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our hero's ancestors had enjoyed, were increased in him, for his own natural abilities had been much improved by education. He no sooner, therefore, became possessed of his patrimony, than he turned his chief attention to the improvement of the manners and condition of his dependants, and of the people around him. His marriage with Eva, the daughter of Henry ap Gwilym, extended his power and was of considerable service to him in his design of civilizing the people. In the turbulent anarchy with which the whole kingdom was agitated, religion, to use the words of our author, was forced to fly to some desart place, leaving neither sanctity, nor innocence, nor faith, nor justice behind her;" but, with the assistance of "the good and wise" Bishop of St. David's, he established "both her and her virtuous companions again, and restored them to their pristine state and glory." He introduced, also, several amusing pastimes and games, appointing certain "festivaldays," for the meeting together of the people, thereby directing their minds to peaceful occupations, and exciting a laudable and friendly emulation among the little community, of which he might be considered as the ruler. By these means, and by mingling courteously among his dependants, he gained their good will and affection so completely, that they bestowed upon him the cognomen of Great; and his bard, Rys Nanmor, only echoed the opinion of his companions and friends, when he somewhat hyperbolically sang

Y Brenin biau'r ynys

Ond fy o ran i Syr Rys,—

That is to say—

All the kingdom is the King's

Save where Rice doth spread his wings.

But, however consonant this mode of life might have been to the ideas of Rice ap Thomas, he was destined to become a very conspicuous actor in the events which led to the total overthrow of the House of York, and to the establishment of the throne of England, under the dynasty of the Tudors. The weak and indolent habits of Edward the Fourth were not unheeded by the young Welchman. He foresaw that they would lead to some alteration in the state; and without deciding upon the part which he should play, he was assiduous in training up his young tenants to arms, and to strict military discipline. Whether the Duke of Gloucester received intimation of Rice's occupations, is not certain; but so soon as his own power began to totter, and he found that the Earl of Richmond was likely to become a formidable enemy, he despatched some commissioners

to Rice ap Thomas, at Carmarthen, "there to take of him an oath of fidelity, and further requiring his only son, Griffith Rice, as a gage for the true performance of his future loyalty." The answer which Rice returned is a curious specimen of a compulsory declaration of loyalty and allegiance. Much influence was used to win over the interest of Rice ap Thomas, and we shall presently see how skilfully the Welchman contrived to compromise his conscience on the occasion; but the sentiments in the letter are so decidedly at variance with his subsequent actions, that we must confess a little scepticism as to our hero's sincerity.

"Rice ap Thomas, his letter to Richard the Third,
penned by the Abbot of Talye."

SIR, I have received letters mandatory from your Majesty, wherein I am enjoined to use my best endeavours for the conservation of your royal authority in these parts, and to apply likewise my soundest forces for the safe guarding of Milford Haven, from all foreign invasion; especially to impeach and stop the passage of the Earl of Richmond, if so, by any treacherous means, he should attempt our coasts: and, withall, Sir, an oath of allegiance hath been tendered me in your Majesty's name by certain commissioners, deputed, as it seems, for that purpose, requiring also my only son, as an hostage and pledge of my fidelity. Touching the first, Sir, now an enemy is declared, I hold myself obliged, without further looking into the cause, faithfully to observe the same by a necessary relation my obedience hath to your Majesty's commands, to which I deem it not unseasonable to annex this voluntary protestation: that, whoever, ill-affected to the state, shall dare to land in those parts of Wales, where I have any employments under your Majesty, must resolve with himself to make his entrance and irruption over my belly. As for my oath, Sir, in observance to your Majesty's will, which shall ever regulate mine, I have (though with some heart's grief, I confess, and reluctance of spirit,) as was required, taken the same before your Majesty's commissioners; and if stronger trials, than either faith or oath, might be laid upon me to confirm my most loyal affection, I should make no delay to enmanacle and fetter myself in the strictest obligations for your Majesty's better assurance. Whatever, Sir, other men reckon of me, this is my religion-that no vow can lay a stronger obligation upon me in any matter of performance than my conscience. My conscience binds me to love and serve my king and country; my vow can do no more. He that makes shipwreck of the one will (I believe) make little account of the other. For my own part, Sir, I am resolutely bent, while I can, to spin out my days in well-doing; and so, God willing, to conclude the last actions of my life. Now, Sir, for the delivering of my son to your Majesty's commissioners, as a gage of my fealty, I have as yet presumed on this short pause, not in way of opposition to your commands, but to fit myself with such reasons, as shall, I hope, in no

