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CHAP.
XII.

1265-82. Subsequent life of

Eleanor de

two families had doubtless brought about her betrothal to Llewelyn, Prince of Wales. For some time however the necessity of submission to England prevented Llewelyn from endangering peace by a Montfort, marriage which Edward was likely to oppose. When war became imminent, and repeated summons to Court showed Llewelyn that the English king was intent on a more than formal homage, there was no longer anything to be gained by temporising. Eleanor was then called to add the strength of her name to the cause of Welch independence, but in passing over to Wales was captured in the Bristol Channel by ships which Edward had ordered to watch for her (1276). During the war that broke out immediately after, Eleanor was placed in honourable confinement, but no sooner was it over than the generous conqueror granted the wishes of his late foe, and with his own hand gave him his bride (October 1278). Her wedded happiness was but short-lived. She died in childbirth in June 1282, before the war, which the folly and treachery of David had renewed, had ended so disastrously for Wales. It was well for her that she was saved from the trouble to come. and of her Her little daughter was, when the war was over, daughter. brought to England with the children of her uncle David, and weil cared for by order of the king. She was however not allowed to marry, but remained a nun in the convent of Sempringham till her death.' In her perished the last known scion of the family of the great earl, Simon de Montfort.

Peter Langtoft

She had a pension of twenty pounds a year.
gives the date of her death as occurring in June 1337. Cf. Cont.
Flor. Wig. ii. 226. Her name was Guenciliana, that is, Guenllian, or
Gwendolen.

APPENDICES.

APPENDIX I.

PEDIGREE OF THE FAMILY OF MONTFORT L'AMAURI.

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William (Count of Hainault)=(?) heiress of Montfort and Epernon

Richard I (Count of Normandy)

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Amicia Robert Fitz-Parnell Lauretta Margaret S. de Quenci

(de Beaumont)

born 1245 24

William (Earl of Gloucester)

Amauri V
osp. 1140

Simon III = ob. 1181

Mabel =

Amauri VI ob. ante 1204

Simon IV = Alice Guy Bertrade=

ob. 1218

ob. 1228

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Hugh

| (E. of Winchester)

R. de Quenci (E. of Winchester)

Bonchard V = Laurentia

(E. of Chester) (of Montmorenci) | (of Hainault) Ranulf (Earl of Chester) Hur!

3 daughters

John (K. of Eng.)= Isabella (of Angoulême)

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Richard

(1) Alexander III =Yolande=(2) Arthur (Count of Brittany)

(of Scotland)

Jean de Montfort (Count of Brittany)

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371

APPENDIX II.

1. MIRACLES OF SIMON DE MONTFORT.

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THE following are a few of the miracles, over two hundred in number, which are related to have been performed by Simon de Montfort after death. They are printed by Mr. Halliwell at the end of his edition of the Narratio de duobus bellis apud Lewes et Evesham, &c.,' published for the Camden Society. These miracles are spoken of in the Dictum of Kenilworth, when the Earl had been dead just a year, and are alluded to in several contemporary MSS., e.g. the Chronicle of Evesham and the Brute Chronicle, quoted by Mr. Halliwell on p. xxviii of his preface. The list of miracles was preceded in the MS. by an account of the battle of Evesham, now obliterated, and was compiled by a monk of Evesham. I have thought that they might be found interesting as specimens of the superstition of the time, and have accordingly translated a few of them, as follows:

I. The Countess of Gloucester had a palfrey that had been broken-winded for two years. In returning from Evesham to Tewkesbury, the horse having drunk of the Earls Well' and having had its head and face washed in the water,

The Earls Well, otherwise called Battle Well, or de Montforts Well, is a small spring in the hollow of the hill where the battle was fought. It is said, in local tradition, to have run with blood after the fight.

recovered.

pany are witnesses.

Of this the Countess and all her com

2. A sick woman of Elmley sent her daughter to the Earls Well to fetch water. In returning she met the servants of the castle, who asked her what she had in the pitcher. She answered that it was new beer from Evesham, and they said, 'Nay, but it is water from the Earls Well.' But when they had drawn some forth, they found it as the girl had said, and so they let her go. And when she came to the sick woman, it was again changed into water, and the sick woman having drunk thereof, was healed.

3. It is to be remembered of the hand of Simon,2 that the bearer of it was journeying by a certain church, and, hearing the bell toll for mass, entered in and prayed; and when the priest stood up to elevate the body of Christ, the hand moved and stood upright, and adored Jesus, as it was wont while yet alive.

4. William, surnamed Child, had a son who was sick to death, at which William was sore grieved. By chance a certain Friar Preacher, an old companion of his, came to him, and seeing his grief, asked him if he had ever been at enmity with Earl Simon. And he said, 'Yes, for he deprived me of my goods.' And the other answered, 'Ask pardon of the martyr, and thou shalt recover thy child.' Meanwhile the child died, and the father in great grief threw himself upon his bed and slept. And he saw in a dream Christ descend from heaven and touch him, saying, 'Whatever thou askest in the name of my Earl, shall be given thee.' And he rose in haste and measured3 the boy, and he opened his eyes.

It was forbidden by the Dictum of Kenilworth to call Earl Simon a saint, or to spread reports of miracles done by him. The girl would therefore have been liable to certain penalties for drawing water for the purpose of healing from the Earls Well.

This was the hand of Earl Simon that was cut off and sent to the wife of one of the royalists as a trophy.

The word is 'mensuravit.' The custom was to bind round the head or other sick part of the body a piece of riband or cloth which had been steeped in the water of the Earls Well, or applied to his

relics.

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