CatholicaJ. Williams ab Ithel (ed.), Rolls Series (1860) — Latin text (includes the continuations appended in the edition)
The version in manuscript B
1 First God made light, which he called day. On the second day God made the firmament in the midst of the waters, and divided the waters from the waters, the upper from the lower, as it is read in Genesis. On the third day God gathered the waters into one place and made the earth appear, which he called the dry land, and the gatherings of the waters he called seas. On the fourth day he made the sun and the moon out of the light made on the first day, and the other stars in the firmament of heaven. On the fifth day God created the things that swim and the things that fly, and these from the waters. On the sixth day God created the land animals and man himself in the likeness of God; male and female he created them, namely Adam and Eve. On the seventh day he rested from all the work which he had done.
2 Adam, in the one hundred and thirtieth year of his age, begot Seth, from whom come the sons of God; and he lived nine hundred and thirty years, and died.
3 Seth in his one hundred and fifth year begot Enos, who began to call upon the name of God; and he lived nine hundred and twelve years.
4 Enos in his ninetieth year begot Cainan; and he lived nine hundred and five years.
5 Cainan in his one hundred and seventieth year begot Mahalalel; and he lived nine hundred and ten years.
6 Mahalalel in his sixty-fifth year begot Jared; and he lived eight hundred years.
7 Jared in his one hundred and sixty-second year begot Enoch; and he lived nine hundred and sixty-two years.
8 Enoch in his one hundred and sixty-fifth year begot Methuselah; and he lived three hundred and sixty-five years.
9 Methuselah in his one hundred and sixty-first year begot Lamech; and he lived nine hundred and sixty-nine years. This Lamech killed Cain the fratricide, the son of Ada.
10 Lamech in his one hundred and fifty-seventh year begot Noah; and he lived seven hundred and seventy-seven years. Noah in his five hundredth year begot Shem; and when Shem was ninety-eight years old the flood came, in the six hundredth year of Noah’s life, in the second month, on the seventeenth day of the month, as some hold. This is the First Age, containing one thousand eight hundred and eighty-four years.
11 Shem, two years after the flood, begot Arphaxad; and Arphaxad in his thirty-fifth year begot Salah, who was the first builder of Jerusalem, and it was called Salem after his name; afterwards it was called Jerusalem from Jebus and Salem. Salah in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Eber, from whom come the Hebrews. Eber in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Peleg. Peleg in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Reu. The gods are worshipped for the first time. Reu in his one hundred and thirty-second year begot Serug. The kingdom of the Scythians begins. Serug in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Nahor. The kingdom of the Egyptians begins. Nahor in his eighty-fourth year begot Terah. The kingdom of the Africans arises. Terah in his eightieth year begot Abraham. Zor discovered the magic art among the tents. This is the Second Age, containing eight hundred and fifty-seven years.
12 Abraham in his hundredth year begot Isaac. Isaac in his sixtieth year begot Jacob. Jacob in his fortieth year begot Joseph. Phoroneus gave laws to the Greeks. Joseph died in Egypt in his twenty-third year. The slavery of the Hebrews in Egypt begins in the same year in which Joseph died, and lasted one hundred and forty-four years. Moses ruled the people for forty years. Atlas taught astronomy. Joshua ruled the people for twenty-seven years after Moses. Erichthonius first invented the use of the chariot in the region of Troy. After this the children of Israel served the king of Mesopotamia for eight years; Gothoniel set them free and was judge over them for forty years. Eaptinus gave letters to the Greeks. Afterwards the Hebrews served the king of Moab for eighteen years; Ehud set them free and was over them, and the land had rest for eighty years. Deborah judged the people. Then the children of Israel served Jabin king of Canaan for twenty years; Barak set them free and was judge for forty years. Apollo discovered the harp. Afterwards they served the Midianites; Gideon set them free and was judge for forty years. Mercury invented the lyre. Abimelech twenty-one years. The chorus was invented in Greece. Tola thirty-two years. Priam the son of Laomedon reigned in Troy. Jair thirty-two years. Carmentis, the mother of Evander, discovered the letters of the Latins. Then the children of Israel served their enemies for eighteen years; Jephthah set them free and was judge for six years. Hercules threw himself into the flames. Ibzan seven years. Alexander carried off Helen. Abdon ten years. Troy was taken by the Greeks, and Carthage was begun by Dido. Dares published the history of the Trojans. Then the children of Israel served the Philistines for forty years; Samson set them free and was judge for twenty years. Aeneas died in Italy. Ascanius founded Alba. Eli the priest, father of Hophni and Phinehas, was judge for forty years. The ark of the covenant was taken, Hophni and Phinehas being slain. The Trojans came into Britain under the leadership of Brutus. Samuel and Saul forty years. Homer, the most learned of the Greeks, was renowned. Locrinus the son of Brutus reigned in Britain. This is the Third Age, containing nine hundred and ten years.
13 David was king for forty years. Gad and Nathan prophesied in Israel. Solomon forty years. The temple at Jerusalem is built. Amos, Jehu, Haggai prophesied. Rud Hud Hudibras was reigning at that time in Britain. Rehoboam seventeen years. The kingdom of Israel is divided. Abijah three years, under whom Ahimelech was high priest. Asaph forty-four years. Zechariah and Joel prophesied. Jehoshaphat thirty years. Elijah, Obadiah, Micah prophesied. Joram eight years. Joel and Nahum prophesied. Elijah was taken up; Elisha prophesied. Jonadab the priest was renowned. Joash forty years. Elisha the disciple of Elijah died. Amaziah fifteen years. Carthage was completely founded. Uzziah eighteen years. Romulus and Remus were born. The Olympic games were instituted by the Greeks under Mount Olympus. Jotham and Isaiah thirty-eight years. In the first year of their reign Rome was founded by the twin brothers Remus and Romulus on the eleventh day before the Kalends of May, on the day of Saint Pat. Cunedagius was reigning in Britain, who was the grandson of King Lear, who founded Leicester. Ahaz sixteen years. Hezekiah twenty-nine years. The senate began at Rome. The Sibyl was renowned. Amon twelve years. The first census is held. Josiah twenty-two years. Thales the philosopher is recognised. Jehoiakim ten years. Zedekiah twenty years. Nebuchadnezzar took Judea. The temple at Jerusalem was burnt. This is the Fourth Age, containing four hundred and seventy-one years.
14 The captivity of the Hebrews begins, and lasted seventy years. The history of Judith is written. Darius thirty-four years; but in the first year of his reign the Hebrews were set free from captivity. Xerxes twenty years. Sophocles, Socrates, Euripides are celebrated. Artaxerxes twenty-five years. Ezra restored the law which had been burnt. The second Darius seventeen years. Plato is renowned. The history of Esther is completed. Aristotle and Demosthenes are celebrated. Xerxes eight years. Alexander five years: he held Asia, took Jerusalem, and died. Ptolemy twenty-eight years. The first book of Maccabees begins. The Seventy Interpreters are recognised. Philadelphus twenty-eight years. Jesus composed the book of Wisdom. Philopator eighteen years. Philometor twenty-six years. Scipio Africanus conquered Africa and destroyed Carthage. Brutus subdued Spain. Soter seventeen years. Thrace is made subject to the Romans. Alexander eleven years. Syria was subjugated by the Romans. Ptolemy eleven years. The rhetorical art began at Rome. Dionysius twenty-two years. Pompey the Great took Judea; and Cleopatra the daughter of Lagus was reigning at that time in Egypt; and Lud the son of Heli was reigning in Britain, who rebuilt Trinovantum and called it London after his own name.
15 The year sixty before the Incarnation of the Lord: Julius Caesar struck Britain in war and conquered it, Cassivellaunus reigning in Britain.
16 [Seventeen empty years.]
17 Augustus Caesar received the kingdom.
18 [Forty empty years.]
19 The Nativity of our Lord Jesus Christ at Bethlehem of Judea in the city of David.
20 The slaughter of the innocents.
21 [Four empty years.]
22 The year of the Lord’s return from Egypt.
23 [Nine empty years.]
24 The year of Tiberius Caesar, who first reigned after Augustus.
25 [Thirteen empty years.]
26 The Lord was baptised by John in the Jordan, and fasted, and was tempted.
27 The Lord turned the water into wine on the same day on which he had been baptised, a year having run its course.
28 The Lord preaches publicly. John the Baptist died.
29 The year of the Passion of our Lord Jesus Christ.
30 [Five empty years.]
31 The year of Gaius Caesar. Matthew wrote the Gospel.
32 The year of Claudius Nero. Peter went to Rome, Mark to Alexandria.
33 [Eight empty years.]
34 The year of Nero, under whom Peter is crucified. Paul is delivered to the sword.
35 [Fourteen empty years.]
36 Vespasian reigned.
37 He destroyed Jerusalem.
38 [Thirteen empty years.]
39 The year of the Emperor Titus. He was devout and eloquent.
40 Domitian reigned. John the Evangelist is banished to Patmos. Clement is exiled to the Pontus.
41 [Eighteen empty years.]
42 The year of the Emperor Nerva. John, returning to Ephesus, wrote the Gospel.
43 The year Trajan reigned. Simon the son of Cleophas is crucified, and John the Apostle rests.
44 [Twenty empty years.]
45 The year of the Emperor Hadrian. Aquila is held as the interpreter.
46 [Twenty-four empty years.]
47 Antoninus Pius reigned. Valentinus and Marcion are recognised as heretics.
48 [Eighteen empty years.]
49 Antoninus the Younger reigned. The heresy of the Cataphrygians arises.
50 [Twelve empty years.]
51 Commodus reigned. Theodotion is held among the Christians.
52 [Three empty years.]
53 Helius Pertinax reigned.
54 The year of Aurelius Antoninus: the sixth edition is found at Nicopolis.
55 [Twelve empty years.]
56 Alexander reigned. Origen was renowned at Alexandria.
57 [Three empty years.]
58 Maximus reigned. He persecutes the Christians.
59 [Five empty years.]
60 The Emperor Gordian. Fabian the bishop was renowned at Rome.
61 [Six empty years.]
62 Philip begins his reign. He was the first Christian emperor.
63 [Five empty years.]
64 Decius reigned, under whom the blessed Laurence suffered.
65 Gallus and Volusian reigned. The Novatian heresy arises.
66 [One empty year.]
67 Valerian reigned with Gallienus. Cyprian is crowned with martyrdom.
68 [Fourteen empty years.]
69 Claudius reigned. Paul of Samosata founded a heresy.
70 [Four empty years.]
71 The year of the Emperor Aurelian. He persecuted the Christians.
72 [Five empty years.]
73 The year of the Emperor Decius.
74 The year of the Emperor Probus. The heresy of the Manichaeans arose.
75 [Nineteen empty years.]
76 Carus reigned. He triumphed over the Persians.
77 [Sixteen empty years.]
78 The year of Diocletian and Maximian. Under these persecutors nineteen of the Christians suffered within thirty days.
79 [Nine empty years.]
80 Maximus and Severus reigned.
81 Constans and Constans reigned. The bones of the blessed Apostle Andrew are transferred to Constantinople.
82 [Three empty years.]
83 Julian reigned. From a Christian he became a pagan and persecuted the Christians.
84 [Ten empty years.]
85 Jovian reigned. With all his army he is made a Christian.
86 [One empty year.]
87 Valentinian reigned, who had been deprived of his military rank by Julian.
88 [Two empty years.]
89 Valens begins his reign.
90 [Twelve empty years.]
91 The blessed Bishops Ambrose and Martin were renowned.
92 [Twenty-five empty years.]
93 Valentinian reigned with Theodosius. Jerome is preached at Bethlehem, Augustine in Africa. The synod of Constantinople of two hundred and fifty bishops, in which all heresies are condemned.
94 [Four empty years.]
95 Theodosius reigns with Arcadius and Honorius. John the anchorite was renowned.
96 [Eleven empty years.]
97 John Chrysostom and Bishop Augustine are preached.
98 [Five empty years.]
99 Honorius reigns with Theodosius the Younger. Cyril was renowned at Alexandria. The Council of Carthage, of two hundred and forty bishops, condemns Pelagius.
100 [One empty year.]
101 Theodosius the Younger reigns. The Council of Ephesus condemns Nestorius.
102 [One empty year.]
103 Marcian rules. The Council of Chalcedon is held.
104 [One empty year.]
105 Saint Patrick went to Ireland at the prompting of an angel.
106 [One empty year.]
107 Leo the Great rules. Egypt barks in the error of Dioscorus.
108 [One empty year.]
109 The coming of the English, Horsa and Hengist, in the time of King Vortigern.
110 [One empty year.]
111 A day dark as night.
The Chronicle Of The Venerable Bede From The Creation Of The World To A.D. 453 #
The version in manuscript C
1 On the first day of the world’s beginning God made light, which he called day. On the second day God made the firmament in the midst of the waters, and divided the upper waters from the lower waters. On the third day God gathered the waters into one place and made the earth appear. On the fourth day God made the sun and the moon and the other stars in the firmament. On the fifth day God created the things that swim in the waters and the things that fly in the air. On the sixth day God created the land animals and man himself, namely Adam and Eve. On the seventh day he rested from all his work.
Here Begins The First Age #
1 Adam in the one hundred and thirtieth year of his age begot Seth, from whom come the sons of God. Seth in his one hundred and fifth year begot Enos, who began to call upon the name of the Lord. Enos in his one hundred and ninetieth year begot Cainan; Cainan in his one hundred and seventieth year begot Mahalalel; Mahalalel in his one hundred and sixty-fifth year begot Jared; Jared in his one hundred and sixty-second year begot Enoch; Enoch in his one hundred and sixty-fifth year begot Methuselah; Methuselah in his one hundred and sixty-fifth year begot Lamech; Lamech in his one hundred and fifty-seventh year begot Noah; Noah in his five hundredth year begot Shem. And when Shem was ninety-eight years old, the flood came. This is the First Age, containing one thousand six hundred and eighty-four years.
The Second Age #
1 Shem, two years after the flood, begot Arphaxad; Arphaxad in his thirty-fifth year begot Salah; Salah in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Eber, from whom come the Hebrews; Eber in his one hundred and thirty-fourth year begot Peleg; Peleg in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Reu; Reu in his one hundred and thirty-second year begot Serug. The kingdom of the Scythians begins. Serug in his one hundred and thirtieth year begot Nahor. The kingdom of the Egyptians begins. Nahor in his eighty-fourth year begot Terah. The kingdom of the Assyrians arises. Terah in his eightieth year begot Abraham. Terah discovered the art of astronomy. This is the Second Age, containing nine hundred and fifty-seven years.
The Third Age #
1 Abraham in his hundredth year begot Isaac; Isaac in his sixtieth year begot Jacob; Jacob in his fortieth year begot Joseph; Joseph died in his ninety-third year. The slavery of the Hebrews began in Egypt in the very year in which Joseph died, and lasted one hundred and forty-four years. Adom discovered astronomy. Moses ruled the people for forty years. After Moses, Erichthonius invented the chariot in the region of Troy. Othniel in his fortieth year discovered the Greek letters. Ehud in his eightieth year. The fables were made; Deborah forty years. Apollo discovered the harp; Gideon forty years. Mercury invented the lyre; Abimelech twenty-one years. The chorus was invented in Greece; Tola thirty-two years. Priam reigned in Troy; Jair thirty-one years. Carmentis the mother of Evander discovered the letters of the Latins; Jephthah six years. Hercules threw himself into the flames; Ibzan seven years. Alexander carried off Helen; Abdon ten years. Troy was taken by the Greeks, and Carthage was founded by Dido; Samson nineteen years. Aeneas died in Italy, and Ascanius his son founded Alba Longa; Eli the priest forty years. The ark of the covenant was taken. Brutus the grandson of Ascanius went to the island of Britain, and handed his kingdom over to his son Locrinus at the end of his life. Samuel and Saul forty years. Homer is renowned. And at that time Maddan the son of Locrinus was reigning in Britain. This is the Third Age, containing nine hundred and ten years.
The Fourth Age #
1 David was king for forty years. Gad, Nathan, Asaph prophesied. Solomon forty years. The temple at Jerusalem is built. Amos, Jehu, Haggai prophesied. And Rud Hud Hudibras was reigning in Britain at that time. Rehoboam seventeen years; the kingdom of Israel and Judah is divided; Abijah three years, under whom Ahimelech was high priest; Asa forty-two years. Zechariah and Joel prophesied; Jehoshaphat twenty years. Elijah, Obadiah, Micah prophesied; Joram eight years. Joel and Nahum prophesied; Ahaziah one year. Elijah was taken up; Elisha prophesied; Athaliah seven years. Jonadab the priest; Joash forty years; Elisha died; Amaziah fifteen years. Carthage, faithfully founded, was renowned; Uzziah eighteen years. Romulus and Remus were born. The Olympic games were instituted by the Greeks; Jotham and Isaiah thirty-eight years. In the first year of their reign Rome was founded by Remus and Romulus on the eleventh day before the Kalends of May. And Cunedagius was reigning in Britain, who was the grandson of King Lear. Ahaz sixteen years; Hezekiah twenty-nine years; the senate is established at Rome; Manasseh fifty-five years; the Sibyl was renowned; Amon twelve years. The first census is held; Josiah twenty-two years; Thales the philosopher is recognised; Jehoiakim ten years; Zedekiah twelve years. Nebuchadnezzar took Judea. The temple at Jerusalem was burnt. This is the Fourth Age, containing four hundred and seventy-one years.
