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Llanover Manuscripts Davies, Walter, 1761-1849 English
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Barddoniaeth, etc.,

A note-book (pp. 1-80) and miscellaneous papers (pp. 81-268) containing notes, lists, extracts, transcripts, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. Page 1 is inscribed 'Cynnulliadau Tuag att Hanes Eisteddfodau Caerfyrddin, Caerwys, ag eraill Casgledig (gan mwyaf) yng Ngwynedd gan Iolo Morganwg', and this first section contains: a version of the 'statute' of Gruffudd ap Cynan as allegedly confirmed at an 'eisteddfod' held at Caerwys, co. Flint, in 1523, with a list of the names of the bards and musicians licensed at the said 'eisteddfod', transcribed 'O Lyfr Ygrif (sic) P. Panton, Yswain, o'r Plas Gwynn ym Môn' or, as stated elsewhere, 'Ex No. 65, Plas Gwynn, Môn' [i.e. Panton MS 65, now NLW MS 2031, of which see pp. 200-12] (see also NLW MS 13096B above) (pp. 17-27); a list of the twenty-four Welsh strict poetic metres with illustrative examples [?transcribed from the aforementioned Panton MS 65, pp. 186-93] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 27-35); notes relating to, and lists of, Welsh musical measures [?transcribed from Panton MS 65, pp. 194-200] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 36-39); an incomplete transcript [?from Panton MS 65, pp. 182-4] of notes relating to the twenty-four traditional Welsh accomplishments (p. 40); anecdotes relating to the poet Dafydd ap Edmunt and the 'eisteddfod' held at Carmarthen [c. 1450] under the patronage of Gruffudd ap Nicolas, transcribed 'Ex Vol. 17, P.P.' [i.e. Panton MS 17, now NLW MS 1986A, of which manuscript see ff. 111-17] (see also NLW MS 13096B) (pp. 41-47); further miscellaneous extracts from Panton MS 17 including an anecdote relating to the poet Huw Arwystli, notes relating to the 'cantrefi' of Glamorgan, etc. (pp. 47-49); transcripts of 'englynion' by, or attributed to, D[afydd] ab Gwilym, John Mowddwy, ?Thos. Lln., and Siôn Tudur (pp. 49-50); transcripts of twenty-three 'englynion' commemorating the year of accession of every English monarch, 1066-1558, attributed to Berud ap yr Ynad Coch, Bleddyn Ddu, Cynddelw Brydydd Mawr, Lln. Fardd, Dafydd y Coet, Harri Haram Param, Cyssymdaith Llevot Wynt epolawl, Mabwaith Hengrys o Iâl, Llywelyn ap Ho wrneth, Gwilym Ddu o Arfon, Dafydd Bach ap Madoc Gwladaidd, Llygad Gwr, Daniel Llosgwrn Marw (sic), Dafydd Eppynt, Ieuan Brydydd Hir, Bleuddyn ap Ieuan Hen, Hywel Ystorun, Ierwerth Fynglwyd, Rhys Nanmor, Hywel ab Bleuddyn Mathew, Owain y Bardd 'o Wynedd', and Huw Arwystli (pp. 51-56); a list of the commissioners in whose presence the 'eisteddfod' was held at Caerwys in 1567, and of the poets and musicians who were granted licences at the said 'eisteddfod' (pp. 56-59); a list of bards present at, and notes relating to, an 'eisteddfod' held at Bala [co. Merioneth] in 1740 (p. 60); an extract relating to the code of rules for Welsh bards and musicians allegedly compiled in the time of Gruffudd ap Cynan (p. 61); and transcripts of two sequences of 'englynion' (six and five respectively) allegedly written by Siôn Prichard Prys at an 'eisteddfod' held at Bala in 1680 with the object of enlisting the aid of the bishop of Bangor and Sir Roger Mostyn in an attempt to obtain a [royal] patent for holding an 'eisteddfod' (pp. 62-64). The greater part of the contents of the remainder of the volume consists of transcripts of Welsh poems in strict and free metres, including poems by, or attributed to, [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' himself, Ieuan Tir Iarll 'sef John Bradford o'r Bettws ym Morganwg', Daf. Nicolas, William Hopkin, Daf. o'r Nant, Llywelyn ab Ifan, Siôn Hywel, Thomas Evan, 'Telynor o'r Drenewydd Nottais ym Morganwg', Morgan Pywel, Gwilym Tew (or Owain ap Rhydderch, or Ieuan ab Rhydderch), Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys, Gronwy William, Hywel Llwyd 'o Lancarfan', Wil. Tabwr, Dafydd Nicolas 'o Aberpergwm', Lewys William 'o Ferthyr Tydfyl', Thomas Williams, William Llywelyn, and Wm. Sanders 'o Landocheu'. The free-metre verse includes the words of songs written