a short history of wales-第7部分

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p　his　army　in　the　field？　　An　attempt　had　been　made　to　enter　Snowdon　from　Anglesey；　but　the　English　force　was　destroyed　at　Moel　y　Don。　　It　looked　as　if　Edward　would　have　to　retire。　　Llywelyn　left　Snowdon；　and　went　to　Ceredigion　and　the　Vale　of　Towy　to　put　new　heart　in　his　allies；　and　from　there　he　passed　on　to　the　valley　of　the　Wye。　　He　meant；　without　a　doubt；　to　get　the　barons　of　the　border；　Welsh　and　English；　to　unite　against　Edward。　But　in　some　chance　skirmish　a　soldier　slew　him；　not　knowing　who　he　was。　　When　they　heard　that　their　Prince　was　fallen；　his　men　in　Snowdon　entirely　lost　heart。　　They　had　no　faith　in　David；　and　in　a　few　months　the　whole　of　Wales　was　at　Edward's　feet。



CHAPTER　XIICONQUERED　WALES



The　war　between　Edward　and　Llywelyn　was　not　a　war　between　England　and　Wales；　as　we　think　of　these　countries　now。　　Some　of　the　best　soldiers　under　Edward　were　Welsh；　especially　the　bowmen　who　followed　the　Earl　of　Gloucester　and　Roger　Mortimer　from　the　Wye　and　Severn　valleys。

It　is　not　right　that　we　Welshmen　should　feel　bitter　against　England；　because；　in　this　last　war；　Edward　won　and　Llywelyn　fell。　　It　is　easy　to　say　that　Edward　was　cruel　and　faithless；　and　it　is　easy　to　say　that　Llywelyn　was　shifty　and　obstinate；　but　it　is　quite　clear　that　each　of　them　thought　that　he　was　right。　　Edward　thought　that　Britain　ought　to　be　united：　　Llywelyn　thought　Wales　ought　to　be　free。　　Now；　happily；　we　have　the　union　and　the　freedom。

On　the　other　hand；　I　should　not　like　you　to　think　that　Wales　was　more　barbarous　than　England；　or　Llywelyn　less　civilised　than　Edward　I。　Giraldus　Cambrensis　saw　a　prince　going　barefoot；　and　the　fussy　little　Archbishop　Peckham　saw　that　Welsh　marriage　customs　were　not　what　he　liked；　and　many　historians；　who　have　never　read　a　line　of　Welsh　poetry；　take　for　granted　that　the　conquest　of　Wales　was　a　new　victory　for　civilisation。

In　many　ways　Wales　was　more　civilised　than　England　at　that　time。　　Its　law　was　more　simple　and　less　developed；　it　is　true；　but　it　was　more　just　in　many　cases；　and　certainly　more　humane。　　Was　it　not　better　that　the　land　should　belong　to　the　people；　and　that　the　youngest　son　should　have　the　same　chance　as　the　eldest？　　And；　in　crime；　was　it　not　better　that　if　no　opportunity　for　atonement　was　given；　the　death　of　the　criminal　was　to　be　a　merciful　one？　　In　the　reign　of　John；　a　Welsh　hostage；　a　little　boy　of　seven；　was　hanged　at　Shrewsbury；　because　his　father；　a　South　Wales　chief；　had　rebelled。　　In　the　reign　of　Edward　I。；　the　miserable　David　was　dragged　at　the　tails　of　horses　through　the　streets　of　the　same　town；　and　the　tortures　inflicted　on　the　dying　man　were　too　horrible　to　describe　to　modern　ears。　　And　what　the　Norman　baron　did；　his　Welsh　tenant　learnt　to　do。　　In　Wales　you　get　fierce　frays　and　frequent　shedding　of　blood；　on　the　borders　you　get　callous　cruelty　to　a　prisoner；　or　the　disfiguring　of　dead　bodies　even　that　of　Simon　de　Montfort；　the　greatest　statesman　of　the　Middle　Ages　in　Englandon　the　battlefield　when　all　passion　was　spent。

Take　the　rulers　of　Wales　again。　　Griffith　ap　Conan　and　Llywelyn　the　Great　had　the　energy　and　the　foresight；　though　their　sphere　was　so　much　smaller；　of　Henry　II。　　And　what　English　king；　except　Alfred；　attracts　one　on　account　of　lovableness　of　character　as　Owen　Gwynedd　and　Owen　Cyveiliog　and　the　Lord　Rees　do？

