[ 395 ] 



wrought, that the rrmrtherers, being three brethren, were all 

 flayne afterwards by my anceftor, in revenge of the parfon's un- 

 worthy death. 



I have a number of obligations wherein Howell ap Rys ftand- 

 deth bounden for the obfervation of the peace, and awards touching 

 that controveriie ; but the plague taking away my anceftor, ended 

 the ftrife betweene them, which was likely (if he had lived) to 

 have ended with the death of one of them or both. Soe bloody 

 and irefull were quarells in thofe dayes, and the revenge of the 

 fword at fuch libertie, as almoft nothing was punifhed by law, 

 whatfoever happened. 



The caufe of this mortal hatred betweene them grew (as it is 

 credibly reported) in this forte : John ap Meredith and Howell ap 

 Rys were ever highly at variance ; my anceftor having had bring- 

 ing up with his cofen John ap Meredith, affecled him bell, though 

 allied nearly to the other, which was taken foe heinoufly by 

 Howell ap Rhys, that he converted the fumme of his rancor upon 

 his brother-in-law and next neighbour. This quarell, my ancef- 

 tor being dead, never ended till, in afTaulting the houfe of the 

 fc.id Howell, by the fonnes of John ap Meredith with their cofen 

 Gruffith ap John ap Gronw (a gentleman of great account, who 

 had been captaine, as is reported, of a company of launliers in 

 Aquitaine) : the faid Gruffith ap John ap Gronw was flayne, 

 being fhot into the beaver with an arrow out of the houfe, 

 whereupon the faid Howell was faigne to leave the country to 

 ayoyd the furie of the xevengment of blood. 



full force in the uncivilized parts of Ireland. In a letter from Mr. Wynne 

 [penes P. Panton, Efq. ] to his father, and dated in 1623, he defires that 

 the widow of an Evan Thomas may be be bejlowed on his /^/-brother 

 who worked in the garden atGwedir. 



Eee 2 in 



