[ 425 ] 



man of the crowne. He maried Sir William Gerard's halfe-fifter 

 by the mother, as did Robert Turbridge of Caervallen, neare Ru- 

 thyn, Efq. another : to whom he told, " that being yeoman of 

 <* the crowne, he had heard it by tradition in the King's houfe, 

 " that the beginning of their order was upon the occafion as is 

 '* afore remembred." This did Robert Turbridge relate unto me, 

 upon the creditte of the other man. The countrey people, 

 grounding upon the fonges, which fay, " that he bridled the 

 V French King," will have it, that he took the French King 

 prifoner : a matter unlikely, as the one ferved on foot, and the 

 King on horfeback". But the foot captaine is a brafen wall of the 

 army, and may be faid truely to winne the field. 



After 



n Notwithftanding the author's doubts with regard to this tradition, it 

 feeras fcarcely to admit of a cavil, as fuch an extraordinary and expenfive 

 eftabliihment could not have been granted by the crown, but for molt 

 meritorious fervices. As for the impoffibility relied upon, that a foldier 

 on foot could not take the French King on horfeback, this circumftance 

 is moft fully accounted for by a MS. given to the Lord Treafurer Oxford 

 by Mr. Hugh Thomas, and now depofited in the Britim Mufeum. 



" Sir Howell ap Fywall, ap Griffith, ap Howell, ap Mere- 



" dith, ap Einion, ap Gwgan, ap Meredith Goch, ap Cothwyn, ap 

 " Tangvo, called Sir Howell y Fzvyall, or Sir Howell Pole Axe, from his 

 (i conftant fighting with that warlike inftrument. — It is faid he dif- 

 " mounted the French King, cutting off his horfts head atone blow with 

 " his battle axe, and took the French King prifoner; as a trophy of 

 " which viclory it is faid that he bore the arms of France, with a battle 

 " axe in bend finifter, argent." Harl. MSS. ^.2298. p. 348. —the 

 reference in the printed catalogue to p. 21. of this number being inac- 

 curate. 



The conqueror anciently had a right to quarter the arms of his prifoner. 

 This appears by a treatife on heraldry, printed by Wynken de Wbrde, 

 without date, in which there is the following paffage : " We have armys 

 " by our meryts, as very playnly it appeareth by the addycyon of the 

 " arms of Fraunce to thole of Engloncle after the taking of K.John of 

 <£ Fraunce in the battayle of Poy&iers, the which certayn addition vps 

 " lawfull and ryght, and wyfelye done. And on the fame manner of 



1 i i " wyce 



