Showing 2 results

Archival description
Evans, Edward, 1716 or 17-1798 Bards and bardism -- Wales.
Print preview View:

Miscellanea,

A volume containing miscellaneous prose and verse items in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') and consisting of two main sections pp. 1-282 and pp. 283 466. The contents of the first section, pagination in brackets, include notes headed 'South Walian Rural Poetry (Cerdd Deuluaidd)' (9-10); notes relating to the antiquity of the period of the formation of the Welsh language and to the use of the 'Silurian dialect' as the 'literary dialect of North Wales' in medieval times ? to circa 1400 with suggestions as to the reason for this and mention of a 'History of Wales or rather of Britain' by T. Price of Plas Iolyn (23-30); notes relating to features of the bardic 'Dosparth y Ford Gronn' (39); comments on the tradition relating to the original home of the 'Cymry of Britain' being 'Gwlad yr Haf' (46); a note on the expression 'Y mae wedi myned i Gaerffili' linking its origin with the activities of the Spencer family in that area (51); lists, in English and Welsh, of the five royal (or kingly or princely) tribes of Wales (54-6); an extract from a 'cywydd' allegedly composed by Lewis Morganwg to Sir Wiliam Herbert of Raglan with a note on a bardic meeting convened by the latter in which the said Lewis was licensed as 'pencerdd gwlad ar holl Forganwg a Gwent' and the order of bards and musicians was reorganised into a system subsequently adopted in Gwynedd and Powys (73-4); notes relating to an 'eisteddfod' held 'ym monachlog Pen Rhys yng Nglyn Rhondde' in which the bard Gwilym ab Ieuan Hen alias Gwilym Tew exhibited a system of strict metres exemplified in his 'awdl' to the Virgin Mary (75-7); examples of 'foolish attempts which I [Edward Williams] made in very early youth . . . to write English verse on the principles of Welsh versification' (81); brief notes relating to the Welsh bards Casnodyn, Trahaearn Brydydd Mawr, Addaf ap Dafydd, Gruffudd ap Addaf ap Dafydd, and Rhys Goch ap Rhiccert (82-3); brief notes referring to the 'new system of bardism' instituted by King Arthur and systems based on it, e.g. 'Cadair Tir Iarll' (83-4); a list of the seven ecumenical councils held, 314-553 (87); ? a copy of a proposed title-page for 'Gair ym Mhlaid y Bibl . . . Yn atteb i Lyfr Tomas Paine . . .' being ? an intended translation by E[dward] Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') of Bishop Richard Watson of Llandaf's work [An Apology for the Bible . . . Letters . . . to Thomas Paine] (88); a note recording the death, 22 December 1803, of John Williams [Edward Williams's brother] (88); a brief note on the bardic 'clerwr' (92); a note relating to the contents of 'Bonedd y saint', its publication in the 'Welsh Archaiology', and a version 'amplified or interpolated' by the insertion of 'legends of wonderful miracles' to be found in a manuscript called Llyfr Twrog of 'circa 1300 or rather later' (93); a brief general note on Welsh bards (96); statistics relating to world religions (97); lists of Glamorgan proverbs (99, 177-8, 192, 195-6, 219-20, 226-7, 231-2, 238); an anecdote relating to Thomas Wyndham of Clear Wall [co. Gloucester] and the payment of annuities to his family's retired servants (100); Welsh medicinal recipes (106, 125, 194); miscellaneous extracts headed 'Mangoffeion o Lyfr Ysgrif Prydyddiaith Daf. Jones Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd sef nodau achlysurol (yn ysgol Rad y Cymry yn Llundain)' (115-19); a note on 'corfanau' (126); a list of seventy-five books, etc., with the superscription 'Edward Williams about the year 1798 sold Books and Stationary in Cowbridge and for a monthly order for books from London had the following from time to time amongst other orders' (128- 31); notes on