Ireland.

A. D. 1098.

this time the men of Brechnock slew Lhewelyn the sonne home from of Cadogan. Then Howel ap Ithel of Tegengel, went to Ireland. Also Rythmarch archbishop of St. Davids, Character of sonne to Sulien (bishop) died, the godliest, wisest, and Rythmarch greatest clerke that had beene in Wales manie yeares be- and Sulgen, fore, saving his father, who had brought him up, and a abps. of St. great number of learned disciples.” (p. 156.)

David's.

ry, Earl of

A. D. 1101,

A.D. 1101 (p. 157.) "In the yeare 1101 Robert de Be- Arnulph lesmo sonne to Roger de Mountgomery Earle of Salope, Montgomeand Arnulph his brother Earle of Penbrooke did rebell Pembroke, against the king, which when the king heard, he sent for rebelling them to come to him, but they made blind excuses, and against gathered their strength, and fortified their castels, and Henry I. then gave great gifts and made large promises to the sons of Blethyn ap Convyn, Iorwerth, Cadogan, and Meredyth, and intised them to joine their powers to theirs. Robert had fortified four castels, Arundell, Tekinhill, Shrewsburie and Brugge, which castell was the cause of the warre: for Robert had builded it without the king's leave, and Arnulph fortified his castell of Penbroke. Then they entred the king's land, and burned and spoiled liance with it, carieing awaie rich booties. And Arnulph to have Murkart more strength, sent Gerald his Steward to Murkart king of Ireking of Ireland, to desire his daughter in marriage, marrying land, by which he obtained with promises of great succours, which his daughdid encourage him the more against the king."

forms an al

ter;

(pp. 158, 9.) Then the king gathered a great army, and partly by force and partly by treachery, hiring to his aid "Iorwerth, the greatest man of power in Wales," he entirely discomfited but is forced the Earls, and drove them out of the kingdom, to Normandy.

On this occasion the monarch, to make Iorwerth

with his bro

ther Robert

to flee to Normandy.

Jorwerth defrauded

of his promised reward.

The Metropolitical Church of St. David's loses its independence. The Nor

to subdue

the Welsh in

open fight,

have recourse to base and atrocious treachery.

A. D. 1103.

more willing to strike unto him gave him all such lands as the Earl and his brother had in Wales without tribute or oth, which was a peece of Powys, Cardigan and half Dyuet . . . but the king when he saw all quiet forgate the service of Iorwerth, and his owne promise, and contrarie to the same tooke Dyuet from Iorwerth and gave it to a knight called Saer." (p. 158).

*" About this time the Church of Menevia or St. David's, ever before the Metropolitan Church of all Wales, began to be subject to the see of Canterbury." (Powel, p. 160.)*

"A.D. 1103 (p. 161.) "At this time the king did mans unable take the rule of Dyuet from Saer, to whom he had committed the same, and gave it to Gerald, who had been sometime Steward there under Arnulph. Then the Normans, who were in the castell of Rydcors, and other castels thereabouts, seeing they could not have the upper 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 son to Howel ap Grono, and therefore verie well trusted and leeved of him as the manner of Wales is. This traitour (being corrupted by the Normanes) procured his maister's death, bidding him one night to his house to make merrie, whither he came gentlie, then Gwgan gave notice thereof to the garrisons of the castels, who in the dawning of the daie entred the towne, and comming about the house, gave a great showte, wherewith Howel awoke, and couragiouslie lept out of his bead, and sought his weapons, but the traitour Gwgan had conveied them awaie when he was asleepe. Then he called for his men, but they were all fled to save their lives: and as he would have

Howel ap Grono assassinated by an intimate friend at their instigation;

See more on this head under A.D. 1113 inf.

gotten awaie, he was taken by Gwgan and his companie, and strangled, whose bodie he delivered to the Normanes, which cut off his head, and brought it to the castell of Rydcorse. And this traitorous murther of the kings and his murlieutenant was left unpunished. For whatsoever fault derer let off with imputhe Normanes committed was alwaies winked at; and if nity.

