Изображения страниц
PDF
EPUB

Chester, his men and lands in Tegeingl, Rhiwfawniawg, and Môn, so that nothing could be done against him ever after.

In 1112, Sir Owain ab Cadwgawn returned from Normandy with the king, and came to Wales, where the king visited him honourably.

In 1115, there was a contention between Hywel, the Lord of Rhôs, and Rhiwfawniawg, the son of Rhirid ab Bleddyn ab Cynfyn, and Goronwy, and Rhirid, and Llywarch, the sons of Owain ab Edwyn, Prince of Tegeingl; and as it could not be settled, Hywel sent to Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn, and to Madog and Einiawn, the sons of Prince Cadwgan ab Bleddyn, for assistance; because, in order to defend them and their nation, he was keeping that part of the land that fell to his share. And they, when they heard that he was oppressed by the sons of Owain, collected their men and all their friends, as much as they could have ready, about 400 horsemen. With these, Prince Maredudd advanced to Dyffryn Clwyd, where he encountered the army of the sons of Owain ab Edwyn, assisted by a large body of men, under the command of their uncle Uchdryd ab Owain ab Goronwy, with whom came also a great number of Norman troops from Caer Lleon (Chester), and there a severe and bloody battle took place, in which the best men in Gwynedd and Powys were slain, and among them Llywarch ab Owain ab Edwyn, and Iorwerth ab Nudd, a noble and illustrious man, who had killed and wounded many, and put others to flight and Hywel, by the assistance he received, conquered his enemies; but before long, he died from a wound he received in the battle. Then Prince Maredudd returned home, and the sons of Cadwgan returned to Meirion, and took immense spoil with them in spoil and cattle.

In the summer of 1118, King Henry came to Powys with a large and strong army against Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn, and Einiawn, and Madog, and Morgan, the sons of Prince Cadwgawn. And when they heard it, they

sent to Gruffydd ab Cynan, King of Gwynedd, to request assistance, but without effect, for Gruffudd would not break the king's peace nor afford them asylum. And when Maredudd and the sons of Cadwgan heard that, they took council, and in that council they had to promise the boundaries of their country, and to be under their protection. And the king and his army approached the confines of Powys, upon which Maredudd sent a few young archers to oppose the king in a steep, exposed, wooded hill, opposite to the way he was approaching, so that they might cause some disturbance in the army. And it happened that just as the young archers arrived at that place, the king and his army arrived there also. And these young men opposed the king and his army, and by their shooting they caused a great disturbance in the army. And after having killed many and wounded others, one of the young men drew his bow, and shot into the midst of the army, and that shot happened to pierce the king's armour against his heart. And the men did not know or think that the arrow would pierce the king's armour, because it was so thick, for it was a coat of mail, so that the arrow stuck fast in it. And the king feared greatly, and great terror seized him, as much as if he had been really wounded. And he ordered the army to encamp, and to find out who had been so daring as to wound him. And he was told that it was one of the young men who had been sent by Maredudd ab Bleddyn to do it. And he sent messengers to ask the young men to come to him, and they came; and he asked them who sent them there, and they said that Maredudd had sent them; and he asked them if they knew where Maredudd was, and they answered that they did; and he asked Maredudd to accept his peace. And after making that peace, the king returned to England, through promising ten thousand cattle as tribute to Powys, and thus this year terminated.

In 1121, Einiawn ab Cadwgawn died, and bequeathed his land and territory to his brother Maredudd; but

Maredudd ab Bleddyn, his uncle, and his cousin Ithael ab Rhirid ab Bleddyn, took his lands and territory from him. And when Gruffydd ab Cynan heard in what manner that happened, he sent his two sons, Cadwallawn and Owain, with a strong army, to Meirion to do justice, and restore to his nephew Maredudd his lands and territory. Cadwallawn and Owain subdued Maredudd ab Bleddyn, and regained the country for Maredudd ab Cadwgawn, and cruelly ravaged the lands of Llywarch ab Trahaiarn ab Caradawg for having assisted Maredudd ab Bleddyn.

In 1122, Maredudd ab Bleddyn killed his nephew Ithael ab Rhirid ab Bleddyn, and Cadwallawn ab Gruffudd ab Cynan pulled out the eyes of his uncles, Goronwy, Rhirid, and Meilir, the sons of Owain ab Edwyn, Prince of Tegeingl. Afterwards, he dismembered them, and a short time afterwards he killed them. About the same time, Morgan ab Cadwgawn ab Bleddyn and his brother Maredudd had a dissention, and in this quarrel Morgan killed his brother Maredudd with his own hand.

In 1124, Maredudd ab Llywarch was very justly imprisoned by Owain ab Gruffydd ab Cynan for pulling out the eyes of the sons of Gruffydd, but he broke out of prison, and was caught, and his eyes pulled out by the sons of Meurig ab Gruffydd, and he was placed upon the top of a desert mountain, where he perished from hunger and cold; and so he was requited for his cruelty (p. 81).

