East Saxons and with a great armie spoiled Mercia and passing ouer Thames at Crickland destroied Brythend and returned home with great spoile At this time Evneth was slaine in Arwystli King Edward also pursued his brother and ouerran all the land betwixt Ouse and the dike of S. Edmund and returned backe with all his armie sauing the Kentishmen which taried to spoile against whom the Danes came and fought a sore battell and slue a great number of them and put the rest to flight The Danes about the yeare 905. entred into Ireland and fought with the Irishmen and slue Carmot King and Bishop of all Ireland and the sonne of Cukeman a man both godlie and religious and Kyrnalt sonne of Murgan King of Lagines About a yeare after died Asser Archbishop of Wales There were two of this name at the same time both
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
matter and he putting all the fault in his son excused himselfe as well as he could Then said the king to Cadogan Seeing thou canst not keepe thine owne but that thy son and thy companions shalbe receiued and succored therein in disorder I will giue it one that will keepe them out I will keepe thee at my charges all thy life charging thee vpon thine allegeance that thou enter not within Wales vntill such time as I haue taken further order And so the king gaue him twentie daies and set him at libertie to go whither he would sauing to Wales When Owen and Madoc heard this they departed to Ireland Then the king foorthwith sent for Gilbert sirnamed Strangbow Earle of Strygill which was a noble valiant and a woorthie knight to whom he said thus Thou hast beene diuerse times a suter to me to haue some lands in Wales and now I giue thee all the lands and inheritance of Cadogan ap Blethyn win it and take it Gilbert receiued it ioifullie and thanked the king and gathered all the power he might landed in Caerdigan shire and brought the countrie to his subiection without anie contradiction Then he builded two faire castels there one towards Northwales vppon the riuer Ystwyth at the sea shore a mile from Lhanbadarn another towards Dyuet vpon the riuer Teiui at a place called Dyngerant where Roger Mountgomery had begonne a castell before time And shortlie after Madoc ap Riryd returned from Ireland because he could not well awaie with the maners and conditions of the Irishmen and being arriued came to the countrie of his vncle Iorwerth who hearing that and fearing to lose his lands as his brother Cadogan had doone made proclamation that no man should dee for him but take him for his enimie Which when Madoc vnderstood he gathered to him a number of vnthrifts and outlawes and kept himselfe in the rockes and woods deuising all the meanes he could to be reuenged vpon Iorwerth for that vnkindnes and discourtesie as he tooke it and so entred freendship priuily with Lhywarch ap Trahaern who hated Iorwerth to the death Then hauing knowledge that Iorwerth laie one night at Caereneon they two gathered all their strength came about the house at midnight then Iorwerth his men awoke and defended the house manfullie vntill their foes set the same on fire which when Iorwerths men saw euerie one shifted for himselfe so that some scaped through the fire and the rest were either burnt or slaine or both Then Iorwerth himselfe seeing no remedie aduentured rather to be slaine than burned and came out but his enimies receiued him vpon sharpe speares and ouerthrew him in the fire and so he died a cruell death As soone as the king vnderstood this he called Cadogan before him gaue him his brothers land which was Powys and promised Owen his pardon willing his father to send for him to Ireland About this time king Henrie preferred his base sonne Robert to the marriage of Mabil daughter and sole heire of Robert Fitzhamon Lord of Glamorgan in whose right the said Robert was Lord of Glamorgan and was also at the same time by his said father created Earle of Glocester he builded the castell of Cardyff Now when Madoc saw his other vncle Cadogan rule the countrie he hid himselfe in rough and desert places and adding one mischiefe vpon another determined also to murther him by one waie or other Therefore after that Cadogan had brought the countrie to some staie of quietnesse and saw right and iustice ministred therein hauing euer an eie respect to the king he came to the Trallwng now called the Poole and the elders of the countrie with him and minding to dwell there began to build a castell Then Madoc pretending nothing but mischiefe hearing this came suddenlie vpon him Cadogan thinking no hurt was slaine before he could either fight or flee After this Madoc sent streight to the bishop of London the kings lieutenant at Shrewesburie praied him to remember what he had promised him before time when he chased Owen out of the land for the bishop hated Owen and Cadogan and gaue Madoc all such lands as his brother Ithel was possessed of Now Meredyth the sonne of Blethyn hearing of the death of both his brethren sped himself to the king desiring of him the lands of Iorwerth which Cadogan had latelie obteined and the king gaue him the rule thereof till such time as Owen sonne to Cadogan was come from Ireland who came shortlie after and went to the king who receiued him to his peace and gaue him his lands Wherevpon Owen promised to the king a great fine and gaue pledges for paiement of the same Likewise Madoc did fine to the king for his peace and lands neuerthelesse the king bad him take heede of the kinsfolkes of such as he had murthered vpon his owne perill In the yeare 1111. Robert de Belesmo was taken by the king in Normandie and committed to perpetuall prison in Warham too gentle a punishment for so cruell and bloodthirstie a man as hee was for all his delite was therin in so much that he put out both the eies of his owne child with his thumbes for a pastime as the boy plaied vnder his gowne The yeare after Meredyth ap Blethyn sent a number of his men to make a road into the countrie of Lhywarch ap Trahaern ap Gwyn who was Meredythes and Owens enimie as he that succoured Madoc to kill his vncles Iorwerth and Cadogan Meredyths brethren These men as they passed through the countrie of Madoc in the night they met with a man which belonged to the said Madoc whome they tooke and examined him where his maister was and he first said that he could not tell but being put in feare of death he confessed that he was not far from thence Therefore they laie quietlie there all the night and in the dawning they came suddenlie upon Madoc and his men where they slew a great number of them and taking Madoc prisoner they brought him to their Lord who was right glad thereof and put him in safe prison till he had sent word to his Nephew Owen who came thither streight then Meredyth deliuered Madoc vnto him And albeit he had slaine Owens father being his owne vncle yet Owen remembring the freendship and oth that had beene betwixt them two in times past would not put him to death but putting out his eies let him go Then Meredyth Owen diuided his lands betwixt them which was Caereneon Aberhiw and the third part of Devthwr The yeare following king Henrie prepared an armie against Wales being thereto prouoked by such as would haue the Welshmens lands that was Gilbert Strangbow Earle of Strygill to whom the king had giuen Caerdigan who made sore complaints vpon Owen ap Cadogan declaring that he receiued and maintained such as robbed and spoiled in his countrie Also Hugh Earle of Chester said no
Stratywy in Southwales where he was compelled for safegard of his owne life to rebell against the king and so gathering all the power he could to him made warre against the Flemings and Normanes The next yeare after to wit 1116. Gruffyth ap Rees did gather his power togither and laid siege to a castell that was ouer against Arberth and wan the same made it plaine with the ground then he came before the castell of Richard de Pwns at Lhanymdhyfry to whom the king had giuen the Cautref Bychan and would haue burnt it but Meredyth ap Rytherch ap Caradoc lieutenant of the same and the garrison defended it manfullie yet Gruffyth burnt the vtterward and slew manie of the garrison and likewise lost manie of his owne men and so returned without profit From thence he went to Abertawy and laid siege to the castell which Henrie Beumount Earle of Warwicke had built and likewise burned the vtterward and the court house destroied the countrie to Stratywy Then a great number of wild yoong men drew to the said Gruffyth from euerie place so that he began to waxe strong and made roads into Ros and Dyuet spoiling and robbing all the countrie Wherefore the Normanes and Flemings consulted how to remedie that mischiefe and called to them all such as were the kings freends and lords in the countrie as Owen ap Rytherch and Rytherch ap Theodor and his sonnes Meredyth Owen whose mother was Heynyth the daughter of Blethyn ap Convyn and Owen ap Caradoc whose mother was Gwenlhian another daughter of Blethyn ap Convyn and Meredyth ap Rytherch and asked whether they were true and faithfull to the king of England and they said they were If you be said they you must keepe and defend the kings castel of Carmarthyn and that after this maner