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Llanover Manuscripts Morris, Lewis, 1701-1765 Druids and druidism
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Barddoniaeth, trioedd, etc.,

Miscellaneous papers containing notes, transcripts, extracts, copies of his own poems, etc., by Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together in one volume and paginated 1-390. The contents include notes on the perpetual calendar carved on wood known as 'The Staffordshire Clogg' (p. 13); notes on the special alphabet usually inscribed on wooden surfaces which, according to Edward Williams, was used by Welsh bards (pp. 15-25); notes on the method of inscribing the said bardic alphabet headed 'Llyma ddangos y modd y gwneir Coelbren y Beirdd' (p. 29; see John Williams: Barddas . . ., vol. I, pp. 142-51); notes, often in the form of questions and answers, on Welsh bardic lore relating to the origin of letters ('Pa fodd y cafad Gwybodaeth gyntaf ar lythyr' (p. 36), 'Pwy a wnaeth Lythyr gyntaf' (p. 41), 'Pwy gyntaf a gafas ddeall ar lythyr' (p. 91)), the origin of life ('O beth y Gwnaeth Duw'r byd a bywydolion' (pp. 77-8)), etc. (for much of this material see various sections of John Williams: Barddas, vol. I); notes on matters of bardic significance under headings such as 'Trioedd y Ford Gronn sef Trioedd Cadair Tir Iarll Er dangos a Gyrru addysg ar y Gwybodau a'r gelfyddyd a'r drefn a ddylid ar gadair a gorsedd ac ar Gerdd Dafawd . . .' (p. 72), 'Llyma Dderwyddoniaeth Beirdd Ynys Prydain a'i Barn am Dduw a phob bywydolion . . .' (pp. 85-9; see Barddas, vol. I, pp. 204-13), 'Llyma Rol Cof a Chyfrif' (pp. 212-14; see Iolo Manuscripts . . ., pp. 45-9, 424-9), and 'Teuluwr-Datgeiniad' (p. 244 ); notes on Welsh poetic metres, etc., headed 'Cerdd Deulu' (p.42), 'Llawrol y Beirdd Meyryg Dafydd' (pp. 51-2), 'Cylmau sef Caeau Cerdd Dafawd' (p. 180), and 'Pedwar Mesur ar hugain Dosparth Caerfyrddin' (p. 355); lists, many incomplete, of miscellaneous Welsh triads including lists with the headings 'Llyma Drioedd y Beirdd' (p. 78), 'Trioedd Ynys Prydain o Lyfr Iaco ab Dewi gan Rys Thomas' (pp. 157-63), 'Trioedd Cymmysg, 1798' (pp. 169-70), 'Trioedd o Lyfr Menw Hen' (p. 171), 'Trioedd Bonedd' (p. 172 ), 'Trioedd Addwynder' (pp. 173-5), 'Trioedd Gruffydd ab Cynan' (pp.183-? 90) 'Trioedd Dosparth y Ford Gronn' (p. 221), 'Trioedd amravaelion' (pp. 223-4), 'Trioedd Cerdd' (pp. 232-3, 267-8, 273), 'Trioedd Ach a Bonedd' (p. 234), 'Trioedd y Beirdd (Octr. 1797)' (pp. 241-2), 'Eraill o drioedd y Teuluwr' (pp. 245-6), 'Llyma drioedd Cerdd o Lyfr Celli Wion' (pp. 246-7), 'Llyma Hen drioedd Cyfarwyddyd . . .' (p. 249), 'Trioedd Cymmysg' (pp. 249- 50, 271-2), 'Trioedd Derwyddoniaeth' (p. 254), 'Trioedd y Beirdd' (pp. 258 + 252), 'Trioedd Barddas a Defodau' (pp. 260-62; see Barddas, vol. I, pp. 344-57), 'Trioedd Bonedd' (pp. 263-5, ? 262), 'Llyma Drioedd Llelo Llawdrwm . . .' (pp. 270-71), 'Llyma Drioedd o amrafaelion lyfrau . . .' ( pp. 273-4), and '. . . Rhai o drioedd ynys prydain a gymerwyd allan o lyfr Mr. Fychan yn Llyfrgell Hengwrt gan Lewis Morris, Esqr., 1738' (pp. 279-80 ); English translations of two of the aforementioned lists of triads under the headings 'The Bardic Triades' (pp. 251 + 253), and 'Druidic Triades' (p. 255); a copy of an 'awdl' attributed to Dafydd y Coed (p. 56); notes on Sir Gruffydd Llwyd, son of Rhys ap Gruffydd, and the late thirteenth century Welsh poet Trahaearn (p. 57); a copy of an epitaph attributed to Edw[ar]d Rich[ar]ds, Ystrad Meurig (p. 118); music and words under the heading 'Cyngog yr Iuddewonn' (p. 123); notes headed 'Collections for a Silurian Grammar' (pp. 129-30); notes ? on a proposal to publish a multi-volume work or works on matters of Welsh bardic, literary, linguistic, historical, and antiquarian interest (pp. 229-30, 236); notes on various forms of the proper name Einigan (pp. 