Page:The statutes of Wales (1908).djvu/50

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THE STATUTES OF WALES

this time in the Land of Wales," ordained that "no waster, rhymer, minstrel nor vagabond be in any wise sustained in the land of Wales to make commorthies or gathering upon the people there." This was probably directed against the bards who were engaged by Owen Glyndwr in rousing the martial spirit of the Welsh, and against the "gwestwyr" or purveyancers employed also by him to collect money and provisions {cymortha) for the insurrection. Another Act forbade "congregations and councils," unless they were for an evident and necessary cause, or were held by licence of the chief officials of the Lordships. Welshmen were not to carry arms without special licence; no food or armour was to be sent into Wales and an English Constable was appointed to prevent and seize such supplies; no Welshmen, unless he were a Bishop or a Temporal Lord, could possess a castle or defend his house. No Welshman could be made Justice, Chamberlain, Chancellor, Treasurer, Sheriff, Steward, Constable of Castle, Escheator, Coroner, Chief Forester, Keeper of the Records, or Lieutenant in any part of Wales or of the Council of any English Lord, except Bishops in Wales. For the more sufficient custody of the "Land of Wales" all castles and walled towns were to be kept by Englishmen, and it was ordained that an Englishman married to any Welshwoman of the amity or alliance of "Owain ab Glyndwr, traitor to our Sovereign Lord"—or to any other Welshwoman—could not be put into office in Wales or its Marches.

A.D. 1407.—In 1407, two statutes were passed concerning felonies and robberies in Wales, after complaints had been made to the King by the Commons, at a parliament held at Gloucester, on October 20th of that year.

George Owen of Henllys says that: "By this it may be seen that those cruel Laws of Henry the fourth proceeded of malice against the whole Nation, for he made no such Laws against the rest of His Subjects of France who Revolted and Rebelled against him neither did he ever attempt to