first Owen ap Caradoc shall keepe it a fortnight and Rytherch ap Theodor and his sonnes another fortnight and so by course which they were content to doo Then Owen tooke vpon him the keeping of the castell and the castell of Robert Courtmaine in Abercomyn or Abercorran was committed to Blethyn ap Gadivor Shortlie after Gruffyth ap Rees sent spies to vnderstand the estate of Caermarthyn and the castell who vewed it brought him good tidings therefore he came with his power suddenlie vpon the towne and gaue a great shout and Owen ap Caradoc which kept it ranne to the place where the shout was giuen thinking that his men would haue followed him but the most part of them fled and so Owen was staine fighting manfullie and the towne wonne and destroied all saue the castell which was sore defaced So Gruffyth returned to his accustomed place with great spoile and bootie wherevpon a great number of lustie yoong men drew vnto him and serued him thinking that all was his After that he went to Gwyr and wan a castell and burnt it Then William de Londres forsooke his castell and fled with his men but Gruffyth destroied the castell and caried awaie all the cattell and spoile of the countrie and when the men of Caerdigan heard this they sent for Gruffyth choosing him rather to be their head and ruler being their coosen and countrie man than anie other Wherfore he went thither vnto them and was well receiued of Cadiuor ap Grono and Howel ap Dinerth and Trahaern ap Ithel who had forsaken Dyuet left it full of Normans Flemings and Englishmen There were also manie strangers in Caerdigan which ruled that countrie but yet the people hated them not forgetting the wrongs that they had receiued at their hands Notwithstanding Henrie king of England had brought all that countrie to his subiection some by force some by vanishment and some by gifts rewards Whereat Gruffyth was nothing dismaid but boldlie came to Caerdigan Iscoed and laid siege to a strong hold which Earle Gilbert the Flemings builded at Blaen Porth Gwithan Where after long fight diuerse assaults with the slaughter of diuerse within and but one of his men they burned the towne and brought the countrie to subiection Then all the strangers fled awaie and left their houses which the Welshmen burned and destroied all to Penwedic Then they assaulted the castell in Stradpythylh which belonged to Raphe Erle Gilberts steward and got it and slew the men that were within And from thence they camped at Glasgryg a mile from Lhanbadarn where they did wrong to the church for they tooke out some of the cattell to vittaile themselues that were within the compas of the Sanctuarie then they purposed to laie siege to the castell of Aberystwyth the daie folowing Which being declared to Raphe steward he sent priuilie to the castell of Stratmeyric which Gilbert had built for succour which he conueied frō thence by night The daie folowing Gruffyth came towards the castell out of order fearing nothing and did not vnderstand what number of men was within the castell and so stood vpon a hill the riuer being betwixt him and the castell with a bridge to passe ouer where he and his men staied and consulted concerning the making of engines to assault it vntill it was the euening at which time the Normanes seeing their disorder sent archers to the riuer side to skirmish with them to intice the Welshmen to the bridge that the armed horsemen might suddenlie issue out and set vpon the naked footmen Then the Welshmen approched neare to the bridge and skirmished with them suddenlie issue foorth one horseman and would haue passed the bridge but his horse was wounded with a pike and began to faile as he returned to the footemen he fell of his horse and the Welshmen pursued him ouer the bridge When the Englishmen sawe that they fled towards the castell and the Welshmen folowed to the hill top and suddenlie the ambush of horsemen that laie vnder the hill thrust betwixt them that had passed ouer the bridge and they that fled turned backe with more strength and so the Welshmen were compassed on either side and the bridge so kept that no rescue could come to them where they were slaine for the most part all being all naked men Then the rest seeing the great number of the men armed which they looked not for turned backe and departed the countrie Now when the king heard of all these slaughters and spoiles he sent for Owen ap Cadogan to him to whom when he came the king said Owen I haue found thee true and faithfull vnto me therefore I desire thee to take or kill that murtherer Gruffyth ap Rees that doth so trouble my louing subiects I assure thee my cheefe trust is in thee and in Lhywarch ap Trahaern who shall go with thee and you two shall waite vpon my sonne Robert whom I will send shortlie against that traitour with an armie And looke how thou seruest me at this time so will I recompense thee without faile Then Owen being wonderfull glad that
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
king Therefore the king sent for him to come to his court to conclude a peace before the power of England Wales were sent for him wherevpon Rees after consultation came to the king and an order was taken that Rees should enioy the Cantref Mawr as it should please the king so that his land should be whole togither and not in diuerse places and shires but the king did contrarie to his promise appointing Rees lands in diuerse places and lordships intermingled with other mens lands Which deceit although Rees perceiued well inough yet he receiued it peece-meale as it was and liued quietlie vntill Roger Earle of Clare hearing this came to the king and desired his highnesse to giue him such lands in Wales as he could win which the king granted Then he came with a great armie to Caerdigan first he fortified the castell of Stratmeyric and afterwards the castell of Humfrey of Dyuy of Dynerth Lhanristyd When these castels were well manned and fortified Walter Clyfford who had the keeping of the castell of Lhanymdhyfri made a road to the land of Rees and returned with a bootie after he had slaine diuerse of Reeses men Then Rees sent to the king to complaine and to haue a redresse who had onelie faire words and nothing else for the king winked at the faults of the Englishmen and Normanes and punished the Welshmen cruellie Rees seeing this laid siege to Lhanymdhyfri and in short space wan the castell Also Eneon the sonne of Anarawd Reeses brothers sonne being a lustie gentleman and desirous to make his countrie free from seruitude and perceiuing his vncle to be discharged of his oth to the king laid siege to the castell of Humfrey by force wan it slaieng all the garrison wherein he found horses and armour to furnish a great number of men Likewise Rees seeing he could enioy no part of his inheritance but that he wan by the sword gathered his power entring Caerdigan left not a castell standing in the countrie of those which his enimies had fortified and so brought all to his subiection Wherewith the king being sore offended returned to Southwales and when he saw he could doo no good he suffered Rees to enioy all that he had gotten and tooke pledges of him to keepe the peace in his absence Then returning to England he tooke his iournie to Normandie and made peace with the French king But the next yeare Rees prince of Southwales did lead his power to Dyuet and destroied all the castels that the Normanes had fortified there and afterward laid siege to Caermarthin Which thing when Reynold Erle of Brystow the kings base sonne heard he called to him the Earle of Clare and his brother in law Cadwalader the brother of prince Owen with Howel and Conan prince Owens sonnes and two other Earles and came to raise the siege with a great armie whose comming Rees abode not but got him to the mountains called Kefn Rester and there kept himselfe and they camped at Dynwyl hîr and builded a castell there who after they could not heare of Rees returned home without doing of anie notable act King Henrie remained in Normandie all this yeare where he made warre against the Earle of S. Giles for the citie and Earledome of Tholouse In the yeare 1160. died Madoc ap Meredyth ap Blethyn prince of Powys at Winchester This man was euer the king of Englands freend and was one that feared God and releeued the poore his bodie was conueied honorablie to Powys and buried in Myuot This man had by his wife Susanna the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales three sonnes Gruffyth Maylor Owen and Elise and a daughter called Marred he had base sons Owen Brogynton Kynwric Euelh and Eneon Euelh which base sonnes were not baselie esteemed who with the other had part of their fathers inheritance and so had other through Wales especiallie if they were stout and of noble courage And here I thinke it conuenient to declare how Powys land came to be diuided in many parts and thereby weakened and so brought vnder the Normanes before the rest of Wales Meredyth sonne to Blethyn ap Convyn prince of Powys had two sons Madoc of whom we speake and Gruffyth betweene whom Powys was diuided Madoc had that part which was called Powys Vadoc which part again was diuided betwixt his three sons Gruffyth Maylor Owen Vachan and Owen Brogynton