The Fifth Age #
1 The captivity of the Hebrews began and lasted seventy years. The history of Judith is written; Darius thirty-three years. But in the first year of his reign the Hebrews were set free from captivity. Xerxes twenty years. Sophocles, Socrates, Euripides are celebrated. Artaxerxes thirty-five years. Ezra restored the law which had been burnt. The second Darius reigned seventeen years. Plato is renowned. The second Artaxerxes reigned forty-one years. The history of Esther is completed. The third Artaxerxes twenty-six years. Aristotle and Demosthenes are celebrated. Xerxes eight years. Darius seven years. Alexander five years: he held Asia, took Jerusalem, and died. Ptolemy twenty-eight years. The first book of Maccabees begins. The Seventy Interpreters are recognised. Philadelphus twenty-eight years; Euergetes twenty-seven years. Jesus composed the book of Wisdom. Philopator reigned eighteen years. Philometor reigned twenty-six years. Scipio conquered Africa. Euergetes twenty-nine years. Brutus subdued Spain. Soter seventeen years. Thrace is made subject to the Romans; Alexander eleven years; Syria was subjugated by the Romans; Ptolemy reigned nine years. The rhetorical art began at Rome. Dionysius reigned twenty-two years. Pompey the Great took Judea. And Cleopatra was reigning at that time in Egypt. And Lud the son of Beli was reigning in Britain, who rebuilt Trinovantum and called it London after his own name. Julius Caesar fifteen years: in his first five-year period he subdued Gaul; in the second five-year period, Britain, as is found in the Roman histories. For it is written that Julius Caesar was the first of the Romans to strike Britain in war, in the year six hundred and ninety-three from the founding of the city, and sixty years before the Incarnation of the Lord. Cassivellaunus the son of Beli was reigning in Britain at that time. In the final five-year period he defeated Pompey, and held the monarchy of the whole world. Octavian Caesar reigned after Julius for fifty-five years; but in the fortieth year of his rule Christ was born. In that same year the Fifth Age ends, containing five hundred and thirty-three years. Therefore there are gathered from the beginning of the world to Christ four thousand seven hundred and fifty-two years.
The Sixth Age #
1 The same Octavian Caesar reigned fifteen years after the Nativity of the Lord. Tenuantius was king of Britain, the grandson of King Cassivellaunus. Tiberius twenty-three years. In his time the Lord suffered. Cymbeline the son of Tenuantius reigned in Britain. Gaius Caligula reigned four years. Matthew wrote the Gospel. Arviragus the rebel was reigning in Britain. Nero fourteen years. Peter and Paul suffered. Vespasian ten years. Jerusalem was overthrown by Titus. Arviragus was still reigning in Britain. Titus two years. He was eloquent and devout. Domitian reigned sixty-two years. John is banished to Patmos. Nerva one year. John returned to Ephesus. Trajan reigned nineteen years. John the Apostle rested. Hadrian reigned twenty-one years. Aquila is held as the interpreter. Antoninus reigned twenty-five years. Valentinus and Marcion are recognised.
2 The second Antoninus nineteen years. The heresy of the Cataphrygians arises. Commodus reigned thirteen years. Theodotion is held as the interpreter. Helvius Pertinax one year. He has no history. Severus eighteen years. Symmachus is held as the interpreter. Antoninus seven years. The fifth edition is found at Jerusalem. Macrinus one year. He has no history. Aurelius three years. Sabellius arises. Alexander sixteen years. Origen is held to be outstanding. Maximus three years. He defeated the Germans. Gordian seven years. He triumphed over the Parthians and the Persians. Philip seven years. He was the first [Christian] emperor. Decius reigned one year. Antony the monk was renowned. Gallus reigned two years. Novatus founded a heresy. Valerian reigned fifteen years; Cyprian is crowned with martyrdom. Claudius two years. He has no history. Aurelius five years. He persecutes the Christians. Tacitus one year. He has no history. Probus six years. The heresy of the Manichaean monks arose. Carus two years. He has no history. Diocletian reigned twenty years. He, having burnt the divine books, killed the Christians. Galerius two years. He has no history. Constantine reigned thirty years. The Council of Nicaea is assembled. The second Constantine reigned twenty-four years. The heresy of the Anthropomorphites arises. Julian two years. From a Christian he is made a pagan. Jovian one year. He is again made a Christian. Valentinian reigned fourteen years. The Goths are made heretics. Gratian reigned six years. The coming of the English into England, namely Horsa and Hengist, in the year from the Incarnation of the Lord four hundred and thirty-eight, Vortigern being king of the Britons. The second Valentinian reigned seven years. Preaching takes place at Jerusalem and at Bethlehem. And Easter is changed to the Lord’s day by Pope Leo.
The Annals #
444–446.
447. [A day dark as night.]
448–452.
453. Easter is transferred to the Lord’s day by Pope Leo, bishop of Rome.
454. Saint Brigid is born.
455–456.
457. Saint Patrick departs to the Lord.
458. [Saint David is born in the thirtieth year after Patrick’s departure from Menevia.]
459–467.
468. The rest of Bishop Benignus.
469–500.
501. Bishop Ebur rests in Christ, in the three hundred and fiftieth year of his age.
502–515.
516. The battle of Badon, in which Arthur carried the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ for three days and three nights on his shoulders; and the Britons were victorious. [MS B adds: in that battle Colgrin and Radulf, leaders of the English, fell.]
517–520.
521. Saint Columba is born. The rest of Saint Brigid.
522–536.
537. The battle of Camlann, in which Arthur and Medrawt fell; and there was a great mortality in Britain and in Ireland. [MS B: The battle of Camlan, in which the renowned Arthur, king of the Britons, and Mordred his traitor fell by mutual wounds.]
538–543.
544. The falling asleep of Ciarán.
545–546.
547. A great mortality [in Britain], in which Maelgwn king of Gwynedd rests. [MS B adds: Whence it is said, “Hir bun Wailgun en Ilys Ros” — “Long was the sleep of Maelgwn in the court of Rhos.” Then it was the “tal-welen” — the yellow plague.]
548–557.
558. Gabrán son of Dungart dies. [MS B: Gawran Wradoc son of Dinwarch died.]
559–561.
562. Columba went out into Britain. [MS B: Columba came out of Ireland into Britain.]
563–564.
565. [The voyage of Gildas to Ireland.]
566–568.
569. [The Synod of Victory is assembled among the Britons.]
570. Gildas [wisest of the Britons] died.
571–572.
573. The battle of Arderydd [between the sons of Eliffer and Gwenddolau son of Ceidio; in which battle Gwenddolau fell; Myrddin became mad].
574. The falling asleep of Brendan of Birr.
575–579.
580. Gwrgi and Peredur [sons of Eliffer] die.
581–583.
584. The battle against the Isle of Man, and the appointment of Daniel of Bangor [as bishop].
585–588.
589. The conversion of Constantine to the Lord.
590–593.
594. [Æthelberht ruled in England.]
595. Columba died. King Dunawd died. Augustine [and] Mellitus converted the English to Christ.
596–600.
601. The synod of the city of the Legion [ordered by Saint David, archbishop of Menevia]. Gregory died in Christ. David [bishop of] Menevia died.
602–605.
606. The falling asleep of Cynog the bishop.
607. Aidan son of Gabrán dies.
608–611.
612. The death of Conthigern and of Bishop Dyfrig.
613. The battle of Caerleon; and there fell Selim son of Cynan. And the falling asleep of Jacob son of Beli. [MS B: The battle of Caerleon, in which Seysil son of Cynan and Jacob son of Beli die with many others.]
614–615.
616. Ceredig died.
617. Edwin begins to reign.
618–623.
624. The sun was darkened.
625.
626. Edwin was baptised; and Rhun son of Urien baptised him. [MS B: by Paulinus bishop of York.]
627. Belin dies.
628.
629. The besieging of King Cadwallon on the island of Glannauc.
630. Guyddgar came and did not return on the Kalends of January; the battle of Meigen, in which Edwin was killed with his two sons; but Cadwallon was the victor.
631. The battle of Cantscaul, in which Cadwallon [with his men] fell.
632. The slaughter of the Severn, and the slaying of Idris.
633–643.
644. The battle of Cogwy, in which Oswald king of the Northumbrians and Eowa king of the Mercians fell.
645. The striking of the region of Dyfed, when the monastery of David was burnt.
646–648.
649. [The slaughter of Gwent.]
650. A star arose.
651–655.
656. The slaughter of Gai’s Field.
657. The slaying of Penda.
658. Oswy came and led away booty.
659–660.
661. Cumméne Fota.
662. Brochmail [Ysgythrog] dies.
663–664.
665. The first Easter is celebrated among the Saxons. [The second battle of Badon. Morgan dies.]
666–668.
669. Oswy king of the Saxons dies.
670–675.
676. A star of wondrous size was seen shining over the whole world.
677–681.
682. There was a great mortality in Britain, in which Cadwaladr son of Cadwallon died. [MS B: on account of which Cadwaladr son of Cadwallon fled to Lesser Britain. MS C: And King Cadwaladr left Britain and went to the Armorican region.]
683. [There was] a mortality in Ireland.
684. A great earthquake took place in the Isle of Man.
685–688.
689. A bloody rain fell in Britain, and [in Ireland] milk and butter were turned to blood.
690. [The moon was turned to a bloody colour.]
691–703.
704. Aldfrith king of the Saxons died. The falling asleep of Adomnán.
705–713.
714. There was a night bright as day.
715–716.
717. Osbrid king of the Saxons dies.
718. The consecration of the church of Michael the Archangel. [MS B: of St Michael on Monte Gargano.]
719–720.
721. A scorching summer.
722. Beli son of Elfin dies; and the battle of Hehil among the Cornishmen; the battle of Garth Maelog; the battle of Pencon among the southern Britons; and the Britons were victors in those three battles. [MS C adds: with Ifor as their leader.]
723–727.
728. The battle of Mount Carno.
729–733.
734. [Ifor son of Cadwaladr.]
735. Bede the priest sleeps. [MS C adds: who composed this Chronicle year by year.]
736. Ouen king of the Picts died.
737–749.
750. The battle between the Picts and the Britons, that is the battle of Mocetauc; and their king Talargan is slain by the Britons. Teudubr son of Beli dies.
751–753.
754. Rhodri king of the Britons dies.
755–756.
757. Æthelbald king of the Saxons dies.
758–759.
760. The battle between the Britons and the Saxons, that is the battle of Hereford; and Dyfnwal son of Tewdwr dies.
761–767.
768. Easter is changed among the Britons, [on to the Lord’s day,] Elfoddw, a man of God, emending it.
769–774.
775. Ffernfael son of Idwal dies.
776. Cemoyd king of the Picts died.
777. Abbot Cuthbert dies.
778. The devastation of the southern Britons by Offa [king of the Saxons].
779–783.
784. The devastation of the Britons by Offa in the summer.
785–794.
795. [The devastation of Rhufoniog by Offa.] The first coming of the heathens to southern Ireland.
796. Offa king of the Mercians died, and Maredudd king of the Demetians died; and the battle of Rhuddlan.
797.
798. Caradog king of Gwynedd is killed by the Saxons.
799–806.
807. Arthgen king of Ceredigion dies. [Eclipse of the sun.]
808. Rhain king of the Demetians and Cadell [king] of Powys die.
809. Elfoddw, archbishop of the region of Gwynedd, passed over to the Lord.
810. [The moon is darkened.] The burning of Menevia. [A mortality of cattle in Britain.]
811. Owain son of Maredudd dies.
812. The fortress of Degannwy is burnt by a stroke of lightning.
813. The battle between Hywel [and Cynan]; Hywel was the victor. [MS C: the battle between Hywel and Cynan, but Cynan was the victor.]
814. There was a great thunder, which caused many fires. Tryffun son of Rhain dies. And Gruffudd son of Cyngen is killed through treachery by his brother Elisedd after an interval of two months. Hywel triumphed over the island of Anglesey, and drove Cynan from it with a great crushing of his army.
815.
816. Hywel was again expelled from Anglesey [by Cynan]; King Cynan dies. [The Saxons invaded the mountains of Eryri and the kingdom of Rhufoniog.]
817. The battle of Llanmaes.
818. [Cenwulf devastated the regions of the Demetians.]
819–821.
822. The fortress of Degannwy is destroyed by the Saxons; and they brought the region of Powys under their power.
823–824.
825. Hywel dies.
826–830.
831. [Eclipse of the moon.] Lluent dies, and Saturnbiu the bishop of Menevia dies.
832–839.
840. Nobis the bishop ruled in Menevia.
841.
842. Idwallon died.
843.
844. Merfyn dies. The battle of Cetill.
845–847.
848. The battle of Ffinnant. Ithel king of Gwent was killed by the men of Brycheiniog.
849. Meurig was killed by the Saxons.
850. Cyngen is slain by the gentiles.
851–852.
853. Anglesey was laid waste by the black gentiles.
854. Cyngen king of Powys died in Rome.
855.
856. Cemoyth king of the Picts died; and Jonathan prince of Abergele died.
857–859.
860. [Maileachlen died.]
861.
862. Cadwaethon was driven out.
863.
864. Duta laid waste Glywysing.
865. Ciannant died at sea. [MS B: Cian of Nant Newer.]
866. The city of York was laid waste — that is, the battle of Dublin. [MS B: Cat Du lin.]
867–868.
869. The battle of Bryn Onnen.
870. The fortress of Alt Clut was broken by the gentiles.
871. Gwgawn, king of Ceredigion, was drowned.
872.
873. Bishop Nobis and Meurig die. The battle of Bannguolou.
874. [Bishop Llanwerth is consecrated.]
875. Dungarth king of Cernyw [that is, of Cornwall] was drowned.
876. The Sunday battle in Anglesey.
877. Rhodri and his son Gwriad are slain by the Saxons.
878. Aed son of Niall dies.
879.
880. The battle of Conwy, God’s vengeance for Rhodri.
881.
882. Cadwaethon died.
883–884.
885. Hywel died in Rome.
886.
887. Cerball died.
888.
889. [Suibne, wisest of the Scots, died.]
890–891.
892. Hyfaidd dies.
893.
894. Anarawd came with the English to lay waste Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi.
895. The Northmen came and laid waste Lloegyr and Brycheiniog and Gwent and Gwynllŵg.
896. [Bread failed in Ireland. Worms fell from the sky like moles with two teeth, which ate everything; they were driven out by fasting and prayer.]
897.
898. [Æthelstan king of the Saxons died.]
899.
900. Alfred king of the Gewissae dies.
901.
902. Ingimund came to the island of Anglesey, and held Maes Osmeliaun.
903. [Merfyn son of Rhodri died, and] Llywarch son of Hyfaidd dies.
904. Rhodri [son of Hyfaidd] was beheaded in Arwystli.
905.
906. The battle of Dinmeir, and Menevia was destroyed.
907. Gwrchigwl [bishop] dies, [and King Cormac. MS C: Cormac king of Ireland died.]
908. Asser [bishop] died. [MS C: was made bishop in Britannia.]
909. King Cadell [son of Rhodri] dies.
910–912.
913. Ohtere came [to Britain].
914.
915. King Anarawd [of the Britons] dies.
916.
917. Queen Æthelflæd died.
918.
919. King Clydog was killed.
920.
921. The battle of Dinas Newydd.
922–927.
928. King Hywel went to Rome. [Helen died.]
929–934.
935. [Gruffudd son of Owain died.]
936–937.
938. The battle of Brune.
939. Hyfaidd son of Clydog, and Meurig, die.
940.
941. Athelstan [king of the Saxons] dies.
942. King Amlaíb dies.
943. Cadell son of Arthfael dies by poison; and Idwal [son of Rhodri] and his son Elisedd are killed by the Saxons.
944. Bishop Llywbert died in Menevia.
945. [Bishop Morlais died.]
946. Cyngen son of Elisedd perished by poison; and Eneuris bishop of Menevia died. And Strathclyde was laid waste by the Saxons.
947. Edmund king of the Saxons was slain.
948–949.
950. Hywel king of the Britons [that is, the Good] died. And Cadwgan son of Owain is slain by the Saxons. And the battle of Carno [between the sons of Hywel and the sons of Idwal]. [MS C: called the Good, died; and his son Owain succeeded him. But the two sons of Idwal, that is Iago and Ieuaf, whom Hywel had driven from the kingdom, came and fought against Owain by Nant Carno, and were the victors.]
951.
952. [Iago and Idwal sons of Idwal laid waste Dyfed.]
953.
954. Rhodri son of Hywel dies.
955. A great slaughter between the sons of Idwal and [the sons] of Hywel, in the place called Gurguist. Anarawd son of Gwriad was killed. Gwyn son of Hywel died.
956. Haardus son of Meurug was drowned.
957–959.
960. [Owain laid waste Gower.]
961.
962. Idwal was killed.
963. Meurug son of Cadfan died.
964. Bishop Rhydderch died.
965.
966. Cadwallon son of Owain [dies].
967. The English laid waste the region of the sons of Idwal.
968. Rhodri son of Idwal was killed.
969. [Ieuaf son of Idwal was imprisoned by his brother Iago.]
970. Einion son of Owain laid waste Gower.
971. Anglesey was laid waste by the son of Harald.
972.
973. [The gathering of ships at the city of the Legion by Edgar king of the Saxons.]
974. Iago was expelled from his kingdom, Hywel triumphing [MS C: reigning after him]. Meurig son of Idwal was blinded. [Morgan died.]
