With a succession of victories for the Welsh prince, Llewellyn--the Lord
of Snowdon--the hopes of his people had risen high. The dissensions of
Henry the Third's reign had strengthened their hands. Llewellyn the
younger, no longer calling himself Lord of Snowdon, but "Prince of
Wales," had made himself sovereign of all the Welsh chieftains, and had
also allied himself with Simon de Montfort during the great earl's
revolt against the king.

But now in the very moment of Llewellyn's triumph, the accession of
Edward the First to the English throne revived all the old questions of
homage to the sovereign. Llewellyn and the King of Scotland were both
summoned as vassals of the crown to Edward's coronation--the first that
took place in Westminster Abbey as we know it. The King of Scotland
came. But the "Prince of Wales" was absent. He did not dispute Edward's
right to claim his homage: but excused himself on account of the dangers
he would run on a journey to London, by reason of the enmity that
existed between him and some of the lords marchers. Six times in two
years was he summoned. And to none of these appeals did he vouchsafe the
slightest attention.

Edward was a wise and politic prince; he saw of course from the very
beginning that the union of England and Wales would be a boon to both
countries, and that it must inevitably come about sooner or later. But
though some historians have accused him in this matter of grasping
ambition, and greedy haste to seize on the principality, the records
seem to show that he exercised most uncommon patience with his turbulent
and troublesome neighbor, wishing rather to make him his loyal vassal
and friend than to wrest his territory from him.

In 1276, in reply to the sixth summons Llewellyn sent letters demanding
his bride, Eleanor de Montfort, Earl Simon's daughter, and cousin of the
king, who had been taken prisoner the year before on her way from France
to join Llewellyn to whom she had been married by proxy. He further said
that he would do homage at Oswestry or Montgomery, "provided a safe
conduct were sent him guaranteed by the archbishop and the archdeacon,
by the Bishop of Winchester, and by the earls of Warrenne and
Gloucester, Lincoln and Norfolk"--thereby implying that the king's word
was not sufficient.

[Illustration: CHAPEL OF HENRY THE FIFTH.]

This insolence raised a universal feeling of anger. The king's patience
was exhausted. "The Parliament at once declared L