of the English crown,
which Llewelyn had wrested from it in the wars of the late reign, were
to be surrendered to the English King, who already occupied them.
Prisoners in the English interests were to be set free, and Llewelyn
was to come under "an honorable" safe-conduct to London and perform
homage. Edward had promised David [73] half the principality, but with
a reservation at the time that he might, if he chose, give him
compensation elsewhere. He now elected to do this, moved, it would
seem, simply by the wish not to dismember Llewelyn's dominions, and
David was made governor of Denbigh castle, married to the Earl of
Derby's daughter, and endowed with extensive estates. In every other
respect Llewelyn was tenderly dealt with. The hostages exacted were
sent back. The rent of one thousand marks stipulated for Anglesey was
remitted. When the Prince of Wales came to London to perform homage he
received the last favor of all, and was married sumptuously, at the
King's cost, to Lady Eleanor de Montfort.

There is no reason for supposing that Edward cherished any covert
plans of absorbing Wales into England. Having wiped out the dishonor
of his early years, and replaced England in its old position of
ascendency, he had no motive for reviving bitter memories or
dispossessing a great noble of his fief. The King's conduct in giving
his cousin to one who was only her equal through a usurped royalty;
the inquests held in the marches to determine border law; the
instructions to the royal judges, to judge according to local customs;
the special commission appointed when Llewelyn thought himself
aggrieved are curious evidence of fair-mindedness in a strong-willed
and almost absolute sovereign. But in one respect Edward was
ill-fitted to deal with an uncivilized people. He was overstrict for
the times even in England, where his subjects almost learned, before
he died, to regret the anarchy of his father's reign. But his officers
were nowhere harsher than in Wales, where the people, unaccustomed to
a minute legality, complained that they were worse treated than
Saracens or Jews. Old offences were raked up; wrecking was made
punishable; the legal taxes were aggravated by customary payments; and
distresses were levied on the first goods that came to hand, whether
Llewelyn's own or his subjects'.

The people of the four annexed cantreds were soon ripe for rebellion,
David was alienated from the English cause by petty quarrels with