975. Edgar king of the English died. Idwallon son of Owain died.
976.
977. Einion again laid waste Gower.
978.
979. Iago was captured [by the gentiles], Hywel son of Idwal triumphing and possessing his kingdom. [MS C: Ieuaf holding his kingdom.]
980. Idwal was killed.
981.
982. Godred and Harald laid waste Dyfed and Menevia.
983. Hywel son of Idwal and Ælfræd the leader of the English laid waste Brycheiniog and the whole region of Einion son of Owain, but Einion killed many of them. [MS C: Einion son of Owain fought against the Saxons, Ælfræd being their leader, and against Hywel son of Ieuaf, and killed many of them. But Einion was treacherously killed by the nobles of Gwent.]
984. Einion son of Owain was killed.
985. Hywel son of Idwal was killed by the English.
986. Meurig son of Idwal was killed. Maredudd son of Owain killed Cadwallon son of Idwal, and possessed his kingdom, namely Gwynedd. [MS C: Ieuaf was killed, and Maredudd son of Owain killed Cadwallon son of Ieuaf and possessed his kingdom.]
987. Godred son of Harald, with the black gentiles, laid waste Anglesey [MS C: Menevia], two thousand men being taken captive; the rest Maredudd carried off with him to Ceredigion and to Dyfed.
988. Idwal son of Idwal died. Owain son of Hywel died. The gentiles laid waste Menevia, and Llanbadarn, and Llantwit, and Llancarfan, and Llandough.
989. Maredudd redeemed the captives from the black gentiles, a penny being given for each man. A mortality of men from famine.
990. Owain son of Dyfnwal was killed.
991. Maredudd son of Owain laid waste Maes Hyfaidd.
992.
993. Gwyn son of Einion, with the English leader Æthelgeard and the help of the southern Britons, devastates the regions of Maredudd, that is, Dyfed and Ceredigion, Gŵyr and Cydweli. Menevia was laid waste a third time.
994. Famine came in the kingdom of Maredudd. The battle between the sons of Meurig and Maredudd son of Owain by Llangwm, in which the sons of Meurig were victors. Tewdwr son of Einion was killed.
995. Sweyn son of Harald laid waste the Isle of Man.
996.
997. Idwal son of Meurig was killed.
998.
999. Menevia was laid waste by the gentiles, and Bishop Morgeneu was killed by them; King Maredudd son of Owain died.
1000. Cynan son of Hywel holds Gwynedd.
1001. The gentiles laid waste Dyfed.
1002–1003.
1004. Conan son of Hywel was killed.
1005–1010.
1011. Menevia was laid waste by the Saxons, [namely] Eadric and Ubba. The shipwreck of Sweyn, father of Cnut.
1012.
1013. [Brian king of Ireland, with his son Ascoth, that is, king of Dublin, was killed. — MS C]
1014. Sweyn went to the land of the English. Æthelred son of Edgar was expelled from his kingdom, which Sweyn invaded, but he died in the same year.
1015. Owain son of Dyfnwal was killed.
1016. Cnut son of Sweyn seized the kingdom of the English.
1017.
1018. Aidan son of Blegwryd, with his four sons, was killed by Gruffudd son of Llywelyn king of the Britons. [MS C: killed by Llywelyn.]
1019–1020.
1021. Meurig son of Arthfael was killed.
1022. Rhain the Scot falsely claimed to be a son of Maredudd, who held the southern Britons; Seisyllt king of Gwynedd drove him out at the mouth of the Gwili, and Rhain was killed. Eiláf laid waste Dyfed. Menevia was destroyed. [MS C: Llywelyn son of Seisyllt, king of Gwynedd, fought against Rhain, who called himself the son of Maredudd; and Rhain was defeated at the mouth of the Gwili. Eiláf came to Britain and laid waste Dyfed and Menevia.]
1023. Llywelyn son of Seisyll died. Rhydderch son of Iestyn ruled the southern Britons.
1024.
1025. Bishop Morgeneu died.
1026.
1027. Conan son of Seisyll died.
1028–1032.
1033. Rhydderch son of Iestyn was killed by the Scots [— James and the sons of Erwin — MS C]. Hywel and Maredudd held his region.
1034. The battle of Hiradws. [MS C: the battle of Iratur.]
1035. Maredudd son of Edwin was killed by the sons of Conan; Caradog son of Rhydderch was killed by the English; Cnut son of Sweyn, king of the English, died.
1036–1038.
1039. [The gentiles took Meurig son of Hywel. Iago king of Gwynedd was killed.] Gruffudd son of Llywelyn began to reign in North Wales; while he reigned, he pursued the English and the gentiles. He joined battle with them at the Ford of the Cross on the Severn, and defeated them. In the same year he ruled the southern Britons, and drove Hywel son of Edwin from it.
1040. Erwyn bishop of Menevia died.
1041. The battle of Pencader, in which Gruffudd overcame Hywel. [MS C: Gruffudd was victor; and in the same year Gruffudd was captured by the gentiles of Dublin.]
1042. The battle of Pwll Dyfach, in which Hywel was victor. Gruffudd was captured by the gentiles of Dublin.
1043. Hywel son of Owain died.
1044. Hywel son of Edwin, having taken a fleet of the gentiles, enters the mouth of the Tywi; Gruffudd son of Llywelyn met him in battle and killed him after the rout of his men. [MS C: Hywel son of Edwin, having taken twenty ships of the gentiles, was crowned and began to lay waste Wales; Gruffudd son of Llywelyn met him and joined battle at the mouth of the Teifi; Hywel fell with a great part of his army, and Gruffudd was victor.]
1045. Joseph bishop of Llandaff died at Rome. [A great strife arose between Gruffudd son of Llywelyn and Gruffudd son of Rhydderch.]
1046. The household of Gruffudd, about a hundred and forty men, fell by the treachery of the nobles of Ystrad Tywi [and Dyfed]; in vengeance for which King Gruffudd devastated Dyfed and Ystrad Tywi. Snow fell, and lasted from the Kalends of January until the feast of Saint Patrick, which they called the great snow.
1047.
1048. [In this year] the whole southern region was laid waste.
1049–1050.
1051. The fleet of Ireland perished in the southern part.
1052–1054.
1055. Gruffudd son of [Llywelyn killed Gruffudd son of] Rhydderch, and laid waste Hereford.
1056. Magnus son of Harald laid waste the region of the English, with the help of Gruffudd king of the Britons.
1057. Owain son of Gruffudd died.
1058–1062.
1063. Gruffudd son of Llywelyn, most noble king of the Britons, was killed by the treachery of his own men.
1064. Joseph bishop of Menevia died.
1065.
1066. Harald king of the Norwegians tried to subjugate the English to himself; another Harald, son of Godwin, met him in sudden battle and killed him. But as he gloried in the victory gained, William the Bastard, duke of the Normans, deprived him of the kingdom of England.
1067.
1068. The battle of Mechain between the sons of Cynfyn, namely Bleddyn and Rhiwallon, and the sons of Gruffudd, namely Maredudd and Idwal, in which the sons of Gruffudd fell — Idwal in battle, Maredudd by cold; Rhiwallon son of Cynfyn was also killed. Bleddyn succeeded to the kingdom.
1069–1070.
1070. Maredudd son of Owain was killed [by Caradog son of Gruffudd and] by the French [on the bank of the Rhymney. Diarmait king of the Irish was killed in battle.]
1071. [The French laid waste Ceredigion.] Menevia was laid waste by the gentiles, and Bangor likewise. Bledud bishop of Menevia died. Sulien succeeded him in that bishopric.
1072. Hugh of Montgomery laid waste Ceredigion.
1073. Bleddyn son of Cynfyn, led on by the treachery [of wicked men] of Ystrad Tywi, was killed by Rhys son of Owain, [to whom succeeded Trahaearn son of Caradog his cousin,]
1074. Rhydderch son of Caradog was killed [by treachery, by his cousin Meirchion].
1075. The battle of Gwennytul between the sons of Cadwgan [that is] Goronwy and Llywelyn, and [against] Rhys son of Owain; and they were defeated by him.
1076. The battle of Pwll Gwdig, in which Trahaearn king of North Wales was victor, [and the whole household of Rhys fell. But at the end of this year] Rhys and Hywel his brother were killed by Trahaearn son of Caradog. [Sulien deserts the bishopric, and Abraham receives it.]
1077. Rhys son of Tewdwr began to reign.
1078. Menevia was laid waste by the gentiles [and Abraham was killed by the gentiles. Sulien again took the bishopric].
1079. The battle of Mynydd Carn, in which Trahaearn son of Caradog, Caradog son of Meilyr and Gwydd son of Rhiwallon were killed by Rhys son of Tewdwr and Gruffudd son of Cynan. Gwrgeneu son of Seisyll was killed. William king of England came to St Davids to pray. [Added in a later hand: “In the year of the Lord 1082, in which year Rhys son of Tewdwr gave the land of Ririd to the church of…”]
1080–1084.
1085. [The king of the Scots died.] Sulien gave up the bishopric; his brother succeeded him.
1086.
1087. William the Bastard died; his son William Rufus succeeded him.
1088. Rhys son of Tewdwr was driven from his kingdom by the sons of Bleddyn, namely Madog, Cadwgan and Rhirid. Rhys brought a fleet from Ireland and returned [to Britain]. He fought a battle against them at Penlletherau, in which [the two sons of Bleddyn, that is] Madog and Rhirid fell, [and Rhys was victor. Rhys son of Tewdwr gave a huge tribute of captives to the gentiles and the Irish].
1089. The shrine of Saint David was stolen from [its] church, and stripped of the gold and silver with which it was covered. [There was a great earthquake throughout Britain.]
1090.
1091. [Bishop Sulien died in the seventy-fifth year of his age.] Menevia was sacked by the gentiles of the isles. Cedifor son of Gollwyn died, whose sons invited Gruffudd son of Maredudd, whom Rhys son of Tewdwr attacked and killed by Llandeadog.
1092.
1093. Rhys son of Tewdwr, ruler of the southern part, was killed by the French near Brycheiniog; after whose death Cadwgan son of Bleddyn plundered Dyfed on the eve of the Kalends of May. About the Kalends of July the French first held Dyfed and Ceredigion, and placed castles in them, and from there occupied the whole land of the Britons. Malcolm king of the Scots was killed.
1094. William king of the English went to Normandy; while he stayed there, [attacking his brother,] the Britons cast off the yoke of the French, and cleared Gwynedd, Ceredigion and Dyfed of them and their castles, except two — the one in Pembroke and another in Rhyd-y-gors. [MS C: but the French moved an army into Gwent, and gaining nothing returned home empty, and at Celli Trawant were put to flight. Again they came into Brycheiniog and made castles in it, but on their return at Aberllech they were put to flight by the sons of Idnerth son of Cadwgan.]
1095. The French devastated Gŵyr and Cydweli and Ystrad Tywi. Dyfed, Ceredigion and Ystrad Tywi remained desolate. But in the middle of autumn William king of the English moved an army against the Britons; and they being protected by God, he returned to his own land empty.
1096. William son of Baldwin died at Rhyd-y-gors [MS C: who, by order of King William, had founded the castle of Rhyd-y-gors]; on his death the castle was left empty [deserted by its keepers]. The Britons of Brycheiniog and Gwent and [Gwynllŵg] made no small slaughter of the French at Celli Darnawc. A little while later [the French] were killed at Aberllech by the sons of Idnerth son of Cadwgan. Uchdryd son of Edwin and Hywel son of Goronwy devastated Pembrokeshire, [and returned home unharmed].
1097. Gerald the steward [of Pembroke] devastated the borders of Menevia…
1098. All the men of Gwynedd withdrew to the island of Anglesey, and invited pirates from Ireland to defend them; against whom two earls were sent to subdue them — Hugh earl of the city of the Legion, and another Hugh — who encamped opposite the island. The pirates, bribed by their money, brought them into the island, and they laid it waste. Cadwgan son of Bleddyn and Gruffudd son of Cynan left the island and fled to Ireland. While the French remained in the island, Magnus king of Germany came with an army to the island, eager for battle; but the French unwilling met him, and they greeted one another with arrows, these from the land, those from the sea; one earl, struck in the face by an arrow, fell dead. Which done, Magnus went away; but the French led great and small with them to England.
1099. Cadwgan son of Bleddyn returned from Ireland; having made peace with the French and taken part of his land, he was killed by the men of Brycheiniog. Gruffudd son of Cynan besieged Anglesey. Hywel son of Ithel fled to Ireland. Rhigyfarch son of [Bishop] Sulien died.
1100. William [Rufus] king of England was struck by an arrow from one of his knights hunting deer, and perished; his younger brother Henry succeeded him in the kingdom — for his brother William had taken concubines and died childless. Robert Curthose, their elder brother, returning from Jerusalem and claiming the kingdom of England for himself, was captured by his brother Henry. [Thomas archbishop of York, that is of the city of York, dies, to whom Gerald bishop of Hereford succeeded. Anselm archbishop of Canterbury was sent into exile by King William, and afterwards recalled by King Henry returned to his bishopric.]
1101. Hugh [earl of the city of the Legion] died, [to whom his son Roger succeeded]. Goronwy son of Cadwgan died. King Henry married the daughter of the king of the Scots.
1102. A [great] strife arose between Robert of Bellême and King Henry. Iorwerth son of Bleddyn captured his brother Maredudd, and handed him over to the king.
1103. [Magnus the king was killed near Dublin.] Iorwerth son of Bleddyn was unjustly captured by King Henry at Salisbury [— the glory and comfort of Britain]. Discord between King Henry and Archbishop Anselm, because he would not consecrate those to whom the king had given the chief churches.
1104. Owain son of Edwin died, [worn out by long illness]. [Meanwhile] Hywel son of Goronwy, driven out by Richard son of Baldwin, made [great] raids.
1105. Hywel son of Goronwy was treacherously killed by the French of Rhyd-y-gors and by Gwgan son of Meurig. Earl Robert [of Bellême] was captured in battle by his brother Henry [the king, and imprisoned]. Meurig and Gruffudd, the sons of Trahaearn, were killed by Owain son of Cadwgan.
1106. Maredudd son of Bleddyn escaped from prison. [Edgar son of Malcolm died; his brother Alexander succeeded him.] The order of Canons was established in the church of St Mary of Southwark. King Henry subdued the whole of Normandy, his brother and many illustrious men being captured.
1107. The Flemings came to Rhos. Gerald the steward strengthened the castle of Cenarth Bychan. At a council of nearly all the magnates of England held at London, the king granted that no one should ever be invested in England with a bishopric or abbey through the giving of the pastoral staff or ring, by the king or by any lay hand.
1108. On the Kalends of July the abbey of the Trinity was founded.
1109. The order of Prémontré begins.
1110. The castle of Cenarth Bychan was burnt by Owain son of Cadwgan, for which deed Owain himself was driven to Ireland, and returned.
1111. Iorwerth son of Bleddyn returned from prison [to his own land, by the king’s command]. Owain and Madog, sons of Rhirid, burnt Meirionnydd [and killed the men and cattle there. Afterwards] Owain, turning aside into Ceredigion, made a raid upon the Flemings; for which Cadwgan his father lost Ceredigion, and it was given to Gilbert son of Richard. [But] Owain and Madog, [expelled,] made for Ireland. [But] Madog returned [again from Ireland] and hid in the woods.
1112. Iorwerth was killed by Madog his nephew, [and by the same Madog his uncle Cadwgan was killed. Meanwhile] Owain, returning from Ireland, received his land from the king. A very great mortality of men.
1113. Robert of Bellême was captured by the king. Saint Bernard entered Cîteaux. Owain deprived Madog son of Rhirid of his eyes. [MS C: Madog son of Rhirid was seized by the household of Maredudd and delivered to Owain, who deprived him of his eyes.]
1114. King Henry, moving an army into Wales, came to the castle, and returned home in peace.
1115. Wilfred bishop of Menevia died; he was succeeded by a certain Norman, Bernard by name, as bishop. Gruffudd son of Rhys went to Gruffudd son of Cynan in North Wales; who, being shut up there in a certain church, hardly escaped with many of his men killed; and returning to Ystrad Tywi, made raids upon the Flemings. The abbeys of Clairvaux and Morimond were founded.
1116. Gruffudd son of Rhys [attacked and destroyed the castle of Narberth, and] killed Owain son of Cadwgan at Carmarthen, the town being burnt. The church of St Albans was dedicated, King Henry being present and wearing his crown there. [A battle is fought at the castle of Aberystwyth. Owain is killed by the Flemings in Ystrad Brunus. Einion son of Cadwgan and Gruffudd son of Maredudd broke the castle of Yedrith, which is Cymmer, and obtained its land.]
1117. Gilbert son of Richard died.
1118. The battle of Maes Maen Cymro, in which Llywarch son of Owain fell. Hywel son of Ithel received a wound, from which he finally died. Matilda the second queen of the English died.
1119. Muirchertach the great king of Ireland died.
1120. [The son of King Henry was drowned at Barfleur.]
1121. King Henry moved an army [of England] against the men of Powys; but they, giving ten thousand cattle, made peace with him. [MS C: he came with a great army to Powys and, receiving ten thousand animals from the nobles of the land, returned home.]
1122. Gruffudd son of Sulhern was killed.
1123. Einion son of Cadwgan died. Ithel son of Rhirid was released from prison. Cadwallon and Owain, the sons of Gruffudd, plundered Meirionnydd [and drove off its men with the cattle].
