a short history of wales-第8部分

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nt　than　lightness；　and　the　archer　had　time　to　take　aim。　　It　was　a　bow　on　a　cross　piece　of　wood；　along　which　the　string　was　drawn　back　peg　after　peg　by　mechanism。　　The　bow　was　then　held　to　the　breast；　and　the　arrow　let　off。　　It　was　clumsy；　heavy；　and　expensive。

The　long…bow　was　only　one　piece　of　sinewy　yew；　and　a　string。　　It　was　used　at　first　for　the　chase；　and　the　archer　had　to　take　instant　aim。　It　was　drawn　to　the　ear；　and　it　was　a　most　deadly　weapon　when　a　strong　arm　had　been　trained　to　draw　it。　　Its　arrow　could　pick　off　a　soldier　at　the　top　of　the　highest　castle；　it　could　pierce　through　an　oak　door　three　fingers　thick；　it　could　pin　a　mail…clad　knight　to　his　horse。　　It　was　this　peasant　weapon　that　brought　the　mailed　knight　down　in　battle。

The　home　of　the　long…bow　is　the　country　between　the　Severn　and　the　Wye。　　It　was　famous　before；　but　it　was　first　used　with　effect　in　the　last　Welsh　wars。　　It　was　used　to　break　the　lines　of　the　Snowdon　lances　and　pikes；　so　that　the　mail…clad　cavalry　might　dash　in。　　But　later　on；　the　same　bows　were　used　to　bring　the　nobles　of　France　down。

From　the　Welsh　war　on；　archers　and　infantry　became　important；　battles　ceased　to　be　what　they　had　been　so　longthe　shock　of　mail…clad　knights　meeting　each　other　at　full　charge。

The　long…bow　made　noble　and　peasant　equal　on　the　field　of　battle。　The　revolution　was　made　complete　later　on　by　gunpowder。



CHAPTER　XIVTHE　RISE　OF　THE　PEASANT



I　have　told　you　much　about　princes　and　soldiers；　but　very　little　about　the　lowly　life　of　peasants；　and　the　trade　of　towns。

The　conquest　of　Wales；　by　Norman　baron　and　English　king；　tended　to　raise　the　serf　to　the　level　of　the　freeman。　　The　chief　causes　of　the　rise　of　the　serf　were　the　following：

1　　The　ignorance　of　the　English　officials。　　The　Norman　baron　very　often　paid　close　attention　to　the　privileges　of　the　classes　he　ruled；　and　the　Welsh　freeman　retained　his　superiority。　　But　the　English　officialsand　Edward　II。　found　that　they　were　far　too　numerous　in　Walesoften　refused　to　distinguish　between　a　Welshman　who　was　an　innate　freeman　and　a　Welshman　who　lived　on　a　serf　maenol。　　Their　aim　was　to　make　them　all　pay　the　same　tax。

2。　　The　fall　in　the　value　of　money。　　At　the　time　of　the　Norman　Conquest；　silver　coins　were　rare；　and　their　value　high。　　But；　in　exchange　for　cloth　and　wool；　of　arrows　and　spears；　of　mountain　ponies　and　cattle；　coins　came　in　great　numbers；　and　it　was　easier　for　the　serf　to　earn　them。　　That　is　the　value　of　coins　became　less。

This　was　a　great　boon　to　all　who　were　bound　to　pay　fixed　sumsthe　freeman　who　paid　to　the　king　the　dues　he　used　to　pay　to　his　prince；　the　serf　who　paid　to　his　lord　a　sum　of　money　instead　of　service。　　All　ancient　servitude；　political　and　economic；　was　commuted　for　money；　as　the　money　became　easier　to　get；　the　serf　became　the　more　free。

3。　　The　rise　of　towns　and　the　growth　of　commerce。　　We　must　not；　however；　think　of　commerce　as　if　it　had　been　first　brought　by　the　Normans。　　There　had　been　roads　and　coins　in　Roman　times。　　The　Danes　had　been　traders；　probably；　before　they　became　pirates　and　invaders。　Timber；　millstones；　cattle；　coarse　cloth；　and　arrow…heads　crossed　the　Severn　eastwards　before　the　Normans　saw　it；　and　corn　was　carried　westward。　　There　were　close　relations；　political　and　commercial；　between　Wales　and　Ireland　from　very　early　times。