* * * *

sort seem discordant with your will. The years, Sir, my poor child bears on his back are but few, scarce exceeding the number of four, which, I conceived, might well privilege him, being more fit, for the present, to be embosomed in a mother's care, than exposed to the world; nature, as yet, not having the leisure to initiate him in that first lecture of feeding himself. Again, Sir, be pleased to consider, he is the only prop and support of my house now in being; and, therefore, may justly challenge, at my hands, a more tender regard than I can in any way expect he shall find among strangers, and in a place so far remote from his natural parents. And, lastly, Sir, I may well call him the one half of myself; nay, to speak more truly, the better part of me; so that if your Majesty should deprive me of this comfort, I were then divided in my strength, which, united, might, perhaps, serve as most useful, were I called to some weighty employments for the good of your service. I humbly beseech your Majesty to reflect upon these necessities with an impartial eye, and, in the mean while, to be fully assured, that without these hard injunctions, I really am, and will, how badly soever I be entreated, still continue,

Sir,

Your most faithful Servant, and Subject,
RICE ap THOMAS."

From Carmarthen Castle, 1484.

Soon after this, Rice ap Thomas was induced, by the unremitting persuasions of the Bishop of St. David's, and the aforesaid Abbot of Talye, to forswear his allegiance to Richard, and to aid them in seating upon the throne of England its true and lawful inheritor, Henry of Richmond. But this was not accomplished hastily, nor without divers knotty scruples on the part of the chieftain. He had avowed his fidelity too candidly and unequivocally, in the letter to Richard, and boasted too much of the integrity and firmness of his conscience. But he was in the hands of those who were most fitly calculated to absolve him from the sin and danger, which might, but for their pious interference, have resulted from a violation of his moral or political vows. The Bishop, with the skill and eloquence peculiar to churchmen of yore, convinced him, that to break a rash or unworthy vow was much more commendable than to observe it; and he concluded his speech by saying, that, as his spiritual and ghostly father, he there and then freed him of all his bonds to Richard, and gave him full and free absolution on all points relating thereto. Still the Welchman was not perfectly satisfied: there was another obligation, to the performance of which he had vehemently and solemnly pledged himself; that was, not to suffer any ill-affected person to enter those parts of Wales wherein he had any influence, excepting he made such entrance over the chieftain's prostrate person. The Bishop soon satisfied his disciple of the practicability of this achieve

ment without any violation of principle, or the subjection to any act derogatory to Rice's dignity. "And-"says the churchman," for that particular branch of your letter where you undertake, by oath, that none (ill-affected) shall enter at Milford, without he make his passage over your belly, my answer is, that the Earl of Richmond can be no ill-affected man to the state, coming in pursuit of his own right, and withall to release us of our heavy bondage: or if you be further scrupulous herein, I shall never hold it for any disparagement to your humility to lay yourself prostrate on the ground, for the true and indubitable Lord of us all, to make an easy entrance over you."

By such arguments as these, enforced, as they must have been, by the clerical rank and abilities of the speakers, the priestly delegates succeeded in securing the interests of Rice ap Thomas; and Richmond was no sooner acquainted with their success, than, by the desire of the Countess, his mother, he wrote to Rice, " seasoning his compliments with large promises of honour, and setting down the true state of the cause;" for they were all well aware, that had Rice determined to oppose them, the Earl's grand scheme of entering England from Brittany by way of Wales would have been totally frustrated, and his chance of success very materially weakened. Having succeeded thus far, the Earl resolved to commence operations, and prepared, therefore, to leave Brittany. His approach was duly announced to his new ally, who prepared to receive him in a manner befitting so illustrious a personage.