1124. Gruffudd son of Maredudd [killed] Ithel son of Rhirid, his cousin. Cadwallon son of Gruffudd killed his four uncles, namely Owain, Goronwy, Rhirid [and] Meilyr; and Morgan son of Cadwgan killed his brother [Maredudd].
1125–1126.
1127. Gruffudd son of Rhys, [driven from his land by King Henry,] made for Ireland. [Daniel son of Bishop Sulien died.]
1128. Gruffudd son of Maredudd died. Llywelyn son of Owain was captured by Maredudd and handed over to John’s son — Pain, that is. Morgan son of Cadwgan, on account of fratricide, made for Jerusalem; and returning from there, died on the island of Cyprus.
1129. Maredudd son of Llywarch killed his cousin the son of Meurig; his other two cousins, the sons of Gruffudd, he deprived of their eyes; and his own two brothers he handed over to Baldwin to be blinded. He himself was killed, driven from his country by Iorwerth son of Owain.
1130. Iorwerth was killed by his cousins the sons of Llywarch. Madog son of Llywarch was killed by his cousin Meurig [son of Meurig]. The abbey of Neath was founded; in the same year the abbey of Furness was founded.
1131. Meurig son of Meurig was deprived of his eyes and testicles. The dedication of the church of Menevia. Tintern was founded.
1132. Iorwerth son of Owain was killed. Cadwallon son of Gruffudd was killed by his cousin Cadwgan son of Goronwy, and Einion son of Owain was killed in Nanheudwy. Maredudd son of Bleddyn, leader of the men of Powys, died.
1133.
1134. Robert duke of Normandy was nearly blinded by order of his brother Henry, and afterwards died in prison at Gloucester.
1135. King Henry the First died, [in the year 1135 from the incarnation of the Lord, the fifteenth year of the nineteen-year cycle]; which heard, Stephen count of Boulogne, hearing of the death of his uncle, crossed over to England, and although he had promised an oath of fealty to the daughter of King Henry of the English kingdom, relying on his strength and impudence he audaciously seized the diadem of the kingdom; he reigned nineteen years save nine weeks. [And there was the greatest strife] between the Britons and the French, but the Britons were victors.
1136. Richard son of Gilbert was killed by Morgan son of Owain. Owain and Cadwaladr, the sons of Gruffudd, moved an army into Ceredigion; and the castles of Walter de Bek, of Aberystwyth, of Richard de la Mare, and of Dineirth being destroyed, they burnt Caerwedros also, and so returned to their own lands. Owain and Cadwaladr came again to Ceredigion, to whose aid Gruffudd son of Rhys, Rhys son of Hywel, Madog son of Idnerth, and the sons of Hywel came powerfully to Aberteifi; against whom on the other side Stephen the constable and the sons of Gerald and all the French from the mouth of the Severn to Menevia, and the Flemings of Rhos, resisted; and battle being joined before the castle, the French and Flemings were put to flight, taken, killed, burnt, trampled under the feet of horses, and drowned in the river Tywi, very many being most wretchedly led into captivity; but the Welsh, these things accomplished to their wish, returned to their own land, the castle remaining to the French. [Einion son of Owain was killed there.]
1137. Gruffudd son of Rhys conquered Rhos. Letard Littleking, enemy of God and of St David, was killed by Anarawd son of Gruffudd, Gruffudd neither knowing nor willing it; for which deed all the clergy and people of Menevia held Anarawd to blame. Gruffudd son of Rhys died. A third time Owain and Cadwaladr came into Ceredigion with an army, and the castles of Strad Meurig, of Stephen, and of Humphrey, and Carmarthen being destroyed, they returned to their own land. Gruffudd son of Cynan died.
1138. Cynwrig son of Owain was killed by the household of Madog son of Maredudd. [Anarawd and Cadell and Owain and Cadwaladr came to Aberteifi with fifteen ships full of gentiles, and made a truce until the feast of St Martin. But the gentiles plundered the town and the church of Llandudoch, that is of St Dogmael, and carried the greatest booty to the ships.]
1139. The empress came into England; when King Stephen besieged her at Arundel, he let her go to Bristol to her brother the earl of Gloucester. [MS C: the coming of the empress into England, to subjugate the whole kingdom of England for her son.]
1140. [Cynwrig son of Owain was killed by Hywel son of Maredudd.] Madog son of Idnerth died. Maredudd son of Hywel was killed by the sons of Bleddyn [the sons of Gwyn]. At Pentecost the king went with his army against Hugh Bigod in Suffolk, and took the castle of Bungay. The sun is darkened.
1141. On the day of the Purification of the Blessed Mary, Ranulf earl of Chester and Robert earl of Gloucester, with the household of the empress, captured the king, and bringing him to Bristol threw him into prison. But afterwards the friends of the king captured Robert earl of Gloucester, for whom the king was freed. Hywel son of Rhydderch was killed [by Rhys son of Hywel].
1142. Hywel son of [Maredudd son of] Bleddyn was killed by his own [men]. [Hywel and Cadwgan, the sons of Madog son of Idnerth, were killed through the machination of Elyas.]
1143. Anarawd son of Gruffudd was killed by the retainers of Cadwaladr. Miles earl of Hereford was killed by the arrow-stroke of one of his own knights hunting a deer. Geoffrey count of Anjou, Normandy being taken, was named duke. Pope Innocent died on the day before the Nones.
1144. Cadwaladr summoned a fleet from Ireland to his aid against his brother Owain. The fleet landed at the mouth of the Menai. Meanwhile Owain and Cadwaladr were reconciled. The Irishmen hearing this seized Cadwaladr, who, to be freed by them, promised them two thousand captives, and was freed. Owain, when he saw his brother free, made an attack upon them; and part of them being killed and very many captured, the rest returned to Dublin in disgrace. [MS C: Cadwaladr got himself a fleet from Ireland, its leaders Other son of Other and the son of Torkil with others.] A certain boy was crucified by the Jews at Norwich. A very great famine. [The pilgrims of Dyfed and Ceredigion were drowned. Monks of the Cistercian order, who are now at Whitland in West Wales, were brought by Bishop Bernard, who gave them a place at Trefgarn in Deuglethef.]
1145. Hugh de Mortemer captured Rhys son of Hywel and imprisoned him. Earl Gilbert son of William subdued Dyfed to himself. He built the castle of Carmarthen and the castle of Mabudryd. King Stephen captured Ranulf earl of Chester in his own court. [Hywel son of Owain and Cynan his brother destroyed Aberteifi.]
1146. Hugh de Mortemer killed Maredudd son of Madog son of Idnerth. [Meurig son of Madog was killed by his own men through treachery.]
1147. Cadell son of Gruffudd, with his brothers Rhys and Maredudd, took the castle of Dinefwr by force, the greater part of the French who were in it being killed. Not long after, Hywel son of Owain helping them, they took the castle of Carmarthen, and captured Llansteffan also; those who were within being killed, few being left; and it was given to Maredudd to guard. They burnt the castle of Wythgrug by a night stratagem. Rhun son of Owain, a famous youth, died.
1148. Hugh de Mortemer blinded Rhys son of Hywel in prison. Cadell with his brothers, William son of Gerald and his brothers, with the help of Hywel son of Owain, destroyed the castle of Gwys. [Cynan and Hywel, the sons of Owain, took Meirionnydd from Cadwaladr by force.]
1149. Earl Robert, son of King Henry, died [in prison]. Earl Gilbert, who was called Strongbow, died.
1150. Uchtryd bishop of Llandaff died. Bernard bishop of Menevia died [in the thirty-second year of his episcopate]; David son of Gerald succeeded him [in the bishopric]. [Robert bishop of Hereford died; Gilbert Foliot succeeded him.]
1151. Cadwaladr built the castle of Llanrhystud, and gave it to his son Cadfan with his part of Ceredigion. [Owain son of Gruffudd built a castle in the land of Yale. Madog son of Maredudd rebuilt Croesoswallt.] Madog son of Maredudd gave Cyfeiliog to his nephews Owain and Meurig, the sons of Gruffudd.
1152. Henry duke of Normandy came to England and besieged Malmesbury.
1153. Cadell son of Gruffudd laid waste Cydweli. Hywel son of Owain captured Cadfan his cousin, and subdued his land with its castle to himself. Cadell and his brothers entered Ceredigion with an army, and claimed it for themselves up to the Aeron. The empress with her son Henry, who was duke of Normandy and count of Anjou, landed at Wareham.
1154. Cadell with his brothers, about the Purification of the Blessed Mary, attacked the castle of Hywel, but not taking it, carried off all the booty of the land with the men; they took the castle of Llanrhystud by long siege, and commended it to their own keepers; but Hywel son of Owain, boiling with anger, burnt that town, the keepers being killed. Cadell with his brothers rebuilt Strad Meurig. Cadell son of Gruffudd while hunting by Tenby was violently wounded by the French and left for dead. Maredudd and Rhys destroyed the castle of Loughor. Rhys laid waste Cyfeiliog. David son of Malcolm died. Ralph earl of the city of the Legion died. [Pope Eugenius died; Anastasius succeeded him.]
1155. [Stephen king of the English died in the nineteenth year of the cycle… to whom Henry, nephew of the great king Henry, succeeded and received the kingdom. Pope Anastasius died; Adrian succeeded him.]
1156. Maredudd son of Gruffudd [son of Rhys, by poison] died. Rhys the younger, [his brother,] and almost alone, obtained his portion and his brother’s alone, and ever manfully enlarged and defended it.
1157. Cadell [son of Gruffudd] went to Rome on pilgrimage. Rhys son of Gruffudd, hearing that Owain of North Wales would come to Ceredigion, boldly advanced against him as far as Aberdyfi, and there, meaning to fight, made the dyke [of Aberdyfi]; where afterwards he founded a castle. [King Henry crossed from England into Normandy on the fourth day before the Ides of January.]
1158. King Henry of England, wishing to bring North Wales under his dominion, led an army to the plain of Chester and there pitched his tents, [Madog son of Maredudd helping him, and he came to Dinas Basing]. Owain prince of North Wales, with his sons Hywel, Cynan and Dafydd, encamped with a huge army at Dinas Basing and there raised a rampart. Hearing this, the king, relying on craft and cunning, made for Owain’s rampart by the coastal way; but before he arrived, he was met in the fiercest fight by Cynan and Dafydd, who were guarding against this very thing; and with many of his men lost, he escaped to his goal. Owain, hearing that the king threatened him in the rear while the king’s army was too strong in front, abandoned the rampart and withdrew to a safer place. The king then, gathering the army into one body, advanced to Rhuddlan and there encamped. Meanwhile the royal fleet landed on Anglesey, which the nobles of the island met in battle, and made a great slaughter of the resisting French, among whom Henry son of Gerald was killed — or as others will have it, it was the son of King Henry, and William Trenchemer, and very many others. Which done, the king and Owain made peace. Cadwaladr recovered his land. [Owain son of Gruffudd gave hostages to the king, and] the king returned to England.
1159. Morgan son of Owain Mab was killed. [In this year] Rhys son of Gruffudd alone kept up war against the king, when all the princes of Wales were at peace with him. He therefore moved all his men to the forests of the Tywi; but seeing that he could not withstand so great a power of the king, a truce was made, and he went to the king’s court and, as though unwilling, made peace with him — Cantref Mawr being promised him by the king, and another which the king might choose, whole and not scattered. The king, however, following the counsel of his nobles, gave him that cantref divided among the lands of different barons. Rhys nevertheless accepted and endured it. Meanwhile Roger earl of Clare entered Ceredigion as his own; he fortified the castle of Strad Meurig, the castle of Humphrey and the castle of Aberdyfi. Meanwhile Walter Clifford, lord of Cantref Bychan, carried off booty from the land of Rhys and killed his men; which heard, Rhys reported the deed to the king as his lord. The king would not make amends for it. The household of Rhys therefore, in vengeance for their spoil, besieged the castle of Llanamddewi, which Rhys coming took at the first assault. Einion son of Anarawd destroyed the castle of Humphrey, and killed with a strong hand the knights and the rest who were in it. Then Rhys, trusting more in arms than in the king’s gift, burnt the castles made by the French throughout Ceredigion.
1160. Rhys burnt the castles made by the French throughout Dyfed; he led an army to Carmarthen and besieged it; but on the coming of Reginald earl of Cornwall he abandoned the siege. Goronwy, the brother of Rhys, was killed. Rhys then removed his men with all their goods to Rhystrydwein. But Earl Reginald, and the earl of Bristol, and Roger earl of Clare, and two other earls, and also Cadwaladr son of Gruffudd, and Hywel and Cynan the sons of Owain, encamped at Dinefwr; but not daring to approach Rhys, they returned home empty. [Pope Adrian died. And there was a schism in the church of Rome, Alexander and Victor being the candidates.]
1161. Madog [son of Maredudd] prince of Powys died. Llywelyn…
1162. …his son was killed. Cadwallon son of Madog seized Einion Clut his brother, and handed him to Owain son of Gruffudd to be imprisoned; whom Owain gave to the French; but he was freed by his associates and his household of Worcester, and escaped by night.
1163. Rhys took Dinefwr and Llandeilo by force. [Theobald the archbishop died.]
1164. Henry king of England came as far as Pencader with the army of all England and Wales to make war on Rhys; but Rhys, peace being made, went with the king into England. Einion son of Anarawd, a famous leader, was treacherously killed in his sleep by Walter son of Llywarch. Cadwgan son of Maredudd was killed by Walter Clifford. Master Henry son of Archen died. Cedifor archdeacon of Ceredigion died. [Saint Thomas the archbishop was consecrated on the fourth day before the Nones of June.]
1165. Rhys, seeing that the king did not pay him what was promised, and seeing also that Roger earl of Clare had kindly received Walter, the betrayer and slayer of his nephew Einion, attacked Earl Roger and burnt the castle of Aberedw and the castle of Melbweniaun with a strong hand, and subdued the whole region of Ceredigion to himself; and afterwards all the Welsh of North Wales, South Wales and Powys unanimously cast off the yoke of the French. Blessed Thomas went into exile.
1166. Henry king of England, with an army of England, Normandy, Flanders, Anjou, Poitou, Aquitaine and Scotland, came as far as Croesoswallt, meditating the destruction of all the Welsh; whom Owain and Cadwaladr with the North Welsh, Rhys with the southerners, and Owain of Cyfeiliog and Iorwerth Goch with the men of Powys manfully resisted. The king, advancing further, encamped on the Berwyn mountain. Who, seeing that he could accomplish nothing to his wish, deprived of eyes and testicles such hostages of the Welsh as he could, and having lost no small part of his army, returned to England in disgrace. [The river Teifi appeared bloody for two days.] Rhys son of Gruffudd, about the Kalends of November, took the castle of Aberteifi by the guile of Rhigyfarch the clerk; [but he allowed its inhabitants to depart with half of their goods]. Robert son of Stephen the constable he held in chains. At Carmarthen a mad wolf bit two-and-twenty men, of whom almost all perished immediately. [Saint Thomas crossed over to Flanders, fleeing the king’s anger.]
1167. The French of Pembrokeshire and the Flemings plundered Ysgwyd, Ceredigion and Gathmenarth. Robert son of Mor was killed. Diarmait [king] son of Murchad, driven from Ireland by his own people, went to the king of England. The Empress Matilda, mother of the king of England, died.
1168. [Robert de Melun bishop of Hereford, the wisest of the English, died.] Owain son of Gruffudd [son of Cynan] and Rhys son of Gruffudd [son of Rhys] rebuilt the castle of Caereinion, Iorwerth Goch and Owain of Cyfeiliog fleeing with their [men] into England.
1169. [King Henry… Archbishop Thomas. Geoffrey Foliot, archbishop of York, was excommunicated by Archbishop Thomas.] Rhys son of Gruffudd [with the whole army of South Wales] built the castle of Aberaeron; afterwards he led an army into Brycheiniog, and was put to flight. Moved by grief at this, he again moved an army into Brycheiniog and burnt a great part of the land. He destroyed the castle of Builth, and making peace with the king’s justice, returned home glad and victorious. [The daughter of the king of England was given to the duke of Saxony.]
1170. Robert son of Stephen was freed from the prison of Rhys at the request of Diarmait son of Murchad, and entered Ireland, and built the castle of Carrick near Wexford. Meurig son of Adam son of Seisyll of Builth was killed by his kinsman. Einion Clut was wounded by the sons of Llywarch son of Dyfnwal, namely Meilyr and Ivor.
1171. Richard earl of Striguil entered Ireland, and [took] the daughter of Diarmait [to wife]. Henry son of King Henry was crowned, his father living and commanding it. Owain king of North Wales died, and Cadwaladr his younger brother; the younger Hywel son of Owain was killed by the retainers of his brother Dafydd, the same assisting. A great earthquake struck Jerusalem. [Thomas archbishop of Canterbury ended his life by martyrdom.]
1172. Diarmait king of Ireland died. Rhys son of Gruffudd rebuilt the castle of Aberteifi, which he had earlier destroyed. Henry the elder, king of England, came from England to visit St Davids; then he entered Ireland and subjected it to his dominion. The burgesses of Wexford caused Robert son of Stephen, that is their lord, to be handed over in chains, almost all his men being killed and his castle destroyed; whom the king, hearing it, freed.
1173. Henry king of England, returning from Ireland to pray, came to St Davids on the fifteenth day before the Kalends of May. [Richard was elected bishop of Canterbury.] The father king and the son king fell out. The earl of Leicester was captured.
