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Davies, Richard, 1501-1581.
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Achau, arfau, &c.

A volume containing mainly pedigrees of North and South Wales families written by two principal scribes of the circle of George Owen of Henllys, Pembrokeshire.
(a) Pages 1, 7-209, 223-232, 239-256 and possibly 372-373 are written by a scribe who, although experienced in penning a good secretary hand and in executing ornate headings, is often inaccurate in his transcription of Welsh personal and place-names; he also wrote the line 'Owain ap Gruffith /i/ gelwid Gwinn ap Gr: yn jawn' on p. 41, in italic (examples of the same italic hand are found in the margins of pp. 19, 66, 113, 355, 356, 361 and elsewhere). This section comprises a collection of pedigrees mostly of North Wales families, including 'Bonedd y Saint' (pp. 84-90); the prose text 'Pedwar Marchog ar Higen oedd yn llys Arthur' (end wanting) (pp. 37-38); the dates of battles in the 'Wars of the Roses' (pp. 31, 208); five englynion, including one by Richard Davies, bishop of St Davids (p. 1), and other englynion dispersed among the pedigrees (pp. 57, 78, 92, 114-115, 170), together with the series of forty englynion entitled 'Campod Manuwel' (pp. 223-232); and the prose piece 'Disgrifiad Arfau', a Welsh translation of the heraldic treatise 'Tractatus de Armis', attributed to John Trevor, bishop of St Asaph (pp. 239-256). The ultimate source of this section is the collection of pedigrees and other texts written, [c. 1510], by 'Syr' Tomas ab Ieuan ap Deicws in Peniarth MS 127 (see p. 53); however, internal evidence suggests that the scribe was copying from the transcript of Peniarth MS 127 in NLW MS 17112D rather than directly from the original (see p. 104, where he begins copying the note 'Darfu examinatio y llyfrev newydd hyd yma' which occurs on f. 66 verso of NLW MS 17112D, before he realized his mistake). Both Brogyntyn MS I.15 and NLW MS 17112D preserve the original order of the text of Peniarth MS 127, which has been subsequently disarranged in binding. (b) Pages 211-212, 269-371, 374-411 are written by another experienced scribe whose display script is almost indistinguishable from that of the first scribe. These pages contain pedigrees mostly of South Wales families and include two copies of 'Llyma enway Kwnkwerwyr y rhai a vyant yngwlad Vorgannwg ay harfay' (pp. 280, 361-362), a third containing merely a short list of the conquerors' names (p. 310), and two copies of 'Llyma achoed Saint ynys Brydain' [= 'Bonedd y Saint'] (pp. 363-365, 385-386). The text on pp. 211-212, as indicated by a note in the hand of George Owen of Henllys at the head of p. 211, was copied in 1596 from the manuscript of 'Hyw Lewis Sr morgan' of Hafodwen, Carmarthenshire, which 'D'd ap Ienkin m'edd o Vachynlleth' wrote in 1586; the original is now NLW MS 3055D (Mostyn MS 159), pp. 232-233. The text on pp. 271-343 is partly derived from a manuscript written in 1513 by the Carmarthenshire poet and genealogist Ieuan Brechfa for 'Mastr John ap Henry ap Rees', with some of the pedigrees brought down to the second half of the sixteenth century; Ieuan Brechfa's manuscript does not seem to have survived; it is not Peniarth MS 131, pp. 199-308, which is thought to be in his hand. The source of pp. 345-411 is unknown, although the text on pp. 347-365 follows very closely that in Peniarth MS 143, pp. [?1-3], 4, 47-48, 7-19, 33-46, 49-52, written by the same mid-sixteenth century scribe who wrote many of the religious texts in Cardiff Central Library Havod MS 22. A leaf containing a prophecy in English verse, written in a late-sixteenth century hand, has been tipped in after the main text (pp. 413-414).