238-9); a list of the names of ancient Welsh bards (p. 248); a version of the Welsh prose text 'Breuddwyd Gronwy Ddu' (pp. 275-6); a list of the traditional thirteen royal treasures of the Isle of Britain ('Llyma drithlws ar ddeg o frenin dlysau ynys prydain . . .') (p.276); draft proposals for publishing Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain (p. 281); and a letter from [Edward Williams ] 'Iorwerth Morganwg' from Tredelerch, to John Edwards at Mr. Owen Jones, London, 1784 (personal, a ? proposed publication by 'Sieffrai o Walsal', Mr. [William] Warrington's proposed 'History of Wales', the writer's interest in the old realm of Glamorgan, changes in the names and boundaries of the medieval divisions of Wales, mention of [Owen Jones, 'Owain] Myfyr' and the Cymmrodorion and Gwyneddigion Societies, a request for a copy of 'awdl Aneurin ar amrafael rhannau Cymru') (pp. 343-6). The contents of pp. 289-342 and 347-82 consist almost entirely of transcripts of Welsh strict-metre poems in the form of 'cywyddau' and 'englynion'. Many of these bear one of the various bardic names adopted by Edward Williams at various times ('Iorwerth Morganwg', 'Iorwerth Gwilym neu brydydd bychan Morganwg', 'Iolo Morganwg') and all may possibly be his compositions.

Miscellanea,

A composite volume containing notes, lists, transcripts, etc., of a very miscellaneous nature in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). The contents, pagination in brackets, include reflections on looking at the ruins of medieval castles more particularly those of Glamorgan (xi + xiv); lists or groups of Welsh words, sometimes with English definitions and / or illustrative excerpts from Welsh poems (5-8, 11, 13, 42-3, 45-52 72, 117, 124, 145-7, 163, 215, 218, 221-2, 227-9, 231, 233, 243-7, 251-4, 268, 302, 307, 316); a list of the titles of 'Cywyddau Ior[wer]th Morganwg' i.e. Edward Williams himself (9-10); a seven-stanza poem entitled 'Cân y Bore' by [Edward Williams] 'Iorwerth Morganwg' (15-19); brief lists of events with dates extracted from [Henry Rowlands:] Mona antiqua [restaurata] and [William] Camden [:?Britannia] (20-21); an extract relating to the 'cantrefi' of Morgannwg from 'Vol. 17, Plas Gwynn' [i.e. Panton MS 17 now NLW MS 1986] (22); notes on laws promulgated by Sir Robert Fitshammon [in Glamorgan in the late eleventh century] (53); brief notes headed 'Peculiarities of the orthography of Mr. Bassett of Lanelays Welsh MS. History of the 13 Knights' (41); brief notes referring to the Norman knights Sir Lawrence Berckrolls, Gilbert Humphrefil, and Sir William Le Esterling and the lands given to them [on the conquest of Glamorgan] (39- 40); brief notes headed 'Llyma son am Dywysogaeth a Phendefigaeth a Bonedd Morganwg' (36-7); a list of sixteen [Glamorgan] castles with brief notes thereon (34-5); notes relating to Morgannwg ? in the late eleventh and first half of the twelfth century with references to Paen Twrbil, an attack on Cardiff Castle ? led by Ifor Bach, a political and judicial system ? set up by Ifor Bach, a law promulgated by 'ffwg Morganwg' against foreigners, etc. (30-33); brief notes relating to meetings of the Welsh bards held in the various princes' courts four times a year ? during the second half of the eleventh century, the supervision of the bards' use of Welsh by the princes, the patronage of the bards by Rhys fab Tydyr Fawr and Nest, wife of Iestyn [ap Gwrgant], and a meeting arranged between the said Rhys, Nest, and Iestyn (27-9); brief notes relating to the division of his domain by Rhodri Mawr amongst his sons, the conditions imposed on them, the status and duties of the kings of various parts of Wales, etc. (24-6); drafts of a proposed title-page for Cyfrinach Beirdd Ynys Prydain to be published in 1822 (57, 68); lines of Welsh verse to illustrate 'cynghanedd' of the 'groes rywiog' type (58, 67); brief