Wheeling Sunday register. [volume] (Wheeling, W. Va.) 1882-1934, 1898-09-04

rank with the greatest of the English
barOns.
But Llewellyn and his people were
not ready to do homage to the mon
arch who had triumphed so brutTlly
over the brave Simon du MontfoIc."Ihe
Welsh prince had been on the best of
terms with the great earl, and had pro-
Vlded refuge at one time for DE mont
fort and his friends in one of the strong
holds. This, together with the natural
unWillingness of the Welsh barons to
pay tribute to an English king, made
them refuse the terms offered by King
Edward
Edward, however, was not to be re-
buffed, and he showed his hand by an
act OF gross injustice. Prince Llewell-
yn's betrothed bride, the Lady Eleanor,
daughter to Simon de Montfort, was in
England. The engagement had taken
place several years before, when the
princess was in Wales with her father,
and the two were greatly attached to
each other. AS Eleanor was about to
start for Wales, she was seized by Ed
wards emissaries and carried to Lon
don. This outrage made the Welsh
declare war against the English Ed
ward, in turn. declared Llewellyn a
traitor, and hostilities were begun.
The pulse of the Cymric warriors
beat high as they recalled the old
prophecies, which told that Prince
of Wales should reign in London. All
the old tales of King Arthur and his
Round Table knights were rehearsed,
and the bards sung stirring songs that
fired the hearts of the people. In sew
eral minor engagements Llewellyn was
victorious. and the war seemed to be
going well for him, when a traitor de-
stroyed all hopes of Welsh independ-
ence.
Llewellyn had younger brother
David, who was titulary Lord of South
Wales. He was under the greatest
obligations to Llewellyn, and had been
his strongest supporter, but the brides
of Edward were too much for his sor-
did soul, and he now proved recreant
to the cause.
Weakened by his desertion the Welsh
were gradually driven into the noun
tains, and at last Llewellyn was forced
to surrender. Edward had no wish to
completely crush the Welsh prince,
SO he left Anglesea and Snowdon in his
possession, and taking him to London
gave him his bride, Eleanor of Mont
fort, the wedding being celebrated with
great splendor.
Prince Llewellyn went back after
awhile to his mountain home, and he
and his wife lived very happily at Aber
Gwyngregyn for two years or more, but
the storms of life, and her many vicis-
STUDIES. had undermined the princess's
health, and in 1910 she died at the
mountain castle where she had at first
seen and loved her faithful prince. Her
death snapped the only tie that held
princes and people in the bonds of
affection.
The Welsh had been FESTIVE under
the entertainments of the English, and
it needed only an outbreak to make the
whole nation fly to arms. This out
break was made by Prince David, the
former traitor. No doubt remorse and
shame had worked upon him, and he
determined to retrieve his honor by
striking the first blow for the deliver
ance of his country. One stormy nigat,
with little band of mountaineers, he
fell upon the border castle of Hawar-
den, and, selling its garrison, retired
to the hills. Instantly the whole coun-
try was in arms. Prince Llewellyn
Joined his brother, and they captured
the castles of Ruddlan and Flint, and
drove the English troops back over the
border.
When King Edward heard of the up
rising he knew that the subjugation of
Wales would never be completed with
out the death of Llewellyn, the val
liant prince whose abilities and patriot
ism he had always feared. He set him.
self resolutely to the task, and the
whole force of the English nation was
employed to crush this one man. but it
took two years of constant warfare to
accomplish his purpose. In fact, had
it not been for an accident, Edward
might have been roiled in Wa,es as he
was afterwards foiled in Scotland.
In North Wales, by strategem and
desperate fighting Lleweilyn succeed
ed in winning victory. Edward was
advancing up the valley of the Wye
with a great army, in front Of which
was borne the Golden Dragon, the Old
standard of King Arthur, dear to the
memories of the Britons. Leaving his
brother to guard the northern passes,
Llewellyn FASTENED to meet this Eng
lish force in the south.
On the way he was invited to con-
ference by number of border barons.
Not suspeeting any danger. the prince
posted hiskmain army on a height near
fhe Wye, fand with small body of
troops went to Pont Orewyn, near the
appointed place of conference. At
tended only by his esquire, Llewellyn
retired to an adjacent grove to wait
the arrival Of the chiefs. but none Of