Gwerthrynion, which was the
property of Roger Mortimer, and compelled the garrison
to deliver up the castle, before the end of a fortnight,
and they burned it to the ground. That year about the
first feast of St. Mary in the autumn, Llywelyn, son of
Iorwerth, raised an army from Powys, to bring Gwenwynwyn
under his subjection, and to possess the country. For
though Gwenwynwyn was near to him as to kindred, he was
a foe to him as to deeds. And on his march he called to
him all the other princes, who were related to him, to
combine in making war together against Gwenwynwyn. And
when Elise, son of Madog, son of Maredudd, became
acquainted therewith, he refused to combine in the
presence of all; and with all his energy he endeavoured
to bring about a peace with Gwenwynwyn. And therefore,
after the clergy and the religious had concluded a peace
between Gwenwynwyn and Llywelyn, the territory of Elise,
son of Madog, his uncle, was taken from him. And
ultimately there was given him for maintenance, in
charity, the castle of Crogen, with seven small
townships. And thus, after conquering the castle of
Bala, Llywelyn returned back happily. That year about
the feast of St. Michael, the family of young Rhys, son
of Gruffudd, son of the lord Rhys, obtained possession
of the castle of Llanymddyvri."

One may almost say that Wales is Wales to-day in spite of her
political history. Wales owes far more to her poets and men of letters
than to her princes and their politics.

Giraldus Cambrensis laid his finger on the spot, when he said: "Happy
would Wales be if it had one prince, and that a good one." A necessary
preliminary to the union of Welshmen was the wiping out of all
independent Welsh princes except one. Till that happened local feeling
would always remain stronger than national feeling; the disintegrating
forces of family feuds and personal ambitions and clannish loyalty
would always outweigh the sense of national unity.

The Lords of the Marches were slowly doing this for Wales; they were
wiping out all the independent Welsh princes except one. We may see
the process going on in the accompanying map, which gives the chief
political divisions of Wales at the beginning of the thirteenth
century, and we will turn for a few minutes to consider the fortunes
of some of these petty states and the manner of the men who ruled
them.