But　the　Norman　and　English　Conquests　revived　and　quickened　trade。　Towns　rose；　regular　markets　were　established；　and　the　barons　who　took　tolls　protected　the　merchants　who　paid　them。　　Every　baron　had　a　castle；　every　castle　needed　a　walled　town；　and　a　town　cannot　live　except　by　trade。　　In　the　town　the　baron　did　not　ask　a　Welshman　whether　he　had　been　free　or　serf；　the　townsmen　were　strangers；　and　they　welcomed　the　serf　who　came　to　work。

4。　　The　monk　and　the　friar。　　The　bard　was　a　freeman　born；　a　skilled　weaver　of　courteous　phrases；　not　a　churlish　taeog。　　The　monk　or　friar　might　be　a　serf。　　They　worked　like　serfs；　and　ennobled　labour。　　The　Church　condemned　serfdom；　and　we　find　chapters　giving　their　serfs　freedom。

5。　　The　Scotch　and　French　wars　of　the　English　kings　gave　employment　to　hosts　of　bowmen　and　of　men…at…arms；　and　to　the　numerous　attendants　required　to　look　after　the　horses　by　means　of　which　the　army　moved。　The　greater　use　of　infantry　after　the　reign　of　Edward　I。　caused　a　greater　demand　for　the　peasant；　and　the　use　of　the　cheap　long…bow　gave　him　a　value　in　war。　　There　were　five　thousand　Welsh　archers　and　spearmen　on　the　field　of　Cressy。　　In　these　and　other　ways　the　serf　was　becoming　free。

You　would　expect　a　gradual；　almost　unconscious　struggle；　between　the　serf　and　his　lord　for　political　power。　　The　struggle　came；　but　it　was　conscious　and　very　fierce。　　It　was　brought　about　by　a　terrible　pestilence；　known　as　the　Black　Death。　　This　plague　came　slowly　and　steadily　from　the　East；　in　1348　it　reached　Bristol；　and　it　probably　swept　away　one　half　of　the　people　of　the　towns　of　Wales。　　It　was　not　the　towns　alone　that　it　visited；　it　came　to　the　mountain　glens　as　well。　　It　was　a　most　deadly　disease。　　It　killed；　for　one　thing；　because　people　believed　that　they　would　die。　　They　saw　the　dark　spots　on　the　skin　before　they　became　feverish；　they　recognised　the　black　mark　of　the　Death　and　they　gave　themselves　up　for　lost。

Labourers　became　very　scarce。　　They　claimed　higher　wages。　　The　lords　tried　to　drag　them　back　into　serfdom；　they　tried　to　force　them　by　law　to　take　the　old　wage。　　On　both　sides　of　the　Severn　the　labourers　took　arms；　and　waged　war　against　their　lords。　　The　peasant　war　in　England　is　called　the　Peasant　Revolt；　the　peasant　war　in　Wales　is　sometimes　called　the　revolt　of　Owen　Glendower。

A　change　came　over　the　rebellions　in　Wales。　　At　first；　the　rebellions　were　those　of　Llywelyn's　country；　the　allies　who　had　deserted　him；　and　then　turned　against　Edward；　like　Rees　ap　Meredith；　or　his　own　followers；　like　Madoc；　who　said　he　was　his　son；　or　men　he　had　protected；　like　Maelgwn　Vychan　in　Pembroke。　　Later　on；　under　Edward　II。　and　Edward　III。；　the　rebellions　were　against　the　march　lords；　and　the　king　was　looked　upon　as　a　protectorsuch　as　the　rebellion　of　Llywelyn　Bren　against　the　Clares　and　Mortimers　in　Glamorgan　in　1316。　But　the　wilder　spirits　went　to　the　French　wars；　and　fought　for　both　sides。　　With　the　assassination　of　Owen　of　Wales　in　1378；　the　last　of　Llywelyn's　near　relatives　to　dream　of　restoring　the　independence　of　Wales；　the　rebellions　against　the　King　of　England　came　to　an　end。

When　they　broke　out　again；　it　was　not　in　Snowdon　or　Ceredigion；　the　old　dominions　of　Llywelyn　were　almost　unwilling　to　rise。　　The　new　revolts　were　in　the　march　lands；　and　especially　in　the　towns。