Miscellanea,

A composite volume (pp. 1-540 with two pages not numbered) containing miscellaneous notes, lists, transcripts, extracts, etc., in the hand of Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg'). The contents include pp. 1-20, an account of the revision of the regulations relating to the craft and conduct of Welsh bards and musicians, the rules of 'cynghanedd', and the twenty-four strict poetic metres undertaken in connection with, or at, the 'eisteddfod' held under the patronage of Gruffudd ap Nicolas at Carmarthen [circa 1450], anecdotes relating to Dafydd ap Edmwnd and the said 'eisteddfod', etc., the greater part of the material being allegedly extracted 'O Lyfr Iago ab Dewi yn awr gan Mr. Thomas Evans o Frechfa, 1799' (this is the same account, etc., as that which is found in NLW MS 13096B, pp. 171-95, for which see above); 21-2, biographical and other notes on Sir Robert ab Amon, lord of Glamorgan [late 11th cent.], and his brother Richard; 23-4, notes on the Reverend Samuel Williams and his son the Reverend Moses Williams, a list of 'eisteddfodau' held at Carmarthen, Aber Marlas, and Castell Gweblai, 1452-1486, an anecdote relating to the poet Dafydd ab Edmwnd, a transcript of two 'englynion' by, or attributed to, the said poet, etc.; 25-7, extracts from the manuscript copy of the 'Lib[er] Land[avensis]' in Jesus College [Oxford, i.e., Jesus College MS 20]; 28-9, lists headed 'Names of some Constellations of Fixed Stars peculiar to the Britons', and 'Some Constellations in Glamorgan'; 33-7, a version of the Welsh legend of the birth of Taliesin (see The Myvyrian Archaiology of Wales . . . (London, 1801), vol. I, pp. 17-19); 38, Welsh verse attributed to Morys ab Ieuan ab Eigyn and Lewys Morys; 39, a list of the names of early Welsh bards ('Hen Brydyddion a fuant gynt yng Nghymru'); 40, a transcript of 'englynion' ? attributed to Twm ab Han ab Rhys; 41-54, a series of twenty Welsh fables relating to birds and animals with the superscription 'O Lyfr Owain Myfyr. Damhegion a ysgrifenwyd ar femrwn ynghylch y flwyddyn 1300' (see BM Additional MS 14884, and for a published text Y Greal . . ., 1806, tt. 279-80, 322-9, and ibid., 1807, tt. 366-70); 55-9, series of Welsh triads with the superscriptions 'Llymma Drioedd Arbennig' (see John Williams: Barddas . . ., vol. I, pp. 394-7), 'Trioedd Serch', 'Trioedd Taliesin', and 'Trioedd mab y Crinwas' (continued)

60-63, lists of Welsh 'sayings' and other miscellaneous lists with the superscriptions 'Saith ymofynion y saith Doethion', 'Geiriau Gwir Cattw Ddoeth', 'Geiriau Gwir', 'Llyma leoedd ynghorph Dyn y bydd swrn gynheddfau ynddynt', 'Saith Gynneddf Gwr Dewisol ', 'Naw rhif Carennydd', 'Pysygwriaeth o Lyfr Hywel Ddu Feddyg', 'Cas ddynion Selyf Ddoeth', and 'Cas betheu Owein Cyfeiliog'; 64, a transcript of the inscription and 'englyn' found at the beginning of Lewis Dwnn's volume of pedigrees of families in cos. Carmarthen, Cardigan, and Pembroke; 65-8, a version of the Welsh tale 'Breuddwyd Gronw Ddu o Fôn'; 69-81, transcripts of three Welsh strict-metre poems ('awdlau') by, or attributed to, Rhobert Dyfi, Siôn Tudur, and Gruffydd Thomas; 82-8, a copy of a letter in Welsh, 9 December 1726, from the Reverend Edward Gamage from St. Athan [co. Glamorgan], to Llywelyn ab Ifan 'o'r Cannerw', giving an account of the achievements of members of the Stradling family (for a holograph copy of a letter from Edward Gamage to Llywelyn ab Ifan see NLW MS 13077B, and for transcripts by Edward Williams ('Iolo Morganwg') of