An. Reg. 11 Leolin inuadeth the kings fréends. maine armie behind him aloft vpon the top of the mounteine, néere to the water called Waie, and he had set a number of his people to kéepe the bridge of Orewin: and so the Welshmen kept on the one side, and the Englishmen on the other, of whome were capteins The lord Gifford and Mortimer. the lord Iohn Gifford and the lord Edmund Mortimer, the which perceiuing the Welshmen that were readie to defend the bridge, and a great host of them vpon the top of the mounteine, they consulted togither what they were best to doo.
Helias Walewaine.
At length by the couragious exhortation of one Helias Walewaine they drew on the one hand alongst the riuer, where was a foord passable in déed, though not without danger: but yet the Englishmen by the conduct of the same Helias, got ouer by the same foord, so that it bare the name long after of Helias way. And so the Welshmen that kept the bridge (perceiuing the Englishmen to be got ouer vnto that side) fled, wherevpon the residue of the English armie passed ouer at the bridge, whereof rose a great noise which Leolin lurking not farre off might well heare, but yet at the first he could not be brought to thinke that by any possible means the Englishmen were got ouer to that side of the water. But yet perceiuing it to be true, he drue backe toward the heigth of the mounteine Prince Leolin slaine by Stephan de Franketon. againe, neuerthelesse being discouered by one Stephan de Franketon, named by some writers Sward, he was so narrowlie pursued of the same Stephan, that he was ouertaken and slaine.
Stephan not knowing whome he had slaine, returned to the host, the which was now mounting vp the hill to ioine with the Welsh armie that stood still looking for the returne of their prince Leolin (though in vaine) yet they manfullie abode by their tackle, discharging plentie of arowes and darts at the Englishmen as they came vp towards them. The English archers which were mingled amongst the horssemen, paid them home againe with their shot, so that finallie the English horssemen, winning the top of the hill, slue manie of them standing stoutlie at defense, and put the residue to flight. Stephan Sward that had slaine Leolin, after the victorie was atchieued, rode to the dead bodie which he had slaine in the beginning of the battell, and vpon vew taken of him perceiued who he Leolins head presented to the king. was, of which good hap the Englishmen were verie ioifull. His head was herewith cut off, which the lord Edmund Mortimer tooke with him vnto Rutland (where the king as then was lodged) vnto whome he presented it: and the king sent it vnto London, appointing that there should be an yuie crowne set vpon it, in token that he was a prince, and so being adorned, a horsseman carried it vpon the end of his staffe through Cheapside, holding it as he rode on heigth, that all men might sée it, till he came to the tower, & there it was pight vp aloft vpon one of the highest turrets, remaining there a long time after.
A prophesie fulfilled.
Thus was the prophesie fulfilled, which was told to him by an old woman taken for a southsaier, of whome he required to know how he should speed in this warre, wherevnto she answered, that he should boldlie go forward in them, for he should ride with a crowne on his head through Cheapside: and so by the deceiuable prophesie he was deluded & brought to destruction. The incounter wherein the Welshmen were vanquished (as before ye haue heard) chanced on the fridaie before S. Lucies day. King Edward being certified thus of the victorie, streightwaies marched foorth with his people, and appointed at euerie passage certeine bands of souldiers to lie in wait for the enimies. Also at the foot of the hilles he left his horssemen, and mounted vp the hilles himselfe, with the residue of his armie. There were certeine Gascoignes, whome the lord Iohn Vescie had brought with The Gascoigns pursue the Welshmen egerlie. him out of their countrie, to serue the king, which burned manie townes, and slue great numbers of the Welshmen, all that came in their waie, and finallie, giuing an assault to Snowdon castell, they wan it in fine by force.
In this meane time, the Welshmen, when they saw themselues inclosed, and stopped from all waies to escape, after the maner of wild beasts, fled into the thicke woods & caues, some of them making shift to get downe through the steepe and broken rocks, and some of them séeking to escape by flight, fell into their enimies hands, & were either slaine or taken, and amongst these, about Midsummer was Dauid taken, togither with his wife, his two sonnes, and seauen daughters, and brought to the king, who sent them first to Rutland castell, there to be safelie kept.
King Edward hauing subdued the Welshmen that inhabited in the mounteins, went about all the countrie to conquer the residue, assembling all his armie togither, and then pursuing his aduersaries, made great slaughter of them on each side, so that there were slaine aboue thrée thousand men: then hauing the countrie at his will, he gaue vnto the Wales diuided into shires. English lords townes in the middest of Wales, and diuided the countrie into shires, ordeined shiriffes, and other officers as then were vsed in England. At Aberconow he builded a strong castell, where before was an house of white moonks, the which he remooued The Vale roiall built by K. Edward the first. to the Vale roiall in Chesshire, where he builded a faire abbeie of the Cisteaux order, and endowed it with great lands and reuenues. He also made and fortified the castell of Carnaruan fast by Snowdon, and repared againe the towne of Lambaterwhir, otherwise called Abreswich, which Leolin had before beaten downe. Also he placed English garrisons in the castels and holds by the sea sides, and made Englishmen lords of Rées ap Bouan yéeldeth himselfe vnto K. Edward. the grounds and possessions belonging to the same. Rees ap Bouan one of the chéefest and mightiest capteins of all Wales, which during the warres, had doone more displeasure to the Englishmen than any other, in spoiling their confines, and making great slaughters vpon them, vnderstanding now both of the death of prince Leolin, and the taking of his brother Dauid, and also perceiuing himselfe pursued on each side, at length yéelded himselfe and his complices to Humfrie de Bohun earle of Hereford, who straightwaies sent him to the king, and the king sent him to London, there to be kept prisoner in the tower.
Thus king Edward, hauing brought the rebellious Welshmen vnder his correction, appointed his generall lieutenant there, the lord Robert Tiptost, and when he had set all A parlement at Shrewesburie. things in good order, about Michaelmas he came to Shrewesburie, where at a parlement by him there holden, the foresaid Dauid (that was brought thither) as cheefe procurer of Dauid condemned of treason. all this warre, was condemned of treason, and was afterward executed, according to iudgement pronounced against him, that is to saie, he was hanged drawne and quartered. His head was sent to London, and set vp by the head of his brother Leolin. His He is executed. quarters were diuided, and sent to be set vp on the gates of foure of the chéefest cities of England. This reward reaped he for his proditorious attempts, before God, angels, and men: an horrible punishment for an heinous offense; and no maruell, sith
Ante Dei vultum nihil vnquam restat inultum.N. Triuet. During these warres, the king had of the temporaltie, the thirtith part of all their goods, and of the spiritualtie, the twentith part, towards the maintenance of the same warres.