after this maner Gruffyth Maylor had Bromfield Yale Hope Dale Nanhewdwy Mochnant îs Rhayard Chirke Cynlhayth and Glyndouerdwy Owen Vachan had Mechain Iscoyd And Owen Brogynton had Dynmael and Edeyrneon The other part of Powys called afterward Powys Wenwynwyn was the part of Gruffyth ap Meredyth after whose death his sonne called Owen Cyuelioc enioied it as it shall be at large hereafter declared Powys before king Offas time reached Estward to the riuers of Dee and Seauerne with a right line from the end of Broxen hilles to Salop with all the countrie betwéene VVye and Seauerne whereof Brochwel yscithroc of whom mention is made before pag. 22. was possessed but after the making of Offas ditch as it is said before pag. 19. the plaine countrie toward Salop being inhabited by Saxons and Normans Powys was in length from Pulford bridge Northeast to the confines of Caerdigan shire in the parish of Lhanguric in the Southwest and in bredth from the furthest part of Cyuelioc Westward to Elsmere on the Eastside This countrie or principalitie of Powys was appointed by Roderike the Great for the portion of his third sonne Anarawd and so continued intierlie vntill the death of Blethyn ap Convyn After whom although the dominion was diminished by limiting parts in seueraltie amongst his sonnes Meredyth and Cadogan yet at length it came wholie to the possession of Meredyth ap Blethyn who had issue two sonnes Madoc and Gruffyth betwéene whom the said dominion was diuided Madoc maried Susanna the daughter of Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales and had that part which was after called after his name Powys Vadoc which dominion and Seigniorie was diuided betwixt the thrée sonnes of the said Madoc to wit Gruffyth Maelor Owen ap Madoc and Owen Brogynton which Owen Brogynton although he was baselie begotten yet for his valiancie and noble courage he had part of his fathers inheritance to wit Edeyrneon and Dinmael and had issue Gruffyth Blethin and Iorwerth Owen ap Madoc had to his portion of inheritance limited the territorie of Mechain Is coed and had issue Lhewelyn and Owen Vachan Gruffyth Maelor the eldest sonne lord of Bromfield had to his part the two Maelors and Mochnant is Rayadr he maried Angharat the daughter of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales by whome he had issue one sonne named Madoc who held his fathers inheritance wholie and had issue Gruffyth called lord of Dînas brân because he dwelled in that castell who maried Emma the daughter of Iames lord Audley and had issue Madoc Lhewelyn
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
steward of Ireland and so it was concluded for the kings going to Ireland When the king was in his iournie towards Ireland the Lord Rees came to the king who receiued him to his peace confirmed vnto him all that he had Then Rees promised the king towards his conquest of Ireland 300. horsses and 400. Oxen and gaue him 14. pledges Then the king came to Southwales entring Caerlhêon vpō Vske tooke the towne from the Lord thereof Iorwerth ap Owen ap Caradoc keeping the same to his owne vse Wherefore Iorwerth departed from the king and calling to him his two sonnes Owen and Howel whom he had begotten by Angharat the daughter of Vchtryd bishop of Landaff and his sister sonne Morgan ap Sitsylt ap Dyfnwal gathered a number of men and vpon the kings departure entred the countrie spoiling and burning as they went and tooke the towne of Caerlhêon and destroied it saue the castell which they could not get But the king kept on his iornie to Penbrooke and there he gaue Rees all Caerdigan Stratywy Arustly Eluel Then Rees being at Aberteiui which he had wonne from the Earle of Glocester and fortified of late came from thence to Penbrooke in the calends of October and spake with the king and returned againe the daie after and then chose out of the horsses which he caused to be brought thither for the king 86. and made them to be brought to Penbrooke and presented them to the king who chose out of the same 36. of the best and sent the rest backe againe with great thankes The same daie the king went to Saint Dauid and offering there dined with the bishop Dauid the sonne of Gerald coosen germaine to Rees whither Richard Strangbowe Earle of Strigule came from Ireland to speake with the king and after dinner the king returned to Penbrooke Within a while after the king being at the white house rendered to Rees Howel his sonne who had beene long for pledge with him and then also he gaue him day for the other pledges and for his tribute till his returne from Ireland The next daie being the morrowe after the feast of S. Luke the Euangelist the king tooke shipping there and had faire passage to Ireland and so landed at Dublyne where he laie quietlie that winter The Christmasse folowing Henrie the yong king kept a solemne feast where William S. Iohn procurator of Normandie and William Fitzhamon Seneshall of Brytaine and 110. besides were made knights In the yeare 1172. there fell a great plague among the kings soldiours in Ireland by reason of the change of the aire and victuals and therefore the king returned and landed in Wales in the passion weeke and remained in Penbrooke on Easter daie and the daie folowing and on tuesdaie tooke his iournie towards England Then the lord Rees met with him at Talacharn to doo his dutie The king as he passed from Cardyf by the new castell vpon Vske sent for Iorwerth ap Owen ap Caradoc to come speake with him vnder safe conduct to him his sons and freends meaning to conclude peace with him and so to quiet all VVales Wherevpon Iorwerth tooke his iournie towards the king and sent word to Owen his sonne being a lustie yoong gentleman to meete with him by the waie but as he came at his fathers commandement the Earle of Brystowes men hearing of it came forth of the new castell vpon Vske and laid wait for him by the way being vnder the kings safe conduct trusting to his promise and suddenlie set vpon him and murthered him traitorouslie and cowardlie being vnarmed and hauing but a few in his companie Which thing when his father heard by some of his men that had escaped he was verie sorie and returned home with all his freends and his sonne Howel and would neuer afterwards trust neither the kings promise nor anie Englishmans but forthwith gathered all the power freends that he could make and without mercie destroied all the countrie with fire and sword to the gates of Hereford and Glocester to auenge the death of his son Then the king made the lord Rees chiefe Iustice of all Southwales by commission and tooke his iournie to Normandie In the same yeere died Cadwalader ap Gruffyth ap Conan prince of Northwales who had by his wife Alice the daughter of Richard Clare Earle of Glocester Cunetha Radulph and Richard and by other women he had Caduan Cadwalader Eneon Meredyth goch and Cadwalhon Towards the end of this yeare Sitsylt ap Dyfnwal and Ieuan ap Sitsylt ap Riryd got the castell of Abergevenny vpon the sudden and tooke the kings garrison prisoners and the yeare ensuing was the fairest winter that euer was seene At this time there fell a variance betwixt the two kings of England the father and the sonne and there cleaued to the sonne the Queene his mother and both his brethren Geffrey and Richard and the Earle of Chester and William Patrick with the three sonnes of the Earle of Mellent Camerarius de Tancquervilla Valeran de Hibera Gilbert de Regularijs Simon de Montfort Radulph de la Haie Hugh de S. Maura and the French king with the Earle of Flanders gaue the yoong king aid who tooke Hugh Lacie and Hugh Beauchamp in the castell of Vernoyle yet the elder king was not discouraged who had Almanes and Brabanters to his soldiours Also Rees prince of Southwales sent to him Howel his sonne with a goodlie companie of men to serue him and the king was verie glad sent the lord Rees great thanks King Henrie ouerthrew his enimies diuerse times and tooke Radulph de Fulgerijs and the Earle of Chester prisoners but William Patricke and Haftulph de Hilario escaped Also the Earle of Leycester Hugh de nouo Castello as they began a stirre in England were taken at Burie by the elder kings soldiours and committed to prison In this meane time Iorwerth ap Owen brought his power against Caerlhêon and they of the towne fought with him whome he ouerthrew and tooke manie prisoners of them and wan the towne and laid siege to the castell which was yeelded him forthwith in exchange for his prisoners Then also his sonne Howel brought all Gwentîs Coet the castell onelie excepted to his subiection and tooke pledges of the inhabitants of the countrie Also at this time Dauid ap Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales made warre against his brother Maelgon which kept the Ile of Môn or Anglesey brought his people ouer Mênai for so that arme of the sea is called which separateth that Ile from the maine land and chasing his brother out of the Ile to Ireland brought all the Ile to his subiection Also he expelled all his brethren and coosens out of Northwales and tooke all their lands to himselfe and taking his brother Maelgon as he came from Ireland kept him in close prison then Conan his brother died In the yeare 1175.
