Gloucester to Milford Haven (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can usually download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1905 edition. Excerpt: ...so much, very politically married Nest, grand-daugh.ter of the powerful Welsh Prince Gruffydd ap Llewelyn. In this way he was armed at all points, and was even able to extend his conquests over part of Radnorshire. Having done so much, and perhaps feeling old age insidiously beginning to creep upon him, he turned, after the manner of all his kind, to make what composition he could with the Church for the welfare of his soul after death. Religion weighed little with those arrogant and unscrupulous men in their prime: consider then to what depths they, and those who were dependent upon them, must have descended had they been atheists. voL. 11. 10 Newmarch founded the priory of St. John here, and died in the odour of sanctity, and was buried in the chapter-house of Gloucester Cathedral. His son Roger succeeded him, and lived royally on the produce of his lands, his mills, and the "benevolences," or "free gifts," extorted from the Welsh, who had little money, and so yielded to their overlord in tribute of sheep and cattle. Then the lordship came by marriage to a greater and more powerful man, William de Braose, who, as he was a greater, was also a more fierce, ruler. One of his exploits was the seizure of the grandson of Bleiddyn ap Maenarch, a vassal of his, whom he had invited to a conference here. On the arrival of that unfortunate man, de Braose had him dragged through the streets of his walled town at a horse's tail, and then beheaded, the body being hung up by the heels for three days. De Braose after awhile fell into disputes with King John, and after being forced to fly his possessions here and take refuge in Ireland, retired, after many intermediate adventures, to France, where he died an exile. His...