notes on and a sketch to illustrate 'Cylch yr Abred', 'Cylch y Gwynfyd', and 'Cylch y Ceugant' (59); a list of bardic 'gorseddau' (60-61); notes relating to the creation of the twenty-four Knights of the Round Table by King Arthur and to the qualities and duties expected of such knights, a list of the twenty- four accomplishments they should be capable of, and a list of the names of sixteen of the said knights (62-6); a brief note relating to the bardic 'Cadair Tir Iarll' ? instituted in the time of Gilbart y Clâr (69); a brief note referring to the bards Risiart ap Iorwerth Fynglwyd and Hywel Hir ap Rhys ap Llywelyn (78); notes headed 'Y Ford Gron' referring to the organising of the Welsh bards, musicians, etc. (81-2); notes relating to procedure in connection with bardic meetings (86-7); a brief note attacking 'Win. Owen, Edward Davies, a'r Hen darn Tant E. Jones' (87); a note relating to the contents of 'Greal Beirdd Morganwg' ? an intended quarterly periodical (94); notes relating to the knowledge of letters amongst the Cimmeri on their arrival in Britain and amongst the Druids with references to Roman inscriptions and ancient British inscriptions (95- 6); brief notes on solemn days or festivals observed by Glamorgan bards and the bardic 'Round Table' of Morgannwg (113); an extract from a 'cywydd' attributed to William Cynwal ? illustrating certain bardic terms (115); an example of the bardic alphabet allegedly used by the Welsh bards (118-19); notes relating to the migrations of the Cymry and their coming to Britain ( 125); a brief note on the possible uses of inscribing on billets of wood, etc. (127); a list of ancient Welsh musical instruments ('offer cerdd oslef yr hen Gymry') extracted allegedly from 'an old imperfect MS. in Goetre Hen Library circa 1767 borrowed by John Bradford' (128); a note referring to the genuine poems of Taliesin and the spurious poems attributed to him, the writer disclaiming responsibility for including some of the latter in the 'Welsh Archaiology' stating that his main work in connection therewith had been 'travelling thro' Wales in search of old MSS.' (132 + 129); notes relating to 'coelbrenni rhin', 'coelfeini cyfrin', etc. (137-8); notes referring to the reintroduction of the bardic 'Dosparth y Ford Gron' into Wales from Brittany by Rhys ap Tewdwr, a meeting ? in 1075 between Rhys and Iestyn ap Gwrgan for this purpose and ? to organise the order of Welsh bards and musicians, a further meeting between the two in 1077 leading to a quarrel concerning Nest, wife of Iestyn, the coming of Robert fab Ammon and the Norman knights to Iestyn's aid, and their eventual conquest of his realm (139-41); a suggestion relating to 'Y Bardd Glas o'r Gadair' and 'cynghanedd' (142-3); notes relating to bardic ceremonial headed 'Dosparth y Ford Gronn' (149-51); notes relating to ? the proclaiming of 'eisteddfodau', etc. (161-2); a brief note on the 'bardd teulu' (163); a brief note relating to the intellectual state of the [early] Cymry (169); general remarks contrasting the poets of North and South Wales (170-71); notes relating to the fate of the souls and spirits of men after death (177-9); a note relating to the work of the 'Welsh bards as tutors' (181); an anecdote relating to Einigan Gawr and Menw ap y Teirgwaedd and the origin of knowledge (183); transcripts of two 'awdlau' attributed to Prolh o Gil Fai and Iorwerth Llwyd ap y Gargam, stanzas attributed to Gwalchmai ap Meilir, and unattributed verse (187-97); extracts from [Edward Davies's series of 'Letters on Celtic Literature to Mr. Justice Harding previous to the publication of The Celtic Researches'] with occasional comments [by Edward Williams] (205-11); (continued)