had by his wife Angharat the daughter of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales a sonne called Madoc who succeeded his father in that part of Powys called Powys Vadoc About the same time diuerse noble men of England died at Acon as Henrie Earle of Leycester the Earle Ferrers Ranulph de Fulgerijs Ranulph de Alta ripa In those daies VVilliam Marshall Geffrey Fitzpeter Hugh Bardulf and VVilliam Briwer were the nobles that bare most rule in England in the kings absence Then also Rees prince of Southwales wan the castell of Dynevowr and Owen his sonne died at Strata florida or Stratflur About this time king Richard wan the kingdome of Cypres and gaue it to Gwido king of Ierusalem vpon condition that he should release to Richard his claime of Ierusalem which he did Then the king being at Cyprus maried Berengaria the daughter of the king of Nauarra Shortlie after Maelgon the sonne of the lord Rees escaped out of prison where his father had kept him a long time But the lord Rees gat the castell of Lhanhayaden and the countrie about At that time Gruffyth ap Cadogan died Then king Richard after he had atchieued with his nobles the Earle of Leycester Bartholomew Mortimer Randulph de Malo leone N. de Furnevale Roger de Lacy William de Stagno Hugh de Neuella William de Porcell and Henrie Duch his standardbearer manie worthie deeds of arms against the infidels in his returne homeward through Austrich was taken prisoner by Lupold the duke thereof who presented him to Henrie the Emperour he kept him vntill he had paid him 200000. markes for his ransome laieng to his charge that he had spoiled the Ile of Sicilie in his viage towards the holie land The same yeare Roderike the sonne of Owen Gwyneth by the help of Gothrike king of Man entred the Ile of Môn and brought it to his subiection but before the end of the yeare the sonnes of his brother Conan chased him out of the Ile and got it themselues At this time Maelgon the sonne of Rees prince of Southwales laid siege to the castell of Stratmeyric and wanne it Also Howel surnamed Says that is to saie Saxon or English because he had serued in England sonne to the said prince Rees gat the castell of Gwys vpō the sudden tooke Philip de Gwys his wife his two sonnes prisoners therein Then because he had more castels than he could well defend he determined to rase the castell of Lhanhayaden but the Flemings hauing vnderstanding thereof gathered all their strength and came thither the daie appointed to rase the castell and set fierslie vpon the men of Howel and Maelgon and slewe manie of them putting the rest to flight Neuerthelesse they gathered a great power shortlie after and came thither againe and rased the castell to the ground without anie let or staie Upon this Anarawd the sonne also of prince Rees moued with filthie ambition and couetousnesse of lands tooke his two brethren Howel and Madoc prisoners vnder the color of freendship and put out both their eies In the yeare 1194. king Richard came into England and being at dinner in his litle hall of Westminster hearing that the French king besieged Vernoyle he sware that he would neuer turne his face till he had fought with him if he did abide caused the wall to be broken before him and so passed to Normandie and receiuing his brother Iohn to mercie raised the siege for the French king fled as soone as he heard of king Richards comming This yeare Maelgon sonne to prince Rees gaue his brother Anarawd the castell of Stratmeyric for his prisoners whom he set at libertie Then Rees himselfe did reedifie againe the castell of Rayader Gwy and his owne sonnes laid wait for him and tooke their father prisoner fearing least he would reuenge their cruell and vnnaturall deeds but by the meanes of Howel his sonne which was blind he escaped out of his sonne Maelgons prison and tooke the castell of Dineuwor which Maelgon kept and destroied it Also the sonnes of Cadwalhon ap Madoc of Melyenyth wan the castell of Rayder Gwy and fortified it for themselues At this time Lhewelyn the son of Iorwerth Drwyndwn who was the eldest sonne of Owen Gwyneth prince of Northwales remembring his right title to his inheritance of Northwales although his father had beene disinherited by his brother Dauid called togither his freends by his mother which was Marred the daughter of Madoc ap Meredyth prince of Powys and also drew to his side his coosins the sons of Conan ap Owen Gwyneth and so challenged the rule of Northwales and entred the countrie to whom the people willinglie yeelded and tooke him for their lord and so without bloodshed he receiued all Northwales to his subiection except three castels which his vncle Dauid kept by force of Englishmen in whom was all his trust because of his wife Emme aunt to the king of England And thus Dauid lost his land and Lhewelyn began to rule in the yeare of our Lord 1194. Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth Lhewelyn the sonne of Iorwerth the sonne of Owen Gwyneth called Leolinus Magnus The yeare ensuing there was a combat appointed betwixt the French king with fiue knights with him and king Richard with fiue other which should end all controuersies of which fight king Richard was glad but the French king like a snaile drew in his hornes and forsooke the battell And in Wales prince Rees gathered a great armie and laid siege to the towne and castell of Caermarthin and in short time wanne them both spoiling and destroieng the same and then returned with great bootie Then he lead his said armie to the marches before the castell of Clun which after a long siege and manie a fierse assault he got and burned it and from thence he went to the castell of Radnor and likewise wanne it to the defense whereof came Roger Mortimer and Hugh de Saye with a great armie of Normanes and Englishmen well armed and tried soldiours Then Rees which had wonne the castell determined not to keepe his men within the walles but boldlie like a worthie prince came into the plaine besides the towne and gaue them battell where his men although for the most part vnarmed and not accustomed to the battell declared that they came of Brytaines bloud whose title the noble Romane Emperours did so much desire as a token of manhood and worthines choosing rather to die with honour in the defense of their countrie than to liue with shame did so worthilie behaue themselues that their enimies forsooke the field with great losse of their men whom Rees pursued till the benefit of the night shadowed them with hir darknes and forthwith he laid siege to the castell of Payne in Eluel gat it Thither came William de Bruse the owner thereof and made peace with Rees of whom he receiued the same castell againe Not long after
the Archbishop of Canturburie whom king Richard had substituted his lieutenant in England came with an huge power towardes Wales and laied siege to the castell of Gwenwynwyn at the poole but the garrison defended the hold so manfullie that he lost manie of his men and could doo no good Therefore he sent for miners and set them on worke to vndermine the wals which thing when the garrison vnderstood and knowing that their enimes were three to one they were content to yeeld vp the castell vpon condition that they might depart with their armour freelie which offer the Archbishop tooke suffering them to passe quietlie and fortifieng the castell againe stronglie to the kings vse and placing therein a garrison for the defense thereof returned to England But immediatlie Wenwynwyn or Gwenwynwyn laid siege to it againe and shortlie after receiued it vpon the same conditions that his men had giuen it vp and kept the same to his owne vse The next yeare after there was a great and a terrible plague through all the Ile of Brytaine and France of the which died a great number of nobles beside the common people And the same yeare the fourth daie of Maie Rees the sonne of Gruffyth ap Rees ap Theodor prince of Southwales died the onelie anchor hope and staie of all that part of Wales as he that brought them