to specified airs. Other items in the volume include observations ?by Edward Williams after reading certain criticisms of John Hughes: An Essay on the Ancient and Present State of the Welsh Language [London, 1823] (pp. 113-114); notes on Welsh bardism (pp. 161-165); notes headed 'Etymologies that point out the origin and progress of civilization' (p. 167); extracts from Hugh Thomas: An Introduction to the British History [?London, ?1730] (pp. 169-171); a few Welsh triads and proverbs (pp. 227-228); a list of Welsh proverbs heard in Glamorganshire by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' arranged in alphabetical order according to the initial letter (incomplete, A-G only) (pp. 231-240); advisory or proverbial sayings attributed to Taliesin, Cattwn ddoeth, and Meugant (pp. 243-2444); a list of the ten commandments of St. Paul described as '. . . dengair deddf Pawl Sant y rhai a gafas efe o ben Iesu Grist . . .' (see John Williams: Barddas . . ., Vol. I, pp. 288-9) (p. 247); a list of Latin words commencing with the letter v with English meanings and Welsh ?derivatives (pp. 253-254); and (interspersed amongst other items), miscellaneous Welsh proverbs (pp. 241-end). In three instances the blank verso and margins of copies of a printed handbill (English) containing proposals, 1793, for publishing The Celtic Remains (vol. I by Lewis Morris, vol. II by Walter Davies) and of a printed handbill (Welsh) announcing an 'eisteddfod' to be held at Caerwys in 1798 under the patronage of the Gwyneddigion Society have been used for writing notes. A few loose leaves (pp. 261-268) have been placed in an archival envelope.

Miscellanea,

Miscellaneous papers in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume. The contents include pp. 11- 36, a draft version of the essay 'A short review of the present state of Welsh MSS.' which appeared as a preface to The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales . . ., vol. I (London, 1801), the present version being a much fuller one than that actually published (see also NLW MSS 13089E, 13104B above); 39-57, transcripts of Welsh poems attributed to Rissierdyn, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, and Huw Dafydd; 68-121, a transcript of a sequence of seventy-two 'englynion' ('Englynion y Clyweit') and poems attributed to Meredydd ap Rosser, Rhys Brychan, Dafydd Llwyd Matheu, Ieuan Rhydd, Siencyn Rissiart, In. Risiarts, Siôn Tudur, Wiliam Cynwal, William Llyn, ? Huw Arwystli, Rhisiart Davies, Esgob Mynyw, Robert Gruffudd ab Ifan, Bartholomew Jones, Huw Llyn, Elis ap Rhys ap Edward, R. Hughes 'o Fôn', D[afydd ap] G[wilym], William Elias, [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg', and Gronwy Ddu (or Hopkin ap Thomas ap Einion), miscellaneous extracts, lists of the children of Llywarch Hen, Urien Rheged, etc.; 125, a note on the poet Siôn Cent; 127-8, genealogical notes on the descendants of Rhys ap Tewdwr headed 'Morganiaid Tredegyr'; 129, memoranda ? relating to the parish of St. Mary, Cardiff; 140-41, a transcript of an incomplete English poem described as an 'Old Poem on Glamorgan. English'; 147-8, extracts from Patrick Symson: The Historie of the Church . . . (London, 1634); 150, an incomplete transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Wm. Egwad; 153-4, incomplete notes headed 'History of Dunraven Castle'; 165, a list of people who had attained to a considerable age in Glamorganshire; 166, a transcript of a fragment (end portion) of a letter, December 1726, from Edward Gamage, [rector of] St. Athan, which appears to have contained information relating to the Stradling family of St. Donats (see NLW MS 13100B above); 167-8, ? an outline scheme or chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the Lordship of Glamorgan'; 179-80, notes headed 'Bonedd ag Anfonedd' [from Panton MS 63 now NLW MS 2029B]; 180, transcripts of 'englynion' attributed to R. Nanmor, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, and Iolo Goch; 181-2, a list headed 'Llyma enwau Celloedd Cor Illtyd'; 184, notes relating to the descent of the Rev. John Williams, Sevenoaks, Kent, circa 1800, from the Cogan family; 185-6, a list of markets