Welsh Journals

Owain Glyndwr. 279 tested a writ directed to Sir Gilbert Talbot, of Goodrich castle, " de recipiendo Glendourdy et Wallenses ad gratiam." He probably passed the remainder of his days in Herefordshire, as is asserted, and died at the house of one or other of his daugh¬ ters,* in that county, for his own estates had been confiscated to the crown, and bestowed, by Henry IV., on the earl of Somerset. The next curious information as to costume, that I wish to notice, relates to Edward the Black Prince, and occurs in his own will, when speaking of his funeral. The words are, " And we will, that at that hour, that our body shall be brought into the town of Canterbury, as far as to the priory, that two coursers covered with our arms, and two men armed in our arms, and in our helmets, shall go before our said body; that is to say, the one for war with our arms quartered, and the odier for peace with our badges of ostrich feathers, with four banners of the same suit, and that every one of those who bear the said banners, shall have a chapeau of our arms; and that he who shall be armed for war, shall have a man armed, bearing after him a black pennon with ostrich feathers." Thus we have two pictures, as it were, of this prince of Wales; his appearance in war, and that at the tournament. In the former, the housing of his horse and his own jupon, are emblazoned with the royal arms, and his helmet surmounted with a lion; for such, from another part of this document, we find to be the meaning of " our helmet," and, therefore, attired as we find on his monument; and attended by two banners, of the royal arms, and a black pen¬ non, with ostrich feathers. In the latter, himself and horse in black caparisons, powdered with white feathers, and two banners, sable charged, with three ostrich feathers, two and one. It will be perceived that he calls the feathers his badges, and they were equally so, with certain variations, of all the royal family. It was a fancy of his own, therefore, to emblazon them in a shield, when from the practice of the day they would neces¬ sarily be reduced to three in number; but it is curious that while in his will he directs that the word Houmout should be placed alike over the shields thus charged, and those with the royal arms, on the monument itself, this motto is confined to the latter, and Ich diene put over the former. Ich diene, therefore, appears to \ have had nothing to do with his wars, but to be confined to the just, where its meaning " I serve," would equally suit a tenant or a challenger. The posthumous story of the king of Bohemia , having this motto is, consequently, very questionable. Trusting I have not quite uselessly troubled you, I remain, Most respectfully yours, Goodrich Court; Samuel R. Meyrick, ix.d. May 12, 1831. * Eliza, wife of Sir John Scudamore, of Kenchurch; Janet, wife of John Croft, of Croft castle; and Mary, wife of Monington. x 2