A transcript of three of the old Welsh 'englynion' usually designated 'englynion y Juvencus' with a version in modern orthography [all probably transcribed from Edward Lhuyd: Archaeologia Britannica, p. 221] (212); copies of two 'englynion' by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' himself (215); extracts relating to the early Cimbrians or Kimmeri and their connection with Thrace (223); miscellaneous extracts from Welsh verse (225-6, 239-40); a list of titles headed 'Odes by E. Wins.' (232); an agricultural note headed 'Irish Course of Culture' (233); a list of personal names headed 'July 28th Bath. Poems delivered to' (234); a list of Welsh phrases headed 'Phrases in common use in Glamorgan & also amongst the Persians and other Mahometans' (249-50); two lists of Welsh triads the first headed 'Dewisolion o Drioed[d] Cerdd Iaco ap Dewi gerllaw dechreu Llyfr Mr. Thos. Evans o Frechfa', and the second 'Trioedd gweddus ar ddyn & ex idem (Dewisolion)' (273-6); extracts by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' from one of Lewis Morris's manuscripts called Prif Ancwyn Gorhoff' being No. 43 of the Welsh School Manuscript Collection in London including a version of the statute for Welsh bards and musicians attributed to Gruffydd ab Cynan ('Statud y Gwyr wrth Gerdd o waith Gruffydd ab Cynan'), bardic triads, a list, with examples of some, of the twenty-four Welsh strict poetic metres, lists with headings such as 'Saith cas ar ferched', 'Chwe casbeth gan Dduw', and 'Cas gan hwsmon bum peth', etc. (277-93; this manuscript numbered 43 was one of the manuscripts listed as missing from the Welsh School Collection when it was presented to the British Museum in 1844, see B. M. Additional MS 14955); a list of Welsh triads headed 'Dewisolion o Drioedd gweddus eu dysgu Iaco ab Dewi (Ll. Th. Evans)' (294-6); a copy of a proclamation that a 'Cadair wrth Gerdd Dafawd' would be held 'ar dwyn y Bettws yn Nhir Iarll' in 18[?2]1 (301); extracts from the preface to Thomas Jones: [An] English [and] Welsh Dictionary, 1811, with a comment by E[dward] W[illiams] (304-05); a list of eleven Glamorgan river-names ('enwau nentydd ag afonydd Morganwg') (312); historical notes relating to Welsh poetry including notes on the 'Silurian School', 'a monster to whom we may apply the appellation of the School of Carmarthen . . . engendered between the false Taste of Dafydd ap Edmund and the ignorance of Gruffudd ap Nicolas', the establishing of the Carmarthen school in North Wales and its duration for two centuries, the decline of the said school and the emergence of a new school with the coming of bards such as Hugh Morris, Edward Morys, etc., the attempts of the Gwyneddigion Society to revive the Carmarthen school in North Wales, the song-writing tradition in South Wales, and Richard Hughes, the sixteenth century Caernarvonshire poet, described as 'the oldest song writer of undoubted authenticity' [in North Wales] (313-14, 311-12); horticultural and agricultural notes giving instructions what to do in each month of the year (324, 321-3, 326, 319-20 ); and notes headed 'Llyma'r ddosparth a wnaeth y Brenin Arthur ar gadw achau a chof am fonhedd Cynhenid Cenedl y Cymry' (328-9). Some of the notes are written on the verso or margins of an incomplete copy of a pamphlet announcing a literary competition (composing a 'cywydd') organised by the Gwyneddigion in 1822, a ? holograph letter from William Williams from Cowbridge to Mr. Williams, Geilston, 1806 (requesting assistance in 'taking estimat of the work unfinis'd at the bridwell'), and copies of a pamphlet announcing the printing of Edward Williams's two volumes of English poems entitled Poems Lyric and Pastoral. Inset is a printed copy of a circular letter from Thomas Stephens as honorary secretary of the Merthyr Cymreigyddion Society, 184 . . ., announcing the society's intention of holding an eisteddfod on (blank), stating what the objectives of the society were, and asking for subscriptions.

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.