WIGMORE CASTLE, HEREFORDSHIRE. 25 



near Knighton, in Maelienydd, about eight miles ofF, on the 12th 

 of June, in this year. 



Whilst in confinement. Sir Edmond found that the king took no 

 measures for his enlargement ; and, indignant at this neglect, he 

 was easily prevailed on to join in a league with Owain. It seems 

 probable that the Earl of March had fallen into Glyndwr's hands, 

 as he tempted Mortimer with dethroning Henry, and giving to his 

 nephew the crown ; which might have endangered his life if still 

 in the king's custody. A letter from Sir Edmond to his tenants, 

 published by Sir Henry Ellis, seems to confirm this inference, 

 though the editor has only contended therefrom that it was the 

 uncle, and not the nephew, who was in captivity.* It may be 

 thus Englished. '' Very dear and well-beloved — I greet you much, 

 and make known to you that Oweyn Glyndor has raised a quarrel, 

 of which the object is, if king Richard be alive, to restore him to 

 his crown ; and if not, that my honoured nephew, who is the right 

 heir to the said crown, shall be king of England, and that the said 

 Oweyn will assert his right in Wales. And I, seeing and consider- 

 ing that the said quarrel is good and reasonable, have consented to 

 join in it, and to aid and maintain it, and, by the grace of God, to 

 a good end : Amen. I ardently hope, and from my heart, that you 

 will support and enable me to bring this struggle of mine to a suc- 

 cessful issue. I have, moreover, to inform you that the lordships 

 of Mellenyth, Werthrenion, Rhaidr, Cwmydauddwr, Arwystli, 

 Keveillioe, and Kaereynon, are lately come into our possession ; 

 wherefore I, moreover, entreat you that you will forbear making 

 inroad into my said lands, or to do any damage to my said tenantry; 

 and that you furnish them with provisions, at a certain reasonable 

 price, as you would wish that I should treat you : and, upon this 

 point, be pleased to send me an answer. Very dear and well-be- 

 loved — God give you grace to prosper in your beginnings, and to 

 arrive at a happy issue. Written at Mellenyth, the 14th day of 

 December. Esmon Mortemer. To my very dear and well-beloved 

 IM. John Greyndor, Howell Vaughan, and all the gentles and com- 

 mons of Radnor and Presteign." 



This arrangement appears to have been made before the Percies 

 had applied to Owain, but in the middle of the following year a 

 tripartite indenture of partition of the kingdom seems to have 



• In his valuable publication entitled " Letters illustrative of English 

 History." The original is in the Cotton Library of the British Museum, 

 Cleop. F. iii., fol. 122—6, and in the French language. 



