chieftains had to fly to England and put themselves under the protection and support of the king. A bloody battle took place on Bryn Owain mountain, near Cowbridge, between Owain Glyndyfrdwy and his men and the king's men, but the latter were put to flight after eighteen hours' hard fighting, during which the blood was up to the horses' fetlocks, at Pant y Wennol, a place so called from its being a favourite haunt of the swallows, the harbingers of spring, but it is now known by the unromantic English name of Stilling Down. One of Owain Glyndyfrdwy's captains was Cadwgan, Lord of Glyn Rhondda, generally known by the name of Cadwgan y Fwyall, i. e., Cadwgan of the Battle Axe. When Cadwgan was preparing for battle, he used to perambulate Glyn Rhonda, whetting his battle axe as he proceeded along; from which circumstance Owain would call out to Cadwgan, "Cadwgan, whet thy battle-axe", and the moment that Cadwgan was heard to do so, all living persons, both male and female, in Glyn Rhondda, collected about him in military order (for the ladies were in those times well drilled and obedient), and from that day to this, the battle shout of the men of Glyn Rhondda, has been, "Cadwgan, whet thy battle-axe", and, at the word, they all assembled as an army. One day, when Owain Glyndyfrdwy was travelling on horseback about the country of Glamorgan, in the guise of a strange gentleman, attended by a faithful friend in the habit of a servant, and going about to ascertain the disposition of the inhabitants, he went to the castle of East Orchard, St. Athan's, the residence of Sir Laurence de Berkrolles, who was Lord of St. Athan's and Coetty, and requested in French a night's reception for himself and servant, which was readily granted, attended by a hearty welcome, the best of everything in the castle being laid before him; and so pleased was Sir Laurence with his friend that he earnestly pressed him to remain with him some days, observing that he soon expected Owain Glyndyfrdwy there, and that he had despatched all his tenants and servants, with many other confidential persons, under an oath of fidelity, through all parts of the country, to seize Owain, who, he had been told, had come to that district of the principality, and that he was himself sworn to give honourable rewards to his men who should bring Owain Glyndyfrdwy there, either alive or dead. "It would be very well, indeed", said Owain, "to secure that man, were any persons able to do so." Having remained at Sir Lawrence's castle for four days and three nights, Owain thought that it would be wise to leave; therefore, giving his hand to Sir Lawrence, he addressed him thus: "Owain Glyndyfrdwy, as a sincere friend, having neither hatred, treachery, or deception in his heart, gives his hand to Sir Lawrence de Berkrolles, and thanks him for the kindness and courteous reception which he and his friend (in the guise of a servant) experienced from him at his castle; and desires to assure him on oath, hand in hand, and hand on heart, that it will never enter his mind to avenge the intentions of Sir Lawrence towards him; and that he will not, as far as he may, allow such desires to exist in his own knowledge or memory, or in the minds of any of his relations or adherents", and then he and his servant departed; but Sir Lawrence de Berkrolles was struck dumb with astonishment, and never afterwards recovered his speech; no word, thenceforth, having ever escaped his lips. "Sir Lawrence de Berkrolles was descended from one of Fitz Hamon's twelve Norman knights, to whom the castle of East Orchard, St. Athan's, was given in the general spoliation. He married Matilda, the daughter of Sir Thomas Despencer, Lord of Glamorgan, who lived at the castle of Caer Ffili, or Senghenydd. This lady we are told was very beautiful--so far, at least, as outward appearance goes; whether she ever really loved him or not, or whether, after he had unfortunately lost his speech, she had got tired of him, we are not told; but, be the cause what it may, she determined to get rid of him, and she poisoned her husband, Sir Lawrence, so effectually, that he died; whereupon she was buried alive, agreeable to the sentence pronounced on her by the country, and the Lord Sir Richard Began, who was Lord of Glamorgan. This circumstance is mentioned in Homfray's Norman Castles of Glamorgan. It is also additionally supported by the tradition current at St. Athan's, where the Arglwyddes Wen' (the White Lady) is still believed to haunt the reported scene of her cruel death, near the by-road leading to Bat's Lays, an ancient residence, a little to the west of St. Athan's village." "Dream't she of torture's frantic start, Herself the beauteous flower of flowers." After his success in Glamorgan, Owain returned to oppose the English. Too prudent to hazard a battle with a force superior in numbers and equipments to his own, he drove away all the cattle, and destroyed all the means of subsistence for the enemy, whose formidable invasion ended in a most inglorious retreat. His cause now seemed to be gaining strength by the alliance of the Mortimers and Percies, and a treaty was made at the house of Davydd Daron, Dean of Bangor," who entered strongly into their views, by which it was agreed that Edmund Mortimer, Earl of March, should take all the country from the Trent and Severn to the eastern and southern limits of the island; Henry Percy, Earl of Northumberland, Lord Constable of England, was to have all the countries north of the Trent, and Owain Glyndyfrdwy all the countries westward of the Severn. 