When　Edward　entered　into　Snowdon；　Welsh　was　spoken　to　the　Dee　and　the　Severn；　and　far　beyond。　　There　were　many　dialects；　as　there　are　still；　though　any　two　Welshmen　could　understand　each　other　wherever　they　came　from；　with　a　little　patience；　as　they　can　still。　　But　there　was　also　a　literary　language；　and　this　was　understood；　if　not　spoken；　by　the　chiefs　all　through　the　country。　　It　was　more　like　the　Welsh　spoken　in　mid…Walesespecially　in　the　valley　of　the　Doveythan　any　other。　　There　are　many　signs　of　civilisation；　one　of　them　is　the　possession　of　a　literary　languagefor　romance　and　poem；　for　court　and　Eisteddvod。


Conquered　Wales　may　be　divided　into　two　partsthe　Wales　conquered　by　the　Norman　barons　and　the　Wales　conquered　by　the　English　king。

The　Wales　conquered　by　the　English　king　was　the　country　ruled　by　Llywelyn　and　his　allies。　　In　1284；　by　the　statute　of　Rhuddlan；　it　was　formed　into　six　shires。　　The　Snowdon　districtwhich　held　out　last　was　made　into　the　three　shires　of　Anglesey；　Carnarvon；　and　Merioneth。　The　part　of　the　land　between　Conway　and　Dee　that　belonged　to　the　king；　not　to　barons；　was　made　into　the　shire　of　Flint。　　The　lands　of　Llywelyn's　allies　beyond　the　Dovey　were　made　into　the　shires　of　Cardigan　and　Carmarthen。　　Instead　of　the　chiefs　of　the　Welsh　prince；　the　king's　sheriffs　and　justices　ruled　the　country。　　But　much　of　the　old　law　remained。

The　Wales　conquered　by　the　Norman　barons　lay　to　the　east　and　south　of　the　Wales　turned　into　shires　in　1284。　　It　included　the　greater　part　of　the　valleys　of　the　Clwyd；　Dee；　Severn；　and　Wye；　and　the　South　Wales　coast　from　Gloucester　to　Pembroke。　　It　remained　in　the　possession　of　lords　who　were　subject　to　the　King　of　England；　but　who　ruled　almost　like　kings　in　their　own　lordships。　　The　laws　and　customs　of　the　various　lordships　differed　greatly；　sometimes　the　lord　used　English　law；　and　sometimes　Welsh　law。　　The　great　ruling　families　changed　much　in　wealth　and　power；　from　century　to　century。　　In　Llywelyn's　time　the　most　important　were　the　Clares　（Gloucester　and　Glamorgan）；　the　Mortimers　（Wigmore　and　Chirk）；　Lacy　（Denbigh）；　Warenne　（Bromfield　and　Yale）；　Fitzalan　（Oswestry）；　Bohun　（Brecon）；　Braose　（Gower）；　and　Valence　（Pembroke）。

Llywelyn　was　the　last　prince　of　independent　Wales。　　From　that　time　on；　the　title　is　conferred　by　the　King　of　England　on　his　eldest　son；　who　is　then　crowned。　　The　present　Prince　of　Wales　also　comes；　through　a　daughter　of　Llywelyn　the　Great；　from　the　House　of　Cunedda；　the　princes　of　which　ruled　Wales　from　Roman　times　to　1284。　　Of　all　the　houses　that　have　gone　to　make　the　royal　house；　this　is　the　most　ancient。



CHAPTER　XIIICASTLE　AND　LONG…BOW



So　far　I　have　told　you　very　little　about　war；　except　that　a　battle　was　fought　and　lost；　or　a　castle　built　or　taken。

War　has　two　sidesattack　and　defence。　　New　ways　of　attacking　and　defending　are　continually　devised。　　When　the　art　of　defence　is　more　perfect　than　the　art　of　attack；　the　world　changes　very　little；　for　the　strong　can　keep　what　he　has　gained。　　When　the　art　of　attack　is　the　more　perfect；　new　men　have　a　better　chance；　and　many　changes　are　made。　　The　chief　source　of　defence　was　the　castle；　the　chief　weapon　of　attack　was　the　long…bow。　　Wales　contains　the　most　perfect　castles　in　this　country；　it　is　also　the　home　of　the　long…bow。　　From　1066　to　1284　England　and　Wales　were　conquered；　and　the　conquest　was　permanent　because　castles　were　built。　　From　1284　to　1461；　England　and　Wales　attacked　other　countries；　and　the　weapon　which　gave　them　so　many　victories　was　the　long…bow。

