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kiiiii- to endeavour lo ivilress his subjects ; he ac- 

 eordingly summoned liis lords and tliose traitors 

 of the Welsh who had sworn allegiance to him, 

 and with a large army he came to Chester, fully 

 <letermined to execute his vengeance on the inha- 

 bitants of this country, and not to leave one alive. 

 In the mean time, Llywelyn, aware of his inability 

 to meet the enemy in the field, had commanded 

 his subjects on the east side of the Conwy, in the 

 present counties of Flint and Denbigh, to remove 

 their cattle and other effects to the fastnesses of 

 the Snow don mountains; and king John meet- 

 ing with no opposition, advanced along the coast 

 to Rhuddlan, and thence to the castle of Dygan- 

 wy, where he encamped for some time to refresh 

 iiis wearied army. This event took place in 121 1 . 

 As he could only depend on having supplies from 

 England, his forces were soon reduced to the 

 greatest straits and misery by the policy of Llyw- 

 elyn, who had taken possession of the interven- 

 ing countrv, and thereby cut off all his resources. 

 All the defiles in the neighbourhood were also in 

 the possession of the Welsh, who slew^ all that 

 straggled beyond the precincts of the camp. The 

 English, having subsisted for some time upon 

 the flesh of their horses, and having no alternative, 