out of thraldome and bondage of strangers set them at libertie and had defended them diuerse times in the field manfullie daunting the pride and courage of their cruell enimies whom he did either chase out of the land or compelled by force to liue quietlie at home Wo to that cruell destinie that spoiled the miserable land of hir defense and shield who as he descended of noble and princelie blood so he passed all other in commendable qualities and laudable vertues of the mind he was the ouerthrower of the mightie and setter vp of the weake the ouerturner of the holdes the separator of troopes the scatterer of his foes among whome he appeared as a wild boare among whelps or a lion that for anger beateth his taile to the ground In praise of this prince there is a long discourse in the Brytish booke after the maner of the VVelsh poets whose worthie commendation is laid downe at large by Ranulph Monke of Chester in the seuenth booke of his Historie intituled Polychronicon the 31. chap. and Grafton in the life of Richard the first pag. 92. This prince had manie sonnes and daughters as Gruffyth who succeeded his father Cadwalhon Maelgon Meredyth and Rees and of the daughters one called Gwenlhian was married to Ednyuet Vachan who was ancester to Owen Theodor or Tuder that maried Queene Catharine the widow of king Henrie the fift and the rest were maried to other lords in the countrie After the death of Rees Gruffyth his sonne subdued all the countrie to himselfe and enioied it in peace vntill Maelgon his brother whom his father had disinherited made a league with Gwenwynwyn the sonne of Owen Cyuelioc lord of Powys who both togither leuied a number of men came suddenlie vpon Gruffyth at Aberystwyth and slaieng a great number of his men tooke him prisoner and so recouered all the countrie of Caerdigan with the castell Thus Maelgon hauing taken his brother sent him to be imprisoned with Gwenwynwyn who in despite deliuered him to the Englishmen Then Gwenwynwyn gathering a power entred Arustly and subdued the same to himselfe Also about that time there was great warre in Northwales for Dauid ap Owen of late prince came with a great armie aswell Englishmen as Welshmen purposing to recouer the land againe but Lhewelyn his nephue who was the right inheritor of the same and then in possession thereof came boldlie and met him and gaue him battell and putting his people to flight tooke him prisoner and kept him in safetie and afterward enioied the countrie quietlie Toward the end of this yeare Owen Cyuelioc lord of the higher Powys died and left his land to Gwenwynwyn his sonne after whom that part of Powys was called Powys Wenwynwyn for a difference from the other called Powys Vadoc being the possession of the lords of Bromefield At this time also died Owen the son of Gruffyth Maylor lord of Bromfield and Brychtyr the sonne of Howel ap Ieuaf likewise Maelgon the sonne of Cadwalhon ap Madoc lord of Melienyth About the same time Trahaem Vachan a man of great power in the countrie of Brechnock as he came to Lancors to speake with William Bruse lord thereof was suddenlie taken and by the lords commandement tied to a horse taile and drawen through the towne of Aberhodny or Brechnock to the galowes and there beheaded and his bodie hanged vp by the feete three daies This crueltie shewed vpon no iust cause made his brother his wife and his children to flee the land The yeare ensuing Maelgon the sonne of prince Rees after he had imprisoned his elder brother got his castels of Aberteiui and Stratmeyric also the youngest son of prince Rees wan the castell of Dyneuowr from the Normanes The summer folowing Gwenwynwyn intending to extend the limits of Wales to their old meers gathered a great armie laid siege first to the castell of Payn in Eluel which was of the possessions of William de Bruse making a proclamation that assoone as he had won the castell he would burne all the whole countrie to Seauerne without mercie in reuenge of the murther of Trahaern Vachan his coosen But because he lacked engines and miners he laie three weekes at that castell and the murtherers sent for succours to England wherevpon Geffrey Fitzpeter lord chiefe Iustice of England gathered a great power ioining with him all the lords Marchers came to raise the siege And because the fortune of the battell is variable and vncertaine he sent first to Gwenwynwyn to haue a treatie of peace concluded but he and such as were with him would in no wise condescend to peace whose answere was that they would at that iournie reuenge their old wrongs Wherevpon the English lords did first enlarge Gruffyth the sonne of prince Rees of Southwales whom they knew to be an enimie to Gwenwynwyn which Gruffyth gathered a great power and ioined with the English lords and so they came towards the castell against whome Gwenwynwyn cam verie stoutlie there began a cruell battell with much slaughter on either part but at the last the Englishmen gat the victorie and Gwenwynwyn lost a great number of his men among whom were Anarawd sonne to Eneon Owen ap Cadwalhon Richard ap Iestyn and Robert ap Howel also Meredyth ap Conan was then taken prisoner with manie moe Matthew Paris saith that this battell was fought before Mawdes castell that of the Welshmen there were slaine 3700. and after this victorie the English lords returned home with much honor And forthwith Gruffyth sonne to prince Rees recouered by force and good
much warre with the princes of Northwales I thinke it conuenient for the better vnderstanding of this historie to laie downe a briefe Catalog of the descents of the same Earles in order from the conquest to this Iohn Scot which was the last of them HVgh Lupus the sonne of Richard Earle of Auranges Uicount of Abonica and of Margaret the daughter of Harlowine a noble man in Normandie who maried Arlet the daughter of a burgesse in Falois which was also mother to William Conquerour came to England with the said Conquerour and was by him created Erle of Chester and sword-bearer of England with these words Habendum tenendum dictum comitatum Caestriae sibi haeredibus suis ita liberè ad gladium sicut ipse rex totam tenebat Angliam ad coronam that is To haue and to hold the said countie of Chester to him and his heires by right of the sword so fréelie as the king held the realme of England in the right of the crowne Hugh being established in the possession of the Earldome with most large priuiledges and fréedoms ordained vnder him for the better gouernment of the said countie foure Barons to wit The first Nigell or Neal his coosen Baron of Halton Constable and Marshall of Chester by condition of seruice to lead the Uauntgard of the Earles armie when he should make anie iournie into Wales so as the said Baron should be the formost in marching into the enimies countrie and the last in comming backe of him the Lacyes Earles of Lincolne descended The second Piers Malebanke Baron of Nantwich The Third Eustace Baron of Malpas The fourth Warren Vernoun Baron of Shipbrooke This Hugh Lupus conuerted the church of S. Werburgh to an Abbeie and died An 1102. after he had ruled that Earldome fourtie years leauing issue behind him Richard Robert Abbot of Burie and Otuell tutor to the children of king Henrie the first Richard Lupus the sonne of Hugh Lupus being the second Earle of Chester after the Conquest was but seuen yeare old when he was Earle he maried Mawd the daughter of Stephen Earle of Bloys Charters and Champaigne being the sister of king Stephen he with his brother Otuell after he had béen Earle of Chester xvij yeares was drowned at Godwin-sands comming from Normandie with the children of king Henrie the first in the yeare of Christ. 