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countrey as happened to have a fight of him and his followers^, 

 faid they were the fairies, and foe ran away. All the whole 

 countrey then was but a foreft, rough and fpacious, as it is frill, 

 but then wafte of inhabitants, and all overgrowne with woods ; 

 for Owen Glyndwr's warr-es beginning ki 1400, continued fifteen 

 yeares, which brought fuch a defolation that greene grafle grew 

 on the market place in Llanrwft, called Bryn y botten, and the 

 deere fled into the church-yard, as it is reported. This defolation 

 arofe from Owen Glyndwr's policie, to bring all things to wafte, 

 that the Englim mould find no ftrength, nor refting place. The 

 countrey being brought to fuch a defolation, could not be re- 

 planted in hafte ; and the warres of York and Lancafter happen- 

 ing fome fifteen yeares after, this countrey being the chiefefl 

 faflnefs of North Wales, was kept by David ap Jenkin, a captaine 

 of the Lancaftrian faction, fifteen yeares in Edward the Fourth 

 his time, who fent diverfe captaines to befiege him, who wafted 

 the countrey while he kept his rocke of Carreg y Walch ; and, 

 lafMy, by the Earle Herbert, who brought it to utter defolation. 

 Now you are to underftand, that m thofe dayes, the countrey of 

 Nantconway was- not onely wooded, but alfoe all Carnarvon, 

 Merioneth, and Denbigh fhires feemed to be but one forrefl 

 haveing few inhabitantSj though of all others Nantconway had 

 the feweft, being the worft then, and the feat of the warres, to 

 whom the countrey about paid contribution. From the town e of 

 Conway to Bala, and from Nantconway to Denbigh b , (when 

 warres did happen to ceafe in Hirwethog, the countrey adjoining 

 to Nantconway), there was continually foftered a.wafp's neft, 

 which troubled the whole countrey, I mean a lordmip belonging 



b All this tract of country is mountainous, though not very rocky;, 

 it may therefore have been formerly covered with wood, according to 

 this account, though there is at prefent little or none to be feen. 



7 to 



