He had destroyed
the houses and strong places of all Welshmen who had not taken up arms
at his orders, and had closely blockaded Carnarvon. He marched to
Bangor, levelled the cathedral, and that of Saint Asaph, by fire, burnt
the episcopal palaces and canons' houses. So formidable did he become
that the king issued writs, to the lieutenants of no fewer than
thirty-four counties, to assemble their forces at Lichfield, to crush
Glendower.
The latter had now taken the offensive, and advanced towards Hereford,
and carried fire and sword through Mortimer's lands. Sir Edmund
gathered his own and his nephew's tenants and retainers, from
Herefordshire and Radnorshire, and advanced against Glendower. The
armies met on the 22nd of June, 1402, at a short distance from
Knighton. The battle was obstinately fought, but was decided by the
desertion of the Welsh tenants, and by the Welsh bowmen in Mortimer's
service turning their bows against his men-at-arms; and, finally, the
English were defeated, with the loss of eleven hundred men, Sir Edmund
himself being made a prisoner.
After the battle the Welsh behaved with the greatest savagery; killing
all the wounded, stripping the fallen, and horribly mutilating their
bodies.
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