It Is To Be Remarked That Three Princes, {190} Distinguished For
Their Justice, Wisdom, And Princely Moderation, Ruled, In Our Time,
Over The Three Provinces Of Wales:
Owen, son of Gruffydd, in
Venedotia, or North Wales; Meredyth, his grandson, son of Gruffydd,
who died early in life, in South Wales; and Owen de Cevelioc, in
Powys.
But two other princes were highly celebrated for their
generosity; Cadwalader, son of Gruffydd, in North Wales, and
Gruffydd of Maelor, son of Madoc, in Powys; and Rhys, son of
Gruffydd, in South Wales, deserved commendation for his enterprising
and independent spirit. In North Wales, David, son of Owen, and on
the borders of Morgannoc, in South Wales, Howel, son of Iorwerth of
Caerleon, maintained their good faith and credit, by observing a
strict neutrality between the Welsh and English.
CHAPTER XIII
Of the journey by Wenloch, Brumfeld, the castle of Ludlow, and
Leominster, to Hereford
From Shrewsbury, we continued our journey towards Wenloch, by a
narrow and rugged way, called Evil-street, where, in our time, a
Jew, travelling with the archdeacon of the place, whose name was Sin
(Peccatum), and the dean, whose name was Devil, towards Shrewsbury,
hearing the archdeacon say, that his archdeaconry began at a place
called Evil-street, and extended as far as Mal-pas, towards Chester,
pleasantly told them, "It would be a miracle, if his fate brought
him safe out of a country, whose archdeacon was Sin, whose dean the
devil; the entrance to the archdeaconry Evil-street, and its exit
Bad-pass." {191}
From Wenloch, we passed by the little cell of Brumfeld, {192} the
noble castle of Ludlow, through Leominster to Hereford leaving on
our right hand the districts of Melenyth and Elvel; thus (describing
as it were a circle) we came to the same point from which we had
commenced this laborious journey through Wales.
During this long and laudable legation, about three thousand men
were signed with the cross; well skilled in the use of arrows and
lances, and versed in military matters; impatient to attack the
enemies of the faith; profitably and happily engaged for the service
of Christ, if the expedition of the Holy Cross had been forwarded
with an alacrity equal to the diligence and devotion with which the
forces were collected. But by the secret, though never unjust,
judgment of God, the journey of the Roman emperor was delayed, and
dissensions arose amongst our kings. The premature and fatal hand
of death arrested the king of Sicily, who had been the foremost
sovereign in supplying the holy land with corn and provisions during
the period of their distress. In consequence of his death, violent
contentions arose amongst our princes respecting their several
rights to the kingdom; and the faithful beyond sea suffered severely
by want and famine, surrounded on all sides by enemies, and most
anxiously waiting for supplies. But as affliction may strengthen
the understanding, as gold is tried by fire, and virtue may be
confirmed in weakness, these things are suffered to happen; since
adversity (as Gregory testifies) opposed to good prayers is the
probation of virtue, not the judgment of reproof.
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