1174. A great strife arose between Henry king of England and Henry his son, whom he had likewise made king of England. Cynan son of Owain died. [Richard archbishop of Canterbury was consecrated at Rome by Pope Alexander.]
1175. King Henry and his son Henry were reconciled. The earl of Leicester at St Edmund’s — the Flemings who had come with him from Flanders being killed in a great slaughter — was himself captured with his wife and children and imprisoned. David king of Scotland was captured by King Henry’s retainers. Seisyll son of Dyfnwal and Geoffrey his son [and many others of Gwent] were treacherously killed by William de Breos at Abergavenny. Earl Richard son of Gilbert died.
1176. The stone bridge of London was begun. Reginald [son of King Henry] earl of Cornwall died, and was buried beside his father, that is Henry the First, at Reading.
1177. Richard earl of Striguil died in Ireland and was buried at Dublin. David bishop of Menevia died and was buried in the church of Menevia; to whom succeeded the prior of Wenlock, Peter by name. Maurice son of Gerald died.
1178. Morgan Patta died.
1179. The first year of the nineteen-year cycle. [The schism of the church of Rome was ended, concord being made between Alexander and Victor.]
1180. [An eclipse of the sun occurred on the Ides of September towards midday.]
1181. The king changed the coinage at the feast of St Martin. [Louis king of France came to St Thomas’s. King Louis died; his son Philip succeeded him.] Philip king of the French expelled the Jews from France.
1182. The church of Menevia is pulled down and begun anew. King Henry sent forty-two thousand marks to Jerusalem.
1183. [Pope Alexander died; Lucius succeeded.]
1184. [Discord arose between King Henry and his son.]
1185. [Henry the king, son of Henry the Second, died. Richard archbishop of Canterbury died. Bartholomew bishop of Exeter died.]
1186. The pagans and Saracens with Saladin their wicked king defeated the Christians at the sea of Tiberias, and killed forty thousand of them, and took the true Cross of the Lord with the king of Jerusalem and the dukes and barons, and took the city of Jerusalem and all the strongholds of the land, except Bait-sur.
1187. The Roman emperor, Frederick by name, and Philip king of the French, and Richard king of the English, had themselves marked with the sign of the Cross. [Likewise many archbishops and earls and dukes, barons and knights, and also chaplains and clerks.] Baldwin archbishop of Canterbury entered South Wales to preach the Cross of Christ, and having seen the see of St David entered North Wales, where, preaching the Cross, he marked very many with the sign of the Cross, and so returned into England. [MS C: Henry son of the empress, king of England, died in Neustria in the octave of the Apostles Peter and Paul; Richard his son succeeded him.]
1188. A comet was seen through the whole island of Britain, and not without meaning — for it signified the death of king Henry, who died soon after; the sight of which is never held unpunished among mortals. Whence that saying, “the hair of the dreaded star”, and elsewhere, “the sceptre-changing comet”. Richard king of England and Philip king of France, about the feast of St John the Baptist, with many thousands of armed men, took the journey towards the Holy Land.
1189. Rhys son of Gruffudd stirred up war in South Wales; he made burnings in Rhos and in Pembroke, plundered Gower, destroyed the castle of Carnwyllion, and took other castles in Dyfed, which through ill-keeping he soon lost. He besieged the castle of Carmarthen; but on the coming of Earl John, son of King Henry, with the army of all England, the siege was abandoned; peace was made between him and Rhys, but a private one, and John returned to his own land. Rhys son of Gruffudd about Christmas besieged Llanclari, which he also took; and gave it to Hywel Sais his son with its adjoining land. Maelgwn son of Rhys was captured by his father and imprisoned at Dinefwr. Then, his father not knowing, Gruffudd his brother drew him out of his father’s prison, and handed him to William de Breos his father-in-law to be kept.
1190. In Dyfed noble Welshmen were killed by the French, namely Rhys son of Rhydderch, Trahaearn son of Cedifor, and Gruffudd son of Elidir.
1191. Philip king of France besieged the city of Acre, for Richard king of England had turned aside to the island of Cyprus and subjected it to his dominion, its king being captured, [and he found infinite money in it]; from there he came to the siege of Acre with a glad countenance; where on his arrival the Christians, made bolder and stronger, by divine will took the besieged city, seven thousand pagans being killed in it. Baldwin archbishop of Canterbury died happily in Christ, and rests in the Lord, buried in the city of Acre with due honour by the Christians. Rhys son of Gruffudd took the castle of Nevern on the day of the Assumption of St Mary with a strong hand, the French being driven out.
1192. The Welsh of Dyfed, led by Gruffudd son of Rhys, took the castle of Llanwaden by force. Rhys son of Gruffudd freed his son Maelgwn from the prison of William de Breos, William being unwilling. Rhys son of Gruffudd, after the freeing of his son Maelgwn, turned aside in force to the siege of Abertawe; and when he had besieged that town for ten weeks, and had nearly compelled the townsmen by famine to surrender, a certain misfortune and envy arising secretly between his sons Gruffudd and Maelgwn — wherefore through the strength of the French he abandoned the siege, certain of his retainers having been drowned the day before.
1193. Gruffudd Troyt was killed. John son of Elidir died. About the feast of St Cyricus, the retainers of Hywel Sais took the town of Gwys by a night stratagem and the treachery of a certain traitor within; and the Flemings and the French of Pembroke, grieved at the taking of the aforesaid town, attacked the town of Llanwaden, which was in Hywel’s power; but not taking it, they returned home in disgrace. Tudur son of Bret was killed in the town, who was the reputed son of Rhys. Likewise Hywel and Maelgwn, the sons of Rhys, pulled down the town of Llanwaden; which when the Flemings and French of Pembroke heard, they came with a great force of armed men; at whose coming the Welsh, stupefied, were at once divided into three parts: one part entered the half-ruined town, another went into the church not to pray but rather to seek refuge, while the third, trusting more in their feet than in the protection of church or town, sought the hidden parts of the wood — whom the French pursued in the manner of wolves. The Welsh are slain by their swords by Ruthuant, to the number of sixty.
1194. Rhys son of Bledri died. Hywel Sais killed noble Flemings at Peuluniauc. Maelgwn son of Rhys killed David son of Maurice and Tancliard surnamed the monk, most noble knights. Rhys son of Gruffudd was captured by his sons Hywel and Maelgwn. Dafydd son of Owain was driven out by Llywelyn son of Iorwerth. [King Richard, released from the emperor’s prison, came to England.]
1195. Rhodri son of Owain died. Roger de Mortemer fortified the castle of Camerwn. [Maelgwn son of Rhys killed David son of Maurice and Tankard the monk. Noble Flemings were killed by Hywel Sais.] The Flemings took the castle of Gwys on the day of Pentecost. Rhys son of Gruffudd captured his two sons Maredudd and Rhys the Little. William de Breos took the castle of St Clears with a strong hand, and held it, sixty of Hywel’s retainers being taken in it. Hearing this, Hywel pulled down the castle of Nevern, but kept its land for himself against the French’s will.
1196. Rhys son of Gruffudd burnt Carmarthen; then leading an army to the parts of Hereford, he burnt Edern (?), and killed about forty of the knights of Roger de Mortemer with an innumerable multitude of foot-soldiers. While he was doing these great things, William de Breos moved an army to Aberteifi and burnt part of the town, and so returned to his own. Philip Magnel fell there in the clash of battle. An edict went out from King Richard that the commerce of all vendible things throughout his whole kingdom should be made by one measure, weight and price.
1197. [King Richard died; his brother John succeeded him.] Rhys son of Gruffudd, most noble prince of South Wales, the death of the English, the shield of the Britons, died on the fourth day before the Kalends of May; whose noble body was buried at St Davids with due honour. In whose honour we composed these little verses after our measure, drawing a likeness between him and the tyrants, by way of contrast:
When Busiris wished for rain he bought it with slaughter;
Rhys would not have heaven's waters at the price of blood;
And whenever Phalaris roasted citizens in the bronze,
Rhys was ever wont to aid the hated peoples.
He was no Antiphates, no falsely-victorious Ulysses;
The swift man made not men fodder for horses,
But a prince slow to punish, swift to reward —
Whatever the need that compelled him to be fierce.
He did not degenerate, born of noble seed;
Sprung from kings, Rhys died; he returns to the stars.
Gruffudd son of Rhys, straightway after his father’s death, went to the king’s court, and being made heir returned home. Maelgwn son of Rhys about August captured his brother Gruffudd and handed him to Gwenwynwyn son of Owain to be kept; whom afterwards Gwenwynwyn gave to the king for Carreg Huwail. Rhys the Little and Maredudd, the sons of Rhys, were released from the prison of their brother Gruffudd.
1198. Gruffudd son of Rhys was released from the king’s prison. A slaughter of the Welsh was made by the French in Elfael at the siege of Pain’s castle. King Richard commanded all charters bought in his kingdom to be reformed and strengthened by the impress of his new seal. [Peter bishop of Menevia died, who began the new work of the church of Menevia; he lived as bishop 22 years, 7 months, 15 days.]
1199. [Richard king of the English, on a certain expedition at Limoges, struck by a crossbow bolt, closed his last day; his brother John succeeded him.] William de Verdun bishop of Hereford died in Christ; to whom succeeded in the bishopric the son of William de Breos, Giles by name. Hywel Sais son of Rhys went to the court of King John about Easter, and on his return was seized by sickness at Chepstow and died — or, as others will have it, was killed by the French; he excelled all the princes of Wales in largesse. William Marshal was made earl of Pembroke.
1200. Maelgwn son of Rhys, seeing that he could not hold his father’s land alone without giving a share to the French or to his brother Gruffudd, chose rather to share with enemies than with his brother. He therefore sold the castle of Aberteifi to the king for a small weight of silver, and for the curse of the clergy and people of all Wales. Gerald son of Maurice died in Ireland. The order of Preachers begins.
1201. Maredudd son of Rhys, a famous youth, was killed by the French of Cydweli on the day of St Swithun; his body was carried to Cydweli and buried there beside the church of St Mary. Gruffudd son of Rhys took for himself the land of his brother Maredudd, namely Cantref Bychan, with the town of Llanamddewi; but before the month was out Gruffudd, seized by a certain sickness, died in the same place. Rhys the Little held Cantref Bychan with its town. Maelgwn son of Rhys took the castle of Cilgerran, which had been in Gruffudd’s power. Pope Innocent violently exacted moneys from the Cistercian order for the aid of the Holy Land; admonished by the Blessed Mary, the advocate of that order, he desisted from this action.
1202. Arthur duke of the Armorican Britons was captured by King John in the clash of battle, with many barons and knights favouring Philip king of the French, and Eleanor his sister with him.
1203. Geoffrey, prior of the church of Llanthony, was consecrated bishop of the church of Menevia on St Nicholas’ day.
1204. Arthur duke of the Armorican Britons died in King John’s prison — or, as others will have it, was killed. [MS C: the same Arthur was lost in prison, nor is it known for certain what became of him; yet his death is imputed to King John of England his uncle, and that he slew him with his own hand.] Philip king of France subjected Normandy to his dominion through the treachery of the earls and barons of the land. John de Courcy was driven from Ireland by the sons of Hugh de Lacy. Robert earl of Leicester, a most valiant knight, died. William earl Marshal took the town of Cilgerran at the first assault, the unarmed retainers of Maelgwn who kept it being allowed to depart. [In the same year Geoffrey bishop of Menevia was consecrated at London by Hubert, archbishop of Canterbury, in the octave of St Andrew the apostle.]
1205. Hubert archbishop of Canterbury died [a man of great industry and wonderful cunning, but little lettered; yet at one time justiciar of all England. He being buried, the monks of Canterbury at once elected their sub-prior, and sent him with letters of the prior and convent, laden with much money, to the Roman court. When this became known to King John, he forthwith forbade the aforesaid monks all victuals and all necessaries, and even exit or entrance beyond the churchyard. But they, seeing the destruction of their house to be at hand, went to the king and promised to acquiesce in his counsels. The king, coming therefore to Canterbury, brought with him the bishop of Norwich, who was very intimate with him, and corrupted the monks, promising to the prior and twelve of the greater men of the convent a bishopric or an abbey to each of them, so that they should ask for the aforesaid bishop; and so they asked for him, and received him as one asked for with the kiss of peace in the convent and in the refectory, and sent their letters to the sub-prior staying in the Roman court and awaiting the gift of consecration, that he should return home and not concern himself with the business of the election made of him. Which being learned by the lord pope, he sent messengers with his letters to the lord king, that the king should send to Rome his letters patent of ratification with the prior and twelve of the more discreet men of the church of Canterbury, that whomsoever they should elect in the pope’s presence, the lord pope would consecrate him and send him consecrated with the pall into England. But the monks coming to the Roman court neglected what they had firmly promised the king with an oath; and discord arising among them — five of them having died — the rest abode in their purpose as they had promised. But the lord pope, hearing that the bishop was a very worldly man and defamed by many, induced the prior with the rest by every means to elect a certain Master Stephen Langton, an Englishman, a theologian very learned. He being elected, the lord pope consecrated him honourably, and sent him with privileges and the pall into England to his see. Which becoming known to the king, he expelled all the monks of the church of Canterbury from his kingdom, nor did one of them remain in the whole kingdom of England; and he forbade entrance into the kingdom to the archbishop and his men. But the lord pope, having made many warnings to the lord king that he should receive the archbishop — the king ever persisting in malice — shut up the whole of England under a general interdict, that no divine service should be celebrated in the churches except baptism alone; and that no bodies of bishops, abbots, monks, clerks or laymen should be buried in churchyards or consecrated places, but outside the cities and towns in the crossways and the ends of the roads. Henry bishop of Exeter died.] John king of England entered Poitou with an army, but being able to resist Philip king of the French very little, returned to England empty. Rhys the Little with the French burnt the castle of Lluchwein, which was in the power of the sons of Gruffudd, all who kept it being killed. A change of the coinage was made.
1206. [The prior of Canterbury went to Rome.]
1207. The king took a thirteenth part of the kingdom, both of movables and immovables, for the recovering of his inheritance in Normandy. From this exaction the Cistercian order was free. [Master Stephen Langton was consecrated archbishop of Canterbury by Pope Innocent the Third about the Kalends of July.]
1208. Rhys the Little a second time burnt the castle of Lluchwein, the townsmen being partly taken, partly slain. [A general interdict was made through all England on the tenth day before the Kalends of April, the first Sunday in the Passion of the Lord. In the same year, about the feast of St Michael, William de Breos, discord arising between him and the king, fled to Ireland with wife and sons, fearing the king.]
1209. Richard, the king’s second son, was born. The king went to Scotland.
1210. [All the bishops of England were cast out of the kingdom, except two — Winchester and Norwich — by whom and because of whom all the discord was stirred.] King John expelled Walter and Hugh de Lacy from Ireland, Wales and England. [MS C: In the same year John king of England came with a great army and equipment to Pembrokeshire, and having gathered there a thousand ships at Milford — that is, Abercleddyf — on the morrow of Saints Cyricus and Julitta his mother, entering the sea, landed at Waterford — that is, Porthlarki — and took Walter de Lacy, rebel against him, who resigned all his strongholds and lands to the same king, since otherwise he could not have life and limb. But Hugh de Lacy, a perverse man, escaped in a little boat to Scotland; yet the wife of William de Breos and William junior his son were captured there, who, brought to the king, were by his command shut up in a cask, and so sent into England perished in the castle of Windsor by hunger and want.] The order of the Minors begins.
1211. John king of England, soon after Easter, moved an army into North Wales; to whose aid from South Wales came the two sons of Rhys, Maelgwn and Rhys the Little, and from Powys Gwenwynwyn son of Owain, and other princes of less power. Hearing this, Llywelyn prince of North Wales removed all things as far as the mountain of Eryri. The king therefore, seeing that he could do nothing, was compelled to return empty into England. Again the king, not unmindful of the aforesaid disgrace, a second time led an army into North Wales, and there fortified fourteen castles or more. Llywelyn withdrew with his men to the protection of the aforesaid mountain. At length, the nobles of England and Wales mediating and reconciling, three thousand cattle being given to the king, the king returned to his own land. The French, led by the sons of Rhys, namely Maelgwn and Rhys the Little, fortified the castle of Aberystwyth. But Maelgwn and Rhys, learning the French’s perfidy, at once burnt it, the townsmen being let go. Maelgwn stirred up war in South Wales. Cadwallon made plunderings and burnings in Glamorgan, not without loss of men. [Robert son of Richard died on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of June.]
1212. Maelgwn and Gwenwynwyn entered into league with Llywelyn prince of the North Welsh, and made a great slaughter of the French in Powys. Robert de Vieuxpont, being put to flight, hardly escaped into England. [In the month of February, a certain man of good conversation and honest life, resting in his bed about the middle of the night, heard as it were a voice saying to him, “Rise and see wonders and prognostics of great things.” Who, straightway waking, marked himself with the sign of the Cross, and rising from his bed went out of doors; and looking about on every side and lifting his eyes to heaven, saw three moons — one in the wintry rising-place, less than full, greater than half-full; and he saw two others in the west, which were smaller, verging to their setting. The man, stupefied, told the vision to his priest, who bore witness to the vision.]