letters from, or allegedly from, Gamage to the same recipient in addition to the present example see NLW MSS 13091E, 13095B, and pp. 528-36 of the present manuscript; for observations on these letters and doubts as to the authenticity of the Williams transcripts see IMCY, tt. 58-60, TLLM, tt. 107, 195, and IM, tt. 245-6); 89-123, versions of Welsh tracts, tales, etc., entitled 'Cato Cymraeg' (for the text see Y Greal . . ., 1806, tt. 145-51), 'Ystori y Llong Foel' (for the text see Taliesin . . ., cyf. II, 1860-61, t. 284), 'Breuddwyd Paul Abostol' (for the text see Iolo Manuscripts . . ., pp. 190-92, and for an English translation ibid., pp. 603-05), 'Cyngor i Feirdd a Dysgedigion Cymru' (attributed to loan Dafydd Rhys, M.D. [the Welsh physician and grammarian]; see Thomas Parry: 'Siôn Dafydd Rhys', Y Llenor, cyf. X, tt. 35-46), 'Araith Ieuan Brydydd Hir, 1450', and 'Casbethau Ieuan Brydydd Hir'; 124-30, transcripts of a Welsh poem entitled 'Arwyddon Taliesin', two poems by, or attributed to, Twm ab Ifan ap Rhys, a Welsh prophecy entitled 'Llyma Brophwydoliaeth Merddin', and an 'englyn' attributed to Edward Dafydd o Fargam; 137-42, notes, allegedly 'from John Bradford's MS', relating to the bards Lewys Glyn Cothi, Lewys Morganwg, Thomas Philip Fardd, Hopcin Twm Philip, Ieuan Swrdwal, Hywel Swrdwal, Ieuan ab Hywel Swrdwal, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, Dafydd Fynglwyd, Rhisiart Iorwerth, Bran ap Llyr, Talhaearn Fardd, Sils ab Siôn, Meredydd ab Morgan Philib, William ap Morgan, William Dafydd, Morgan Pywel, Siôn Mowddwy, Llawdden, Cattwg fab Gwynnlliw, Caradawc o Lancarvan, Casnodyn Fardd, Trehaearn Brydydd Mawr, Harri ab Rhys ab Gwilym, Meuryg Dafydd, and Llywelyn Siôn; 153-71, a version of the Welsh prose oration 'Araith Gwgan' (for the text see Taliesin . . ., cyf. II, tt. 108-12, and for observations thereon IM., tt. 249-51); 171-4, transcripts of a poem from 'Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin', 'englynion' by, or attributed to, Wiliam Llyn, Huw Llyn, Richard Davies, Esgob Dewi, Dafydd Nanmor, Siôn Tudur, Syr Lewys, and Ednyfed Fychan, etc.; 175-7, a copy of a preface to 'a little book' ? with the title 'Short Pedigrees of divers Noblemen . . . of Pembrokeshire containing most part of the eight ancestors from whome they are descended' found 'amongst L. Morris' papers'; 178-81, extracts from [John Wynne:] The History of the Gwedir Family [London, 1770]; 182, a note relating to freemasonry; 183-5, lists of Welsh 'sayings' attributed to Ystyffan Fardd and Catto Ddoeth, etc.; 185-7, a transcript of a Welsh poem attributed to Sippyn Cyfeiliog; 188-93, a version of the Welsh tale 'Dammeg Einion ap Gwalchmai'; 194-204, transcripts of four unattributed 'englynion', a Welsh poem attributed to Twm ab Ifan ab Rhys, and an 'awdl' attributed to Siôn Tudur, and genealogical data headed 'Pum Brenhinllwyth Cymry'; 205-20, genealogical data relating largely to Glamorgan, notes on the arms of [Norman] knights who had come to despoil Glamorgan ('Llyma arfau y Cwncwerwyr a ddaethant ar anraith i Forganwg'), etc. (continued)