I　will　tell　you　about　the　castles　first；　about　the　Norman　castles　and　about　the　Edwardian　castles。

The　Norman　castle　was　a　square　keep；　with　walls　of　immense　thickness；　sometimes　of　20　feet。　　But　if　the　Norman　had　to　build　on　the　top　of　a　hill　or　on　the　ruins　of　an　old　castle；　he　did　not　try　to　make　the　new　castle　square；　but　allowed　its　walls　to　take　the　form　of　the　hill　or　of　the　old　castle；　and　this　kind　of　castle　was　called　a　shell　keep。　The　outer　and　inner　casing　of　the　wall　would　be　of　dressed　stone；　the　middle　part　was　chiefly　rubble。　　At　first；　if　they　had　plenty　of　supplies；　a　very　few　men　could　hold　a　castle　against　an　army　as　long　as　they　liked。　　These　were　the　castles　built　by　the　Norman　invaders　to　retain　their　hold　over　the　Welsh　districts　they　conquered。

But　many　ways　of　storming　a　castle　were　discovered。　　They　could　be　scaled　by　means　of　tall　ladders；　especially　in　a　stealthy　night　attack。　　Stones　could　be　thrown　over　the　walls　by　mangonels　to　annoy　the　garrison。　　Sometimes　a　wall　could　be　brought　down　by　a　battering…　ram。　　But　the　quickest　and　surest　way　was　by　mining。　　The　miners　worked　their　way　to　the　wall；　and　then　began　to　take　some　of　the　stones　of　the　outer　casing　out；　propping　the　wall　up　with　beams　of　wood。　　When　the　hole　was　big　enough；　they　filled　it　with　firewood；　they　greased　the　beams　well；　they　set　fire　to　them　and　then　retired　to　a　safe　distance　to　see　what　happened。　　When　the　great　wall　crashed　down；　the　soldiers　swarmed　over　it　to　beat　down　the　resistance　of　the　garrison。　　If　ever　you　go　to　Abergavenny　Castle；　in　the　Vale　of　Usk；　look　at　the　cleft　in　the　rock　along　which　the　daring　besiegers　once　climbed。　　And　if　you　go　to　the　Vale　of　Towy；　and　see　Dryslwyn　Castle；　remember　that　the　wall　once　came　down　before　the　miners　expected；　and　that　many　men　were　crushed。

In　order　to　prevent　mining；　many　changes　were　made。　　Moats　were　dug　round　the　castle；　and　filled　with　water。　　Brattices　were　made　along　the　top　of　the　towers；　galleries　through　the　floor　of　which　the　defenders　could　pour　boiling　pitch　on　the　besiegers。　　The　walls　were　built　at　such　angles　that　a　window；　with　archers　posted　behind　it；　could　command　each　wall。　　Stronger　towers　were　builtround　towers　with　a　coping　at　each　storey；　solid　as　a　rock；　which　would　crack　and　lean　without　falling；　there　is　a　leaning　tower　at　Caerphilly　Castle。　One　other　way　I　must　mentionthe　child　or　the　wife　of　the　castellan　would　be　brought　before　the　walls；　and　hanged　before　his　eyes　unless　he　opened　the　gates。

The　newer　or　Edwardian　castles；　those　of　the　reigns　of　Henry　III。　and　Edward　I。；　are　concentricthat　is；　there　are　several　castles　in　one；　so　that　the　besiegers；　when　they　had　taken　one　castle；　found　themselves　face　to　face　with　another；　still　stronger；　perhaps；　inside　it。　　Of　these　castles；　the　most　elaborate　is　the　castle　of　Caerphilly；　built　by　Gilbert　de　Clare；　the　Red　Earl　of　Gloucester　who　helped　Edward　in　the　Welsh　wars。　　And　it　was　by　means　of　these　magnificent　concentric　castlesConway；　Beaumaris；　Carnarvon；　and　Harlechthat　Edward　hoped　to　keep　Wales。

There　are　many　kinds　of　bows。　　In　war　two　were　usedthe　cross…bow　and　the　long…bow。　　The　cross…bow　was　meant　at　first　for　the　defence　of　towns；　like　Genoa　or　the　towns　of　Castile。　　So　strength　was　more　important　than　lightness；　and　the　archer　had　time　to　take　aim。　　It　was　a　bow　on　a　cross　piece　of　wood；　alon