1213. Llywelyn prince of North Wales, with the princes confederate with him — namely Maelgwn and Gwenwynwyn and other princes of less name and power — took the castles fortified by the king through North Wales and Powys, one after another, with a strong hand, the townsmen being partly slain, partly ransomed, partly let go. Rhys and Owain, the sons of Gruffudd, with the help of the French, took Dinefwr and Llanamddewi, Rhys the Little, lord of the land, being driven out by force. Rhys the Little betook himself to Maelgwn, and staying a little while with him, came thence to the French, who took him after a short interval of time and carried him into England. The king offers to the church of Rome the whole kingdom of England and Ireland, to be held by him and his heirs as feudatories at a yearly rent of a thousand marks. [Philip king of the French, by command of the lord pope Innocent the Third, purposed to go into England to restore Stephen archbishop of Canterbury to his see; and a great multitude of ships being gathered at Calais, King John sent his galleys beyond the sea, and having plundered the fleet of the king of the French, they burnt about eighty ships. The fleet therefore being burnt, King Philip returned to Paris. But the king of England, fearing the coming of the king of the French into England a second time, by the counsel of the whole kingdom recalled the archbishop and all the bishops who were in exile; who returning were honourably received by the king and by all.]
1214. The king of England entered Poitou about the Purification of the Blessed Virgin, to whose aid came his nephew Otto with the Germans. Hearing this, Philip king of France, hoping not in his own bow and sword but in Him who opens and no man shuts, attacked Otto’s battle-line, scattered it, cut it down, overthrew it, trampled it under the feet of horses; he also captured three noble earls — William Longespée, brother of the king of England, and the earl of Brittany, and the earl of Flanders. Otto being put to flight, the king of France returned to his own land in triumph. Wherefore France was turned to joy, England to mourning. The king of England returned to England, where he afterwards marked himself with the sign of the Cross. A quarrel arose between the king of England and the earls and barons of the north, of which quarrel Merlin the prophet makes mention in his prophecy, saying, “For a quarrel of strangers shall arise.” The earls and barons of the north made a league with the princes of Wales against the king. Giles de Breos bishop of Hereford, having made a league with the princes of Wales and the barons of England, won by force his father’s land with its castles, the king’s retainers being driven out everywhere. Maelgwn and the two sons of Gruffudd came on the eve of the Lord’s Ascension to Dyfed with an army, and conquered all the Welsh of the Demetian region, and carried part away with them beyond the Tywi, part remaining at Emlyn and Elfed. Rhys son of Gruffudd, with the help of his uncle Maelgwn, conquered Cydweli and Carnwyllion. Thence he turned in force to Gower, and made plunderings and burnings in it, and burnt and overthrew castles, not without loss of men. For which reason the bailiffs and burgesses of Carmarthen burnt their town. Rhys son of Rhys was released from the king’s prison. Giles bishop of Hereford died in Christ. Stephen archbishop of Canterbury and Geoffrey bishop of Menevia, with almost all the bishops of England, Scotland, Wales, Ireland, France, and the Cisalpine and Transalpine parts, went to Rome. Llywelyn prince of North Wales with the North Welsh, and Gwenwynwyn son of Owain with the men of Powys, and Maelgwn and Rhys and the two sons of Gruffudd, Rhys and Owain, with the southerners, came on the day of the Conception of the Blessed Mary to Carmarthen; and before Christmas they took the castle of Carmarthen and overthrew it, the French being driven out not by clash of battle but by fear of them alone; and with it the castles of Cydweli and St Stephen and St Clears and Treftraid. On the eve of Christmas the aforesaid princes crossed the river Tywi with glad countenance, and on St Stephen’s day took Aberteifi and Cilgerran, which two castles they kept entire for themselves as by paternal right. Wherefore the Welsh returned to their own land rejoicing, but the French, sadly driven out on every side, were scattered like birds hither and thither. The sentence of interdict was relaxed by the lord pope; and the dissension between the king and barons arose, as aforesaid. [Geoffrey bishop of Menevia died; Gervase succeeded him — Gervase was consecrated bishop of Menevia.]
1215. Gwenwynwyn was driven from his country by Llywelyn prince of North Wales. Hywel son of Gruffudd died. Louis son of the king of France came to England to fight against the king. Gwenwynwyn died.
1216. Llywelyn prince of North Wales moved a great army into Gower, and took the castle of Abertawe at the first assault; thence, with the princes confederate with him — Maelgwn, Rhys the Little, the sons of Gruffudd and others — he went to Rhos. But the English, treacherous and in nearly all things hateful, since they could not resist him, delivered twenty-four hostages by common counsel and the counsel of Gervase bishop of Menevia — who harmed the Welsh more than he profited them; and this they did on the condition that they should redeem the hostages within a short space for a thousand marks; and they granted him the power of the whole land. [The first year of the nineteen-year cycle from the Incarnation of the Lord, 1216, in which the general council was celebrated at Rome under Innocent the Third; in which all clerks through the whole world, willing or unwilling, were compelled to render the twentieth penny of all their incomes for three years, as it were in aid of the land of Jerusalem. The lord pope is praised by some for this, blamed by others. Very many precepts were promulgated there, but observed by few. It was also ordained there concerning the tithes of the White Monks. Innocent died, and Honorius was enthroned.]
1217. [Discord was stirred between John king of the English and the nobles of his whole kingdom; and since he could not resist them, he took the cross and sent messengers to the Roman curia, entreating and asking the lord pope to defend him as one signed with the cross. And on this condition he made all England tributary to the lord pope, rendering yearly to the Roman curia seven hundred marks. The lord pope therefore sent a legate into England, who excommunicated Louis son of the king of the French — who had come into England — with all his supporters; and so he withdrew from England with disgrace, after having nevertheless obtained absolution from the legate.]
1218. The barons who had done homage to Louis were slain, and very many Frenchmen, the Lord fighting for the king. [At its end, before the feast of St Michael, John king of England entered the way of all flesh — a malicious man, an oppressor of churches and of the nobles of his whole kingdom, hateful, as it seemed, to God and men, overtaken by sudden death, at whose death few or none were made sad. After his death the aforesaid legate invested his son Henry the Little, seven years old, at Gloucester, as they say, with the diadem of the kingdom, on the feast of Simon and Jude. Llywelyn was at Wolnedale in Rhos.]
1219. Llywelyn prince of all Wales, with the other princes of less power confederate with him, in August moved a great army into Dyfed, and burnt the castle of Narberth at the first nod, without any contention, the men being partly slain, partly captured; then he went on the morrow to the castle of Wiston, and destroyed it without delay, the men being released with their arms, a covenant being given to them. Afterwards he went to the castle of Haverford and burnt the whole town, but would not assault the castle. Then he passed the night at Pul in Rhos, and burnt the whole country, and moreover commanded all the animals of the whole country, gathered together, to be slaughtered. Then he wished to go to Pembroke, but they, out of fear of the strong man, bargained two hundred marks to obtain a covenant. This done, he returned to his own land, all his men being safe. William Marshal the elder died. [The city of Damietta was miraculously captured by the Christians in the month of November, having been besieged for two years before. There were in it forty-five thousand armed men, as they asserted, besides women and children; but very many had died of hunger and want. For on the day on which the city was taken there were found in it, as it is said, three thousand dead. It was captured by the lord legate and patriarch and by the many archbishops and bishops who were present there.]
1220. Rhys son of Gruffudd, an energetic knight, brave as Hector in arms, the gem of princes, the flower of knights, earl of Pembrokeshire, died. William Marshal the younger entered Ireland. [The Translation of St Thomas the Martyr, on the Ides of July. The new tower of the church of Menevia, on the Monday before the feast of St Martin, immediately after vespers — no one dying or being hurt — was turned to sudden ruin.]
1221. Philip king of France died in Christ. William the young earl, son of William Marshal the earl, returning from Ireland, came back to South Wales; there he obtained the castles of Carmarthen and Aberteifi, and his accomplices spoiled nearly all the churches of Dyfed. The king of Scotland married the sister of the king of England. The holy cross was restored to the Christians. [The city of Damietta was treacherously taken again by the Saracens. William junior son of William, having gathered a great army in Ireland, landed with a prepared fleet at St David’s on Palm Saturday, and in Easter week took the castle of Cardigan, with none resisting; likewise also Carmarthen. And having convened his kinsmen and relations, the earls and barons of England, he refortified the castle of Cilgerran. He made many attacks upon the Welsh. And having confederated to himself Conan son of Hywel, he carried off a very great booty from the land of Cardigan, and took the whole land as far as Aeron, which he committed to the custody of the said Conan, and departed with his men.]
1222. William Marshal again entered Ireland and reached the justiciar of all Ireland, and subdued the sons of Hugh de Lacy, whom he brought to the king of England to enter into his peace. [And in the same year William Marshal took the castle of Trim in Ireland, and subdued Hugh de Lacy.] Louis king of France laid Poitou waste. [Henry king of England, son of John, lost Poitou.]
1223. [In which a precentor was first appointed in the church of Menevia. And the new work of the greater church of St Thomas of Haverford was begun.] Llywelyn took the castle of Whittington and overthrew it.
1224. The castle of Bedford was taken. [The year in which Louis king of the French stormed the castles of the earl of St Giles, and especially Avignon, and overthrew its walls. The year in which Maredudd son of Rhys, archdeacon of Cardigan, died. Reginald de Breos died; William his son succeeded him, who in the same year was captured in Ceredigion.]
1225. Henry the young king, with the army of all England and a very great equipment of arms, entered the province of Ceredigion and formed a castle there. Llywelyn prince of North Wales, manfully resisting it and having convoked the princes of South Wales, inflicted no small slaughter on the king’s army, and captured William de Breos. [And in the same year he was released from captivity on the feast of the Chair of St Peter.] And the king, seeing that his purpose profited him little, having received a certain sum of money, the princes being pacified, abandoned the castle he had begun, and returned home empty.
1226. Llywelyn prince of North Wales liberated William de Breos from prison for a great sum of money and for the castles of Builth; and for the increase of the covenant he gave his daughter to William de Breos as wife, with the lands of the province and the castle of Builth. The city of Jerusalem was captured by the emperor Frederick and his Christian accomplices. [Gervase bishop of Menevia died; Anselm the Fat succeeded him. And the Holy Land was restored to the emperor.]
1227. Llywelyn prince of North Wales conquered William de Breos for his excessive presumption and disgrace, and afterwards delivered him to death. Henry king of England, about the Kalends of May, with the army of all England, at the instance of the earl of Lesser Britain, crossed over into Brittany and began to trouble the king of France; [there he left William Marshal, who, having made some stay there, returned to his homeland.]
1228.
1229. Henry the king was at Portsmouth with his army. The earl of Brittany came into England.
1230. Gilbert earl of Gloucester died.
1231. Llywelyn prince of North Wales, having summoned his troops, certain causes having arisen between him and the king, devastated Montgomery, Brecon and Hay, together with the castle of Radnor, which was utterly broken down and burnt. Thence proceeding towards Gwent and reducing Caerleon to ashes, he overthrew the castles of Neath and Cydweli and of Cardigan — the town having first been burnt by Maelgwn — the noble men of those parts being partly subjugated to him, and fealty being rendered to Llywelyn by all the magnates except Morgan son of Hywel, confederate with the English, who had determined that his hereditary right should be restored to him. But the king of England, meanwhile arriving with his army towards the March and incurring infinite expenses, built the castle of Painscastle of stone and lime, a most noble work, and sufficiently fortified it with a multitude of armed men. William Marshal died on the seventh day before the Ides of April, and Richard his brother became earl of Pembroke.
1232. Richard earl of Cornwall married Isabella countess of Gloucester. King Henry fortified Maud’s Castle. [There was such a drought through all England that through the whole summer, from the month of March until October, very few drops of rain fell upon the earth.]
1233. Richard earl of Cornwall rebuilt the castle of Radnor, which had previously been burnt by the army of prince Llywelyn, he being unaware of it, as was said; but about the end of that year discord arose between the lord king and Richard Marshal, whence the same Marshal withdrew from the court with great indignation and came to the Welsh; and having received fealty from them near at hand, taking certain of them with him, he burnt the town of Monmouth — many of his men being killed — and took the castles of Cardiff, Pencelli, Bwlchdinas, Gefenne and Blanelleveny. Llywelyn the prince burnt the towns of Brecon and Clun, and took and destroyed the castle which was called Castell Hithoet, and moreover reduced the town of Whitchurch to ashes. [This year Henry de Turberville relieved the castle of Carmarthen, besieged by Richard Marshal and the Welsh. Coming through the channel of the river Tywi in a certain ship, he broke the bridge of Carmarthen, where many of those obstructing were captured, many drowned.]
1234. Richard Marshal, the noble earl of Pembroke, taking certain of his knights with him, sailed into Ireland, proposing to subjugate that whole land to himself with a strong hand and outstretched arm — as he was a valiant man and mighty in arms, great and terrible, wise and eloquent, pious and of elegant form. But when on a certain day he was battling his adversaries, and, like a lion provoked to wrath, was prostrating and slaying them on the right and on the left, his barons with his knights — not forgetful of the deceit pre-arranged, that they should deliver him to the enemy — leaving him in the battle, began flight, and so delivered him to the clubs and swords of the adversaries; where he was crushed by the blows of the enemies and pierced by lances from the sole of the foot to the crown, and at last taken alive, and so after a few days gave back his spirit to God; whose loss the lord king lamented with exceeding grief, and all his nobles, for a long time. Master Gilbert his brother, a most elegant and powerful young man, succeeded him in the inheritance; to whom the lord king, imputing nothing to him of his brother’s deeds, gave and granted all his right with a kindly mind. Rhys Gryg ended his life at Llandeilo Fawr; his body was committed to burial at Menevia beside his father — Rhys the Great — by the lord Anselm bishop of Menevia, with dire lamentation and the greatest honour. Llywelyn liberated Gruffudd his son, whom he had formerly held in prison for six years, and gave him the half of the land which is called Llyn. Cadwallon son of Maelgwn, having taken the habit of religion, died at Cwmhir. Maelgwn son of Maelgwn built the castle of Trelilan.
1235. Owain son of Gruffudd, a man noble in birth and manners, endowed with wonderful largesse, of nearly incomparable and most excellent fame, illustrious, rested at the house of Strata Florida, on the Wednesday after the octave of the Epiphany, with a glorious end; and there beside his brother Rhys he lies buried in the chapter of the monks. The king of England took to wife the daughter of the earl of Brabant, and celebrated the nuptials splendidly at London, in the presence of very many bishops, earls and barons. Gilbert Marshal married the sister of the king of Scotland.
1236. Gwenllian daughter of Rhys the Great, wife of Ednyfed Fychan, died. Maelgwn son of Maelgwn, about the feast of St Michael, went to prince Llywelyn, and — not a little money intervening — made Maredudd son of Owain render to him Mevenydd in exchange for Penardd. Which being obtained, he prepared himself to despoil the monks of Strata Florida, namely of the lands of Strat Meuric, which his ancestors and he himself had given to the same monks. In the same year died Madog son of Gruffudd lord of Maelor, and Owain son of Maredudd son of Robert of Cedewain. Henry king of England took Eleanor daughter of the count of Provence as wife at Canterbury, through the lord Edmund the archbishop.
1237. [Brother Anian preached the Cross in West Wales.] The lady Joan, daughter of the king of England and wife of Llywelyn prince of Wales, died; her body was committed to burial at Aber with dire lamentation and no little honour. John earl of Chester, his son-in-law, and Cynwrig son of the lord Rhys the Great, died. The king took a thirtieth of movables as an aid. [Otho, legate of the Roman church, came into England.]
1238. On the morrow of St Luke the Evangelist, all the princes of Wales swore fealty to the lord Dafydd son of the lord Llywelyn the prince, at Strata Florida. Gruffudd of Iâl was killed by the deceit of Maredudd his brother, as was said. Simon de Montfort took to wife Eleanor countess of Pembroke. Richard de Clare took as wife M. daughter of J. de Lacy earl of Lincoln.
1239. Gruffudd son of Maredudd died. Gruffudd son of Llywelyn was captured in war by Dafydd his brother. Edward the king’s son is born.
1240. Died that great man, a second Achilles, namely the lord Llywelyn son of Gervase son of Owain of Gwynedd, then prince of Wales, having received the monastic habit in the house of Aberconwy with great devotion; whose deeds I am insufficient to narrate. For he ruled his enemies with shield and spear, kept peace for the religious, dispensed food and clothing to Christ’s poor, enlarged his boundaries with the warlike cord, showed good justice to all according to their deserts with love and fear of God, and bound all to himself with due regard or love. Dafydd his son, by Joan daughter of John king of England, succeeded him as heir; he, in the month of May, did homage for the same to Henry king of England at Gloucester, and the barons of Wales after him; in which month the English, not unmindful of their custom, sent Walter Marshal with a great army to fortify the castle of Cardigan. With a strong hand and no invalid strength the earl of Cornwall set out to the Holy Land. [Walter Marshal took the lands pertaining to the honour of Carmarthen for Gilbert his brother.]
1241. Otho the legate departed from the kingdom of England; he, with a great multitude of archbishops, bishops, abbots and other religious, was captured by the emperor on account of the war long existing between that emperor and the lord pope Gregory the Ninth. The king of England subjugated all the Welsh to himself, and fortified a castle on a strong rock near Diserth in Tegeingl, hostages being received from Dafydd his nephew for Gwynedd to be left to himself, Dafydd being sent as far as London, to the celebrated council constituted there, restoring to Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn his hereditary right in Powys, and to the son of Maredudd son of Cynan in Meirionnydd. Dafydd son of Llywelyn delivered Gruffudd his brother to the prison of the lord king. [MS C: Henry king son of John came with the army of all England towards North Wales as far as Rhuddlan, and sent messengers to Dafydd son of Llywelyn, that he should come to him and bring with him Gruffudd his brother, whom he held in prison; and since he could not resist the king, he broke his castle of Deganwy and others, and at length came to the king with his brother Gruffudd, whom he gave into the king’s hand, together with all who were imprisoned with him; whom the king brought to London, and caused to be kept there.]
