The reason generally assigned for the King’s conduct, in bringing his beloved Queen, Eleanor, to such a distance, and at such an inclement season of the year, (for it was in the winter) to lie in, is the following: viz. that perceiving the Welsh remembered but too keenly the oppressions of the English Officers, who in former reigns had been placed over them, they peremptorily informed the King, that they were determined not to yield obedience to any Prince, except one of their own nation; he found it necessary to make use of an innocent artifice, and a pardonable piece of policy: he therefore concealed his intentions for a time, and secretly dispatched trusty messengers to the English Court, in order to conduct the Queen into Wales; and it is related, that soon after the birth of the young Prince, he summoned together the Welsh Nobles, and persons of the greatest rank and influence in the Principality, and asked them whether they would submit to be governed by a young man born in Wales, and one who could not speak of word of English, and that when they answered him in the affirmative, he presented to them his own son, saying to them at the same time (as well as he could pronounce the words) _Eich Dyn_, {74} _i.e._ this is your man—corrupted afterwards into ICH DIEN. It ought however to have been previously mentioned, that the King was at Rhuddlan Castle, during the Queen’s confinement, and we are informed by Leland, that when Griffith Lloyd, of Tregarnedd in Anglesey, brought him the joyful intelligence of the birth of a son, he was immediately Knighted, and rewarded with one of the Manors of the Welsh Princes, called Llys yn Dinorweg, in the Parish of Llanddeiniolen, now the property of T. A. Smith, of Vaenol, Esq.—The first Governor of this Castle, appointed by Edward, was John de Havering, with a salary of 200 Marks; with which he was obliged to maintain constantly, besides his own family, fourscore men, of which fifteen were to be cross-bowmen, one Chaplain, one Surgeon, and one Smith; the rest were to do the duty of keepers of the Gates, Centinels, and other necessary Officers. In 1289, Adam de Wetenhall was appointed to the same important office. The establishment for Town and Castle was as follows: The Constable of the Castle had sometimes £60. at others only £40. The Captain of the Town had £12. 3s. 4d. for his annual fee; but this office was sometimes annexed to the former, and then Sixty was the Salary for both. The Constable and the Captain had Twenty-four Soldiers allowed them for the defence of the place, at the wages of fourpence per day each. This was considered as the amount of the establishment during peace. The Porter of the Gates of the Town had for his annual fee, £3. 10s. The following are the only instances known, of this place having suffered by the calamities of war, viz. in the great insurrection of the Welsh, under Madoc, in 1294, when they surprised the Town, during the time of a Fair,