In 1125, leuaf ab Owain pulled out the eyes of his two brothers, as was usual in the families of Gwynedd and Powys; and in this year Gruffydd, the second son of Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn, died.

In 1126, Llywelyn ab Sir Owain slew Iorwerth ab Llywarch; and soon after Llywelyn's eyes were pulled out, and he was emasculated by Maredudd ab Bleddyn; and about the same time Ieuaf ab Owain was killed by the same Maredudd; and soon afterwards, Madog ab Llywarch ab Madog was killed by his cousin, Meurig ab

Rhirid, and before long Meurig had his eyes pulled out and was emasculated.

In 1129, Iorwerth ab Owain was killed by Cadwallawn ab Gruffudd ab Cynan. Then Einion ab Owain sought to revenge the death of his brother on Cadwallawn, and in conjunction with Cadwgawn ab Goronwy ab Owain, knowing where Cadwallawn was to come in Nanheudwy, lay in ambush; and when he came that way, rushed upon him and killed him, and gave him as meat for dogs.

In 1130, Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn ab Cynvyn died, the ornament, safety, and protection of Powysland, after having taken healthful penance for his body, and sincere repentance in his spirit, and having taken the body of Christ and the oil ac aghen.

Prince Maredudd ab Bleddyn married, first, Hunydd, daughter of Eunydd ab Gwernwy, Lord of Dyffryn Clwyd. This Eunyd came into Powysland in the time of Bleddyn ab Cynvyn, and fought under him against the English. For his services, Bleddyn gave him the townships of Trefalun, Almor, y Groesfford in Maelor Gymraeg, and Lleprog Fawr, Lleprog Fechan, and Trefnant y Rhiw in Tegeingl. He bore azure, a lion salient or, armed and langued gules; quartered with azure, a fess or, inter three horses' heads, erased argent. By this lady, Maredudd had issue three sons-1. Madog, of whom presently; 2. Gruffudd, ancestor of the Princes of Upper Powys. He bore or, a lion's gamb erased bendways gules. He conquered Cyfeiliawg, Mawddwy, and half of Penllyn in 1113, and died in his father's lifetime in 1125; and 3. Hywel, who was slain by his own men in 1140, and left a daughter and heiress, Angharad, who married ab Iorwerth ab Llywarch ab Brân, Lord of Cwmmwd Menai. Maredudd had also a daughter named Dyddgu, who was married to Cadwallawn ab Gruffydd ab Cynan, who was who was slain in Nanheudwy in 1129.

Prince Maredudd married, secondly, Eva, or Christian, daughter and heiress of Bledrws ab Ednowain Bendew,

who bore argent, a chevron gules inter three boars' heads couped sable. By this lady he had issue two sons-1. Iorwerth Goch, of Cae Hywel, in the parish of Kinnersley, who had part of Tre'r Main in Meivod, Burgedin Hope, and Whittington. He married Maude, daughter of Sir Richard de Manley, of Cheshire, Knight, by whom he was ancestor of the Kynastons, Parrys of Main, Matthewses of Tref Nannau, Maurices of Bryn y Gwaliau and Bodynfol, and the Pryses of Cyfronydd. 2. David ab Maredudd ab Bleddyn, who had part of Burgedin, Whittington, and Tre'r Main. He married Arddun, daughter of Cynwrig ab Rhiwallawn, Lord of Maelor Gymraeg, who was slain in Lleyn by Gruffudd ab Cynan in 1074, by whom he had issue Ithel Goch, of Burgedin, ancestor of the Rogerses, of that place. Lewys Dwnn (vol. i, p. 136) mentions another daughter of Maredudd ab Bleddyn, named Jane, who married Iorwerth ab Trahaiarn, Lord of Cydewen, whose only daughter and heiress, Arianwen, married Cadavael, Judge of the Court of Powys, then held at the Castell Dinas Bran, and thus Cadavael became Lord of Cydywaun (see p. 82). Maredudd ab Bleddyn had likewise three illegitimate sons-1. Hywel ab Maredudd; 2. Cadwgan ab Maredudd; and 3. Adda ab Maredudd, who had lands in Main.

Maredudd ab Bleddyn, at his death, in 1130, divided his principality of Powys into two portions. The upper part, subsequently called Powys Wenwynwyn, he gave to his grandson, Owain Cyfeiliawg, the son of his second son Gruffudd, who had conquered Cyfeilawg, Mawddwy, and half of Penllyn from Uchdryd ab Edwyn ab Goronwy in 1113. The remaining portion of Powysland Maredudd gave to his eldest son Madog, which from him was called Powys Fadog.

« ПредыдущаяПродолжить »