1242. Henry king of England crossed over into Poitou, proposing to recover the lands which the king of France had taken from him — which that year he was least of all able to do. [MS C: In the same year King Henry crossed over into Gascony about the feast of St John ante Portam Latinam.] In the same year castles were fortified in Wales — by the lord Maelgwn in Garthgrugyn, and by the lord Roger de Mortimer in Maelienydd. Gruffudd son of Maredudd son of Rhys, then archdeacon of Cardigan, died. Gilbert Marshal died at Ware in a certain tournament; Walter his brother succeeded him in the inheritance. [MS C: Gilbert Marshal earl of Pembroke died on the Kalends of July; and in the same year Walter Marshal was made earl of Pembroke about the feast of Simon and Jude.] [Walter de Marisco was captured in the isle of Lundy.]
1243. Henry king of England returned from Bordeaux with the queen, safe and sound. [MS C: Returning from Gascony, he landed in England about the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross.] Queen Eleanor bore a daughter in Gascony, named Margaret.
1244. Rhys son of Rhys Gryg died. Gruffudd son of Llywelyn, detained in the prison of the lord king at London, threw a rope through a certain window so that he might thus escape; but by misfortune he fell to the ground, and, his neck and legs being broken, breathed out his spirit. Which being heard, Dafydd his brother, moved by wrath, having gathered his magnates, rushed upon his enemies like a lioness whose cubs have been seized, expelling them altogether from his borders, except those in fortifications and castles. Then he united to himself all the princes of Wales except three — namely Gruffudd son of Madog, Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn, and Morgan son of Hywel — upon whom he afterwards inflicted no small damages and grievances. Maredudd son of Robert died, having taken the habit of religion at Strata Florida. Queen Eleanor bore a son, Edmund. [MS C: Gruffudd son of Llywelyn died in prison at London, whether by deceit or otherwise is unknown; and Dafydd son of Llywelyn burnt Carmarthen.]
1245. The heirs of William Marshal rested in peace. King Henry, wishing to subjugate all the Welsh, came with a great gathered army as far as Deganwy, and, having fortified a castle there, returned into England — wherefore also, in memory of the deed, he left many corpses of his dead through North Wales unburied, both in the sea and on the land. The foundation of Westminster was laid. [Walter Marshal came to Haverford.] [MS C: Henry king of England moved war against Dafydd.]
1246. Died that shield of Wales, Dafydd son of Llywelyn, at Aber; his body was committed to burial at Aberconwy with many tears. The sons of his brother Gruffudd — namely Owain and Llywelyn — succeeded him as heirs; they, by the counsel of prudent men, divided the land equally between them. Nicholas de Molyns, seneschal of Carmarthen, went to the land of Maelgwn with a great army, Maelgwn being put to flight as far as Meirionnydd; the said Nicholas however made no stay there, but, the lands being left behind him in royal power, he came with the aforesaid army as far as Deganwy, whence he proposed to disinherit the aforesaid youths with a strong hand; and the armies at last rushing in from every side upon the said youths, they, commending themselves to the divine will, saved themselves with their men in the mountains unhurt, after the manner of the Maccabees, God disposing; and on that army’s return, Maelgwn in the aforesaid Nicholas’s escort went to the king, and hardly obtained the royal grace — so however that he had nothing of his own inheritance except two commotes, namely Généu’r-glyn and Is-coed. Ralph de Mortimer died. Earl Walter Marshal died at Godrich castle; in the same year Anselm Marshal died at Striguil; their bodies are entombed at Tintern. [The emperor Frederick was deposed. Maredudd son of Rhys plundered the town of Carmarthen. The lord Herebert son of Matthew was slain by the Welsh in Glamorgan on a certain hill near the castle which was Morgan Gam’s.]
1247. [The army of Dyfed, under the lord Nicholas de Meules and Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn as leaders, crossed the river Tywi and went through the greatest part of North Wales, with none opposing or even gainsaying.]
1248. [There was a great earthquake in Britain and Ireland, by which earthquake a great part of the church of Menevia fell, and many buildings in the country, and rocks were split — on the eleventh day before the Kalends of March. Anselm bishop of Menevia died; Master Thomas Wallensis succeeded him. A certain thief entered the church of Menevia and spoiled it of vestments, ornaments and other things, and hid the spoils among the sea-rocks. But the wardens of the church, grieving over this — for it was imputed to them by some — humbly prayed God and the Blessed David, patron of the place, that they would show them to be innocent, as they were. On a certain day not long after, when the sacristan, Madog by name, was going after dinner from his lodging to the church, he opened the door of the church, and entering the place where the ornaments were, found the thief standing in the midst of the ornaments and holding a golden chalice in his hand. The sacristan, marvelling at this, said, “O unhappy thief, what are you doing here? What misfortune brought you hither? You have furtively seized the vessels and ornaments of this church lately lost.” The thief, confessing and not denying, said, “I indeed seized them.” The sacristan, springing forward, snatched from him the knife which he had at his belt, and, having captured him, led him before the clergy and the people. The clergy and people, rejoicing at so great a miracle, praised God and St David together with hymns and songs. There was a great mortality and famine in Britain and in Ireland. The land of the earl Marshal was divided between his three daughters. Thomas Wallensis was consecrated bishop of Menevia on the eighth day before the Kalends of August.]
1249. Damietta was captured by Louis king of France. [MS C: Louis king of the French left the isle of Cyprus for the Holy Land with a great Christian fleet on the fourteenth day before the Kalends of June, and landed with his fleet in Egypt in the port of Damietta on the sixth Kalends of June; and, the Saracens being defeated by the grace of God, he took that city.]
1250. [The bridge of Carmarthen was broken by the pressure of ice.]
1251. Gladys daughter of the lord Llywelyn died at Windsor; Morgan son of Rhys the Great died. [Louis king of France was defeated in the Holy Land and captured by the pagans.]
1252. Llywelyn son of Iorwerth, then bailiff of the lord king Henry in the land which had been the lord Maelgwn the younger’s, took by royal command booty upon the men of Elfael, because they wished to use, as it were by hereditary right, the pastures of the mountains of Elan.
1253. The illustrious king of England, the lord Henry son of John, crossed over into Burgundy about the beginning of August with a great army, commending the kingdom of England to Edward his son and the lord Richard his brother earl of Cornwall, and to the queen.
1254. [Louis king of France returned from the Holy Land, and] King Henry of England returned from Gascony into England, leaving dominion there to Edward his son with a great army for the guard of those parts. [MS C: King Henry returned from the parts beyond the sea; and King Henry gave to Edward his firstborn son Ireland, Wales, Gascony and Bristol.] Gwenllian daughter of the lord Maelgwn died on St Catherine’s day. In the same year the said Edward set out with Boniface the archbishop into Spain, and there married the daughter of the king of Spain, and was made a knight.
1255. Died the valiant and sturdy youth Maredudd son of Llywelyn of Meirionnydd, leaving an only heir, a son, by Gwenllian daughter of Maelgwn; and soon after, about the feast of St John the Baptist, the youth of remarkable virtue Rhys son of Maelgwn — having made his confession, and communicated in the body and blood of Christ, and taken the habit of the Cistercian order at Strata Florida — alas, succumbed to fate; his body was venerably committed to burial in the chapter beside his sister, many lamenting and deservedly bewailing his death, because it was vehemently hoped and proclaimed by many that he was the man who would redeem and liberate a great part of Wales from the former yoke of the English captivity. In the same days discord arose, by the suggestion of the devil, between the sons of Gruffudd son of the lord Llywelyn of venerable memory, formerly prince of North Wales — Owain, namely, and Dafydd his brother on the one side, and Llywelyn on the other; the same Llywelyn, trusting in the Lord, undauntedly awaited their horrible coming with a great army, and standing immovable with his men to fight, within the space of one hour captured the said Owain and Dafydd his brothers with a strong and warlike hand — many of their men being slain and captured and moreover turned to flight — and occupied their lands without any difficulty. Not long after — namely on the Saturday next before the feast of St Michael — died Margred then daughter of Maelgwn, wife of Owain son of Maredudd of Cedewain, who was committed to burial at Strata Florida beside her brother. Thomas called Wallensis, bishop of Menevia, died in Christ [on the day of the Translation of St Benedict]; Master Richard de Carew, an excellent theologian and philosopher, succeeded him.
1256. Certain nobles of Wales entered the way of all flesh — namely Maredudd son of Madog, then lord of Yale, and Owain son of Iorwerth of Elfael. This year the lord Edward — son of the illustrious king of England Henry, then earl of Chester — came about the Kalends of August to his castles of Deganwy and Diserth, to see them and the lands. On his departure and visitation being made, the nobles of Wales, indignant and despoiled of their liberties and honours, kindled with the zeal of justice after the manner of the Maccabees, chose rather to die in battle for their liberty with honour than thus to be trampled by foreign and unworthy enemies; they went to the noble youth — namely Llywelyn son of Gruffudd son of Llywelyn — laying before him their captivity and tribulation with tears and groans. The same Llywelyn, moved by their groans and tears, at their exhortation and counsel and request went to the land of Perfeddwlad, and occupied it within one week, all but two castles, namely Deganwy and Diserth; having then with him a noble man, namely Maredudd son of Rhys Gryg, who had been ejected through the cavilling of the English — both him and his nephew Rhys Fychan and certain others of his neighbours — from his land and inheritance; whose names were not then written in the book of life. Which being then prosperously done by the said Llywelyn, he likewise occupied the land of Meirionnydd, and on the first Monday in Advent passed the night with a great army at Llanbadarn Fawr, which was in the lord Edward’s hand; then on Wednesday he passed the night at Morfa Mawr. There Maredudd son of Owain went to the said Llywelyn and established fealty with him; and he gave the lord Edward’s part of Ceredigion to Maredudd son of Owain, with the land of Builth, which he then likewise occupied with a strong hand — restoring the aforesaid Maredudd son of Rhys with his land, and ejecting the aforesaid Rhys his nephew from his part and conferring it on the said Maredudd by hereditary right, retaining nothing for himself out of all the aforesaid conquests except fame and merit. Which being so done, he held the land of Gwerthrynion, offering it to Roger de Mortimer; and so prosperously returned to his own land after Christmas Day. Richard earl of Cornwall, the king’s brother, was elected emperor. [Richard bishop of Menevia was consecrated at Rome by the lord pope.]
1257. After the Epiphany of the Lord, Llywelyn son of Gruffudd entered Powys of the sons of Gwenwynwyn, and sitting in the town of Welshpool burnt it entirely; and there, two barons of South Wales being convoked to his aid — Maredudd son of Rhys Gryg and Maredudd son of Owain — on the other side, many barons of England were gathered beyond the Severn near Montgomery, namely John Strange, Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn, Mablyn and many others, with the banner of the lord Edward and a very great armed host. The aforesaid army of the English crossed the river Severn, and in the great field between the Severn and the Rhiw the English stood in battle array. But the Welsh, seeing the English prepared for war, were greatly indignant, and entering the field with innumerable armed men — and the English saw the army of the Welsh, strong beyond measure, manfully and boldly occupying the field — straightway the English, terrified with fear, were turned to flight and fled swiftly as far as Montgomery. In those days — namely on the Monday next after the Purification of the Blessed Mary — Stephen Bauzon, Nicholas lord of Cemaes, Patrick lord of Cydweli and the lord of Carew, with many armed knights, broke the gate of Whitland house, entering the abbey and passing the night there; and they did injury to God and the Blessed Mary and all the saints — namely by beating the monks, spoiling the lay brothers, carrying off with them all the horses and all the spoils of the whole abbey except the church’s spoils; and in the cemetery they unjustly slew the servants of the monks. The aforesaid Llywelyn afterwards, in the next Lent, went with a great army to the land of Cydweli and Carnwyllion and Gower, and burnt the part belonging to the English in the aforesaid lands and Abertawe entirely, subjugating to himself all the Welsh of the said lands; and before Easter he returned to his own land with joy. Likewise in these days certain noble men of the household of the lord Llywelyn son of Gruffudd, before Palm Sunday, manfully burnt the town of Montgomery — namely Baldwin’s castle — and slew Baldwin and many other burgesses with women and children in the same town by fire and sword. In those days certain nobles of Ceredigion — namely the two sons of Einion and William, and the two sons of William Goch — were slain at Osterlowe by the English of Carmarthen. Also Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, with a multitude of strong men, besieged the castle of Bodfearn before Pentecost; and, the castellans being freely let go with their arms and the castle surrendered, he utterly burnt it. Not many days after — namely on the Wednesday next after Pentecost — Stephen Bauzon and many barons with a multitude of strong warriors passed the night at Carmarthen. On the morrow indeed all the renowned armed men, with very many mail-clad horses and other instruments prepared for war, set out to devastate the land of Ystrad Tywi, and not without hindrance came as far as Llandeilo Fawr, and there passed the night without any fear; and the Welsh of Ceredigion and of Ystrad Tywi — namely Maredudd son of Rhys Gryg and Maredudd son of Owain, with all their power — were gathered around the English in the woods and groves and valleys with great clamours on every side. And the aforesaid Welsh through the whole of Friday invited and harassed the squadrons of the Saxons in the same place with darts, missiles and arrows. The leader of the English — namely Rhys son of Rhys Mechyll — on the Saturday, that is on the eve of Holy Trinity, the fourth Nones of June, left them in straits and great peril, and fled secretly to his castle, namely Dinefwr, with a few of his men, the English not knowing the event. But the English knights, fearing nothing, fortified themselves with iron armour — which armour could not protect them more than linen clothes, because they placed their hope and their pride in it more than in God. The armed knights, counsel having been taken, boldly set out towards Cardigan, fearing nothing; the Welsh from the woods on every side fought manfully against them, and from the first hour of the day until midday fought against the English from the groves; and at Coed Llathen the English lost all their victuals, all the horses carrying their arms and necessaries, and all their palfreys; and the Welsh were glad on this account. But about the hour of midday, coming fighting to Cymerau, the aforesaid Welsh rushed in among the armed English with God’s help, and manfully prostrated the renowned Saxons from their armed horses, and trampled them under the feet of horsemen, footmen and horses in the moors and ditches and valleys; and more than three thousand Saxons perished that day; but few or none of the armed knights escaped that battle; and the Welsh returned to their own land safe and sound, with a great victory and spoils and many mail-clad horses and the enemies’ arms, giving thanks to God. On the Sunday of Holy Trinity, at Gower, of the English there fell two hundred men less six, and six women were slain. In these days certain noble men, namely Gwyn son of Madog and men of Arwystli, burnt the towns near Baldwin’s castle by night; and returning by day with a great booty as far as Gwrnegof, there the strong men of Baldwin’s castle met them, and there was a strong fight between them; and at last, God helping, the Welsh prevailed and turned the English to flight. On the same day, of the English, a hundred and thirty of the strongest men of Baldwin’s castle fell.
1258. On the Monday next after the octave of Easter, armed men of Pembroke and Rhos took a great booty early in the morning from Cemaes, and slew two nobles there — William Techo and Henry Goeth. But the men of Cemaes and Penmaen were gathered around the English on every side with great clamours, and fought manfully against them; at last, the Lord helping, the Welsh prevailed, and the English turned their backs before the Welsh, leaving horses, arms, spoils, many corpses of the dead, and the booty that day; among whom Henry Wingan the constable of Narberth and the son of Philip de Brut, with innumerable English, fell in that battle. The Welsh returned to their own land with joy and great triumph and with many captives, giving thanks to God, who ever grants the victory. Not long after, Maredudd son of Rhys Gryg did homage and fealty to the lord king. The Welsh were greatly angered on this account, and the lord Llywelyn son of Gruffudd and all the South Welsh with a great army went to the land of the aforesaid Maredudd in Ystrad Tywi, and subjugated it entirely to themselves except his castles. Afterwards the Welsh encamped at Cydweli and burnt the houses and towns except the castle of Cydweli; the lord Maredudd and the lord Patrick, with many armed English of Carmarthen, suddenly rushed upon the Welsh, and there was a strong fight between them; and certain of the Welsh and of the English were wounded, certain slain, and the lord Maredudd was wounded with a grievous wound near the bridge. At last the Welsh prevailing, the bodies of the English being left there, Maredudd and the English fled to the town of Carmarthen with great disgrace. Among the dead, a noble man of Arwystli, Dafydd ap Hywel, fell, and is committed to burial at Strata Florida with great lamentation. In the same year, about the Nativity of St John the Baptist, there was great discord between the English and the French in the kingdom of England, and the English, by the counsel of the earls, barons and nobles of the whole kingdom, expelled all the French from their bounds and territories. Moreover, of the nobles and rich men of England, many English perished of poison made by the French. Furthermore Dafydd son of Gruffudd, a youth most splendid in arms and most mighty on horseback, with a few of North Wales, and Maredudd son of Owain and Rhys Fychan with a great army, encamped for two days at Maenor; and on the third night — namely the Wednesday next before the Nativity of the Blessed Mary — placed their camp near Cilgerran. That day the lord Maredudd son of Rhys Gryg and the lord Patrick, seneschal of the lord king, with all the armed men of Cydweli, Carmarthen, Pembroke, Rhos and Cemaes, were gathered at Aberteifi with great pride. But after the ninth hour the English of Aberteifi came by their troops as far as Cilgerran, and near the town of Cilgerran the English and the Welsh fought strongly and cruelly. At last the Welsh prevailed by God’s help, and turned the English to flight; and they left there the corpses of the dead with the armed horses. In that hour the lord Patrick, Walter Malenfaunt — a strong and energetic knight of Pembroke — and other knights lately come from England, fell in most disgraceful death. Maredudd hardly escaped with the English to the castle of Cilgerran — he who through his infidelity had disturbed all Wales. In England twelve peers were constituted. [MS C: The lord Patrick de Chaworth and the lord Walter Malenfaunt were slain at Cilgerran in the autumn.]
