CHAPTER VIII
PREPARING FOR THE EVIL DAY
As Nest was the most beautiful woman in Wales, so her brother Griffithwas the handsomest of the men there. His face was open and engaging. Theblue eyes were honest, the jaw resolute. His address had a fascinationfew could resist. Moreover, the story of his young life was such asenlisted sympathy and fired the hearts of the Cymri.
His gallant father, a true hero, the King of Dyfed, South Wales, hadfallen in battle, fighting against the Normans under Robert Fitzhamonand some turbulent Welsh who had invited the invader into the land. Thefall of the great chief had left his country open, defenseless to thespoiler. His eldest son and his daughter had been carried away ashostages, the Prince to die in his captivity--whether wasting with griefor by the hand of the assassin none knew--and the Princess, dishonored,had been married to the worst oppressor of her people.
Griffith, the second son, had effected his escape, and had committedhimself to his namesake the King of Gwynedd, or North Wales, and hadmarried his daughter.
The crafty Beauclerk was ill-pleased so long as the Prince remained atlarge to head insurrection in the South, perhaps, in combination withhis father-in-law, to unite all Cambria in one mighty effort to hurl theinvader from the rocks of that mountain world. He accordingly enteredinto negotiations with the King and invited him to visit him in London.Griffith ap Cynan, the old King of North Wales, flattered by the termsin which he was addressed, pleased with the prospect of seeing more ofthe world than was possible from his castle-walls in Anglesea,incautiously accepted.
Arrived at Westminster, he was treated with effusive courtesy: KingHenry addressed him as a brother, seated him at his side, lavished onhim splendid gifts, and still more splendid promises. Not till he hadmade the Welshman drunk with vanity and ambition did Henry unfold hispurpose. Griffith ap Cynan was offered the sovereignty over North andSouth Wales united with Cardigan, the Prince of which had fled toIreland, to be held under the suzerainty of the English Crown, and thesole price asked for this was the surrender of the young Prince, his ownson-in-law and guest, a man whose only guilt consisted in having theblood of Rhys in his veins, and who confided in the honor and loyalty ofhis wife's father.
The King of Gwynedd consented, and hasted home to conclude his part ofthe contract.
Happily, but not a moment too soon, did Griffith the younger get wind ofthe treachery that was intended, and he fled before the arrival of theold King.
When the latter discovered that his son-in-law had escaped, he sent abody of horsemen in pursuit. The fugitive, nearly overtaken, tooksanctuary in the church of Aberdaron, and the baffled pursuers, notventuring to infringe the rights of the Church, returned unsuccessful totheir master. The King, angry, blind to every consideration save hisambition, bade his men return on their traces, and, if need be, forcethe sanctuary and tear the Prince from the foot of the altar, should hemake that his last refuge.
The executioners of the mandate were not, however, free from thesuperstitious awe which surrounded a sanctuary. The clergy of the churchand of the neighborhood rose with one consent in protection of thepursued, and of the menaced rights, and again the Ministers of the Kingwere baffled. By this means, time was gained, and the clergy ofAberdaron succeeded by night in securing the escape of the Prince, witha few faithful followers, into the Vale of the Towy.
There he had no alternative open to him but to prepare to take up arms.He at once entered into communication with his sister, on whose fidelityto the cause of the royal family of Dyfed, and of her country, he knewhe could calculate. He found the people impatient to fly to arms. Theircondition had become intolerable. Wherever they went the barons hadintroduced the system of feudal tenure, which was foreign to the lawsand feelings of the people, and they vigorously resisted itsapplication. Moreover, foreign ecclesiastics, the kinsmen or clients ofthe secular tyrant, seized upon the livings. Where a fortress could notbe established, there a monastery was planted and filled withforeigners, to maintain whom the tithes and glebes were confiscated,and the benefices converted into vicarages, which were served by Englishor continental monks.
Added to this, the King had created the Bishop of London Lord of theMarches and President of Shropshire, and this astute and unprincipledman devoted his energies to the setting at rivalry of all the nativeprinces, and the goading them to war with one another. Such was hispolicy--let the Welsh cut each other's throats and make way for theNorman and the Fleming.
The wretched people, betrayed by their natural leaders, the princes,deprived of their clergy, subjected to strange laws, with foreignmasters, military and ecclesiastic, intruding themselves everywhere, anddispossessing them of all their possessions, felt that it would bebetter to die among their burnt farmsteads than live on dishonored.
At this juncture, when they looked for, prayed for a leader, Griffith,son of their King, suddenly appeared in their midst, with a fresh storyof insult and treachery to tell--and make their blood flame.
"I am come," said the Prince, still standing in the falling ray of sun."I have hasted to come to you with a word from my sister, the PrincessNest. Evil is devised against you--evil you are powerless now to resist.It comes swift, and you must bow your heads as bulrushes. The enemy isat hand--will be here on the morrow; and what the Princess says to Pabo,your chief, is, Fly for your life!"
"That is what has been determined among us," said Howel.
"It is well--let not a moment be lost!" Then, looking around, "I--myfriends, my brothers, am as a squirrel in the forest, flying from branchto branch, pursued even by the hand that should have sheltered me. Thereis no trust to be laid in princes. I lean on none; I commend my cause tonone. I place it in the hearts of the people. I would lay my head tosleep on the knee of any shepherd, fearless. I could not close my eyesunder the roof of any prince, and be sure he would not sell me whilst Islept."
None answered. It was true--they knew it--too true.
"My brother," said Griffith--and he stepped to each and touched eachhand--"I commit myself and the cause of my country to these hands thathave held the plow and wielded the hammer, and I fear not. They aretrue."
A shout of assurances, thrilled from every heart, and the eyes filledwith tears.
"My brothers, the moment has not yet arrived. When it comes, I will calland ye will answer."
"We will!"
"My life--it is for you."
"And our lives are at your disposal."
"We knew each other," said the prince, and one of his engaging smileslighted his face. "But now to the matter in hand. The Bishop Bernardclaims the entire region of Caio, from the mountains to where the Cothienters the ravine, as his own, because it is the patrimony of David,which he has usurped. And forthwith he sends a mandate for thedeposition of your Archpriest Pabo, and his arrest and conveyance undera guard to his castle of Llawhaden."
"He shall not have him."
"Therefore must he escape at once."
"He shall fly to a place of security."
"And that without a moment's delay."
"It shall be so."
"Furthermore, the bishop sends his chaplain, Cadell, to fill his room,to minister to you in holy things."
"He shall not so minister to us."
"And to occupy the presbytery."
"My house!" exclaimed Pabo.
"He shall not set foot therein," said Howel; "leave that to me."
"I go," said Pabo sadly; "but I shall take my wife with me."
"Nay," answered Howel hastily, "that must not be."
"But wherefore not? She must be placed where safe from pursuit as wellas I."
"She shall be under my protection," said Howel the Tall. "Haveconfidence in me. All Caio will rise again were she to be molested. Haveno fear; she shall be safe. But with you she must not go. Ask me not myreasons now. You shall learn them later."
"Then I go. But I will bid her farewell first."
"Not that even," said Howel, "lest she learn whither you betakeyourself. That non
e of us must know."
Then Meredith the Bard rose.
"There is need for haste," he said. "I go."
"And I go, too," said Pabo. He looked at the elders with swelling breastand filling eye. "I entrust to you, dear friends and spiritual sons, onemore precious to me than life itself." He turned to Griffith: "Prince,God grant it be not for long that you are condemned to fly as thesquirrel. God grant that ere long we may hear the cry of the ravens ofDynevor; and when we hear that----"
All present raised their hands--
"We will find the ravens their food."