1 Iolo MS. 2 Davydd Daron held the Deanery of Bangor in 1399, and was outlawed by Henry IV in 1406, for taking part with Owain Glyndyfrdwy, whose conspiracy against that prince is said to have been contrived in that person's house. Davydd Daron was the son of Ieuan ab Davydd ab Gruffudd ab Gwrgeneu Fychan ab Gwrgeneu ab Iorwerth ab Lleision ab Morgan ab Caradog ab Iestyn ab Gwrgant. Gules, three chevronells, argent. He was the ancestor of the Joneses of Ddôl in Edeyrnion and of Llanraiadr Hall, in Ceinmeirch, and the Joneses of Dôl y Moch, in Ffestiniog. Owain was now in the meridian of his glory, and he assembled the estates of Wales at Machynllaith, in Cyfeiliog, where his title to the principality was acknowledged, and he was formally crowned. It was on this occasion that Sir Davydd Gam attempted to assassinate him. On June 21, 1403, was fought the battle of Shrewsbury, in which his first division only, consisting of 4,000 men, was present; he himself, with the great body of his troops, amounting to 12,000, not being able to approach nearer than Oswestry, having been detained by the siege of Kidweli Castle. In this battle, Edward Stafford, Earl of Stafford, was slain. His son, Humphrey Stafford, was created Duke of Buckingham, and was slain at the battle of Northampton, 38 Henry VI. After this, Owain laid waste the English borders, and took several of the castles held by the enemy. A letter from Jankyn Havard, Constable of Dinevor Castle, to the receiver of Brecknock, states, " that Oweyn Glyndour, Henri Don, Rhys Duy, Rhys ab Gruffudd ab Llywelyn, and Rhys Gethin", had won the town of Caermardden, Wymor, the constable of its castle, having given it up; also," that Jankyn ab Llywelyn had yielded up the castle of Emlyn with free will, and William Gwyn, Thomas ab David ab Gruffudd, and many gentlemen, have been in person with Oweyn". (See Ellis's Original Letters, second series, p. 14.) In 1404, Owain made a treaty with Charles, King of France, and defeated an English army at Craig y Dorth, near Monmouth. In 1405, a body of his partisans, to the number of 8,000, was defeated in Monmouthshire; and another army sent by Owain, under the command of one of his sons, was defeated by the English, under Prince Henry, at Mynydd y Pwll Melyn, in Brecknockshire, with a loss of 1,500 men, either slain or taken prisoners. Among the slain was Tudor ab Gruffudd Fychan, Lord of Gwyddelwern, brother of Owain Glyndyfrdwy. After these defeats, all Glamorgan submitted to the king, and it was at this time that Owain's followers dispersed, and VOL. I. 14 he was obliged to conceal himself in caves and retired places. A cavern near the seaside in the parish of Llangelynen, in Meirionyddshire, is still called Ogaf Owain, in which he was secretly supported by Ednyfed ab Aaron. King Henry again entered Wales with an army of 37,000 men, but, owing to the tempestuous weather, he was obliged to make a hasty retreat with considerable loss. Owain's affairs were again improved by the aid of his ally, the King of France, who sent a fleet to Milfordhaven, with an army of 12,000 men, whom Owain joined with 10,000 more at Tenby, and the combined armies advanced into Worcestershire, where they encamped, and were opposed by the English king; for eight days they respectively presented themselves in order of battle, but beyond skirmishes, in which many were slain, nothing more decisive occurred, and the king, having cut off the means of supply, the Welsh and French secretly retreated to Wales, and the latter returned to France without making any further attempt. From the end of 1406 Owain's affairs began to decline, and his military undertakings were confined to laying waste the borders, but he continued to keep possession of the mountainous parts of Wales. In 1408, he laid waste the Marches, and seized the property of those who refused to join him; but Lord Powys, who was commanded by the king to oppose him, fortified several castles, and took prisoners, Rhys Ddu and Philip Scudamore, who were sent to London, and there executed. In October 1410 the following Welsh prisoners were received at Windsor Castle: Howel ab Ieuan ab Howel, Walter ab Ieuan Fychan, Rhys ab Ieuan ab Rhys, Icuan Goch ab Morgan, Davydd ab Tydyr, Rhys ab Maredudd, Madoc Bach, Jenkyn Bachen, Davydd ab Cadwgan, and Thomas Dayler. In this year, likewise, the king issued his letters to Richard Grey of Codnor, Constable of Nottingham Castle, to deliver to the Constable of the Tower of London, Gruffydd ab Owain Glyndourdy, and Owain ab Gruffydd ab Richard, his prisoners. (See Ry |