1120. Randulph Meschines alias de Bohun the sonne of Iohn de Bohun and of Margaret the sister of Hugh Lupus succéeded Richard in the Earledome of Chester as coosen next heire of blood to him being the third erle of Chester after the conquest he maried Mawd the daughter of Aubrey de Vere Earle of Gisnes by whom he had issue Randulph surnamed Vernounes bicause he was borne at Vernoune castell and died An. 1130. after that he had béene Earle about eight yeares Randulph Bohun his sonne succéeded his father being the fourth Earle of Chester after the Conquest who maried Alicia the daughter of Robert Earle of Glocester base sonne to king Henrie the first by whom he had issue Hugh Cyuelioc so called of that countrie of Powys wherein he was borne and died An. 1158. When he had béene Earle nine and twentie yeares Hugh Bohun alias Keuelock or rather Cyuelioc being the fift Earle of Chester after the Conquest maried Beatrice the daughter of Richard Lucie lord chiefe Iustice of England by whom he had issue Randulph and foure daughters Mawd maried to Dauid Earle of Anguis and Huntington lord of Galloway Mabill maried to William Daubney Earle of Arundell Agnes maried to William Ferrers Erle of Derby and Hawys maried to Robert Quincy a Baron of great honor who was in hir right after hir brothers death Earle of Lincolne and after him she was maried to sir Warren Bostock This Hugh was Earle of Chester 28. yeares died about the yeare 1182. Randulph Bohun alias Blandeuill so called bicause he was borne in Powys in a towne named Album monasterium succéded his father being the sixt Earle of Chester after the Conquest who was also Earle of Lincolne as coosen and next heire vnto William Romare Earle of Lincolne the second brother of Randulph Meschines the third Earle of Chester after the Conquest He was thrice maried first to Constance the daughter and heire of Conan Erle of Brytaine and Richmond being the widow of Geffrey the third son of king Henrie the second and the mother of Arthur Erle of Brytaine from whom afterward he was diuorsed and then maried a ladie named Clemence daughter to the Earle Ferrers after whose decease he tooke to his third wife Margaret daughter to Humfrey de Bohun Earle of Hereford Essex and Constable of England Nuerthelesse he neuer had issue by anie of those his wiues and therefore the Earledome of Chester and his lands in Northwales after his death descended to Iohn surnamed Scot his sister Mawdes sonne by Dauid Earle of Anguis and Huntington The manour of Barrow with 500. pound lands came to Mabill the Earldome of Lincolne to Hawyse the castell and manour of Chartley and as I thinke his possessions in Powys to Agnes This Randulph atchieued manie enterprises against Lhewelyn prince of Wales but one time méeting with the said Prince and being too weake to encounter with him he was driuen to retire backe to the castell of Ruthlan wherein the said Prince besieged him wherevpon he was faine to send to Roger Lacie Constable of Chester to come to his succors in that extremitie Lacie calling his fréends vnto him requested them to make as manie men as they could and to go with him to deliuer the Earle out of the danger of his enimies at whose request Ralph Dutton his son in law being a lustie youth assembled togither all the plaiers musicians and merie companions within the citie being then the Faire time and came to the Constable who forthwith went to Ruthlan raised the siege and deliuered the Earle from danger In recompense of which seruice the Earle gaue vnto his Constable diuerse fréedoms and priuiledges and granted vnto the said Dutton the ruling and ordering of all the plaiers and musicians within that countie which his heire enioieth euen to this daie This Earle builded the castels of Charteley and Beeston the abbie of Dalacrosse He died about the yeare of Christ 1232. when he had béene Earle 51. yeares Iohn Scot was in the right of Mawd his mother the eldest sister and one of the heires of Randulph Blandeuile the seuenth Earle of Chester he had great warres with Lhewelyn ap Iorwerth prince of Wales but in the end peace being made betwixt them the Earle for further confirmation of the same maried Iane the Princes daughter neuerthelesse he died without issue leauing foure sisters his heires Margaret maried to Alan de Galawey by whom she had a daughter named Derngold the mother of Iohn Baliol king of Scotland Isabel maried to Robert Breux Mawd who died without issue and
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
name And where the kings crosse ought to be erected he caused his crosse to be erected in token that he is the verie true lord and the said lord Reginald at his first comming to those parts of Wales sold to certeine seruants of the king offices for lx markes which the said seruants bought before of the king for xxiiij markes which offices ought not to be sold at the choise of the lord 14 Item the king gaue Meredyth ap Madoc a captaineship for his seruice Reginald Gray tooke it from him neither could he get anie remedie at the kings hands for the same 15 Item one of the councell of the said Reginald Cynwrie Vachan told vs by mouth that as soone as the said Reginald Gray returned to Wales he would take xxiiij men of euerie Cantered and either behead them or imprison them perpetuallie 16 Item whereas we paid our taxes and rents in old monie halfe a yeare before the comming of new monie they inforced vs to paie new monie for the old These gréefes and the like the said Reginald offered vs and threatned that if we would send anie to the king to complaine he would behead them and when we sent anie to the king he could neuer speake with the king but spent vs much monie in vaine For which gréefes we beléeue our selues frée before God from the oth which we haue made to the king These greefes folowing the king and his Iustices offered to Rees Vachan of Stratywy AFter that the said Rees gaue the king his castell of Dyneuowr sithence the last peace the said Rees then being in the tent of the lord Payne de Gadersey at the same time there were slaine sixe Gentlemen of the said Reeses men for whom they neuer had amends which was to him great gréefe and losse 2 Item Iohn Gifford claimed the said Reeses inheritance at Hiruryn and the said Rees requested the lawe of his countrie of the king or the lawe of the countie of Caermardhen in the which countie the ancestors of the said Rees were woont to haue lawe when they were of the peace of the Englishmen and vnder their regiment but the said Rees could haue no lawe but lost all his lands They would haue had him to answer in the countie of Hereford where none of his ancestors euer answered Further in the lands of the said Rees were such enormities committed which doo most apperteine to the state ecclesiasticall that is to saie in the church of S. Dauid which they call Lhangadoc they made stables and plaid the harlots and tooke awaie all the goods of the said church and burning all the houses wounded the préest of the said church before the high altar and left him there as dead 3 Item in the same countrie they spoiled and burnt the churches of Dyngad Lhantredaff and other churches in other parts they spoiled their chalices bookes and all other ornaments and goods These be the greefes which the king and his Iustice gaue to Lhewelyn ap Rees and Howelap Rees AFter that a forme of peace was concluded betwixt Henrie then king of England and the prince of Wales the said king granted confirmed by his charter to the said Prince the homage of the said noble men so long as they stood fréends with the prince according to the said gift confirmation but Edward now king disherited the said Gentelmen of their lands so that they could not haue their owne lands neither by law nor by fauour These be the greefes doone by the Englishmen to the sonnes of Meredyth ap Owen AFter that the King had granted the Gentelmen their owne inheritance of Geneurglyn and Creuthyn he contrarie to the peace disherited the said Gentelmen denieng them all lawes and customes of Wales and of the countie of Caermardhyn 2 The said king in his countie of Caerdigan by his said Iustices compelled the said Gentelmen to giue iudgement vpon themselues where their predecessors neuer suffered the like of Englishmen 3 The said Iustices of the king haue taken awaie the courtes of the noblemen in Wales