the 'Clares, Lords of Glamorgan' (162-3); a note relating to Welsh pedigrees and their use to substantiate claims to land (164-5); data relating to Owen Glyn Dwr (166); a list of 'Glamorgan words and idioms' ( 171-2); the words and music of a dance tune 'Llanbedr ar fynydd, cainc ar fesur Triban' (173; see IM, t. 44); brief notes relating to the Cogan (later Williams) family from temp. Henry VII (175-6); transcripts of Welsh stanzas attributed to Dafydd Nicolas composed to exemplify 'Mesurau cerdd deuluaidd cyffredin ym Morganwg' with an added note by [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (179-80); two lists headed 'Glamorgan words' and 'Enwau dirprwyiadol ym Morganwg' (181-3); a list of twenty-four names, etc., headed 'Awduron Dywenydd Morganwg' (187-8); (continued)

genealogical data headed 'Achau Morganiaid Tredegyr o Lyfr Mr. Cobb o Gaerdydd' (191); an anecdote relating to an unnamed incumbent of an unspecified parish in co. Glamorgan temp. Edward VI (193); notes relating to two eighteenth century 'eisteddfodau' held at Llansanffraid ar ogwr and Pont y Goetre Hen and to the Powel family of y Tonn Du and Y Goedtre Hen incorporating 'englynion' attributed to . . . Pywel and Benjamin Dafydd 'o Lynnogwr' (200-01); the words of a 'triban' set to music (203); the music of an air called 'Bwbach Darllain al. Bwbach darlludd' (204; see IM, t. 53, n. 38); a list of traditional customs in Glamorgan ('Arferion Morganwg') (208-09; see IM, tt. 38-40); a genealogy tracing the direct descent of Rhisiart Fychan, Iarll Carberry (earl of Carberry), fl. 1661, from Gwaithfoed, king of Caredigion, and a note on the arms of the said Gwaithfoed and his descendants (213-14); ? extracts from letters from Charles Winter [Arminian Baptist minister at Craig Fargod, co. Glamorgan] to Harri Charles referring to, inter alia, Rhys Dafydd [? Rees David, Arminian Baptist of the same period and area] (220-22); genealogical notes tracing the descent of Dafydd Llwyd ap Llywelyn ap Gruffudd of Mathafarn [poet] and his descendants from Padarn Beisrudd (223-4); the words and music of an unnamed Glamorgan air (225); a short list of old churches ? in Glamorgan, a short list of Glamorgan place-names containing the element cog-, a note on George Morgan of Pen Cefn Cribwr, ? circa 1680, and two triads (230); a list of rhyming proverbs (233-5); a list of 'Silurian idioms' (237); a brief historical note relating to Swansea castle (242); a note relating to Siôn Cent, Dafydd Ddu 'o Hiraddug', and 'chwedl Einiawn ap Gwalchmai a'r Ellylles' (245); a note on Urien Rheged (247); information allegedly obtained from Mr. [Thomas] Richards of Llangrallo [co. Glamorgan], the lexicographer, concerning manuscripts in the library at Tre groes [near Pencoed, co. Glamorgan] (264; see TLLM, t. 105); a list of eighteenth century poets mainly of cos. Carmarthen and Glamorgan (266); transcripts of Welsh free-and strict-metre verse, sometimes a single 'englyn' or stanza or extracts from a poem, including verse attributed to Daf. ap Edmwnd or Morys Dwyfech, Y Tywysog Llywelyn ap Gruffudd, and Einiawn Offeiriad (120), [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (124, 174, 202, 211-12, 217, 228, 267-82), Lewys Fowel and Siôn Rhydderch (161), Rhys Brydydd and Owain Gwynedd (173), Wil Hopcin (184), Ieuan Tir Iarll or John Bradford (189-90), Lewys Wiliam, 'gwerthwr llyfrau o Ferthyr' ('Tribanau'r Hoywal newydd, a elwir yn Saesneg Canal, o Ferthyr Tudfyl . . . i Dre Caer Dydd . . .') (197-9), 'yr offeiriad Willams (sic) o Benarth . . . cylch 1715' (202), y Parchedig Thomas Wilkins (205), Jonathan Hughs (207), Deio ap Ieuan Du (219), Lewis Hopcin and Edwd. Evan (228), Siôn Thomas Harri (242), and Morys Jones 'o blwyf Llangathen' (246), and unattributed verse (103, 174, 184, 185-6, 202, 205, 206, 207, 225, 239-41); lists