Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 7.djvu/342

 242 CAERNARVON CASTLE. he was the arcliitect and designer of the various towers and fortifications, or had merely to do with the engines of war and methods of defence, can only be a matter of supposition. Without doubt considerable portions of Caernarvon Castle were constructed during the years 1284 and 1285 ; much could not have been raised in 1283, though it is equally certain that it was commenced in that year. It was how- ever as yet only in course of progress, as I find an entry on the Great Roll of the Pipe in the 19th of Edward I. (1291) of further sums expended on labour and materials, without the various items of each being particularly specified, amount- ing to 3528/, 3^. Ad., equivalent to about fifteen times that outlay in the present century, or something like 50,000/.^ The returns of William de Luda for the 10th of Edward I. are placed upon the Roll where the foregoing expense is written, and they furnish a curious insight into the enormous outlay for the Welsh wars, or at least present an idea of the vast sums raised by fines, aids, or subsidies for its pro- secution. As much as 122,113/. 9^. is set down as received by the treasurer to sustain the contest against Llewellyn and David, sons of Griffin, Prince of Wales. From the preceding accounts it will have been observed that, although military works were commenced at Caernarvon very shortly after the death of the last Welsh Prince, these operations were in fact extended through a series of years. No particular part of the building is specified at this early period, and when therefore the king himself visited the place in the 12tli year of his reign and entered Caernarvon for the first time, on the 1st day of April, 1284, the accommo- dation it afforded for himself and Queen Eleanor, then about to give birth to a future Prince of Wales, must have been ill suited for the reception of royalt3^ The heir to the Eng- lish throne was undoubtedly born in the town on the 25th of the same month. Whether in the precincts of the Castle, or in any particular part of it, it would be hazardous to determine, but as we shall shortly find sufficient reasons for stating, not in the Eagle Tower, where this event is by con- current report asserted to have happened. The king came from Aberconway on the last day of JMarch and till the Gtli of May constantly remained at Caernarvon. ' The entire outlay upon Caernarvon, Criccaeth, and Harlech amounted to 16,422^. 9s. LVA. (Magn. Rot. Pip. l!) Edw. I.)