In this meane while, Hugh the earle of March so laboured with the Normans and Poictouins in the behalfe of the king of England, that they began to incline to his purpose: wherevpon he sent his letters by secret meanes vnto king Henrie, signifieng to him, that if it would please him to come ouer with an armie to make warre against the French king, they would be readie to turne vnto his side, and receiue him as their souereigne. King Henrie taking aduise what to answer and doo herein, with his welbeloued councellour Hubert of Burgh, thought it not good to attempt anie thing rashlie in this matter, bicause the dealings of the Normans were neuer without some fraud: but yet to satisfie the request of his fréends, he promised to come ouer shortlie vnto them, if in the meane time he might perceiue that they remained stedfast in their purpose, giuing them furthermore manie great and hartie thanks for their good meaning and singular kindnesse towards him.
Matt. Paris.
The Welshmē besiege the castell of Montgomerie.
Now things beyond the sea standing in this order, it happened in the moneth of August, that the soldiers which laie in garrison within the castell of Mountgomerie, tooke in hand to stocke vp a wood not farre from the said castell, through which lay an highwaie, where oftentimes manie fellonious robberies and murders were committed by the Welsh. As the souldiers were busie at worke in stocking vp the wood, there came vpon them an ambushment of Welshmen, which not onlie draue them awaie from their worke, but also tooke and slue diuerse of them, constreining the residue to flée into the castell, which immediatlie the Welshmen inuironed also about with a strong siege, thinking to find the defendants vnprouided.
The king with an armie commeth to the succour of them within the castell.
They within aduertised Hugh de Burgh, the lord chéefe iustice (to whome the castell belonged by the kings late gift) of the exploit and enterprise attempted by their enimies, with all possible hast: wherevpon the king at request of the said Hubert leuied a power, and came to raise the siege. But the Welshmen hearing of the kings approch, fled awaie like shéepe, so that comming to the castell, he found no resistance: howbeit, for so much as he saw the foresaid wood to be troublesome and an annoiance to the said castell, he willed it to be destroied. True it is, that the same wood was verie thicke and rough, and further it conteined also fiue leagues or fiftéene miles in length: yet by such diligence as was vsed, the same was wasted, stocked vp, and quickelie rid out of the waie by fire and other means, so that the countrie was made plaine a great waie about.
The abbeie of Cride burnt.
The king beginneth to build a castell.
He is cōstreined to agrée with the Welshmen.
After this, the king departed foorth into the Welsh confines, and comming to an abbeie of the white moonks called Cride, caused it to be burnt, bicause it serued as a refuge for his enimies. Then by the aduise of the lord chiefe iustice Hubert de Burgh, he set in hand to build a castell there, bicause the place séemed verie fit for fortification. But after the king with his armie had laine there thrée months, through lacke of vittels (the Welshmen still cutting the Englishmen off as they went abroad to fetch in forrage and other prouision) he was constreined to fall to agréement with Leolin their prince, and receiuing of the said prince the summe of thrée thousand marks, he was contented that so much of the castell as was alreadie builded, should be raced and made flat againe with the ground, before his departure from thence. Herevpon, manie men tooke occasion to iest at the lord chiefe iustice and his dooings about this castell, who at the beginning named it Huberts follie.