of Welsh words (9-60, 90, 122-3, 132-4, 160, 218, 243); and extracts from various printed works including [James] Currie: The Life of [Robert] Burns, Walter Nicol: The Villa Garden Directory, H. P. Wyndham: Tour thro Monmouthshire and Wales, The Monthly Magazine, The Encyclopaedia Britannica, the works of Sir William Jones, etc. P. 283 is inscribed 'Casgledydd Penn Ffordd Yn Cynnwys amrafaelion o Goffadwriaethau a Sylwadau perthynol gan mwyaf i Forganwg sef Hynafiaethau, Prydyddiaeth Sathredig, Diarhebion, Geiriau ag ymadroddion Cymreig, Ceinciau ac erddiganau, hen Ddefodau ag arferion, Enwogion, ag hynodion o wyr a phethau, Hen Gestyll, Hen adeiliadoedd eraill, Hen orseddau, Cromlechau, etc., ynghyd ac amrafaelion o frasnaddiadau Cerdd dafawd Iolo Morganwg . . . 1800' (see IM, t. 67) and this appears to be the 'title-page' for the section now paginated 307-466 (previously 1-158) a list of the contents of which is to be found on pp. 285-8. Included are, pagination in brackets, lists or groups of Welsh proverbs or idiomatic expressions (309, 318, 320, 326, 343-4,347-9 373 376 379 382 411, 414-16, 428, 443-5, 454-5); groups or lists of Welsh words or phrases (309, 327, 338, 339 374-6, 377-8, 381, 413, 419, 428 446-7); (continued)

a short list of sayings attributed to Charles Winter aforementioned Arminian Baptist minister of Craig Fargod church [co. Glamorgan], circa 1750 (310); notes on a tradition relating to nine mounds associated with King Arthur in South Wales (316); an anecdote relating to a 'safe-conduct' given by Wm. Davies, incumbent of Llangyfelach, 1770, to an Englishman called Wiliam Hopman to travel from Llangyfelach to Llanymddyfn (319-20); a list of antiquities, etc., [in co. Glamorgan] (340-42); an anecdote relating to a visit by Siencyn Tomas, dissenting minister from co. Cardigan, to an 'eisteddfod' at Pil [co. Glamorgan] with a copy of an 'englyn' of welcome to him attributed to Siôn Rhydderch (343); notes relating to the locations of meetings of poets ('cyrddau prydyddion') held in co. Glamorgan (345); extracts from a pedigree of the family of Syr Rhys ap Thomas (349); a list of six principles headed 'Cyfraith Morganwg' (382); a brief note on the meeting house at Botffordd [co. Glamorgan] built in 1739 (383); an anecdote relating to Sir Wiliam Lewys of Gilfach Fargod and his attempt to apprehend parishioners of Gelligaer [co. Glamorgan] who were attending a service in a [dissenting] meeting house temp. Charles or James II (383); a note relating to the erection of a [dissenting] meeting house at Coed y Cymmer [co. Brecknock] in 1747 (383); an anecdote relating to the minister of a [dissenting] congregation at Sychbant, Mynydd yslwyn [co. Monmouth], temp. Charles II, with brief comments on the activities of bailiffs and constables with regard to dissenters during that period (384); a list of Glamorgan medicinal recipes ('Meddyginiaethau cyffredin yin Morganwg') (412); notes relating to Welsh harps including the triple harp, and to harpists named Elis Siôn Siamas of Llanfachreth, co. Merioneth, temp. Queen Anne, Siôn Siams, and Gruffudd Evan of Llanwynno [co. Glamorgan] (417-19); a list of names of places, rivers, etc., in co. Glamorgan (429-31); a list of four Welsh triads (447); notes relating to a Glamorgan harvesting custom (448); an extract from 'Brut y Tywysogion' re the Lord Rhys's 'eisteddfod' held in Cardigan (449); a description of a traditional game or pastime called 'Brigant neu chware'r Brigant' with the words and music of an accompanying song (450-52; for the text and comments see D. S[ilvan] E[vans]: 'Chwareu Brigant', The University College of Wales Magazine, vol. III, pp. 159-63; see also IM, t. 53); a further brief note relating to Glamorgan pastimes (452); lists of rivers, mountains, and castles in co. Glamorgan (461-4); transcripts of Welsh poems in strict and free metre including verse attributed to David Davies of Castell Hywel (306), William Moses 'o Gethin ym Merthyr Tudfyl neu Gwilym Glynn Taf' (307-09, 310, 314), Dafydd Nicolas (311-12, 321-3, 324, 339, 386, 449, 466), Dafydd Williams 'o Bont Run' (312 ), Edward Efan 'o Aberdar' (313), Thos. Llen 'o Regoes' (313, 337), Rhys Morgan 'o Bencraig Nedd yn eisteddfod Y[s]trad Dyfodwg, 1751' (314-15), Efan Siencyn Dafydd (317), [Edward Williams] 'Iolo Morganwg' (325, 328-37, 350-62, ? 