221-45, transcripts of 'englynion' attributed to Dafydd Benwyn, Siôn Morys Llwyd, Dafydd Llwyd Mathew, Gronwy William, Llewelyn Siôn, Antoni Powel, Morgan Powel, Harri Rheinallt, Huw Ceiriog, Huw Llyn, Wm. Byrcinsiaw, Ieuan Tew, R. Dafis, Escob Mynyw, Siôn Tudur, Huw Pennant, Wiliam Cynwal, Owain Brereton, Owain Gwynedd, Lewys Menai, Bedo Hafesb, Einon Tew, Siôn Philip, Simwnt Fychan, Wiliam Llyn, Edward Brwynllys, Huw Arwystli, Elis ab Rhys ab Edward, Robert Gruffudd ab Ifan, Huw Conwy, Bartholomew Jones, Hywel Ceiriog, Rhys Celli, Dafydd Alaw, Edward Dafydd, Dafydd Edward, Charles Meredydd, Siams Thomas, Hywel Rhys, Dafydd Rhys, Wiliam Lidwn, Hopcin Thomas, Siôn Padarn, Mathew Llwyd 'o Gelligaer', Llywelyn Thomas, Hopcin Dafydd Edward 'o Langyfelach', Harri Lleision 'o Lancarfan', Bleddyn Siôn, Hywel Lewys, Siôn Roberts, Thomas Lewys, Jenkin Rhisiart, Charles Dafydd Meredydd, Morgan Gruffudd, Lleision Ifan, Hopcin Llywelyn, Dafydd Ifan Siôn, Charles Bwttwn, esqr., Dafydd o'r Nant, Samuel Jones, Lewys Môn, Tudur Aled, Gruffudd ab Llywelyn Fychan with Han Brydydd Hir, Huw Ednyfed, Rhys Nanmor, Gwilym ab Ieuan Hen, Iorwerth Fynglwyd, Rhys ab Rhisiart, Gwilym Tew, Dafydd Llwyd 'o Fathafarn', and Ieuan Brechfa (some of these 'englynion' were allegedly written in connection with a bardic meeting held at Craig y Ddinas, 'eisteddfodau' at Caerwys, Bewpyr, Dinbych, ? Carn Fadryn, and Castell Gweblai, and a 'cadair wrth gerdd yn Llangynwyd . . . 1664' (see TLLM, tt. 91-2)); 239-42, anecdotes relating to Gutto'r Glynn and Hywel Dafydd ab Ieuan ab Rhys at an 'eisteddfod' held in Cardiff Castle (with a transcript of an 'englyn' attributed to Sir Wiliam Herbert), and Dafydd o' r Nant at a meeting of bards at Lantrisaint; 247-9, an incomplete copy of a 'cywydd' attributed to Edmund Prys; 250-52, brief genealogical notes relating to the poets or writers Huw Machno, Einion ab Gwalchmai, Rhys Goch, Tudur Penllyn, Llew'n Offeiriad, Syr Owain ab Gwilym, Llen. Goch ab Meurig Hen, Tudur Aled, William Cynwal, Cywryd ab Elaith, Ieuan ab Rhydderch, Dav. Powel, D.D., Gruff. ab Ieuan, Rhys Cain, John Cain, Dafydd Jones, vicar Llanfair Dyffryn Clwyd, Dafydd Llwyd . . . 'o Fathafarn', Edmund Prys, Ednyfed ab Gruff., Madog Benfras, and Llywelyn Llogell Rison (continued)

253-4, an anecdote relating to a Welsh scholar at Oxford and a copy of a poem attributed to Taliesin; 257-8, copies of extracts made ? by Evan Evans ['Ieuan Fardd'] from 'the Liber Landavensis in the Library of Mr. Davies of Llannerch' [now NLW MS 17110E]; 265--84, a copy of ? the preface and first section of a work entitled 'Datguddiad y Daroganwr Neu gasgliad o amryw frudiau a daroganau . . . yn yspysu yn amlwg mai'n presennol Frenin William y trydydd yw y Brenin Darogan' transcribed, according to a note on p. 266, in 1799 from a manuscript in the hand of Thomas ab Ifan of Tre Brynn [the copyist of NLW MSS 13061-13063B, 13069B, 13085B] then in the possession of Thomas Johns of Hafod Uchtryd, co. Cardigan (the preface deals with vaticinatory verse in the Welsh language more particularly that of Merddyn Emrys, Merddyn Wyllt, and Taliesin, and the author maintains that prophetic allusions in such poems were to King William III; see TLLM, tt. 171-2); 289-327, transcripts of miscellaneous old Welsh poems [mainly from 'Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin' and 'Llyfr Taliesin']; 327-9, a copy of an 'awdl' attributed to Dafydd y Coet; 337-45, transcripts of a twelve-stanza poem ['Enweu Meibon Llywarch Hen'] attributed to Llywarch Hen, and a sequence of thirty-seven 'englynion' all commencing with the words 'Eiry mynydd' attributed to Llywarch Hen, or Mab Claf ab Llywarch, or Llywelyn Llogell Rhison 'o Farchwiail', a version of the Welsh prose oration 'Trwstaneiddrwydd Gruffudd ap Adda ap Dafydd', and a few medicinal notes attributed to 'Meddygon Myddfai'; 346-59, transcripts of an 'awdl' allegedly written by Gwilym Tew in