A description of Wales by Sr John Prise Knight.

Lhevvelyn ap Sitsyllt: and Angharad his wife the only Daughter of Meredyth.

AFter that Lhewelyn the son of Sitsylht had taken in∣to his hands the gouernment of Wales, all things prospered: the earth brought forth double to the time before passed, the people prospered in all their affaires, and multiplied wonderfully, the cattell encreased in great number, so that there was neither begger nor poore man from the South to the North sea, but euery man had plenty, euery house a dweller, and euery towne inhabitants. Now in this time Cnute married Emme sometimes wife to Edelred, and mother to Alfred and Edward, and sent Edmund and Edward the sonnes of Edmund Ironside to Hungary to be slaine, but the King of Hungary cherished them as his own* 1.1 children. King Cnute also levied upon the land a great subsi∣dy of 72000 pounds, besides 11000 pounds, which the Citi∣zens of London payd. In the yeare 1019 Meyric the sonne* 1.2 of Arthpoel raised a great Army against Lhewelyn King or Prince of Wales, who met him in the Field, manfully slue him, and discomfited his people. Also this yeare Cnute with a great Navy sailed to Denmarke, and made warre against* 1.3 the Vandals, who had a great Army in the field, which Cnute overthrew by the prowes of Earle Godwyn, and the English∣men, which made him love them the better ever after.

In the yeare 1020, a certain Scot of low birth came to* 1.4 Southwales, who naming himselfe Run the sonne of Meredyth their late King, was by the Nobility, which loved not Lhew∣elyn, exalted to the Regall Throne, and taken for their King; which when Lhewelyn heard, he gathered his power in

Northwales, and advanced towards Run, who had gotten all the strength of Southwales together at Abergwili, where with great pride he abode the coming of Lhewelyn. But when both Armies were ready to joyne, Run full of brags and crakes encouraged his people to fight, promising them the vi∣ctory: yet he himselfe (following the Proverb, which biddeth a man to set on his dog, and not to run after him) set on his people to fight it to the uttermost, and withdrew himselfe pri∣vily out of the way: whereas upon the contrary part, Lhewe∣lyn, like a bold and couragious Prince, came before his peo∣ple, calling for the vile Scot Run, that durst so bely a Princes bloud; so both the Armies joyned Battell with much malice and hatred, the one party was not so couragious to defend the quarrell of so worthy a Prince of their own bloud, as the o∣ther was obstinate in the cause of a stranger: in the end, after great slaughter upon either part, the Northwales men re∣membring their old victories, and encouraged by the prowes of their Prince, put their enemies to flight, and pursued Run so narrowly, that all his Scottish shifts could not save his life, and so returned home with great spoyle and prey. Then Lhewelyn ruled all the land quietly, but the year following be was slaine by Howel and Meredyth the sonnes of Edwyn, leaving behind him a sonne named Gruffyth ap Lhewelyn.

¶ It is not recorded in History, of what Stock or Linage Lhewelyn ap Sitsyllt Paternally descended, nor have we in a∣ny of our Books his Coat of Armes, or the Coat of his sonne Prince Griffith ap Llewelyn. The house and land of the sayd Llewelyn and his sonne Griffith being at Ruthlan (which was a part of that Country Anarawd gave to the Northerne Britons of Cumbria in England, and Stratclwyd in Scotland to inhabite) it is probable they might be descended from one of those No∣ble strangers that seated themselves there; Possibly the interest and Relations Sitsylt (Llewelyns Father) had in Cumberland might induce Edmund King of England to make use of his as∣sistance, when he marched with an Army against Dunmail King of Cumbria. Of Ednowen Bendew.

Ednowain Bendew Lord of Tegaingl, one of the 15 Tribes of Gwyneth, lived A. D. 1015 in the time of Prince Llewelyn ap Sitsyllt according to Mr Powel of Ednop's verses, but in a book

cited by Peter Ellis, wherein it is sayd he was the Chiefest of the 15 Tribe••, we may find that he lived after, in the yeare 1079. His Armes, A. a Cheveron S. between three Boares heads Cooped.

Ednowen Bendew Capitonem voce Britannâ* 1.5 Innuit, Hic pat••ios vastantem funditus agros Horrendum setis & acutis dentibus Aprum Fortitèr occidit, quare huic argenteo in agro A••ra trium capita aprorum curvamine nigro: Tota Bithelorum domus hâc de stripe resurgit, Ille Leolino vixit regnante Sisillo.

Rotpert ap Iorwerth ap Ririd of Coedymynydd, who was a man of great power, and lived in the dayes of Edw. I. as appears by the Records of the Exchequer of Chester, descended from him. Rotpert had a Brother called Madoc, that was Bishop of Ban∣gor, and is not mentioned in Bishop Godwins History of Bishops. There is to be seen an Ode in praise of this Rotpert composed* 1.6 by a Bard of those times. Ithel the sonne of Rotpert was a Lear∣ned man, and Archdeacon of Tegaingl in the dayes of Edw. the 3d. The Bithels of Flintshire, and other worthy Families (which may be known by their Armes) come from this Tribe.

A. D. 1021 after the death of Llewelyn ap Seisyllt, Rytherch ap Iestyn King of Glamorgan obtained of King Cnute the rule of Southwales, as Caradoc hath it, but the Book of Landaffe sayth, of all Wales, Totius Gwaliae exceptâ tantum Insulâ Evoniae quam Jacob filius Idgwal per se tenebat: Riderch dico virum pacificum & mansuetum omnibus totius Regni tam Clericis quam Laicis, Viduis & Orphanis jura sua & haereditates divinâ lege & huma∣nâ concedentem, & maximè Ecclesiae Dei & gubernatoribus ejus, Episcopis videlicet, & omnibus de inferioribus gradibus. In cu∣jus tempore nulla desolatio in montibus nec in plano, nisi tantum tribus villis per totam Gualiam in solitario &c.

Tho: Maelor (if he be the Author of the Card of the Pe∣degree of the Princes of Powis) writes thus, Blethyn ap Convyn ap Llewelyn ap Griffith ap Seissyllt ap Trahayrn ap Anarawd Prince of Powis, where he makes Trahayrn to be the Father of Seissyllt, which is a grosse mistake, there being herein never a true descent save that Blethyu was the son of Convyn.

Notes

• * 1.1

  Ran. Cest. lib. 6. cap. 18,
• * 1.2

  1019
• * 1.3

  Ran. Cest. ib.
• * 1.4

  1020
• * 1.5

  Ric. Powel.
• * 1.6

  Io. Iones of Flint.