bestows lands in

tlers from

the Welshmen did never 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 utter destruction," A.D. 1108 (pp. 162, 3.) "The yeare 1108 the rage of King Henry the sea did overflow and drowne a great part of the lowe countrie of Flanders, in such sort that the inhabitants Wales on were driven to seeke themselves other dwelling places, certain fowho came to king Henrie, and desired him to give them reign setsome void place to remain in; who being verie liberall of that which was not his owne gave them the land of Ros nent of Euin Dyuet or West Wales, where Penbrooke, Tenby, and rope. Haverford are now built, and there they remaine to this A.D. 1108. daie as may well be perceived 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 household stuffe, and other goods, with his wife and children."

the conti

of Nest, wife

Owen ap

Then immediately follows an account of the Abduction manner in which Owen the son of Cadogan ap of Steward Blethyn, being overcome by passion for Nest, Gerald, by the beautiful wife of Steward Gerald, entered Cadogan: the castle privily, having a friendly connection with the lady's family, and having secured the abduction of herself, &c., set the place on fire,

* See this charge against the Norman race confirmed in Art. XIX. inf.

spoiling also the adjacent country. "Now when Cadogan heard this, he was verie sorie, and feared the king's displeasure, and forthwith went to Powys, and willed his son to send home to Gerald his wife and children with his goods;" (p. 164) which however Owen would not do, except as regarded the children. Thereupon who being Richard, bishop of London, "whom the king had oppointed Warden of the Marches" hired certain chieftains "to bring him Owen and his father either alive or dead." But on the advance of the enemy "Cadogan and Owen gat a ship at Aberystwyth, which was latelie come from Ireland and escaped away." (p. 165.)

in danger of

punishment makes his

escape in an Irish ves

sel ;

and is hos

pitably received by king Murcart.

He and his

return to Wales.

"Then Owen, with such as had been with him at the burning of the castell, fled to Ireland to king Murcart, who received him joiouslie; for he had been there before in the time of the warre of the two Earles in Anglesey or Môn, and had brought the king rich gifts from Wales. But Cadogan hid himself privilie in Wales, and sent to the king to declore his innocencie. Then the king was content he should remaine in the countrie, and enjoy the towne and lands that he had by his wife, for she was a daughter to a lord of Normandie called Pygot de Say." (pp. 165, 166.)

Eod. p. 166. "Within a while Cadogan made such accomplices freends to the king, that paieing 100 pound fine, he should enjoy againe his lands in Caerdigan, and that the inhabitants should return againe to their houses and till the ground. When they that were in Ireland understood this, they returned home privilie, and hid themselves in their coosens houses, and shortly after Owen re

turned againe to Wales; but not to Caerdigan; for his father had received that land upon such condition, that he should not suffer Owen to come therein, nor succour him, either with counsell, money, or men."

there.

Then Owen, joining with Madoc, occupied His doings himself in "burning and spoiling the Englishmen and Normanes," until at length being repulsed in their inroads, they found it necessary to flee, "Owen to Caerdigan to his father's country, and Madoc to Powys." (p. 168.)

(A.D. 1109.)

Flemings;

A.D. 1109 (p. 168.) "Then Owen with his compa- Owen ranions made diverse roads to Dyuet, and spoiled the coun- vages Dytrie, carieng awaie the men and the cattell to the ships vet; that they came in from Ireland, and after ransomed them, and gathered a great number to him, and set upon a town of Flemings and burned it, and returned to burns a Caerdigan, nothing esteeming his fathers danger nor the town of the king's displeasure. At this time it chanced that Owen's men among other mischeefes laid wait for a bishop that murders a was towards the king whose name was William de Bra- Norman bibant, and slew him and all his men. Then Iorwerth and shop, &c.; Cadogan were at the court to speake with the king, concerning certaine businesse of their owne; and as the king talked with them, behold there came in a Fleming, brother to the dead bishop, who made an exclamation, declaring how Owen ap Cadogan's men had slaine his brother and a great number moe, and how they were succoured in Cadogan's land Then the king being therewith sore displeased asked Cadogan what he could say to the matter, and he putting all the fault in his son excused himselfe as well as he could. Then the king

said to Cadogan, Seeing thou canst not keep thine for which owne, but that thy son and thy companions shal be re- cause the