connection with an 'eisteddfod' held in the monastery of 'Penrhys yng Nglynn Rhodneu' in Glamorgan in 1434 or 1435, and an 'awdl' allegedly written by Lewys Morganwg for an 'eisteddfod' held in the monastery of Nedd (Neath) [in Glamorgan] in 1493 or 1494; 359-62, an anecdote relating to a proposal to establish a university in Glyn Nedd, temp. Henry VII, a few Welsh triads, and extracts from Robert Vaughan: British Antiquities Revived . . . ([Oxford], 1662); 363-72, transcripts of two 'awdlau' attributed to Thomas Prys 'o Blas Iolyn' and Lewys ab Edward; 375-8, a copy of an extract from the 'Liber Landavensis' as in pp. 257-8, and brief pedigrees of Gwaithfoed, prince of Cardigan, fl. circa 1000, and Bleddyn ap Cynfyn; 379- 417, transcripts of Welsh poems attributed to Thomas Prys 'o Blas Iolyn', Siôn Tudur, Meredydd ap Rhys, Dafydd Nanmor, Rhys Goch 'o Eryri', Madoc ap Gronw Gethin, and Prydydd y Moch, and of unattributed Welsh verse; 418, an analysis of the 'elements' in man ('Defnyddion Dyn') (see John Williams: Barddas. . ., vol. I, pp. 386-9); 419-28, transcripts of two early Welsh poems, the first being an elegy to Cynddylan (for both poems see The Bulletin of the Board of Celtic Studies, vol. IV, pp. 41-7, and vol. VI, pp. 139-41), and a sequence of twenty-five 'Englynion Beddeu Milwyr Ynys Prydain' from 'Llyfr Du Caerfyrddin'; 435-48, transcripts of Welsh strict- metre poems attributed to Da'dd Williams, 'viccar Penllin'; 451-82, transcripts of Welsh strict- and free-metre poems attributed to Huw Morys; 483-92, a brief account in Welsh of the history of Glamorgan from the time of Morgan Mwynfawr to the reign of Henry VIII allegedly 'allan o Lyfr y diweddar Barchedig Edward Gamais, offeiriad Sant Athan, ag ynawr gan Mr. Siôn Spenser o'r un Plwyf'; 493-527 two accounts in Welsh of the quarrels between Iestyn ab Gwrgant, lord of Glamorgan, and Rhys fab Tydyr, lord of Deheubarth, and between the said Iestyn and Einon fab Collwyn, which led eventually to the conquest of Glamorgan by the Normans under Syr Rhobert fab Amon and the division of the country amongst the said Syr Rhobert and his twelve fellow knights, with brief notes on the subsequent ownership of the estates created (the first account was allegedly taken 'o Lyfr Daniel Thomas, argraphydd', and the second allegedly 'o Lyfr y Parchedig Mr. Thomas Basset o Lan y Lai a Gweinidog Sili ag Eglwys Brywys'); 528-36, an incomplete copy of a letter in Welsh [from the Reverend Edward Gamage, rector of St. Athan] to Llywelyn ab Ifan, giving an account of the coming of Sir William Le Esterling, ancestor of the Stradling family, into Glamorgan with the Normans (see pp. 82-8 above); and 539, an incomplete extract relating to the twenty-four traditional Welsh accomplishments.

Miscellany of verse, pedigrees, historical notes and records,

A dialogue on the death of Mrs Anne Humphries/Humphreys, 1698; a history of the family of Robert and Ieuan ap Maredudd of Cesailgyfarch and Cefnyfan; a pedigree of the Wynns of Gwydir and Berthddu, and the Lloyds of Rhiwaedog; a copy of a history of Owain Glyn Dŵr, attributed to Richard Davies (d. 1581), bishop of St Davids; copies of letters of Lord Charles Cornwallis (d. 1805) appointing John Jennings as his attorney to receive estate accounts at Broome Park, Suffolk, 1673, and his instructions, together with a copy of a letter appointing Charles Pigeon as steward; and copies of letters of Sir Stephen Fox appointing Charles Pigeon as steward at Naburne, Norfolk [?recte Yorkshire], 1673.