IN the time of April and May, when once again the meadows and the pastures become green, and all living things renew their virtue and beauty and strength, and the hills and the valleys resound with the sweet warble of the birds, and, by reason of the beauty of the weather and of the season, all hearts are uplifted and made glad, then is it meet that we should call to remembrance the adventures and the brave deeds of our ancestors, who made endeavour to seek honour in loyalty, and to relate such things as should be profitable to many.
Good sirs, of old have you heard tell how that William the Bastard, the Duke of Normandy, came, with a great host, and folk without number, into England, and there conquered by force all the land, and slew the King Harold, and caused himself to be crowned at London, and established peace and laws as it pleased him, and bestowed lands on divers folk who came with him. At that time Owen Gwynned was Prince of Wales, and he was a valiant and dexterous
