Of all Richard’s administrative arrangements this was unquestionably the most imprudent and dangerous; it is indeed almost the only one which can be clearly seen to have produced disastrous results. When its motive is realized, however, criticism is almost disarmed; for Richard’s act was not the spontaneous throwing away of an extravagant fraternal benefaction, or of a wholly needless bribe to a brother to whom he owed nothing and from whom, had he let him remain “Lackland,” he could have had nothing to fear. It was simply a literal and exact fulfilment of Henry’s latest design for completing his provision for John by endowing him with lands in England to the value of four thousand pounds a year.[417] This ill-advised project of Henry’s might perhaps have been less unwisely carried out in some other way, such as the bestowal of a number of small estates scattered in various parts of the realm, instead of this solid block of territories with so much political influence and power attached to their possession; but the only safe mode of dealing with it would have been to ignore it altogether. Richard’s share of responsibility in the matter amounts simply to this, that he—in his father’s lifetime a disobedient son—carried loyalty to his dead father’s wishes beyond the limits of worldly wisdom and sound policy. Some of Richard’s administrative arrangements and appointments were made in a great council held in the middle of September at Pipewell[418] in Northamptonshire, others at various times within the next three months. Early in October the king spent a week in London; thence he went to Arundel and afterwards to Winchester.[419] He had meanwhile sent John with an armed force—which the Welsh called “the host of all England”—against Rees of South Wales, who had laid siege to Caermarthen castle. It was to John’s interest that there should be peace with Rees, since the honour of Gloucester included a large piece of Welsh territory. Accordingly John and Rees made an agreement between themselves,[420] and Rees, with an escort furnished him by John, came to Oxford in the hope of a meeting with the king; but Richard “would not go to meet him.”[421] For Richard the chief gain from this expedition against Rees was that it enabled him to collect from those tenants in chivalry who did not personally take part in it a “Scutage of Wales” which helped to finance the expedition to Holy Land.