and compelled the people to satisfie before them for trespasses when as they ought to haue satisfied by the said nobles 4 When a wrecke hapneth vpon anie of the grounds of the noble men whose ancestors had wrecke they should haue the same yet the king forbiddeth them and the said king by color of that shipwrecke contrarie to their custome and law did condemne them in eight markes and tooke away all the goods of the shipwrecke 5 That none of our men of the countie of Caerdigan dare come amongst the Englishmen for feare of imprisonment and if it had not béene for feare of hurt the nobles would neuer haue stirred The complaints of the noble men of Stratalyn of the wrongs and greefes doone to them by Roger Clifford and Roger Scrochill deputie to the said Roger Clifford contrarie to the priuilege iustice and custome of the said noble men as they saie and prooue WHen the said Rogers compelled the said men of Stratalyn to giue them to haue their customes and priuileges twentie marks starling and after the paiement of the monie they brake by and by after this sort to put vpon twelue men according to the lawes of England which was neuer the manner nor custome of the said countrie 2 Item Madoc ap Blethyn was condemned in foure markes vniustlie contrarie to the lawes and vse of the countrie 3 Item Grono Goch was likewise condemned in fiue marks and twelue beasts contrarie to the custome of the countrie 4 Item the said Rogers tooke the lands of the men of the countrie as forfeit and for one foote of a stag found in a dogs mouth thrée men were spoiled of all that they had 5 Item Ithel ap Gwysty was condemned in a great sum of monie for the fact of his father done fourtie yeares before 6 Item the said Rogers laid vpon vs the finding of all the English soldiours whereof before there was but one halfe 7 Item we were giuen to maister Maurice de Cruny and were sold to Roger Clifford which was neuer séene in our parents time 8 Item the widow of Robert of the Mowld asked of the king the third part of the land in the Mowld in ward whereas it was iudged before the king that the said lands were neuer giuen in ward These be the Articles of greefes doone to the men of Penlhyn by the constable of Henrie Chambers of the white Abbie and his men CYnwric ap Madoc was spoiled by them in time of peace of eight pound foure oxen corne the worke of one plough for two yeares and to the value of thrée pound of thrée of his men and they had the worth of xvj pound for the said eight pound and did beate him besides which was more wrong for then he was the princes constable at Penlhyn And all the cause that they pretended to make this spoile was onelie that they said they had found foure and twentie sheafes
of tyth in the house of a seruant of the said Cynwric 2 Item Adam Criwr was condemned in eight shillings eight pence and a mare price twentie shillings and was taken and beaten for that he had taken the stealer of that mare and brought him bound with him the which théefe was forthwith deliuered 3 Item Iorwerth ap Gurgeneu was condemned in foure pound for that he had scaped out of their prison in time of the warres and was found in the said towne in the time of peace and this is directlie against the peace concluded betwixt the king and the Prince 4 Item Caduan Dhu seruant to the constable of Penlhyn was condemned bicause he would not receiue the old monie for new 5 Item Gruffyth ap Grono the Princes man was spoiled of an oxe price eleuen shillings eight pence and after that the constable had plowed with the said oxe seuen moneths he paid to the said Gruffyth for the said oxe thrée shillings foure pence 6 Item two seruants of one named Y Bongam were spoiled of two pounds for that they tooke a théefe that robbed them by night and yet the théefe was deliuered 7 Item Eneon ap Ithel was taken beaten and spoiled of two oxen price foure twentie shillings two pence for this cause onelie that the said oxen went from one stréete to an other in the towne 8 Item Guyan Maystran was spoiled of his monie because a certeine merchant of Ardudwy owed them certeine things and yet the said merchant was not of their bailiwicke The greefes of Grono ap Heilyn A Tenant of Grono ap Heilyn was called to the kings court without anie cause then Grono came at the daie appointed to defend his tenant demanded iustice for him or the law which the men of his countrie did vse all this being denied the said tenant was condemned in seuen and twentie pound j.d. ob Then the said Grono went to London for iustice which was promised him but he could neuer haue anie where he spent in his iournie fiftéene markes 2 A certeine Gentelman was slaine who had fostered the sonne of Grono ap Heilyn and he that killed him was taken and brought to Ruthlan castell then the said Grono and the kindred of him that was slaine asked iustice but some of them were imprisoned and the killer discharged Then Grono went againe to London for iustice which the king did promise him but he neuer had anie but spent twentie markes 3 The third time Grono was faine to go to London for iustice in the premisses where he spent xviij marks vj.s. viij d And then likewise the king promised him that he should haue iustice but when he certeinelie beléeued to haue iustice then Reginald Gray came to the countrie and said openlie that he had all doings in that countrie by the kings charters and tooke away all Bailiwicks which the king had giuen the said Grono and sold them at his pleasure then the said Grono asked iustice of the said Reginald but he could not be heard 4 The said Grono tooke to farme for foure yeares of Godfrey Marliney Maynan and Lhysfayn then Robert Cruquer came with his horsses and armes to get the said lands by force and for that Grono would not suffer him to haue the said lands before his yeares came out he was called to the law and then the said Reginald Gray came with xxiiij horssemen to take the said Grono And for that they could not that daie haue their purpose they called Grono the next daie to Ruthlan and then Grono had counsell not to go to Ruthlan Then they called him againe to answere at Caerwys but the said Grono durst not go thither but by the conduct of the bishop of S. Asaph for that Reginald Gray was there and his men in harnesse 5 For these gréefes for the which he could get no iustice but labour and expenses of liiij markes and more and for that he durst not in his owne person go to the court he sent letters one to the king an other to his brother Lhewelyn to signifie to the king that he should loose all the fauour of the countrie if he kept no promise with them and so it came to passe because the men of Ros and Englefild could get no iustice the king neglecting the correction of these things lost the whole countrie Humblie sheweth to your holines lord Archbishop of Canturburie primate of all England the noble men of Tegengl that when the said noble men did their homage to the lord Edward king of England the said king promised them to defend them and their goods and that they should vse all kind of right priuilege and iurisdiction which they did vse in time of king Henrie of the graunt of the said king whereof they were after spoiled FIrst they were spoiled of their right and priuileges and customes of the countrie and were compelled to be iudged by the lawes of England wheras the tenor of that their priuilege was to be iudged according to the lawes of Wales at Tref Edwyn at Ruthlan and at Caerwys and the best men of the countrie were taken bicause they desired to be iudged at Tref Edwyn according to the tenor of their priuileges by the lawes of Wales 2 Whatsoeuer one Iustice dooth his successor dooth reuerse the same for in Dauids cause Reginald Gray reuoked that which his predecessor confirmed and allowed 3 If he doo take anie Gentleman of the countrie he will not let him go vpon suertie which he ought to doo 4 If anie Gentleman be brought to the castell of the Flynt vpon small accusation and his cattell withall they can neither be deliuered nor haue