362-9, 370-71, 379-80, 385-6, 387-408 (a sequence of one hundred and sixty tribannau entitled 'Tribanau Mebinogaidd Iolo Morganwg sef Tribanau Diarhebol'), 409-10, 420-21, 432, 438-41, 456, 466), Wm. Efan ( 338), Llywelyn 'o'r Canerw' (345), Morgan Wiliam 'o Gogyrwen' (379), Efan Thomas 'o Lan y Lai' (425), Ann Llywelyn 'o'r Blue Bell' (432), Iorwerth ab Ioan (435), Siôn Bwl 'o Lantrisaint' (453), Thos. Wiliam 'o Dregolwyn' (456), Dafydd o'r Nant (456), Huw Morys (456), ? Edward Evan (458-9), and Llelo Llwnc y Trothwy (465-6), and unattributed verse (312, 313, 317, 323, 324, 325, 327, 346, 372, 432, 442, 449, 457-60); and the words and music of airs called 'Cainc ar y Clych ym Morganwg' (413), 'Can Crottyn y Gwartheg neu Y Fuwch wynebwen lwyd' (421-2; see IM, t. 64, n. 55), 'Canu bachgen y Felin' (422-3), 'Can y Maensaer neu'r Maensaer mwyn' (424-5; see IM, t. 64, n. 55, and tt. 360-61), 'Can yr Angylion' (433), 'Cainc yr odryddes' (435; see IM, tt. 60-64), and 'Cainc y Cathreiwr' (436; see again IM, tt. 60-64), and of 'Salm ar y Bader' by 'Iolo Morganwg' (437-8).

Miscellanea,

Miscellaneous papers containing notes, transcripts, extracts, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') bound together into one volume. The contents include pp. 1-16, extracts from the works of various Welsh bards under the superscription 'Bardic allusions to ancient usages, institutions, ideas, &c.'; 16, a list of the seven attributes of God ('Saith Angheneddyl Duw'); 16-17, a group of eight Welsh triads attributed to Syr Wiliam Herbert of Raglan; 18-19, a brief note on the Irish in Anglesey and North Wales; 19-20, Biblical allusions to the practice of writing on wood; 22-3, further extracts from the works of Welsh poets similar to those on pp. 1-16; 25, Welsh triads; 26, a transcript of an 'englyn' attributed to Evan Evans y Prydydd Hir; 27, three stanzas of a Welsh poem headed 'Pennillion Iolo Morganwg'; 34-5, a list of thirty-six 'Southwalian Gogynfeirdd'; 35, a brief note on Gruffudd ap Cynan's introduction of 'Scaldic Literature', etc., into Wales; 36-7, notes on the use of the 'englyn milwr' measure by 'Southwalian Bards', and on the meaning of the word 'anaw' and of the element 'chwyfan' in the name of the Flintshire antiquity 'Maen chwyfan'; 38-9, a list of 'Writers on the Art of Poetry now Extant' in South Wales and N[orth] Wales; 41, a query relating to 'the Caerwys Bards or Eisteddfod'; 41, a note on the Welsh bards' refusal to introduce fiction into poetry; 42-4, notes headed 'On Coelbren y Beirdd'; 45-50, notes headed 'Bards of the 11th to the 13th centuries' stressing the impact on Welsh poetry of the Scandinavian Scaldic influence introduced via the court of Gruffudd ap Cynan; 51-9, notes headed 'Bards of the 15th Century in S[outh] Wales' dealing mainly with the influence of Norman and Provencal poetry on the twelfth century Welsh poet Rhys Goch ap Rhys ap Rhiccart and other Welsh bards via the courts of the Norman lords in Glamorgan, its continuance in the work of Dafydd ap Gwilym, etc.; 60-73, notes headed 'Modern Poetry of North Wales' containing general, mainly derogatory comments on North Wales poetry from the seventeenth century onwards with references to Lewys Morris, Edward Morris, Hugh Moris, Rice Jones of Blaenau, Goronwy Owain, and other poets, the practice of borrowing or imitating metres from English songs and ballads, the results of the literary competitions inaugurated by the Gwyneddigion Society, etc.; 74-92 notes headed 'Modern South Walian Poetry' dealing mainly with the 'song writing' or 'popular poetry' tradition in South Wales as contrasted with North Wales; 93-6, notes relating largely to the tale called 'Cyfarwyddyd Einiawn ap Gwalchmai a Rhiain y Glasgoed'; 97-102, miscellanea headed 'Mân bethau perthynas (sic) i'r Beirdd a Barddoniaeth'; (continued)

