Manchester Democrat. [volume] (Manchester, Iowa) 1875-1930, 1903-02-11


the towns and, in order further to
secure what had been gained, lie COM
manded that strong castles be erected
at favorable points on the coast. OF
these the most important were Carndr-
Won or Caernarvon, Conway and Beau
maris, the first named being at the
southern end of the famous Menai
Strait and the other two ut its north
ern extremity. one on each side.
OF these. the first begun was Car
narvol, It's foundation being laid in
1882, though it was not completely fin
ished }until 1922. fifteen years after
Edwatd's death. Two years after the
foundations of Carnarvon We're laid
and the fortress had already grown to
considerable dimensions, Edward en-
tered into negotiations with the Welsh
chieftains for the purpose of bringing
. n close what promised to be a war
OF interminable length. He was i'm
PEELED to this. course by the apparent
impossibility of successfully carrying
the war into the Welsh mountains and
also by his desire to release his army
from Wales and employ it i'll Scotland.
But the Welsh chiefs We're reluctant to
enter into any compact with the Eng.
fish King They loved their independ-
ence and We're exceedingly 10th to ac-
cept even modified form Of English
sovereignty. The negotiations seemed
on the point of failure when Edward,
who was as clever in diplomacy as in
| arms, had recourse to Il trick. His
Queen, Eleanor had recently come to
Carnarvon on n visit and while the ne
gotiations were In progress was de-
livered of a son, the birth taking place
| in small room near one of the gate
towers, for the royal apartments of
the castle had not been even begun.
Two or three days after the birth of
| the child, later the unfortunate Ed
ward H., the King, assembled the
| Welsh chieftains, who, it is stated, I'M
| der solemn oath of safe conduct,
| were his guests in the castle and made
| them proposition to the effect that
| IL they would accept the English SOW
ereignty and cease fighting he would
| appoint as their Prince person born
| in Wales, and who spoke not word
of the English language.
| The honest, unsophisticated Welsh
| men at once conceived the idea that IL
they consented to the terms proposed
| the King would appoint one of them
selves. They were all born in Wales,
none of their number spoke English,
and each, therefore, fulfilled the re-
| uuirements. So the chiefs consented,
| and after their submission had been
| confirmed, recorded and ratified by
oath, the King produced the infant and
| told the chiefs that this was their
Prince.
The Welsh leaders We're not ut all
pleased with the outcome of the Incl
dent. but kept their oath, paid their
homage to their new Prince, went back
to their hills. did little grumbling,
| and then devoted their attention to
trading with the English merchants
| and raising grain and fattening pigs
| to sell to the English army. The pacl-
fication Of the country did not take
place all at once, for there We're chief
| tains who held back and clans which
refused to acknowledge the sovereign
ty of the English Prince, but, little by
little, the civilizing influences of trade
accomplished what military force had
been unable to attain, and the Welsh
became loyal subjects of the crown
and especially devoted to the heir-ap-
parent, in whom every Welshman felt
and still feels lively personal inter
| eSt