and fairs [in co. Glamorgan]; 187, a note relating to the reform of parliamentary representation; 192-3, chapter headings for a proposed 'History of the British Bards'; 194, a list of old castles in co. Glamorgan; 198 + 203, an account between Edward Williams and Thomas Williams relating to the tuition of the former's children Margaret, Ann, and Taliessin, 1796-1803 (verso used for writing notes); 200-01, a list of literary topics headed 'Testunau gwastadol a sefydledig Beirdd Cadair Morganwg a Gwent ac Euas ac Ergin ac Ystrad Yw . . . derbyniedig bob amser a ganer arnynt . . .'; 204, an anecdote relating to a blind man; 204, three stanzas of Welsh verse by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg'; 208-09, a copy of the inscription on the tomb of the Reverend Daniel Walter, master of Cowbridge School, ob. 25 August 1787, and his brother William, ob. 8 October 1789; 220-21, a short French - English - Welsh vocabulary; 223, an 'englyn' by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg'; 227-9, notes relating to Hindustani prosody, etc.; 230, a brief note on Welsh bards and minstrels; 233 + 240, extracts from [Nicholas Owen:] Caernarvonshire, a sketch of its history . . . [London, 1792]; 236-7, a list of 'Barbarisms in Walter Davies' Translation of [Thomas] Gisborne [A Familiar Survey of the Christian Religion . . .]'; 238 + 235, rules of a scheme for collecting subscriptions for a proposed ? emigration, ? 1797; 243-4, a list of titles of ninety-five Welsh poems, mainly 'cywyddau', headed 'Celfyddydau, moesau, ag arferion'; 246-7, descriptive notes on co. Glamorgan; (continued)

249-52, notes on the waste lands ? of Radnorshire with suggestions relating to inclosures; 255-8, notes on the production of wine in Germany with suggestions re vine growing in Britain; 261, a note on three wells in the lordship of Newton Nottage; 263-6, a list of 'Druidical maxims'; 265, a draft title-page for a second edition of Edward Williams: The Fair Pilgrim, a poem translated from Dafydd ap Gwilym; 268, a note on 'Brut y Saeson'; 269-71, medicinal recipes and other extracts from ? the Annual Register; 273-85, 335-8, religious and philosophical notes or observations; 290-92, notes on heraldic terms, etc ., ? from the Encyclopaedia Britannica; 293-4, ? extracts from [Thomas] Maurice: Indian Antiquities; 299-304, notes headed 'Eastern District of the County of Radnor' (topography, soil, the possibility of coal deposits); 312-13, a transcript of a 'cywydd' attributed to Gutto'r Glyn; 318-19, notes headed 'History of the Bards' referring to Ll[ewely]n Siôn's treatise on bardism; 321-2, notes headed 'Llymma Reithiadur Cerdd'; 341, extracts from Esdras II, chapter XIV; 344, notes on 'Trefn yr Albannau'; 348-9, a list of 'remarkable instances of longevity' ? extracted from the General Magazine, September 1789; 352-3 a 'Table of the fifteen Diationick Chords of the system of the antient'; 355, notes on 'Rheol bwrw pris', 'Y Cant hir', the burning of lime ? in Anglesey, etc.; 356, two lists of rules headed 'Hyn a wna wr yn hiroesawg ag yn iachus', and 'a Fyrhaant einioes dyn ac a'i heneiddia'; 357-9 a list headed 'Llyma rai o Gweiriau Cerdd dant'; 360, notes headed 'A Comparison of the pronounciation of the letters in the Welsh or British tongue to the Greek and Hebrew letters'; 361, notes headed 'Gogwyddor i ddallt y pricciad yn Llyfr Robert ap Hugh y Telynior'; 361 (2), extracts from Sion Rhydderch: Grammadeg Cymraeg [1728]; and 368, a few triads, a few Welsh proverbs, a note relating to Lewys Morys, and a note on the 'Wenhwyseg' as the language of Welsh literature to circa 1300. Interspersed amongst the above items are miscellaneous Welsh verse, lists or groups of Welsh words often with English definitions or explanatory notes, grammatical or etymological notes, etc. In one instance notes have been written on the blank sides of an incomplete copy of Herbert Croft's printed proposals, 1792, for publishing an English dictionary based upon that of Samuel Johnson, and in another on the blank verso of a broadsheet containing a copy of a Latin inscription found in the parish of Gelligaer, co. Glamorgan, with a Welsh translation thereof.