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to St. Johns of Jerufalem, called Spytty Jevan, a large thing, 

 which had privilege of fan&uary. This peculiar jurisdiction, not 

 governed by the king's lawes, became a receptacle of thieves and 

 murtherers, who fafely being warranted there by law, made the 

 place thoroughly peopled. Noe fpot within twenty miles was 

 fafe from their incurfions and roberies, and what they got within 

 their limits was their owne. They had to their backftay friends 

 and receptors in all the county of Merioneth and Powisland c . 

 Thefe helping the former dofolations of Nantconway, and prey- 

 ing upon that countrey, as their next neighbours, kept moft part 

 of that countrey all wafte and without inhabitants. In this eftate 

 flood the hundred of Nantconway, when Meredith removed his 

 dwelling thither, being (as I guefle) about the four and twentieth 

 yeare of his age, and in the beginning of king Henry the Seventh 

 his time. Being queftioned by his friends, why he meant to 

 leave his ancient houfe and habitation, and to dwell in Nantcon- 

 way d , fwarming with thieves and bondmen, whereof there are 

 many in the kinge's lordfliip and townes in that hundred; he 

 anfwered, " that he fhould find elbowe roome in that vaft coun- 

 " trey among the bondmen, and that he had rather fight with 

 " outlawes and thieves, than with his owne blood and kindred ; 

 " for if I live in mine houfe in Evioneth.% I muff, either kill mine 

 " owne kinfmen or be killed by them." Wherein he faid very 



e Powisland. formerly included a large diftridt of country, chiefly 

 Montgomeryfhire. The Reguli of this part of North Wales are faid to 

 have been buried at Myford in that county, which is fituated on the river 

 Vurnwyi 



d Nantconway fignifies the valley fituated on the Conway. 



e Evioneth is a hundred in the S. Weftern part of Carnarvonfhire : it 

 is fuppofed to have obtained this name from its being watered by a great 

 number of fmall rivers. The fame etymology is given by Leland to the 

 province of Aquitaine in France. 



truly,- 