"Rice ap Thomas musters up all his forces, calls all his friends about him, and where he found any want among them, either of arms or other necessaries for the wars, he supplied with his own store, whereof he had sufficient, as well for ornament as use, so that in few days he had gathered together to the number of two thousand horse and upwards, of his own followers and retainers, bearing his name and livery. His kinsmen and friends, who came besides, with brave companies, to do him honour, were Sir Thomas Perrott, Sir John Wogan, and John Savage, a man of no less valiantness than activity, and much employed by the Earl after he came to be King, in the wars of France and elsewhere; Arnold Butler, Richard Griffith, John Morgan, and two of his own brothers, David the younger, and John, all of them worthy soldiers, and very expert commanders, with divers others, Qui omnes urgentur longâ nocte, quia caruêre vate sacro. There came likewise out of North Wales to this service many worthy gentlemen both of name and note, especially of the Salisburies, under the conduct of Robert Salisbury, a fast friend to Rice ap Thomas in the French wars, and who, for his well deservings there, was knighted in the field by Charles Brandon, Duke of Suffolk. Rice ap Thomas being in this brave equipage, encompassed with most able commanders, and furnished with all things necessary, as well for armour as horse (whereof a hundred and

upwards were out of his own stables) word was brought him by his conspicillos, or spies, who kept continual watch on the coast for that purpose, that they had descried a small fleet of ships making toward the haven's mouth; whereupon, incontinently, he beat up his drum, put his men in order, and mounted on a goodly courser, called Llwyd Bacseu, or Grey Fetter-locks, he set forth in most martial manner towards the Dale, a place not far from the castle of Carew, from whence at that time he led his army. There, meeting with the Earl of Richmond, ready to take land, he received him ashore, to whom he made humble tender of his service, both in his own, and in all their names who were there present; and, laying him down on the ground, he suffered the Earl to pass over him; so to make good his promise to King Richard, that none should enter in at Milford, unless he came first over his belly."

After such a reception, many flocked to the standard of Richmond, who forthwith prepared to march on towards England. At this interval of time, it is interesting to remember even the most trivial occurrences of so important an expedition; and, accordingly, tradition has preserved with tolerable accuracy the route pursued by Richmond and his friends, with the names of those persons by whom he was received on his march. David ap Evan, of Llwyn Dufydd, in Cardiganshire, entertained him for a night, and the Earl acknowledged the kindness by several presents, particularly a drinking horn, richly mounted on a silver stand: this was subsequently presented to Richard, Earl of Carbery, and is now in the possession of a branch of that family, the Vaughans, namely of Golden Grove, in Carmarthenshire. The following night, Einion ap David Llwyd of Wernnewyd, in the same county, received the Earl in a style of

in

* There is a tradition in that part of the country, which seems to contradict the fact as here stated, and records that Rice ap Thomas did not literally suffer the Earl to pass over his belly; but that, consequence of the declaration he had made in his letter to Richard, as a salvo to his conscience, he went under the arch of a small bridge, called Molloch Bridge, near the Dale, over which the Earl's passage lay, and there remained till Richmond crossed it. But we have something far more satisfactory than tradition to prove, that the Welchman did actually lie down as mentioned in the context. In the collection of Mr. Gwennap, of Suffolk Street, there is a very rare and beautiful portrait of Henry VII. painted by Jean de Mabeuse, soon after the Earl's accession to the throne. The portrait is valuable in every respect; but, we will confess, that it is rendered more valuable in our estimation, by the button on the hat, on which is represented, of course very minutely, the actual prostration of the Cambrian chief, and the passage of Richmond over his body. This proves not only that this occurrence took place, but that Rice ap Thomas occupied very prominent station in the King's esteem.