and were received back as direct vassals of the king.  A Tony was once more ruling in Elvael, a Gifford in Llandovery, and a Bohun in Brecon.  Rhys ap Meredith yielded up Dynevor, and was content to be recognised as lord of the humbler stronghold of Drysllwyn.  Chaworth’s bands conquered all Cardiganshire.  Thus the wider “principality” of Llewelyn was shattered at the first assault, and when the decisive moment came, Llewelyn was thrown back upon his hereditary clansmen of Gwynedd.  Of all the acquisitions of the treaty of Shrewsbury, the four cantreds alone still held for their prince.[1]

[1] On the whole subject of this chapter Mr. J.E.  Morris’s Welsh Wars of Edward I. throws a flood of new light, especially on the military history, the organisation of the Edwardian army, and the political condition of the march.

When the baronial levies mustered at Worcester, the work was already half accomplished.  Of the thousand lances that there assembled, small forces were detached to help Mortimer in mid Wales and to reinforce the marcher army in west Wales, which was now commanded by Edmund of Lancaster, the king’s brother.  The mass of the troops followed Edward to Chester, whence the main attack was to be made.  Edward’s plan of operations was simplicity itself.  He knew that the Welsh desired no pitched battle, and he was indisposed to lose his soldiers in unnecessary conflict.  Swarms of workmen cleared a wide road through the dense forests of the four cantreds.  The route chosen was as near as possible to the coast, where a strong fleet, mainly from the Cinque Ports, kept up communications with the land forces.  The advance was cautious and slow, with long halts at Flint and at Rhuddlan, where hastily erected forts secured the king’s base and safe-guarded a possible retreat.  By the end of August the king was at Deganwy, and the four cantreds were conquered.  During all this time fresh forces were hurried up.  Some 15,000 infantry, largely drawn from southern and central Wales, swelled the king’s host.

Llewelyn was closely shut up in the Snowdon country.  His position was safe enough from a direct assault, and his only fear was want of provisions.  He trusted, however, that supplies would come in from Anglesea, whose rich cornfields were yellowing for the harvest.  But the fleet of the Cinque Ports cut off communications between Anglesea and the mainland, and ferried over a strong detachment of Edward’s troops, which occupied the island.  English harvest-men gathered for Edward the crops of Welsh corn, and left Llewelyn to face the beginnings of a mountain-winter without the means of feeding his followers.  By September the real fight was over.  Edward withdrew to Rhuddlan and dismissed the greater part of his followers.  Enough were left to block the approaches to Snowdon, and Llewelyn, seeing no gain in further delay, made his submission on November 9.