CHAPTER　XVOWEN　GLENDOWER



The　English　baron　in　Wales　tried　to　add　to　his　possessions　by　encroaching　on　the　lands　of　the　Welsh　freemen。　　His　estate　always　remained　the　same；　because　it　all　went　to　the　eldest　son；　according　to　what　is　called　primogeniture；　their　lands；　on　the　other　hand；　were　divided　between　the　sons　according　to　what　is　called　gavelkind。　　He　also；　by　laws　they　did　not　understand；　took　the　waste　landforest　and　mountain。　　As　one　man　can　more　easily　watch　his　interest　than　many；　the　baron　succeeded；　but　the　freemen　felt　that　they　were　being　robbed。

The　tenants　of　the　barons　were　restless　and　rebellious；　they　said　they　were　free；　that　they　would　not　work　as　serfs；　that　they　would　not　bring　food　rents；　but　that　they　would　pay　a　fixed　rent　for　every　acre　they　held。

At　Ruthin；　in　the　Vale　of　Clwyd；　there　was　a　baron　called　Lord　Grey；　and　in　the　valley　of　the　Dee　there　was　a　Welsh　squire　called　Owen　Glendower。　　Their　lands　met；　and　Grey　took　part　of　Owen's　sheep　walk。　Owen　had　been　a　law　student　at　Westminster；　and　he　had　served　Henry　of　Lancaster。　　In　1399　Richard　II。　had　been　dethroned；　and　the　barons　had　made　Henry　of　Lancaster　king　as　Henry　IV。　　Owen　saw；　however；　that　the　king　was　too　weak　to　curb　his　lawless　barons；　and　in　1400　he　attacked　Lord　Grey；　and　burnt　Ruthin。

The　rebellion　that　had　long　been　smouldering　burst　into　a　flame　all　over　the　country。　　Owen　was　at　once　welcomed　by　the　bard；　the　friar；　and　the　peasant。　　The　bard　hailed　his　star　as　that　of　the　heir　of　the　princes；　who　had　come　to　deliver　his　country。　　The　friar　welcomed　him　as　the　friend　of　the　poor　and　of　learning；　and　unruly　students　from　Oxford；　then　the　centre　of　a　great　intellectual　awakening；　flocked　home　to　march　under　his　banner。　　The　peasant　welcomed　him　as　his　protector　against　the　steward　of　his　lord。　　The　main　strength　of　the　movement　was　the　peasant　revolt；　and　Welsh　poets；　like　the　English　ones；　sang　the　praises　of　the　ploughman　and　of　the　plough。

Owen's　success　was　most　rapid；　so　rapid　that　it　was　put　down　to　magic。　　In　four　years　the　whole　of　Wales　recognised　him　as　its　prince。　　Henry　IV。　and　Prince　Henry　came　to　Wales；　made　rapid　marches　and　retook　castles；　punished　the　friars　of　Llan　Vaes　and　the　monks　of　Strata　Florida。　　But　their　victories　led　to　nothing；　and　the　storms　fought　against　them。　　Owen's　victories　were　used　to　the　fullthat　of　the　Vyrnwy　was　followed　by　an　agreement　with　Grey　of　Ruthin；　that　of　Bryn　Glas　by　an　alliance　with　the　Mortimers。　　His　marches　were　nearly　all　triumphant；　he　was　welcomed　along　the　whole　line　of　the　marches　by　the　peasants　to　the　furthest　corners　of　Gwent。

Owen　was　wise　enough　to　see　that　no　abiding　power　can　be　based　on　a　popular　rising。　　He　tried　to　establish　a　government　that　the　King　of　England　could　not　overthrow。　　He　had　three　institutions　in　mindan　independent　Wales；　governed　by　him　as　Prince　in　a　Parliament　of　representatives　of　the　commotes；　an　independent　Welsh　Church；　with　an　Archbishop　of　St　David's　at　its　head；　and　an　independent　system　of　learning　and　civilisation；　guided　by　two　Universities；　one　in　North　Wales　and　one　in　South　Wales。

The　new　Wales　was　to　he　safeguarded　by　four　allianceswith　the　English　barons；　with　the　Pope；　with　Scotland；　and　with　France。　　He　failed　to　save　the　Percies　from　their　defeat　at　Shrewsbury　in　1403；　but　he　based　all　his　plans　on　an　alliance　with　the　Mortimers；　the　enemies　of　Lancaster　and　the　Percies。　　The　head　of　the　Mortimer　family　had　died　in　Ireland　in　1398；　and　had　left　four　young　children。　They　were　the　real　heirs　to　the　crown；　and　Owen　meant　t