Harlech Castle, Carnarfonshire, North-West Wales aka Gwynedd, British Isles [Map]

Warkworth's Chronicle. [December 1462] And after that, the castelle of Bamburght was yoldene to the Kynge, by treyatte and apoyntment by Herry the Duke of Somersett (age 26) that kept it, and came in to Kynge Edwardes grace, whiche graunted to hym a M^l, marke by yere, whereof he was not payede, the[r]for he departed oute of England after halff yere into Scotlonde, &c, And so Kynge Edward was possessed of alle England, excepte a castelle in Northe Wales called Harlake [Map]¹, whiche Sere Richard Tunstall (age 35) kepte, the qwhiche was gotene afterwarde by the Lorde Harberde (age 39)⁷,

Note 1. Excepte a castelle in Northe Wales called Harlake. I cannot resist the temptation of taking the following lines from the poems of Lewis Glyn Cothi, relative to the future siege of Harlech

"Doves â'i wyr, divasw wedd,

Dareni daiar Wynedd;

Jarll, ond ev a'r llu, nid â

Ar wddv Eryri Wyddva.

Dau er ei chael dri a chwech,-

Un dân harddlun yw Harddlech.

Tynu â gwyr tònau gwin

Peiriannus, val mab brenin.

Uchel ewri a chlariwns,

A tharvu gwyr â thwrv gwns;

Saethu 'mhob parth saith mil pen,

A'u bwa o bob ywen:

Clod wellwell, cludaw allan

Goed mawr a fagodau mân;

O wartha 'r rhai'n, hyd yr hwyr,

Arvogion a'u rhyvagwyr.

Trwy'r tair gwart Herbart hirborth

Ty'nu'r pen capten i'r porth.

Ennillodd, eu ewyllys,

Y brenin lech Bronwen Lys.

Hywel Davydd ab Jevan ab Rhys.

As no translation is added in the published works of Glyn Cothi, may be as well to give one here;

"He tamed, in no trifling manner,

The lofty heights of Gwyneth²; No earl, save him and his followers, could ever mount

Upon the neck of Snowdon, the Alpine of Eryri.³

There would climb up, to gain the ascent,

Now three, -now six men, all at once;

One beautifully formed fiery blaze is Harddlech⁴

Men drawing from men waves of wine⁵, -

Loud the shouting - loud the blasts of clarions;

Scattering of men, thundering of guns;

Arrows flying in every quarter from seven thousand men,

Using bows made of the yew.

Bravo! bravo! they bring out large trees and faggots;

They pile them up, and, behind the pile,

Armed men are placed to continue there ' til night.

Then Herbert, through the three wards,

Brings forth the head captain in the porch.

Thus King Edward, as it were, with one volition,

Gained possession of Bronwen's Court."

This place was possessed in 1468 by Dafydd ap Jeuan ap Einion, - a strong friend of the house of Lancaster, distinguished for his valour and great stature. He was besieged here by William Herbert, Earl of Pembroke, after a march through the heart of our Alps, attended with incredible difficulties; for in some parts, the soldiers were obliged to climb; in others, to precipitate themselves down the rocks; and, at length, invested a place till that time deemed impregnable.

The Earl committed the care of the siege to Sir Richard, a hero equal in size to the British commandant. Sir Richard sent a summons of surrender, but Dafydd stoutly answered that he had kept a castle in France so long, that he made all the old women in Wales talk of him; and that he would keep this so long, that all the old women in France should also talk of him. He at last surrendered, and Herbert had a hard struggle with Edward's barbarous policy to save the noble defender's life. - Pennant's Tour in Wales, vol. II. p. 121-2. Margaret of Anjou found refuge in this Castle after the unfortunate battle of Northampton; and it has been conjectured that the song of "Farwel iti Peggy Ban" was composed on the occasion of her quitting it. On the peculiar advantages of the position of this castle, see The Cambrian Traveller's Guide, p. 574.

Note 2. North Wales.

Note 3. The mountains surrounding Snowdon.

Note 4. This couplet is metaphorical of the rapidity of Herbert's motions.

Note 5. i.e. streams of blood.

Note 6. The castle was anciently called Twr Bronwen, after Bronwen, daughter of Llyr (King Lear), and aunt to the great Caractacus. See The Cambro - Briton, ii. 71. She is the subject of an old Welsh Romance.

Note 7. By the Lorde Harberde. "Et castrum forte in Wallia per dominum Harbarde captum est, et Dominus Ricardus Tunstalle, cum ceteris ibi inventis, captus est, et in Turri Londonie clausus, qui tum in breve gratiam a Rege consecutus est. Duo nobiles ex illic capti decollati sunt [And a strong castle in Wales was captured by Lord Harbarde, and Lord Richard Tunstalle, along with others found there, was captured and imprisoned in the Tower of London, who then shortly obtained favour from the King. Two nobles captured there were beheaded]." - MS. Arundel, Coll. Arm. 5, fol. 171, rº. There is a grant to Lord Herbert for his services in Rot. Pat. 3 Edw. IV.