delaie vntill they giue the constable an oxe and vntill they paie thrée pound fées to Cynwric for the hauing of the delaie 5 Reginald Gray gaue the lands of the men of Merton to the Abbot and couent of Basingwerke against the lawes of Wales and the custome of the countrie and contrarie to the forme of the peace betwixt prince Lhewelyn and the king that is to saie xvj Caratatasterrae 6 The noble and best of the countrie be iniured for that the king builded the castell of Flynt vpon their ground and the king commanded the Iustices to giue the men as much and as good ground or the price But they are spoiled of their lands and haue neither other lands nor monie 7 Reginald Gray will not suffer men to cut their owne wood vntill he haue both monie and reward and vntill they paie for it also but permitteth others to cut it downe fréelie which they ought not to doo by the lawes and customes of Wales 8 Where the men of Cyrchynan couenant with the king to giue the king halfe a medow of condition the king should not suffer the woods to be cut downe Howel ap Gruffyth being present yet Reginald Gray hath broken the same permitting euerie man to cut their woods and spoile them also of their medowe 9 The sonne of
Cynwric ap Grono was taken at Ruthlan and put in prison without anie cause at all neither would the kings officers deliuer him vnlesse he would redéeme the gage of a certeine woman for the which he was constrained to paie much more than the pawne laie for 10 When the bailiffe of Ruthlan was at a feast Hicken le Maile wounded a Gentleman cruellie in the presence of the said bailiffe by the occasion of which wound Hicken was condemned in eight pound and when he which was hurt would haue demanded the said eight pound he was put in prison with Hicken 11 The messengers of Reginald Gray attempted an absurditie not heard of requiring the people of the countrie to plow his ground and sowe the same and the messengers were Cynwric Says and Hicken Lemayl and the said Cynwric sware openlie before the whole companie that vnlesse all men should plow Reginald Grayes ground they should shortlie repent it then the people feared much as in that case anie constant man would feare 12 The heires of Tegengl bought their offices for xxx markes of the king But afterward Reginald Gray spoiled them of their offices and monie against the lawes and customes of England 13 Seauen Gentlemen were wrongfullie killed by the Englishmen but as yet the parents of the Gentlemen can haue no amends and though the offenders were taken yet the said constable let them go without punishment 14 The constable of Ruthlan kept two of the kings soldiours in prison for that they tooke an Englishman who had wounded a man All these things conteined in these articles are contrarie to the priuilege libertie and right of the said men and contrarie to the lawes and customes of Wales neither dare the inhabitants send their complaints to the king for feare of Reginald Gray which feare anie constant man might haue because the said Reginald Gray said openlie that if he could come by anie such their messengers he would cut off their heads as it is certeinelie told vs by one of his counsell further neither toong can expresse nor penne can write how euill the men of Tegengl haue béene ordered Humblie complaineth vnto your lordship my lord Archbishop of Canturburie Primate of all England Lhewelyn ap Gruffyth ap Madoc of the constable of Oswaldes Crosse the king and of the men of that towne who haue spoiled the said Lhewelyn of the third part of a towne called Lhedrot and his fathers house without any law or right or custome of the countrie Further the said Constable and his complices haue against the lawes and the custome of the countrie spoiled the said Lhewelyn of the common and pasturage which he and his predecessors haue had and vsed time out of mind and further condemned the said Lhewelyn for the said pasture in lxx markes And further the king of England granted certeine letters to a bastard called Gruffyth Vachan of Cynlhaeth to law with the said Lhewelyn for his whole lordship and possessions by the occasion of the which letters the said Lhewelyn hath spent two hundreth pound of good monie Also the said Constable compelled the said Lhewelyn to send two of his Gentlemen to him whom when they came to him he caused to be hanged which Gentlemen ought not by right to haue béene hanged whose parents had rather haue giuen him thrée hundreth pound Afterward the said Constable imprisoned thréescore of the men of the said Lhewelyn no cause alledged but that a certeine Page spake a word who could not be deliuered out of prison vntill euerie of them paid ten shillings When the men of the said Lhewelyn came to the said towne to sell their oxen the said Constable would cause the beasts to be driuen to the castell neither would he restore the beastes nor monie for them Further the said Constable and his men tooke awaie the cattell of the said Lhewelyn from his owne ground and did their will with them Further the kings Iustices compelled the said Lhewelyn contrarie to the law and custome of Wales to deliuer to the sonnes of Encon ap Gruffyth a certeine towne which both he and his ancestors euer had held The said Constable tooke the horsse of Lhewelyns Bailiff when the said Bailiff owed him nothing who could neuer get his horsse againe nor anie satisfaction for it Furthermore when the said Lhewelyn should haue gone to a towne called Caerlhêon to appeare there as he was appointed the sonnes of Gruffyth ap Gwenwynwyn and the soldiours of Roger Strainge by the counsell of the said Roger tooke the said Lhewelyn and his men and imprisoned them to their great damage which the said Lhewelyn would not for 300. pound starling who could by no meanes be deliuered vntill they had found sufficient suerties The Archbishop receiuing these and other articles came to the king and requested him to consider these wrongs and to cause amends to be made or at the least excuse the Welshmen hauing so iust cause of gréefe Who answered that the Welshmen were to be excused yet he said he was euer readie to doo iustice to all them that complained Wherevpon the Archbishop besought the king againe that the Welshmen might haue frée accesse to his Grace to declare their gréefes and to séeke remedie the king answered they should fréelie come and depart if it should séeme that by iustice they deserued to depart The Archbishop hearing this went and came to the Prince of Wales in Snowdon that he might mooue him and his brother Dauid and the other companie to submit themselues whereby he might incline the king to admit them Which after much talke and conference with the Archbishop the Prince answered that he was readie to submit himselfe to the king reseruing two things that is to say his conscience which he ought to haue for the rule and safegard of his people and also the decencie of his state and calling Which answere the Archbishop brought and reported to the king At the which the king said that he would not anie other treatie of peace than that the Prince and his people should simplie submit themselues But the Archbishop knowing well that the Welshmen would not submit themselues but in the forme aforesaid or in other forme to them tollerable and of them liked requested the king that he might haue conference in this matter with all the noble Englishmen then present who after such conference agréed all to these articles following The which articles the Archbishop did send in writing to the Prince by Iohn Wallensis These are to be said to the Prince before his councell FIrst that of the foure Cantreds and the lands by the king giuen to his nobles and the Isle of Anglesey he will haue no treatie of 2 Item of the tenants of the foure Cantreds if they will submit themselues he purposeth to doo as becommeth a kings maiestie and we verelie beléeue he will deale with them mercifullie and to that end we will labour and trust to obtaine 3 As
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