104-08, notes relating to the society commonly known as 'Gwyr Cwm y Felin' which existed at Cwm y Felin in Betws Tir Iarll [co. Glamorgan], with references to its connection with the druidical and bardic tradition and its association with Lollardy in the past and Unitarianism in the present (see NLW MS 13121B above); 109, a transcript of three stanzas of Welsh verse headed 'Myned yn y maen. To take the chair. . .'; 110, notes on a theory that there were two poets called Dafydd Nanmor, the one a grandson of the other; 121, a list of seven rules headed 'Some Rules of Welsh versification'; 122, a 'scheme' or chapter headings for a 'History of the Bards'; 123-46, a short essay or article on the 'History of the Welsh Language' containing observations on the three main dialects, viz. Silurian, Demetian, and Venedotian, their use in Welsh literature, etc.; 147-9, lists of early bishops of Llandaf and of the bishops of Wales before the time of Garmon ('Escobion Cymru Cynog Amser Garmon'), and notes on the meaning of the words 'cor' and 'bangor'; 151-3, a pedigree of the ? Williams family of Aberpergwm; 163-88, notes and extracts relating to the manufacture of beet sugar, the cultivation of trees and potatoes, the making of varnishes, wines, etc., and medicinal recipes; 201-02, a note headed 'Bards secret and gripe'; 203, a list headed 'Proverbial and idiomatic expressions in Glamorgan'; 215-18, transcripts of miscellaneous Welsh verse including two 'englynion tawddgyrch cadwynog' attributed to Edward Evan 'o Aberdar' and Lewys Hopcin of the parish of Llandyfodwg [co. Glamorgan], an 'englyn' attributed to Siôn Tudur, and six stanzas headed 'Y Credadyn ar farw idd ei enaid' being reputedly a translation from Pope's ode entitled 'The dying Christian to his soul', and extracts from 'cywyddau' attributed to Edmund Prys; 228, notes headed 'Gwehelyth y Simwniaid'; 229, a note on madness in dogs; 240-41, a list of Welsh names of fruits; 247-53, extracts from The Monthly Review, 1790, vol. I, including a transcript of 'Robinson's Elegy on leaving Westminster College'; 278, a note referring to the tradition relating to the alleged Trojan colonization of Italy; 285-6, a ? draft of proposals for publishing a Welsh religious and literary journal to be called 'Goleugrawn Deheubarth Cymry', publication to be annually or quarterly, the first number to appear towards the beginning of 1817; 303- 05, an extract relating to 'healing wounded trees'; 310-11, notes on a proposed 'water wheel at ye present forge [at Kevan] . . ., 29 Jan. 1787'; 315-16, a horticultural note and a medicinal recipe; and 321-7, transcripts of three 'cywyddau' ? attributed to Dafydd ap Gwilym. Also found on various pages are groups or lists of Welsh words, miscellaneous Welsh triads, and other miscellaneous items. Some of the notes have been written on the blank verso or in the margins of copies of printed leaflets advertising 'Sea Bathing' and 'Genteel Lodgings' at the Ball, Swanbridge, seven miles from Cardiff, the wares of Tucketts and Fletcher, Bristol (Tucketts and Fletcher, grocers and tea-dealers, no. 11, Corn-Street, Bristol ([Bristol], [1795?], ESTC T230410)), and the wares of E. M. Downing at his 'Grand Musical Repository', Bristol, and a printed copy of 'An Elegy on the late Reverend John Wesley'.