1259. The lord Llywelyn son of Gruffudd held a council with the nobler men of Wales at Arwystli; and there, on the Wednesday next before Pentecost, the lord Maredudd son of Rhys was convicted of infidelity, and held by the said lord Llywelyn, who was in prison at Criccieth until the next Nativity of the Lord; and then liberated, receiving from him the firstborn as hostage, and his two castles Dinefwr and Castell Newydd, with the two provinces adjacent to them. In the same year, about the feast of St Hilary, the same lord Llywelyn went with a great army to the province of Builth, which the lord Maredudd son of Owain granted to the same lord Llywelyn. Who straightway recalled all the dispersed of the same province, and sent them away glad and rejoicing under his protection. Proceeding thence as far as the town of Denbigh in Dyfed(?), destroying it and taking many spoils — he had in his army there two hundred and forty mail-clad horses, with unladen baggage-horses and an incomparable multitude of foot.
1260. On the day of St George the Martyr the town of Whitland was burnt by the lords of Ceredigion and Cedewain. In the same year, on the day of St Kenelm the Martyr, three watchmen, English by nation, who were guarding the castle of Builth, delivered it to the men of the lord Llywelyn son of Gruffudd about the end of the night, for a great sum of money; and this was on account of the infernal hatred which the said watchmen bore towards the notary of the same castle, who was an Englishman. Which being heard and divulged, straightway Rhys Fychan with his army, and all the nobles and men well skilled in arms of nearly all South Wales, came; and straightway, by unanimous and common counsel, whatever was combustible in that castle they gave to the fire, and utterly destroyed the stones, so that in a short space a stone upon a stone could not be found there. The lord Owain son of Maredudd also came then, with all his faithful and subjects, to the peace and fealty of the lord Llywelyn, who straightway liberated Madog son of the said Owain from prison and gave him up free, and bestowed a hundred and three pounds on him. Also in the same year, about the Kalends of August, truces were made for two years between the lord king and kingdom on the one part and the lord Llywelyn and his men on the other part — so that without transgression of the truces it be lawful for the same Llywelyn to defend himself and his own against all unwilling to hold or keep the truces firm. In the same year the lord Edward, firstborn of king Henry, went to the parts beyond the sea with the flower of the youth of the whole kingdom, where he held a tournament against the French; who, unanimously conspiring, drove the said lord Edward with his men from the field with unlike valour, and all the noble chargers which they had, with other things, the said French claimed for themselves — and this once and twice and again. But the same lord Edward returned into England, and found his father in the White Tower of London — for he had feared for himself from the twelve peers to whose providence he had committed the kingdom to be governed, and it had greatly repented him. Likewise in the same year the Tartars occupied the kingdom of Jerusalem, and all the kingdoms of the East being destroyed and all the Saracens slain, they came even as far as the borders of the Roman empire; the fear of whom had occupied all Christendom. [Very many Welsh were slain at Llanfwadein on the eve of St Laurence. And the French were put to flight from England.]
1261. In the octave of the Blessed Mary — that is, of the Nativity — died Gruffudd abbot of Cwmhir.
1262. In the summer, the flower of the knights of England, Gilbert earl of Clare, perished by poison at Canterbury. In the same year, on the eve of St Andrew the Apostle, the castle of Cefnllys was captured and devastated by the industry of the men of Maelienydd. On the same day also the castle of Bleddfa was captured and destroyed. Then the lord Roger and Humphrey de Bohun the younger, with the flower of the youth of the whole March, entered the ruined walls of Cefnllys with great equipment, labouring to restore the fractures of the walls. Which hearing, the lord Llywelyn son of Gruffudd, prince of Wales, conducting with him all the nobler men of Wales, went to them, and with a circumspect siege beleaguered them until, driven by hunger and want, they sought licence to depart — unarmed yet with their arms — which the pious prince, led by piety, granted to be done. Moreover Owain son of Madog and part of the army took the castle of Knocklas on the eve of St Thomas the Apostle — not by force or battle, but the castellans, forespent with fear, surrendered themselves with the castle for dread of the engines; they also took the castles of Trefeclaud, Norton and Llanandras. [There was a great discord between the lord Edward, firstborn son of king Henry of England, and the barons of England; and Llywelyn prince of North Wales held himself on the barons’ side.]
1263. On the fifth day before the Kalends of May, at Clun, there were slain at least a hundred men, among whom fell Llywelyn son of Maredudd, the flower of the youth of all Wales — for he was strenuous and mighty in arms, liberal in gifts, provident in giving counsels, and amiable to all. In the same year, in the summer, all the earls and nearly all the barons were gathered in league with the lord Llywelyn the prince against Edward, and took all the castles and all the cities of all England except the castle of Windsor. And the lord Llywelyn went with a great army and equipment to the castle of Diserth about the Kalends of August, and took it in war and straightway utterly destroyed it, so that a stone upon a stone could not be found there in a short space. He also took on the day of St Michael the castle of Deganwy — the strongest in the kingdom, as was vulgarly said — not by force or battle, but the castellans, afflicted by the most bitter harshness and bitterness of hunger, took counsel with the said prince for their lives to be preserved, giving themselves with the castle to him. For the bitterness of hunger had so afflicted them that it behoved them, driven by want, to extinguish their hunger with the flesh of horses and even of their own dogs, that they might keep faith unimpaired to the lord king; which if they had done for the heavenly king, they would have deserved to have an eternal reward. In the same summer also the lord Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn came to the peace of the lord Llywelyn, doing him homage humbly on bended knee; who restored all his lands which the same prince had formerly occupied. But the same Gruffudd, taking with him all the men and bailiffs of Powys, stormed, took and levelled to the ground the castle of Weidgrut. But towards the end of that year, very many barons gathered themselves to the lord Llywelyn and took the castle of Radnor, and destroyed it utterly with the whole town. But the lord Edward with a great army went to the castles of Huntington and Hay, which he took with the adjacent towns, and delivered them to the lord Roger de Mortimer to keep. In the same year many Jews were slain, to the number of seven hundred and more, and the rest were spoiled.
1264. A dissension arose between the Cistercians and the Clairvaux monks, which however was terminated and decided in the Roman curia. [Henry king of England and Edward his firstborn son were captured in the battle at Lewes, and Richard king of Germany, brother of king Henry, and very many other barons. And many Londoners were slain.]
1265. On the Ides of June Edward son of king Henry escaped from the custody of the earl of Leicester at Hereford, at Wigmore, and came to Gilbert de Clare earl of Gloucester at Ludlow. The said earl of Leicester took the town, and the castle of the Moor, and the castle of Usk, and broke the castle and bridge of Newport. [A comet star was seen in France. And king Louis, by the suggestion of his brother Charles king of Sicily, led an army into Arabia.]
1266. J. de Hexvil and other disinherited men entered and took the isle of Ely. In the same year, by the counsel and assent of the king, all the disinherited were adjudged to their lands — namely so that their lands should be valued, and according to the value of the lands they should render their portion — some within five years, some within four years, some within three, some within two, some within one — according as they had offended more or less. [Louis king of France died at Tunis in Arabia, and very many nobles of France.] [Marginal note in another hand: The battle at Evesham on the day before the Nones of August.]
1267. On the sixth day before the Ides of March, G. earl of Gloucester entered the city of London with a great army by stealth, the lord Otho the legate being in the Tower of London; there the earl kept his Easter against the king’s will. But when the lord king understood this, he led his army to London, and fixed his tents at Stratford, where he stayed for ten weeks. Wherefore much labour was spent there on the reformation of peace, so that in a manner peace was reformed, and many of the disinherited were pacified towards the lord king.
1268. Otho the legate celebrated his council at London, and on the fourth day before the Ides of July took his journey to return to his homeland.
1269.
1270. Rhys son of the lord Maredudd died; his body was committed to burial with many tears.
1271. John son of Edward the firstborn died — he was in the custody of the lord king of Germany — and was buried at Westminster. [Richard de Carew bishop of Menevia went into France on the continent after Easter, and sojourned at Rungis near the city of Paris. Bishop Richard returned to Wales about the Ascension of the Lord.]
1272. Henry king of England died, in the fifty-seventh year of his reign. [Edward his son succeeded him.]
1273. The lord Maredudd son of Rhys died. [The general council was celebrated at Lyons under pope Gregory the Tenth, about the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist. And it was decreed there that a tenth of all ecclesiastical revenues should be rendered for six years following in aid of the Holy Land; and perpetual commendams were revoked, and many other restrictive and penal statutes were published there. Master John de Fekeham, archdeacon of Brecon, died; Master Henry de Villa Amloff succeeded him.]
1274. The lord Edward, after his father’s death, set out from France to England about the Kalends of August, and was there honourably received with great rejoicing, and conducted to London and crowned at Westminster. Likewise in the same year the lord Gruffudd son of Gwenwynwyn, lord of Powys, left his whole land and set out to England, being kindly commended to king Edward — and this on account of the persecution of the North Welsh — leaving his son Owain in the liberal custody of prince Llywelyn. [The feretory of St David was begun in the church of Menevia.]
1275. The king in his first parliament after his coronation enacted many statutes at Westminster. [War began in West Wales between the men of Ystrad Tywi and of Cydweli, and the lord Hervey de Chaworth was slain in the autumn.]
1276. The illustrious king of England, the lord Edward, came with a great army to North Wales, and pitched his camp at Rhuddlan, and stayed there some days. Then the said Llywelyn prince of North Wales came to him, and they were confederated there, and peace was formed between them. But afterwards the lord Edward the king with his men sought England; and a castle was built at Llanbadarn upon the sea by the lord Edmund son of king Henry. [MS C: Edward king of England came with a strong hand into North Wales to war against Llywelyn son of Gruffudd prince of North Wales in the summer, and Edmund his brother came into West Wales and began to build a castle at Llanbadarn Fawr, and the lord king began to build a castle at Rhuddlan; and the said Edmund came to St David’s on pilgrimage. And the king and the prince were made concordant in the winter octave of St Martin.]
1277. [Llywelyn prince of North Wales married the daughter of earl Simon de Montfort. Master Henry de Villa Amlof, archdeacon of Brecon, died; Master Adam Bareth, treasurer of Menevia, succeeded him; and Robert de Haverford, rector of the church of Llanvenyth, succeeded the said Adam in the treasurership, and was installed on the eighth day before the Ides of September.]
1278. A new coinage was made, the old being destroyed on account of its diminution, Edward king of England reigning.
1279. [Richard de Carew bishop of Menevia died on the Kalends of April, and was buried in the church of Menevia near the altar of the Holy Cross on the south side, on the day of St Ambrose. Master Thomas Bek was elected on the third Nones of June, and confirmed on the day before the Nones of July by John de Pecham of the order of Minors, in the abbey of Stanlow near Chester, and consecrated on the day before the Nones of October at Lincoln. Master Peter of Oxford, archdeacon of Menevia, was elected bishop of Exeter; Robert the treasurer of Menevia succeeded him in the archdeaconry; and William de Burrethe, canon of Menevia, succeeded the said Robert in the treasurership. A fifteenth of ecclesiastical revenues was granted to the king as a subsidy in the kingdom of England for three years.]
1280. Llywelyn son of Gruffudd was slain by the English through the deceit of his own men. King Edward subjugated all Snowdonia. The castle of Aberconwy was built. [A provincial council was celebrated at Lambeth, London, under friar John de Pecham archbishop of Canterbury, on the Nones of October — the clergy of the whole province being convoked for this — and many penal statutes edited and published. There was a great murrain of sheep, which had begun in the preceding year.]
1282. The king’s castle at Llanbadarn Fawr was destroyed, and the castle of Llandeilo and the castle of Carreg Cennen were captured by Dafydd son of Gruffudd, brother of Llywelyn prince of North Wales, by Rhys Fychan son of Rhys son of Maelgwn, by Gruffudd and Cynan sons of Maredudd son of Owain, and by Gruffudd and Llywelyn sons of Rhys Fychan, lords of Deiscennen, on the morrow of the Annunciation of the Lord. And William de Valence the younger, heir of Pembrokeshire, was slain in Ystrad Tywi on the sixteenth day before the Kalends of July. William de Burreche, treasurer of Menevia, died on the Kalends of April; John de Barry succeeded him. Llywelyn prince of North Wales was slain in battle near Llanfair in Builth, on the fourth day before the Ides of December. His wife, the daughter of earl Simon, had borne a daughter in the preceding summer, and died in bearing; which daughter was afterwards captured by king Edward, kinsman of her mother, together with her nurse, and sent into England to be nursed. There was a great mortality of men.
1283. Dafydd, with two sons, his wife and daughters, was captured by the deceit of his nephews, about the feast of the Nativity of St John the Baptist, and imprisoned; and on the morrow of the following feast of St Michael, at Shrewsbury, he was drawn and hanged, and divided into four parts, his head being cut off — which was carried to London and there fixed on the high tower, together with the head of Llywelyn his brother. But his quarters were suspended — one at Shrewsbury, another at Lincoln, the third at Bristol, where his two sons were held in prison, the fourth at Winchester. But Gruffudd and Cynan sons of Maredudd, Rhys the Little son of Rhys son of Maelgwn, Gruffudd and Llywelyn sons of Rhys Fychan, and Hywel son of Rhys, brother of Maredudd son of Rhys, were held, and all imprisoned at London. Rhys son of Maredudd, lord of Ystrad Tywi, held with the lord king; wherefore he held his lands, and received ampler ones by the lord king’s gift, all the others being disinherited from their lands. Maredudd son of Iorwerth, archdeacon of Carmarthen, died; Master John de Alderby succeeded him. The church of Llangadog was made collegiate.
1284. John de Pecham, archbishop of Canterbury, visited the dioceses of Menevia, Llandaff, Bangor and St Asaph. He began to visit the church of Menevia on the seventh day before the Ides of July. In the same year king Edward rebuilt the castle of Llanbadarn Fawr, and began to build a castle at Aberconwy, and made fortifications at Bangor and at Caernarfon. And the said king came on pilgrimage to St David’s, together with the lady queen of England named Eleanor, on the Sunday on the morrow of the Blessed Catherine the Virgin. And the measures of corn and wine and other liquors, and the weights, were reduced to the standard of the measures and weights of the city of London. The town of Haverford recovered its liberties before the justiciars of the lord king sitting in judgment at Haverford — of which the lord William de Valence earl of Pembroke had long despoiled that town, and withheld it despoiled. Pope Martin died; Honorius succeeded.
1285. Philip king of France, son of king Louis, died in the month of October, and a great part of his army in Aragon in Spain; his son Philip succeeded him in the kingdom of France — whose first name was Edward, but it was changed at the coronation — and he was crowned on the next following feast of the Epiphany.
1286. A burning of houses at Strata Florida. On the morrow of the Annunciation of the Lord, a great subsidy was granted to Thomas Bek bishop of Menevia by his whole diocese, for expediting certain business touching the clergy with Master Giffred, nuncio of the lord pope in the kingdom of England. Edward king of England crossed over into France, and was most nobly received at Paris by king Philip son of Philip, his kinsman; and thence he went into Gascony and entered the city of Bordeaux, and there caused several burgesses opposed to him to be put to death, and sojourned in those parts until…
1287. Rhys son of Maredudd, lord of Ystrad Tywi — discord having arisen between him and the lord Robert Tibetot, then the king’s justiciar of Carmarthen — on the Sunday next before the feast of St Barnabas the Apostle took the castles of Llandeilo, Dinefwr and Carreg Cennen; and afterwards burnt the town of Swansea and the manor of Oystermouth, with the greater part of the country, and the town of Llanbadarn Fawr, and the town of Carmarthen up to the gates. But the English coming from England with a strong hand besieged the same Rhys’s castle of Dryslwyn about the first of August, and at length, undermining the walls, took the castle; in which undermining the lord William de Montchenesi the baron was crushed under the wall, with very many others. And the New Castle upon Tywi was captured, and the castles recovered which Rhys had previously occupied; and Rhys escaped with a few, all his men coming to the king’s peace. On the Sunday on the morrow of All Saints, by night, Rhys recovered his castle which is called Newcastle — Roger de Mortimer, the castle’s custodian, being captured. About the next following Purification, the lord Robert Tibetot took the same castle, several of its custodians being slain. In the same year, on Thursday evening, thirteen days before the Kalends of July, the moon at the beginning of the night was seen intensely red, and afterwards continuing in the same colour; it was diminished as if to the likeness of a tiny star, and so decreasing, at last as it were vanished. In the same year, on the fifteenth day of March, there was an earthquake.
1288. On the second day of April, at the ninth hour, an eclipse of the sun occurred in the upper part of the sun, as it were entering into the substance of the sun, so that the sun seemed as it were to have two horns raised upwards; and it lasted thus until the hour of vespers.